Scott Hebert

I have been a teacher since Aug of 2009. I began my career as an elementary physical education specialist where I was tasked with transforming their elementary program to better suit their gifted and talented student base. During the summer of 2013, I made the difficult decision to move schools due to medical issues of a family member where I took on a grade 7 and 8 science teaching role. It was here where I noticed education was lacking that excitement and engagement and also here where I began my journey that eventually led to gamification.

My teaching style follows something known as "gamification" and I am one of the pioneers of this pedagogy. I believe that the education system is a system in an engagement crisis. I also believe it is a system that has failed to keep pace with an ever changing world. Gone are the days of quiet rows and silence in classrooms. Education should be engaging, exciting and challenging and push students creativity and criticially. Gamification is designed to do just that while being able to be successfully implemented across any subject, curriculum or classroom.

I have been fortunate to receive the following awards throughout my career: - 2013 Alberta Excellence in Teaching Award via Alberta Education - 2015 Best Gamification Project in Education in the World via the World Gamification Congress - 2017 Alumni of the Year in Human Kinetics from Laurentian University - 2020 Top 50 Finalist of the Global Teacher Prize Award via the Varkey Foundation

I received my Bachelor of Sport and Physical Education from Lauretian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in 2008. I then received my Bachelor's of Education in 2009, also from Laurentian University.

Children, and adults for that matter, have never been more engaged by games than they are now. Why is that though? What draws people so deeply into games? What brings them back and what drives them to keep trying to improve in the face of great adversity? Can you harness the power of the psychology behind game creation and turn your class into something all students will beg to be in? In an education system designed where students start with 100% and lose as they go, gamification flips this concept onto its head. Focusing on the individual’s progression while increasing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation exponentially, this pedagogy has the power to bring education into the modern era. Can anyone do this? I am here to tell you that you can and it is easier than you think! I have successfully turned my Grade 8 science and social studies courses into a live action role playing game. Students compete against the teacher, each other, other teams and other classes in an effort to level up and progress while using their classroom knowledge to solve problems in real and practical ways! Sounds intimidating but it is not! My resources are designed to inspire and drive you to make changes to your teaching, as quickly the next day you enter your classroom. Will you "Press Start?"