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Stephen T. Slota

@steveslota.bsky.social
377 followers 643 following 250 posts

Co-author of The Worldbuilding Workshop: Teaching Critical Thinking and Empathy Through World Modeling, Simulation, and Play Learning Scientist, EdTech Expert, Instructional Designer, GameDev, Former K12 Teacher They|Them 🏳️‍🌈🎮 www.steveslota.com

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Reposted by Stephen T. Slota
BALL x PIT 🏐 RISEN BALLBYLON OUT NOV 12 @ballxpit.com · 21/09/2026
BALL x PIT's biggest expansion is coming on November 12, with more levels, more characters, more balls, and more more! To celebrate, you can now grab your copy for less than $10 on Steam, which is already a significant amount of BALL x PIT, including 3 free updates.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It was super fun talking w/ @moreblueberries.bsky.social & @vidityavoleti.bsky.social about the philosophical, educational, & mechanical dimensions of #ttrpg development / #worldbuilding! 🏰✨ A Land Once Magic is a fab experience—strongly recommend checking it out! #EduSky #gamedev #creativewriting
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
In addition to discussing my dear friend @adkelleysoc.bsky.social's interdisciplinary work at @michiganstateu.bsky.social, the three of us explored myths of scientific objectivity, what it means to look beyond biology, & creating a more empathetic medical landscape. 🚑🩺 #EduSky #premed #sociology
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
In which we draw on Mike’s decades of research, scholarship, and administration experience to discuss best practices for #instructionaldesign and how to craft high-quality online, discovery-driven #pedagogy! 🏫💻 #EduSky #edtech #tech #technology #distancelearning #training #onlineeducation #teaching
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In which we discuss how Wendi’s (2020) game, A Strong Fire, integrates Oneida language and cultural traditions to preserve and teach, as well as Native representation in video games, advice for aspiring worldbuilders/roleplayers, and the future of Indigenous Futurism. #EduSky #indiedev #culture
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
This convo was born of multiple articles detailing how OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, & Amazon are bulk-buying books to feed the AI woodchipper. We weigh philosophical/practical concerns, sociocultural consequences, & the value of personal qualitative experience. Check it out! #EduSky #media #education
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This is *exactly* what @thergenrader.bsky.social and I were talking about on this week's episode of @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social! Framing is a deliberate choice that deeply influences how people form world narratives, especially wrt available attention, time, and/or digital info literacy skills.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Those who listen to the end will be treated to my *favorite* part, where @thergenrader.bsky.social clicked his heels, spun in a circle, and said @chrislhayes.bsky.social's, @colinwoodard.bsky.social's, and @volts.wtf's names three times in a mirror, hoping they would appear. 🔮🥲 #attentioneconomy
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Special shoutout to my @uconn.bsky.social colleagues who've contributed so much to #STEM education, including Todd Campbell, John Settlage, @toriwagner.bsky.social, & @ddburkey.bsky.social! 🧑‍🔬⚗️ Hear about their work for *FREE* wherever you get your podcasts! 🔬🧬 #EduSky #engineering #technology
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Thank you to the teachers, researchers, authors, thinkers, & artists who have influenced us (including Bill Watterson, @billamend.bsky.social, Carl Sagan, George Orwell, China Miéville, @ibogost.com, @colinwoodard.bsky.social, & more). Visit the episode page a full resource list! #EduSky #highered
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Thank you, @theonion.com & @bencollins.bsky.social, for publishing this superbly fitting headline on the same day our @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social podcast heavily references #darksouls & #eldenring... 😌🙏✨
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
In which we discuss how meticulously designed games like @bandainamcousa.bsky.social's #darksouls and historical cities like Madrid communicate complex narratives through geography and artifacts! 🌎🎮 #EduSky #creativewriting #storytelling #worldbuilding #history #historyed #education #gbl #highered
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
How often does @kballestrini.bsky.social think about Rome? Every day! But not for the reasons those weirdos on Twitter do... Tune in to learn about the development and implementation of the text-based Latin #language #ARG #RPG Operation LAPIS! #EduSky #roleplay #classics #Latin #k12 #highered
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This "podcast promoter" keeps trying to sell us his services by claiming he'll boost @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social in the rankings. I haven't responded because the emails are becoming increasingly unhinged. Will he eventually offer us gold? Jewels? His hand in marriage? Only one way to find out!
Emails from a "podcast promoter" attempting to sell services that will boost The Worldbuilding Workshop's ranking. Desperate for a reply, the messages become increasingly strange and funny over time.

