Latest education updates from around the world
Flip vs Padlet: What is the best video tool for your class
In the Flip vs Padlet battle you can find the ideal video discussion and teaching tool for your teaching needs.
How to Cultivate Strategic Partnerships
School districts and edtech solution providers need to cultivate strategic partnerships to provide the best learning opportunities for students
Best of ISTELive 2023
Tech & Learning names the best education technology tools from ISTE 2023
5 Awesome Mental Health Posters for Schools
Mental health posters for schools is the topic of our blog post today!
In our journey to foster an inclusive and nurturing educational environment, the emphasis on mental health awareness has never been more critical. The modern classroom is evolving into a space where students not only acquire academic knowledge but also learn about themselves, their emotions, and mental well-being. As someone deeply involved in educational research and technology, I’ve seen firsthand how tools like mental health posters can shape students’ experiences.
Research conducted by Dr. Marc Brackett at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence emphasizes the […]
30 Hilarious Kid Jokes about School
Kid jokes about school is the topic of our blog post today!
Laughter is more than a mere response to a witty comment or a funny joke; it’s a powerful educational tool that can transform the learning experience for children. Who hasn’t seen the spark in a student’s eyes when a lesson is peppered with humor, or watched a tough concept become more accessible through a playful analogy?
Research has repeatedly underscored the value of humor in educational settings. In his enlightening book, “Playful Teaching and Learning,” Walsh et al explore how playfulness and humor are integral […]
Lesson Plans for Setting SMART Goals This Fall
Storyboard That is a great tool that can be used for creating cartoons, flowcharts, timelines, and wireframes in addition to typical storyboards. Storyboard That also offers a huge library of lesson plans on everything from classic literature to history to cyber safety. One of those lesson plans is about helping students set and reach SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Action, Realistic, Time.
The SMART goals lesson plans are designed for use in middle school settings. Each of the five lesson plans focuses on a different aspect of the goal […]
Icebreaker Activities for Teachers
Icebreaker activities for teachers is the topic of our post today!
The first week of a new school year can feel like a whirlwind of anticipation, excitement, and, for some, a touch of nervousness. As educators, we have the beautiful responsibility to ease those first-day jitters and foster a sense of community right from the start. How do we break the ice and warm up the room? By creatively engaging with our students through activities that promote camaraderie, curiosity, and collaboration!
In this post, I’m excited to share with you 11 unique icebreakers that you can use during the […]
Keep, Books, and Canva – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it’s overcast and drizzly, again. It has been that kind of summer. Nonetheless, it has been a good summer filled with fun things for me and my family (my miserable cold not withstanding). I hope that it has been a good summer (or winter) for you as well.
We have less than two weeks until school starts again. We’re making the most of it. This week I took one of my daughters for a one-on-one trip to Story Land. Next week, I’m doing the same for my other daughter. If still have […]
Have Your List Cleared by Book Creator
Earlier this week I shared a handful of ways to use Book Creator this fall. At the bottom of that blog post I mentioned Book Creator’s #clearthelist campaign. If you missed it, it’s a free opportunity to have Book Creator clear your classroom Amazon wishlist of up $500. All you have to do is enter by August 31st.
This fall Book Creator is going to clear the classroom wish lists of three teachers. You can enter here and if you win, Book Creator will clear your Amazon wish […]
Back to School Resources: Ideas, Activities, and Supplies
Back to school resources is the topic of our blog post today!
Back to school season is upon us, a time filled with anticipation, preparation, and the promise of new beginnings. As teachers, students, and parents embark on yet another exciting academic journey, having the right resources at hand can make all the difference.
Over the years, I’ve dedicated myself to researching, reviewing, and sharing tools, ideas, and products that can make this transition smoother and more enjoyable. From creative classroom decorations to carefully selected backpacks, and inspiring first-day activities to thoughtful gifts for students, I’ve covered a plethora […]
20 Effective Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom management strategies is the topic of our blog post today!
