Online Guide to Flynn’s Log Characters
Check out the readers character guide.
- See what they look like
- Find details and other facts.
- Lots of information for fans of Flynn and friends.
Check it out here: StoneMarshall.com/CharacterGuide
Functional word processor built in Minecraft
There was a time not so long ago when Minecraft was actually a game. Now, it’s an insane sandbox where people build all kinds of incredibly complex things… like a word processor… out of blocks.
This crazy contraption is the work of a a third-year robotics student who goes by the name of Koala_Steamed on YouTube. It’s the result of nearly two years of painstaking work inside the Minecraft world. That’s not continuous, mind you. Breaks were obviously taken to do things like attend classes, use the washroom, and interact with people and things that had curves.
In the comments on his video, Koala also clarifies that it was built completely without the use of command blocks. In fact, it’s all running off a single trail of redstone. It has a predictably pixelated display that measures just five characters by ten characters, and it can handle just about any character you can throw at it: letters (bother upper and lower case), numbers, and common symbols are no problem.
Koala’s creation can even save files to and load them from integrated storage. The next step: adding support for keyboard shortcuts like a desktop text editor (control+L to load files, etc.). After that, the plan is to add RAM and turn this thing from a word processor into an actual computer.
It’s fun enough to watch, but you can actually take a closer look at Koala’s word processor if you like. The entire world is available via a Mediafire download so you can fire it up on your own system and see exactly how this amazing creation was put together.
Girls read more than boys, but read less nonfiction
What are your kids reading these last few days of winter break?
Chances are, they aren’t likely reading a nonfiction book, according to a recent study of kids’ reading habits by Renaissance Learning.
That’s particularly true for girls, who at every grade level are devoting much less of their reading time to nonfiction than boys, the report found.
While Renaissance Learning’s report looks only at books, and not web articles or other texts that may be assigned in classes, the results are worth noting, given an increasing emphasis on nonfiction texts in the Common Core State Standards.
The Common Core standards recommend a 50-50 balance between informational and fiction reading at the K-5 level; by senior year of high school, the recommendation is that 70 percent of the reading a student does — not just in English class — be nonfiction.
“In order to be successful in their lives in and outside of school, it is imperative that students read a broad array of literature, especially nonfiction, where data shows students are currently lacking,” the Renaissance Learning report said.
Renaissance Learning used its Accelerated Reader program to track students’ reading habits for the report. Students use the Accelerated Reader program to document books read and monitor reading progress through quizzes and other programs.
The study used records for more than 9.8 million students nationwide who read more than 330 million books during the 2013–2014 school year.
It found that students’ interest in nonfiction texts tends to peak around fifth grade. In that grade, about 31 percent of the books boys read are nonfiction, the study found. For fifth-grade girls, 21 percent of the books being read are nonfiction.
It should be noted that girls tend to be more voracious readers than boys, according to the study. On average, girls read 761,000 more words than boys by the time they finish high school, and encounter about 25 percent more words than boys.
For more, Renaissance Learning has a page of interactive charts showing how and what students are reading at different grade levels.
In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of the most popular books being read by Kentucky students in each grade, according to the report:
Grades 1 and 2: Green Eggs and Ham
Grade 3: Because of Winn-Dixie
Grades 4, 5 and 6: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
Grade 7: Divergent
Grade 8: The Outsiders
Grade 9: To Kill a Mockingbird
Grade 10: Divergent
Grade 11: The Crucible
Grade 12: The Hunger Games
Hey Y’all
I was browsing Telltale Games’ website this morning (scavenging for deals on Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands), and discovered this:
Well, that’s… definitely not what I expected.
Having recently played The Wolf Among Us, and eagerly starting The Walking Dead: Season Two, I was pretty much psyched to hear about their new project. I don’t know what to think now. This actually feels like a way far gone version of the Tales from the Borderlands’ announcement, where a lot of people, myself included went “Wuh? Does that series need an adventure game”
It’s very strange… and I love it. This pairing oddly enough reminds me of this year’s The Lego Movie. High quality artists working on a super large brand. Could it turn out that well? Maybe. Maybe I’ll eat poop. But you know, I don’t really like to eat poop, so I might not eat it. Poop.
There’s also a nifty little announcement game you can play (that plays Telltale style). Check it out under “Learn More”.
I think this is a sign of what’s to come. There’s a Minecraft movie in development. That paired with this announcement are tell tale (tee hee) signs of where Microsoft intends to take this franchise. They’re going big. Real big.
I hope it’s a gritty retelling of the game. I love gritty retellings!
Flynn’s Log update|New Character Guide and Illustrations!
New Illustrations
Flynn’s new digital styling reflects his evolving and changing game world!
Check it out in the revised series!
You can update the books on your e-reader to the latest version. Find the update button to get the latest version with the new illustrations. If you need help, search your eBook store.
New Character Guide
- See what your favorite characters look like
- Find details and other facts
- Discover new creatures
- Get lots of information on Flynn and friends
Check it out here: StoneMarshall.com/CharacterGuide
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks for reading!
-Stone Marshall
More Details About Minecraft Story Mode Game Demo Revealed
There is going to be a new way for gamers to explore the world of Minecraft soon as Mojang have revealed a Minecraft: Story Mode is in development. The adventure series is being created by TellTale Games and the first of the episodes will make its way out in 2015 for he Xbox, PlayStation and the PC.
The Minecraft Story Mode is going to be an original and new story that will depend on the choice of the player. The game isn’t going to have Steve as the lead character. Mojang said that the game is going to be cool. It won’t rely on players owning Minecraft and the Minecraft community is helping, though how we are not sure about.
Along with the Minecraft Story mode game, there is also going to be a movie based around Minecraft. More details are to be released early 2015.