iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

I feel like the world is burning. So... gonna stream some Hello Kitty crafts. www.twitch.tv/edugamergal

twitch.tv

Twitch

Twitch is the world

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Testing out my stream with Hello Kitty crafts!

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Oof it’s been awhile. I’m currently having fun at Holiday Matsuri. Gonna do a Sylveon cosplay tomorrow. So many outfit changes 😅 #cosplay #playful #pokemon

A smiling woman takes a selfie inside a large, multi-level convention center atrium. She is wearing a colorful graphic shirt and lanyard. Behind her, people walk across a red-carpeted area beneath a banner reading “Holiday Matsuri,” with escalators and balconies visible above.

A smiling woman takes a selfie indoors while wearing a whimsical tan hat with long floppy points and spiral designs, resembling a fantasy or anime character. The background shows a wide hallway with people walking and large yellow wall panels.

A woman smiles at the camera while seated near a softly lit pool at night. She is wearing a dark green costume-style dress with matching arm sleeves and a leafy light-up headpiece. The background features glowing water and ambient green lighting, creating a magical, evening atmosphere.

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Kentucky Educators for Role Playing Games @kyedrpg.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Highlights of day 3 of #seriousplay25! Dr. Peck makes #ttrpgs for classrooms to improve literacy. Dr. Rose & Jacobs presented research on play-based practice (and we played a fish game!). @edugamergal.bsky.social brings play to PD. @drpigeon.bsky.social told us about his semester long RPG! #EduSky

Dr. Fielder and the books that inspired him.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Anyone playing The Alters? I’m pretty obsessed but the sun is getting closer on Act 2 and I’m panicking I didn’t explore fast enough. #LevelUpEdu #gamer #survivalgames

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

#ResidentEvil marathon this weekend. Currently on Apocalypse. I’ve often thought it would be much more effective to fight crime and be an overall gun wielding badass in a blue bustier and a mini skirt instead of a uniform..or armor..or some other protective nonsense. #gamer

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Today’s entertainment: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later then 28 Years Later at the movies tonight. I feel like you would appreciate this marathon @adoom98.bsky.social 😅 #horrorfan

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

I built a game with UEFN at a game jam this weekend! It’s about gathering ingredients for the perfect burger in a journey through the multiverse with parkour, stealth, and hidden item mechanics. I loved designing the “bun” planet. #playfullearning #LevelUpEDU

A group of four people—three men and one woman—stand smiling under purple lighting in front of the Unreal Fest Game Jam stage backdrop. Each person is holding a pink cake pop, celebrating their teamwork. The background features branding for Full Sail University, Unreal Engine, MSI, and the event’s retro game-themed graphics.

A selfie taken at the Unreal Fest Game Jam with a woman in the foreground smiling and three teammates seated behind her at a row of tables, all working on laptops. Two teammates flash peace signs, and the room is lit with stage lights and spotlights, giving a festive, energetic atmosphere. Other developers are seen working in the background.

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James York | ちーぷ @york.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

tomorrow evening I'll be chatting with Willow Flame about their work developing games for language learning and signed languages. The session will be held on Zoom, and you're welcome to join us. Sign up here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #ludic #language #pedagogy #SignedLanguages #gamedesign

Poster for tomorrow night's LLP Live session with Rhianna Hawkins (aka Willow Flame) all about her escapades as a game designer with a specialty in language learning and signed languages.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

I think Final Destination could also be titled “Rube Goldberg gone horrifically awry” although that’s not quite as catchy…

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

So. Just finished Blue Prince this morning (ok, Day 38, not “finished” but got through antechamber to credits). Thought about going to movie theater solo to see the new Final Destination but my mood is telling me to marathon the series fully solo (at home lol). Thoughts @adoom98.bsky.social ? 😅

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Heading to Indianapolis for Crossroads 2025 and feeling so energized! This year marks 10 years of the InfyMakers Awards, and I’m excited to celebrate the amazing work educators are doing across the country. Follow along for updates and snapshots from the event! #InfyXRoads

Dr. Kelly McNeil smiling in a selfie at the airport, wearing a pink cardigan with planes and a Southwest Airlines aircraft visible through the window in the background

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

📚 Happy National Library Week! Visited @umcvga.bsky.social last month - library AND gamer paradise! 🎮 Played Phantasmagoria on a vintage PC 🤯 Have you checked out games at your local library? What's your experience been? How could this increase access for students? #LevelUpEDU #Library

Close-up of an HP monitor showing a vintage-style video game with a photograph of a white rat labeled “Blob.” On-screen dialogue reads: “You’re such a pretty girl, Blob.” The background appears to be an office or lab setting.

