Latest education updates from around the world
New AirPods Pro Support ‘groundbreaking ultra-low latency audio protocol’ for Vision Pro
With the early 2024 release of Vision Pro quickly approaching, Apple is steadily updating its products to prepare for the new headset.
In addition to an upcoming spatial capture feature on iPhone 15 Pro, Apple also says its latest AirPods Pro wireless earbuds (2nd-gen, now with USB-C) will support lossless audio with ‘ultra-low latency’ to ensure that what you see and what you hear are closely synchronized for an immersive experience.
What Apple is calling a “groundbreaking wireless audio protocol” is powered by the H2 chip in the AirPods Pro 2 and Vision Pro. The specifics of the protocol haven’t […]
‘Neos VR’ Metaverse Creator Unveils Spiritual Successor ‘Resonite’
It’s been a bumpy ride for social VR platform Neos VR over the past two years partly due to being removed from Steam for heavily featuring its own cryptocurrency. While Neos VR was eventually reinstated on Steam, original Neos VR developer Tomáš “Frooxius” Mariančík has since departed the project and now announced a spiritual successor called Resonite.
There’s a fair bit of drama surrounding Neos VR, something you can read up on over at Ryan Schulz’s blog, which delves into the cryptocurrency-fueled rift between Mariančík and Karel Hulec, CEO of the app’s publisher Sorilax. The two have completely parted ways, with Hulec still […]
Duet AI for Google Workspace: How to Use It for Teaching
Duet AI brings the power of artificial intelligence into Docs, Sheets and more Google tools to make life easier.
Publicly Available Digital Collections
These publicly available digital collections from libraries, museums, and other institutions provide great resources for students and teachers
A Visual Chart on Summative Vs Formative Assessment
Summative vs formative assessment is the topic of our blog post today!
Navigating the realm of educational assessments can feel like a tightrope walk. On one side, we have formative assessments—those ongoing checks that help us tweak our teaching and help students steer their learning. On the other, there are summative assessments, which act as final verdicts on what a student has grasped. But how do they differ, and when should you use one over the other?
I’ve sifted through some compelling resources, including Frey and Fisher’s “Literacy 2.0” and the Eberly Center’s insights, to bring you a […]
40 Positive Affirmations for Kids
Today we’re stepping into the transformative world of positive affirmations for kids. Now, before you think this is just another feel-good gimmick, let me assure you that a growing body of scientific literature is backing the practice of positive affirmations.
In her bestselling book “The Whole-Brain Child,” neuropsychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel delves into how affirmations can help children develop emotional resilience by activating neural pathways associated with positive thinking and problem-solving.
Why is this important? Well, as any teacher, parent, or person who was once a kid will tell you, […]
Amazon Prime Day Discounts for Teachers
Amazon Prime Day discounts for teachers are the topic of our blog post today!
Amazon’s Prime Day is much more than just a sale; it’s a bonanza of exclusive deals, catered to Amazon Prime members. So, if you’ve ever wondered why you should be a Prime member, Prime Day is a pretty compelling answer. Let’s dig into the highlights:
What is Prime Day?
Prime Day is Amazon’s exclusive sales event for its Prime members. It’s like Black Friday, but specifically for the Amazon ecosystem. With deals on everything from electronics to fashion and even small businesses, it’s like a […]
The Ultimate Guide to Teacher Appreciation Gifts That Make the Grade
Teacher appreciation gifts are the topic of our blog post today
When it comes to showing gratitude to the educators who mold our future generations, sometimes a simple “thank you” just doesn’t cut it. That’s where teacher appreciation gifts come in. But let’s be honest, finding the perfect token of gratitude can be a head-scratcher.
You want something that’s thoughtful, useful, and maybe even a bit fun. So, how do you move beyond the standard apple-on-the-desk scenario? Well, you’re in the right place, because I’ve got a lineup of teacher appreciation gift ideas that range from practical to pampering, […]
Update to SteamVR Suggests Valve is Still Working on a Standalone Headset
Valve is a notorious black box when it comes to basically everything. A recent update to Steam client for VR though suggests the company is still working behind the scenes on what appears to be its long-awaited standalone VR headset.
As revealed by tech analyst and consummate Steam data miner Brad Lynch, a recent update to Steam’s client included a number of VR-specific strings related to batteries, which seems to support the idea that Valve is currently readying the platform for some sort of standalone VR headset.
The update also included mention of […]
‘Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR’ Gets First Gameplay Trailer, Coming to Quest in November
Ubisoft announced Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR back in June, staying that we’d get the Quest exclusive sometime this holiday. Now the studio has revealed a first look at gameplay, and announced the official release date.
Coming to Quest on November 16th, the new Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR trailer shows off a few clips of each of the game’s three protagonists: Ezio (Assassin’s Creed II), Connor (Assassin’s Creed 3), and Kassandra (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey).
From the gameplay trailer, it seems there’s going to be a good slice of parkour, melee, and ranged combat too—basically what you’d expect from the long-awaited Assassin’s Creed VR game. Ubisoft […]
Videos Can Be More Effective Than In-Person Learning
Learning by videos outperformed in-person lectures in an analysis of more than 105 studies looking at college students.
