Matera - Explore like a pirate : engage, enrich, and elevate your learners with gamification and game-inspired course design

Turn your class into an adventure! This book dispels themyths of games and gamification and shares keys for energizing and exciting aclassroom. Explore Like a Pirate Its is amust-read for teachers looking to energize and excite their students.

Alice Keeler, Authorof 50 Things You Can Do with GoogleClassroom

Imagine your classroom as an epic adventure where studentslevel up, work together, and learn as they complete grand quests. In Explore Like a Pirate, Michael Matera leads teachers on anepic quest to engage, excite, and bring joy back to the classroom throughcreative gamification and game-based learning. Game-based learning and studentengagement is not a myth, make it your reality withthis motivating, practical book for teachers everywhere. I highly recommend Explore Like a Pirate.

Vicki Davis, Teacher,@ coolcatteacher Blog, BAM! Radio host of EveryClassroom Matters, and Author of Reinventing Writing

Matera takes his years of practical knowledge in usinggame-based education and anchors it in an entertaining, yet user-friendly,guide that teachers can read today and use tomorrow to get their studentshaving fun while being actively engaged in content. He understands todayslearner and provides helpful tips and strategies for teachers to transformtheir learning environments into one that encourages students to intrinsicallytake risks, persevere, collaborate, and level-up as they exponentially growlike never before!

Erin Klein, Teacher,Keynote Speaker, and Author

Michael is a true pioneer of game-based learning. Heunderstands the power of a game-based approach to both deeply reward andmotivate learners, whilst also inspiring the curiosity which empowers them to shapetheir own destiny and unlock their fullest potential.

Explore Like a Pirate isdelivered with the authority youd expect from someone who has implemented atrue game-based approach in his classroom for years. I love the fact Michael isable to show the tangible impact gamification has had on his students overtime, whilst sharing strong and passionate arguments against all the skepticsout there!

Explore Like a Pirate inspiresa creative and collaborative learning space grounded by powerful pedagogy.Michael explains how it can be adopted by anyone, regardless of experience,subject, ability, age and access to technology. Not only is it the ultimateguide for implementing game-based learning (with examples that can be adoptedinstantly), you can use this book to sell the strategy to your organization.

Jamie Brooker, Co-founderand Chief Creative Officer of Kahoot !

In Explore Like a Pirate,Michael Matera takes the concept of gaming and explains it in terms that couldmake sense to any educator. He also dispels many myths on why it wouldnt workin the classroom, and gives examples of high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech waysthat you can make this happen in your classroom. It is easy to read withactionable ideas you can use in your classroom immediately.

George Couros , Speaker, Division Principal, and Author of TheInnovators Mindset

Explore Like a Pirate allowsyou to level up the learning in your classroom by exploring actionable waysto introduce or enhance gamification in the classroom. Michael Matera writesfrom deep experience, having successfully navigated the challenges andpracticalities of changing his own classroom. Here, he plots both the why andthe how to make learning (and teaching) more engaging and fun in and out of theclassroom.

Adam Bellow, Founderand President of eduTecher and eduClipper

Whether youre an enthusiast or a skeptic about the role ofgamification in education, you should dive into Materas book. His classes haveinspired his students year after year, class after class, and Explore Like a Pirate helps us understand why.

Ted Dintersmith , Author of Most Likely To Succeed

Michael Matera is a pioneer in the field of educationalgamification and game-based learning. I have great respect for his work, as hehas influenced me, as well as other members of my PLN, effectively making himmy gurus guru. Frequently, educators teach in the same ways that we learned.Todays students, however, tend to learn best when exposed to instruction thatmeets them where they are. Gamification, or applyingthe most motivational techniques of games to non-game settings is one way todo just that.

Explore Like a Pirate is amust-have tool in the arsenal of the innovative teacher. The book effectivelypaints a picture of gamification, detailing the many benefits to students, suchas allowing them to take ownership of their learning, while cultivating softskills such as collaboration and empathy. The practice also allows teachers toget to the heart of learning, in building positive relationships with students.The book also presents some examples of game-based learning, which Matera addsas another layer to motivate students. Gamification and/or game-based learningcan be used by any educator for any subject and any age group, and this bookwill tell you exactly how to do it!

Sarah Thomas, Speakerand Regional Technology Coordinator

Explore Like a Pirate willempower you to set sail for a new land of learningone without worksheets andstandardized tests. Young or old, all students should be engaged in challengingand immersive learning games: Explore Like a Piratewill satisfy that need. Whether you are brand new to the concept of gamingin the classroom or a seasoned sailor on the high seas of classroom games, Mr.Materas Explore Like a Pirate is for you.

James Sanders, Founderof Breakout EDU

Gamification is one of the most important yet easilymisunderstood instructional strategies in schools today. In Explore like aPirate, Michael Matera provides an extremely practical, helpful guide forteachers wanting to gamify learning in their classroom. I highly recommend thisbook. By applying the concepts, strategies and philosophy Michael clearlyexplains , you can transform learning for your studentsby providing deeper opportunities for engaged exploration and collaboration.

Wesley Fryer, Ph.D., Author of Playing with Media andShow What You Know With Media

If you think motivation, engagement, and passion are goldendoubloons in the learning treasure chest, Michaels book, Explore Like a Pirate, can provide you with a map and compellingdirections to help you find your way to the big, black X.

Kevin Honeycutt, International Speaker and Educational Futurist

Explore Like a Pirate is afun and practical look at how gamification can be used in the classroom. Itpresents gamification in a way that is fun and engaging for beginners andexperts alike. It offers easy to use tips and ideas to get started withstraight away. Highly recommended to anyone who wants tostart using gamification in their teaching.

Andrzej Marczewski , GamificationExpert and Author of Even Ninja Monkeys Like to Play

Explore Like a Pirate is anideal primer for any teacher who wants to embark on the adventure of gamifyingtheir classroom. Matera channels the buccaneer spirit as he provides a map tohelp teachers successfully navigate the world of gamification. Drawing fromyears of experience designing and using games in his practice, Matera dispelsmyths and misconceptions while delivering a wealth of practical information,countless examples and inspirational anecdotes in a playfully irreverent style.Explore Like a Pirate celebrates learning asdiscovery, engagement and play, and is sure to set the motivated educator onthe right course to educations New World.

Paul Darvasi , Teacher and Game Designer

Explore Like a Pirate