A glass display case with vintage Pokémon plush toys (including Pikachu and Dratini), Super Mario Bros. 3 cards, Among Us stickers, Pac-Man-themed tags, and other gaming memorabilia. A person is reflected working at a table behind the case.

A printed flyer for the University of Michigan's Computer & Video Game Archive (CVGA), resting on a desk. The flyer includes a photo of the archive, a QR code, and contact info. In the background are figurines of Hello Kitty characters and a pink Poké Ball speaker.

A well-organized library of board games on black bookshelves in a brightly lit room. Game titles include Carcassonne, Power Grid, Galaxy Trucker, Pandemic, and more. The floor is carpeted, and the space resembles a community or library game room.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Last day for #LevelUpEdu #slowchat this week! What would it look like for your students to design their own game with your support on a topic they are passionate about? Jump in and share your comments below! #EduSky

Pixel-art style #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic by Digital Promise. The prompt reads: 🎨 If your students could design a game around something they care about, what might it look like and how would you support the process? Topic: Player Agency, AI and the Future of Games in Learning. Five pixel hearts in the top left and two alien icons below.

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Deb Fuller @bigpuffingames.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

...For board games or digital games, this is where understanding game design and thorough playtesting are necessary. A quiz-type game is naturally going to have limited choices. A sandbox or playful learning activity will need clear instructions to keep kids on track. #LevelUpEDU

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Deb Fuller @bigpuffingames.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

This is a dissertation-sized question, lol. It depends on the game, objectives, and learning content. With a teacher-led game like a TTRPG, escape room, or group #Minecraft Ed world, you can reign students in when they want to go off on a tangent or nudge them along if they're stuck. #LevelUpEDU...

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

One take. Don’t have time to do these over and over 😅 #slowchat #levelupedu Question of the Day. #gamesineducation

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Today's #slowchat is for our #AI and #LevelUpEdu communities! Are you using AI tools with students in game design education and/or interactive storytelling? What tools are you using? What considerations or thoughts do you go through when selecting or using these tools?

Pixel-art style #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic by Digital Promise. The prompt reads: 🤖 How might AI tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, etc) support students as game designers or interactive storytellers? What considerations should there be when using AI in this capacity? Topic: Player Agency, AI, and the Future of Games in Learning, with pixel aliens and three hearts in the top left corner.

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Debbie Alexander @debbiealexander.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Yes! Incredible worlds were built by collaborative pairs: an arena with code to arm combatants, a maze with 4 different biomes... This was the final battle in the #MinecraftEDU #Python arena tournament (I was eliminated 1st round;) #LevelUpEdu #slowchat #gamedesign #gamesineducation #EduSky

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Today's #LevelUpEdu #slowchat question asks about designing games and learning experiences for student agency. What do you think? Share your thoughts with the community! #gamedesign #gamesineducation #EduSky

Pixel-art style #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic by Digital Promise. The prompt reads: How do you design a learning experience to allow student agency? What game mechanics have you used (or want to try) to build student agency? Topic: Player Agency, AI, and the Future of Games in Learning, with two pixel alien icons and two hearts in the top left.

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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

A1: Poker (hear me out) once I learned how to bluff & stack decks. The mental game is way more fun than the cards & manipulating the cards even more so. "You don't play your hand, you play the player across the table". #SlowChat #LevelUpEdu

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Design Mode #LevelUpEdu Q1 🎮 What’s a game, digital or analog, that gave you a true sense of agency as a player? How can you build learning experiences through games that inspire that sense of agency in your students? Do you have any examples to share? #slowchat

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

🎮 This week on #LevelUpEDU, we’re switching to Design Mode! Our theme: Player Agency, AI & the Future of Games in Learning. One Q each day. Jump in when you can and let’s explore what it means to design playful, student-centered experiences. 💬 Don't forget the hashtags! #slowchat #EduSky

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

@adoom98.bsky.social have you seen The Substance?? Omg lol. Idk what to think. Great symbolism for sure and good start. Reached Dario Argento levels of gore and went off the rails. I think I would’ve preferred something more cerebral (no pun intended) for an ending.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Daily #slowchat question 🎮 How can we use games to help students explore identity, culture, or history in meaningful ways? 🌍 What’s a game (or idea) that does this well? Drop your thoughts and let’s learn from each other! #LevelUpEDU #GamesInEducation #Storytelling

Pixel-art style #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic by Digital Promise. Q2 reads: How can we use games to help students explore identity, culture, or history in meaningful ways? What’s a game (or idea) that does this well? Topic: Games, Stories, and the Power of Voice, with a book icon.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

📝 Reminder! This week’s #LevelUpEDU slow chat theme is: 🎮 Games, Stories & the Power of Voice We're exploring how games can amplify identity, culture, and history in meaningful ways. New question drops daily. Jump in anytime and share your voice! 💬🌍 #GamesInEducation

