JnoodleLIVE! update and projects I'd love to collaborate with you on!

Had a few hiccups with our premier webisode of JnoodleLIVE! last April 26th at 11:30 am PST.

but overall it was a good experience and we got some positive feedback.  

Most exciting was the reveal of Robin's secret challenge, i.e. Making a game about making a game!  Even though the premise of JnoodleLIVE! is to show potential game devs the process of team formation and problem solving in real time, I can't resist the urge to make plans for how my idea of such a game might work.  Robin is laying down the framework in Twine.

I'm making a dialog system in Fusion.

Fallon is preparing to leave for his EVERYDAY tour but he should be back joining our efforts in a few weeks.  We'll notify you of the next live stream and promise you that under the hood unscripted experience.  

My current FRONT BURNER Projects are

• JnoodleLIVE! with Robin and Fallon
• Game about making a game with Robin and Fallon
• Tau Aleph Adventure game (yearlong personal project)
• The Lost Rites ARG with Thomas Lafferty
• 3D Visualizer with Joe Jacobson (no relation :)
• ECOsalypsee game with a group from Mr Esler's environmental class
• Senior Project game dev mentor for Bryson Cardwell at CHS
• BlocksmithXR prep for a summer camp at Gizmo
• Advising some past students with their cryptocurrency ATM project

6 of the previous projects are ongoing but 3 are about to reach completion.  I had mentioned in an earlier post that I'd be talking about "projects I'd love to collaborate with you on", so with some front burners about to be freed up, who would like to collaborate on one of the following?

• Alternative UTOPIA Megagame like World Peace or Alliance : My Promo Video
• FIND A PROBLEM: DESIGN A SOLUTION database : Helper Slides
• Designing kiosks curriculum using Taleblazer and/or ARIS
• Counter misinformation: flat earth, CO2 is bad
• My most ambitious Dream! : A Local Space Camp Experience

I'm going to have to get an industrial stove with more front burners now :)  

Jnoodle LIVE?!

"Game development is more accessible than ever, but to many it is a quiet and abstract world. Perhaps it's the topic itself that needs de-mystifying? Let's take relatively-unknown, relatable game-devs into an unscripted podcast/roundtable discussion, documenting the process of project planning and execution. To top it off, let's make the platform a live-stream, where folks can feed us their questions about game dev experiences, weaknesses, and expertise."  - Fallon Braddy

My dear friend from New Zealand, Robin Hughes, is the culprit behind this brainchild adventure and what he is calling Jnoodle LIVE!  We have collaborated remotely over the years on some very exciting projects, some of which have yet to see the light of day, but all rich sources of learning.  Even if you are not a fan of game design, you'll want to watch just to hear that awesome Kiwi accent we all love.

Robin Hughes

Host & Producer from New Zealand

Fallon Braddy and I go waaaay back and honestly, he's a real life polymath. He also has a ton of streaming experience.  Many moons ago he was an amazing president of the after school game design club that I advised. Now, he tours the country composing and playing his own music, streams jams and let's plays, is a Fusion master, author, good friend and fellow collaborator.

Fallon Braddy

author, composer, musician

Currently, I participate in an indie dev small group with these characters,  meeting monthly via video chat to be safely accountable and encouraging to each other in year long personal projects of our own choosing.  As the group 'leader' I am also touching base with the other small group leaders as we attempt to spread the love and grow the small group model.  I'm guessing many more would love to join and benefit in this process but don't really know what to expect and might appreciate a peak behind the scenes to alleviate their concerns.

Scott Jacobson

game design teacher, rapid prototyper

I'm sure Robin and Fallon have their own reasons, but it is my hope that Jnoodle LIVE! will be a catalyst that gets you taking that first step and completing one of your passion projects within the loving embrace of a small group.

Once we work out the software choice pipeline kinks and do a few more practice sessions we'll let you know when we're ready.  To be notified please LIKE below or Follow HERE.


You'll get the link to the live feed and also a link to the Facebook video archive afterwards for those of you that can't make it.

FUTURE Guests we hope to have (but have yet to ask)...

• Thomas Henshell
• Chase of Bass
• Jay Tholen
• Chera Meredith
• Jeff Neet
• Neil Sauvageau
• Nick Depalo
• Justin Fox
• Jupiter Hadley
• Suggestions? Volunteers?

Back to the blogging...

It has been waaaaay too long since my last blog post here.           5 years!

If you are like me, you're already thinking that I'll be doing a few more entries over the course of the next few weeks and then give up on it again.  That would indeed fit the pattern of most bloggers.  I'm not afraid to create digital media. In fact, I spend several hours every day creating content for my students and interacting on my social media channels.  And I can't wait for my optical HUD implant.

I must admit that my original intentions for blogging may not have been pure; self promotion, validation, being an altruistic resource for others, keeping up with the Jones's.  Honestly,  every time I was composing a blog entry I felt I was wasting valuable energy that should have been used to design more innovative experiences for my students.  My writing style tends toward run on sentences and stream of consciousness so I cringe internally every time I click the publish button, worrying that the spelling/grammar police are just waiting to drag me down. I also love reading blogs regularly and maybe that has set the bar high enough to scare me off. BUT, after reading the book #InnovatorsMindset by @gcouros  I have cast such concerns aside.

My new motivations are still somewhat selfish. Now, it is the empowering effect of organizing and clarifying my thought processes that blogging has become for me.  Coupling that with my 'One Sentence' has given me a clear vision and path to making the rest of this year better for both my students and me and next year AMAZING!  Yes, I'll be working like crazy all summer. But it's the kind of work that excites and rejuvenates me! With that, here is a sneak peek of my upcoming blog topics!

• My One Sentence
• My sweet project challenges that unleash student creativity and innovation   
• Identity Day Prep
• Projects I'd love to collaborate with you on!
• Help! How do I foster continual project engagement? 
• VR for the masses using BlocksmithXR
• What I wish all these cool ed books I read would include