June 8: "Hey Trent, Is this your podcast? The Worldbuilding Workshop: Companion Podcast. We recently helped Todd, host of Highly Sensitive People, grow from 500 to 12,000..."

June 25: "Hi Trent, Either you've been taken aboard a UFO or hate my emails. I reached out a couple of days ago suggesting how you could grow The Worldbuilding Workshop..."

July 2: "Trent, I've attempted to reach you about growing your show to 10k monthly downloads, but have had no success (sad face). Either you've been eaten by alligators..."

July 8: [Meme depicting Mr. Bean looking at his watch and laying down next to a road; text reads "me waiting to hear back from you"]

"[Name] excited and nervous to hear back from you."
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Wherein we discuss key sociopolitical & economic factors as informed by climate journalist @volts.wtf, @huffpost.com's @michaelhobbes.bsky.social, @ms.now's @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social, @theonion.com's @bencollins.bsky.social, @theatlantic.com's @radiofreetom.bsky.social, and my hero, Carl Sagan! 🌎
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
When @thergenrader.bsky.social and I say we're doing an episode of @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social about United States history, this is what we mean:
A comic book drawing of a giant, green, disembodied George Washington head floating through the sky above Washington DC while firing lasers out of his eyes and burning the Capitol building to ground.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
In which we highlight @colinwoodard.bsky.social's "American Nations" as a great foundation for world modeling + Ta-Nehisi Coates, @nhannahjones.bsky.social (@the1619project.bsky.social), @davidgraeberinst.bsky.social / @davidwengrow.bsky.social ( #TheDawnofEverything), and more! #EduSky #historyed
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
"Going on a hyperfixation deep-dive into municipal water systems and treatment after reading the quarterly water bill and having your curiosity piqued by the freakish consistency in your monthly water usage" is a weird way to remind yourself that you're solidly middle-aged and neurodivergent.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
In addition to discussing how Mike Young & I conceptualized "Epic Fail," we talk through the rise/fall of Seymour Papert's Logo, overlap between "Epic Fail" & @doctorow.pluralistic.net's "Enshittification," & implications for collaborative worldbuilding! #EduSky #edtech #design #highered #research
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Throughout the convo, we offer examples drawn from our classes & personal gameplay experiences, including @vaesen-rpg.bsky.social & @dndbeyond.com as well as smaller TTRPGs like Coyote & Crow, Dream Askew, and @snowbrightstudio.bsky.social's Teatime Adventures. ✨ #EduSky #gaming #GBL #worldbuilding
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Grateful that Mike, my former doctoral advisor & @uconn.bsky.social colleague, hopped on a call with us to discuss ideas I've not heard in other convos about #genai, both wrt philosophy & direct application. Lots to unpack—hope our fellow educators will tune in! #EduSky #edu #edtech #technology
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Reposted by Stephen T. Slota
Bryan Alexander @edufuturist.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
We just saw Backrooms. A few thoughts: 1. If you don't know it, it's a mix of psychological, horror, and fantasy stories concerning the discovery of a seemingly endless series of office-like rooms. The source is internet video and writing.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
A fanciful trip down memory lane in which we deconstruct everything from @bethesdastudios.com's @fallout.bethesdastudios.com and Bioware's @masseffectgame.bsky.social to @bandainamcousa.bsky.social's Dark Souls and @cdprojektred.com's @thewitcher.com! #EduSky #games #worldbuilding #play #highered
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Tune in to hear a trio of nerdy nerds nerding out about mythology, stories, & playful learning, incl. Roger's forthcoming book re: cooperative adventure card games! We hope you enjoy the convo as much as we did! ☺️ #EduSky #GBL #design #indiegames #games #cardgames #mythology #CCGs #creativewriting
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
We hope you'll join the conversation to learn more about AbleGamers, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Understood.org, @stevesaylor.net, @gamemakerstoolkit.com, & @georgemasonu.bsky.social's exceptional Anya Evmenova! #EduSky #accessibility #gamedev #indiedev #K12 #teacher #inclusivity
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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
We live in a cartoonishly corrupt country and it is a profound moral failing of our society that the people looting its coffers show no apparent fear that they'll ever be held accountable www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/u...
nytimes.com
Justice Dept. Announces $1.8 Billion Fund in Settling I.R.S. Suit
