Summer has given me a chance to catch up on various reading and PD projects, which have all been very worthwhile! I’ve posted a few quick insights below.
First up, to match my growing interest in gamifying learning – that is, applying elements of gaming to learning and education processes – I read Actionable Gamification (2015), by Gamification expert Yu Kai Chou. It is superb and speaks to his expertise and insights as well as an industry that is maturing beyond its adolescent phase. I highlighted more than 15 pages of notes, so I got a lot of benefit and ideas from this book. And as a complement to this book and to better grok Yu Kai’s Octalysis framework, I watched the first level of his online video course, available for free through his website.

Next up I completed a short but potent book by educator-psychologist Bob Sullo, The Motivated Student: Unlocking the Enthusiasm for Learning (2010) which was very complementary to my interest in gamifying learning. Bob Sullo is a  long-time proponent of Internal motivation theory as developed by psychiatrist William Glassford, whose work I’ve read and valued for many years.  The insights are applicable beyond conventional schooling though I recommend this book for educators, administrators and parents.
I’ve also just laid down The Autistic Brain (2013) by Temple Grandin. Temple continues to open up our knowledge of autism, asperger’s and learning disabilities and, as an educator to SE learners in SelfDesign Learning Community, I’m very grateful for her ongoing insights and resources.
Next week, I’m off to a two-day workshop in Vancouver in DIR Floortime, as developed  by the late Dr. Stanley Greenspan, with many SelfDesign colleagues and Occupational Therapists from around the Pacific Northwest.
And lastly, I just returned from a robust faculty gathering of the SelfDesign Graduate Insitute in Bellingham Washington. It was delightful to participate in this first-time event, and I look forward to many more!
Now, where’s my hammock?!