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Did you hear? We’ve hit pause on the live format ⏸️ and shifted to a slow chat! That means we’ll post one Q a day here on #LevelUpEDU and you can respond anytime that works for you 🎮💬 Jump in when you're ready, learn from others, and keep the convo going all week long! 📚 #GamesInEducation #EduSky

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Andrew Peterson @petersonandrew.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Our Esports Degree is a mix of Hospitality Management, Sports Communication, Game Design, and Digital Media Production. I couldn't be more proud of it: www.ferris.edu/esports

ferris.edu

Esports Degree Program | Ferris State University

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Nick Schiner | STAY PLAYING NICK @stayplayingnick.com · 21/03/2025

sportsdegreesonline.org/jobs-in-spor...

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

ok y'all. Please keep chatting but I actually want to go play my games now (a lil obsessed with Avowed atm) 🤣 Keep the chat going and I'll check in over the next few days as usual. #LevelUpEDU

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

@adoom98.bsky.social ok! Right before I hopped online for the chat tonight I watched the rest of From S3. It is still a hot mess BUT..it has sucked me in to want to watch another season. There are dangling threads everywhere but just enough teaser of tying some stuff up..

media.tenor.com

a camper is driving down a road with trees on the side

Alt: a camper is driving down a road with trees on the side

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Thank you so much to my colleagues @stayplayingnick.com and @mrsmccallum1913.bsky.social being here to support chat tonight and a special big thank you to @bigpuffingames.bsky.social for great suggestions on the questions tonight! Thank you everyone for the active and engaged chat! #LevelUpEDU

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Stephen Taylor @stetayloredu.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

A2 This is the key thing so many people miss. Gaming is a clear example of #lifewidelearning. Unlike #lifelonglearning, which happens at set points in your life, lifewide is where you acknowledge all your experiences as learning opportunities #levelupEDU

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Deb Fuller @bigpuffingames.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

But Scott Nicholson developed the EscapeIF format for creating low resource escape rooms. #LevelUpEDU scottnicholson.com/twine/perime...

scottnicholson.com

EscapeIF Sample Game: Perimeter Problems

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

🌿 That’s a wrap on tonight’s #LevelUpEDU chat! Thanks for sharing your ideas on growth, renewal, and re-engagement through games 🎮✨ What’s one takeaway or game you’re excited to try? Drop it here or keep the convo going! 🌱 #GamesinEducation

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

A4 Games, both analog and digital, have such possibilities in the classroom. One interesting way to explore the 'how' would be to ask AI :) Take an old lesson plan or topic that you noticed Ss disengaged in the past. Ask an AI how a game can enhance engagement with the lesson plan. #LevelUpEDU

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Q4 🌸 How can we use games to renew student engagement? Share a game that worked for you in reconnecting or re-energizing students—and tell us how! 🎮 #LevelUpEDU

Pixel-art #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic. Q4 asks: How can we use games to renew engagement with students? Share a game you’ve used that renewed engagement and how it worked. Topic: Growth and Renewal in Games and Learning.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

A3 I think if I could go back, I'd re-do the Twine narrative branching storytelling game design Computer Science unit I did. I wouldn't drastically change things - I'd just add more of the cool tools I've seen since I did that years ago. #LevelUpEDU

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Nick Schiner | STAY PLAYING NICK @stayplayingnick.com · 20/03/2025

A2. I've actually been having lots of conversations with my oldest kiddo about his growth in gaming. It's been a joy watching him grow his determination and persevere when games get hard. On days he struggles with it, we talk through those feelings and how to better process them. #LevelUpEDU

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Q3 🌱 Spring = fresh starts! What’s a past game-based project or activity you’d love to reboot or try differently this season? Share what you'd change or why! 🌸🎮 #LevelUpEDU

Pixel-art style #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic. Q3: Spring is about fresh starts. What’s a past game-based project or activity that you’d like to reboot or try differently? Topic: Growth and Renewal in Games and Learning.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

A2. I think esports is a great example here. There are lots of career and technical jobs that could be explored through the lens of esports in the classroom where growth exploration can be directly related to other growth. #LevelUpEDU

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Q2🌿 How can teachers and students connect the growth they experience through playing games to their own personal or educational growth? Share your ideas! 🎮✨ #LevelUpEDU

Pixel-art #LevelUpEDU Chat graphic. Q2 asks: How can teachers and students connect growth through playing games to their own lives or educational growth? Topic: Growth and Renewal in Games and Learning.

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Kelly McNeil | EduGamerGal @edugamergal.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

A1: I think lots of games explore critical thinking, problem solving, the need for perseverance, communication - with other irl players or even NPCs. All of these are life skills. Sharing analog or digital games in the classroom to explore any of these would work! #LevelUpEDU

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