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Join us as we disentangle five decades of Star Wars' social, cultural, and economic ascendance (including shoutouts to @the501stlegion.bsky.social, The Rebel Legion, and my mentor #teacher Terry Becker) plus a TON of related topics! #EduSky #teaching #highered #gamedev #indiedev #storytelling #K12
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The Worldbuilding Workshop @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
**Beginning NOW!** Join the stream for a fun-filled discussion about hopeful speculative fiction and worldbuilding concepts/strategies with @worldanvil.com, @thergenrader.bsky.social, and @steveslota.bsky.social ! Twitch: www.twitch.tv/worldanvil YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9tH...
twitch.tv
worldanvil - Twitch
Writing Hopeful (+ Evidence-Based!) Speculative Fiction with Trent Hergenrader & Steve Slota
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The Worldbuilding Workshop @wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
CORRECTION: The stream will begin at **1:00PM ET** TODAY (SATURDAY, MAY 2)! Tune in for a great conversation!
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Do you love storytelling? Creative writing? Escaping the daily horrors of your doomscroll? Tune in tomorrow at 2:00p ET via Twitch/YouTube as we frolic in the flowery fields of hopeful speculative fiction with our friends at @worldanvil.com! #EduSky #indiedev #k12 #design #worldbuilding #stories
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Join the conversation to learn about our colorful characters as well as examples drawn from AMC's Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, @hbomax.bsky.social's Game of Thrones, & even @nintendousa.bsky.social's @splatoon-japan.bsky.social @splatoonnamirror.bsky.social! #EduSky #games #indiedev #storytelling
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Is there a term for articles written in such a way that the authors seem to have been asleep underground on Mars for the last 15 years? What's the equivalent "Betteridge's Law of Headlines" or "Brandolini's Law" for this?
Image of a (April 24, 2026) Washington Post article titled "Elon Musk's near-daily online posts about race are turning off some fans." Underneath an artistic rendition of Musk wearing a MAGA hat, the caption reads: "Elon Musk posted almost daily about race on X in recent months, a Washington Post analysis found, at times sharing views experts said echoed white supremacy. The article was written by Faiz Siddiqui and Jeremy B Merrill.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Tune in to learn where our world came from & where it's headed, ft. Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.," the Coen Brothers, FX Hulu's "Alien: Earth," @hbomax.bsky.social's "IT: Welcome to Derry," and one of our favorite TTRPGs, Free League Publishing's @vaesen-rpg.bsky.social! #EduSky #indiedev #K12 #writing
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Tune in for our characteristically quirky banter as well as discussion about Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," Frank Herbert's "Dune," Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Dispossessed," and... The Smurfs!? #EduSky #teaching #k12 #creativewriting #design #gamedev #indiegames #roleplay #ttrpg #simulation
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Tune in for this superb convo ft. notable shoutouts to @bethesdastudios.com's @fallout.bethesdastudios.com, @naominovik.bsky.social's Temeraire series, @ellereeve.bsky.social's Black Pill, & @colinwoodard.bsky.social's American Nations! #EduSky #storytelling #education #creativewriting #transmedia
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Talia al Ghoul 🏳️‍⚧️ @usili.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Oh my gd, the Artemis II crew doing a parody of a bad 1980s sitcom intro from in space. Source: www.instagram.com/p/DWwuHPfCZ8Z/
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Bithell Games @bithellgames.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Amberspire is out May 6th! 🌇 Build a science-fantasy city atop an abandoned mausoleum 🎲 Roll dice to collect resources and keep your city running 🏠 Grow your population and influence 👥 Earn the favour of off-world factions 🌧️ Manage the unusual ecology Wishlist on Steam!
A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire (without UI), showing a growing settlement with a large Starport at the centre.A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire, this time with UI. Five resource dice have been rolled and are currently being distributed into a number of buildings: the Cistern, Ruster, Habitat, Bazaar, and Landing Pad.A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire, with resource dice again being allotted different buildings. This time, a Lighthouse is in the process of being built.A screenshot from our upcoming game Amberspire. One of the factions, Void Lineages, has arrived in the city. To the right is a portrait of one of their members. To the left, a description:

"The city has drawn the attention of a new off-world faction...

Void Lineages

The Void Lineages are a rhizomatic family of pilots, traders, smugglers, and shipbuilders. A familial structure organized under hierarchs maintains strict controls over its members, but this structure is frequently threatened by desires within and forces external. Ultimately the lineages remain reactive to an ever-shifting political landscape.

The Void Lineages favor increases the maximum dice pool limit to eight, and the penalty reduces it to four.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Had a great time geeking out with the ever-exceptional @edufuturist.bsky.social! The three of us did a deep dive on @jamesckaufman.bsky.social's 4C Model of #Creativity, the 1980s @dndbeyond.com Satanic Panic, and #games like @zmangamesofficial.bsky.social 's Pandemic. #EduSky #gbl #gamedev #design
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
I backed this project when it initially launched on Kickstarter, and I'm so happy that @diesoft.games has reached release day! Congrats Dave, Cid, Peter, Char, Jonathan, and everyone else who made it happen! I appreciate you breathing life into fond childhood memories of the original NES game. ✨♥️
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
If you enjoy cantankerous old Muppets yelling at clouds, you'll love this week's conversation! Includes fun references to The Landlord's Game, @netflix.com's @squidgames.bsky.social, and next week's guest interviewee (!!) @edufuturist.bsky.social. Check it out! #EduSky #worldbuilding #professor
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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Been thinking a lot about this fantastic video about "haptic" filmmaking, movies that have solidity and realness as opposed to the thin uncanniness of so many contemporary movies. This is something that Project Hail Mary really nails. It all *feels* solidly physical www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvwP...
youtube.com
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
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Harrison G. Pink @gilespink.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
What could be more fun than me and my good buddy @thergenrader.bsky.social talking through the best way to bring a worldbuilding project to the satisfying, fulfilling conclusion learners deserve? We hope you've enjoyed the show thus far—thanks for listening! #EduSky #design #assessment #teaching
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Another fun chat with my pal @thergenrader.bsky.social, including nods to @dndbeyond.com, Free League's @vaesen-rpg.bsky.social, and Vampire: The Masquerade as well as @codingconduct.cc, @brendaromero.bsky.social, and @hbo.bsky.social's The Rehearsal! ✨ #EduSky #education #highered #k12 #roleplay
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Bryan Alexander @edufuturist.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
The Forum community asks the best questions. And you two were great respondents. I really want to join your classes.
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
It was a delight to join this Future Trends Forum conversation! Great questions from @edufuturist.bsky.social and the audience—a strong foundation for anyone looking to run a worldbuilding project with their own community of learners. ✨️
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Stephen T. Slota @steveslota.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
This is so silly and fun, please make requests so I can fulfill them as a pretend AI.
Screenshot from https://youraislopbores.me/ depicting the text prompt "Draw a single plum floating in perfume, served in a man's hat" followed by a line questionable drawing of a plum floating in perfume served in a man's hat.
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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
31 years ago today, Hans Moleman premiered his short film “Man Getting Hit By Football.” It was later remade into an Oscar-winning feature starring George C. Scott. #TheSimpsons episode “A Star is Burns” first aired March 5, 1995.
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Bryan Alexander @edufuturist.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I am very excited - and heartened - to host Steve and Trent at 2 pm ET today. Their work is so creative and rooted in a sense of care. Please join us!
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