Fast Travel Games Partners with MoonHood on Claymation-based VR Game
Fast Travel Games announced it’s partnering with MoonHood, a new game studio founded by the creators of Lost in Random (2021) and VR game Ghost Giant (2019). MoonHood is creating a VR-supported game that aims to replicate the look and feel of claymation.
Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, MoonHood aims to “immerse players in strange worlds handcrafted in actual clay, cardboard and what have you,” studio says on its new website.
MoonHood says it’s hired a team of sculptors and miniature painters to create physical objects as the basis of their first project, which is currently unnamed. The sculptures are then 3D scanned […]
Varjo Cuts Price of High-end Aero PC VR Headset by 50%
Varjo, the Finland-based creator of high-end XR headsets, announced their businesses and prosumer-focused SteamVR headset Aero is now permanently 50% off its original $2,000 price tag.
Aero is essentially a pared down version of the company’s strictly enterprise headsets, offering industry-leading fidelity and advanced features such as eye-tracking.
Released in October 2021, Aero was (and still is) the company’s least expensive headset; it’s now priced at $990 (€990), bringing the Helsinki, Finland-based company into a new price segment which its hoping will appeal to at-home simulator fans.
Ther news was revealed at during […]
Crafting Memorable VR Experiences – The Interaction Design of ‘Fujii’
Creating a VR that truly immerses the user is no easy feat. To pull this off correctly requires a careful blend of graphics, animations, audio, and haptics that work together in deliberate concert to suspend disbelief and engross the user. Fujii is a joyful interactive adventure and a masterclass in rich VR interactions. The President of Funktronic Labs, the studio behind the game, is here to tell us more about his design approach.
Guest Article by Eddie Lee
Eddie Lee is the President and co-founder of Funktronic Labs, an LA-based independent game studio that focuses on delivering high-quality […]
Screencastify: How to Use It for Teaching
Screencastify lets you screen and self record to create powerful guidance videos with ease
Seesaw for Schools: How to Use It for Teaching
Seesaw digitally stores and shares student work with teachers and guardians, easily.
Immersed Opens Pre-orders for Slim & Light ‘Visor’ VR Headset, Starting at $500
Immersed, the team behind the titular XR productivity and co-working app, announced Visor last month, a slim and light VR headset designed for work. Now the studio has opened “fully refundable” pre-orders for two distinct flavors of the device.
Immersed is offering a 2.5K per-eye Visor model for $500 and a 4K per-eye Visor model for $750. Besides including different resolution OLED microdisplays, functionally both models are the same. The company is also offering a Founder’s Edition Visor 4K for $1,000, which is said to ship six months before the standard Visor 4K.
Mentimeter Lesson Plan
This Mentimeter lesson plan is designed to help educators implement the digital tool into their instruction
Leaked Xbox Documents Show XR Interest But No Immediate Plans
Leaked documents relating to Microsoft’s business strategy for Xbox show the company eyeing XR technology but continuing to keep it at arm’s length.
While Microsoft has previously taken considerable steps into XR with both HoloLens and the Windows Mixed Reality platform on PC, the company’s flagship gaming division, Xbox, has notably not joined the fray.
Over the years Xbox leadership has repeatedly pushed back on XR interest, saying the tech doesn’t yet have a large enough audience to warrant investment. And while it doesn’t look like we should expect anything relating to XR from Xbox in the near future, the […]
An Esports Arena for All Abilities to Shine
The Development Learning Center of Warren’s esports arena has been designed for students with autism and autistic-like behavior
Microsoft to Supply US Army More AR Combat Headsets Following Positive Field Test
Microsoft’s HoloLens-based headset built on contract for the US Army has passed an important round of field testing by soldiers. The company is now set to fulfill a larger order to be used in more rigorous testing slated to take place in 2025.
Awarded in 2019, Microsoft’s $22 billion defense contract is aiming to supply the US Army with a tactical AR headset for soldiers based on HoloLens 2 technology, or what’s called an Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS),
According to Bloomberg, 20 prototype versions of the newer 1.2 IVAS headsets were field tested by two squads of […]
Wakelet: How to Use It to Teach
Use Wakelet to get a rich mix of media accessible for the education space
Soundtrap: How To Use it to Teach
Soundtrap is the recording studio for students and teachers that could help in class and beyond.
Best for Back to School 2023
Tech & Learning’s Awards of Excellence program helps our readers find the products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment.
This ‘Portal 2’ Mod Brings Full VR Support to Valve’s Award-winning Puzzler
Flat2VR, the modding team known for bringing unofficial VR support to games such as Final Fantasy XIV, Half-Life 2, Jedi Outcast, and Left 4 Dead 2, recently released a mod for Portal 2 which finally brings SteamVR support to the iconic puzzle game.
Portal 2 VR Mod Releasing Today! (Video Of First 20 Minutes)
After a lot of blood, sweat & tears, Gistix has decided to release the initial version of his Portal 2 VR mod today!
The entire game can be played in 6DOF VR with full motion controls! pic.twitter.com/VcvCUsYCBa
— Flat2VR (@Flat2VR) September 16, 2023
The mod is […]