My very first Bogerd story – The Ogre’s Secret – found a home in Broadswords and Blasters, issue 6. Friend and raconteur Ed McKean gave me an idea for this one long ago. John Miller and I worked together a few years back on teaching materials intended to drop students into a Minecraft world of vikings and castles. That project inspired me to look at this story again and get it up to speed. It’s a romp and nothing more, but I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Filed under Front Page, published story
Happy to announce that Chris Scott and I have written a second Unofficial Minecraft Lab book and it is now available through most of the usual booksellers. This book emphasizes STEM applications and follows the same pattern as our previous book —> 24 Minecraft activities + 24 out of game activities. We also wanted parents to see how enriching and valuable having a “Minecraft Skillset” can be, so we interviewed several amazingly talented folks about how they incorporate these skills into their lives and occupations. It includes interviews with Stephen Reid, Garrett Zimmer, Johan Kruger, Adam Clarke, and Sqaishey.
Finally, we introduce the idea of sketchnoting by asking kids to create a visual lab journal of sorts as they proceed through the activities.
For locals, I will be doing a book signing at WhizKids in SLO on Sunday, May 6th. Come on by between 11:30 and 2 and say hi!
This is what friend and colleague John Miller had to say about his new book. Here’s the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Minecraft-STEM-Kids-Family-Friendly/dp/1631594834/
Filed under Front Page, Minecraft Unit
Meet the artist events at Sol Treasures – intimate and collaborative – often blur the lines between presenters and audience. Such was the case on Friday evening when John Miller and I shared our books with a lively group of friends and visitors. John offered a concise though wide-ranging context for his bestseller Minecraft Lab for Kids. It was fun to see illumination bloom on attentive faces as he revealed the power of this new learning-through-play technology. I was pleased to offer a Presidents’ Day reading from my Dawn Drums. We cannot hear enough about Abraham Lincoln these days – we just can’t.
John and I have collaborated in teaching for decades. May it always be so!
P.S. Note my “Lemon Tree” shirt. Thanks, Kerry’s Mom! Your artistry endures!
Filed under Author Visits, Front Page
John Miller and I will host kids, teachers and parents at Sol Treasures in King City on Friday evening from four to six. We’ll tell stories, talk about literacy and reveal great secrets about writing. Please come out and join us if you’re near – or even if you’re far! Wine, refreshments and good cheer will be shared.
Filed under Author Visits, Front Page
John Miller’s new Minecraft unit set in Medieval England opens that time and that culture to his 7th grade students – amazingly so! They took the knowledge they acquired and rebuilt 14th Century Birmingham in Minecraft. They then used story-starters that I supplied to create detailed and coherent narratives about the most terrible problem people of that time faced: the Black Death. John’s work is beyond cutting edge. Please take a look at the unit here: http://minecraft.edtecworks.com/2016/05/08/recreating-medieval-birmingham-in-minecraft/
Filed under Front Page, Minecraft Unit
Friend and Colleague John Miller recruited me to contribute to his teaching unit on Medieval Japan a couple of years ago. Some of the tanka I wrote turned out pretty well and one just got published in the Tanka Journal # 3. Here’s a link to the online journal:
http://tankajournal.com/issue.php?id=6&issue=3
and here’s one to the book:
https://prolificpress.com/bookstore/tanka-journal-c-11/tanka-journal-issue-3-p-178.html
Filed under Front Page, poetry
John Miller has ten thousand irons in as many fires. He took a bit of time from his busy schedule to help me update my Tanka unit on TPT. I’ve added more poems by his students and a couple of new activities. If you have a moment, check out the revised unit.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tanka-for-Minecraft-1648050
Filed under Front Page, Minecraft Unit
Author • Educator • Mountaineer 
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