In the complex world of education, classroom management remains a topic that can always be refined and explored. This post is part of a series where I delve into various aspects of classroom management, including insightful recommendations on classroom management books, vital classroom management skills, an annotated bibliography featuring research papers on classroom management, and essential classroom management websites. Today, we’ll be examining an intricate aspect: classroom management strategies.
While my writings are backed by numerous research papers (see references), this particular […]
VR’s Perennial Mech Sim ‘Vox Machinae’ Gets More Immersive Battlefields in New Update
Vox Machinae, the cult-favorite VR mech sim that just keeps-on kickin’, has released a new update that will give players brand new conditions for battling with their hulking metal mechs.
Vox Machinae began its development journey as far back as 2014, and eventually found its way to an early access launch on PC VR in 2018. Nine years later, the team is still honing the game to be the best it can be.
Following last year’s largest-ever update for the game—which saw the simultaneous launch of a Quest 2 version and full campaign—the new and fittingly-named ‘Hostile Conditions’ […]
The 20 Best Rated & Most Popular Quest Games & Apps – August 2023
While Oculus doesn’t offer much publicly in the way of understanding how well individual games & apps are performing across its Quest 2 storefront, it’s possible to glean some insight by looking at apps relative to each other. Here’s a snapshot of the 20 best rated Oculus Quest games and apps as of August 2023.
Some quick qualifications before we get to the data:
Paid and free apps are separated
Only apps with more than 100 reviews are represented
App Lab apps are not represented (see our latest Quest App Lab report)
Rounded ratings may appear to show ‘ties’ […]
Google Classroom Overview for Parents
Last Friday I published a video in which I demonstrated the teacher view and student view of Google Classroom. A lot of people replied to ask if I had a similar one about the parent view of Google Classroom. I didn’t have one, but I was happy to refer people to this section of Sam Cary’s video How to Use Google Classroom for Parents.
The whole video gives a complete walk-through of Google Classroom. The part that most teachers will care about is toward the end beginning around […]
How to integrate a computer science curriculum into K-5 classrooms
Key points:
Although a majority of teachers believe computer science education is critical, the subject isn’t required–or even offered–nationwide
Introducing computer science at an early age equips students with the skills and confidence to be curious in STEAM learning
See related article: 4 resources to differentiate computer science instruction
“I love it so much I would do it every day if we could!” These words are music to any teacher’s ears and I’m lucky enough to hear this sentiment from my students often. Since introducing a new computer science curriculum in 2019, my students at Redlands Unified School District […]
How to Use Microsoft Flip – Teacher and Student Views
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It’s that time of year again when many of us are thinking about ways for our students to get to know each other and us. One popular way of doing that is through short video introductions. Microsoft Flip (formerly known as Flipgrid) provides a great platform on which to do that. As a teacher you can create a safe space for students to record and share short videos.
If you’ve never used Microsoft Flip or you are a tech coach responsible for introducing it to other teachers, I have a new […]
Competitive PSVR 2 Shooter ‘Firewall Ultra’ Reveals Co-op PvE Mode, Live Service Ambitions
Firewall Ultra, the next-gen sequel to the popular PSVR-exclusive shooter, launches next week and with it, a co-op PvE mode supporting up to four players.
Set to launch next week on August 24th on PSVR 2, Firewall Ultra is just around the corner. Today developer First Contact Entertainment revealed the game will go beyond its pure PvP roots with a co-op PvE mode. While it doesn’t sound anything like full-featured campaign, the studio claims it has been planning the mode from the start.
Called Exfil (short for Exfiltration), the new mode will see up to four players battling bots […]
What is Storybird and How Does It Work?
Storybird is a poem and story creation tool that makes reading, writing, and sharing great stories simple
What is Edpuzzle and How Does It Work?
Edpuzzle helps educators use video to teach engaging lessons and interact with students using rich media.
How Wastewater Gets Recycled
This morning my YouTube subscriptions included a notification of a new TED-Ed lesson that caught my attention. That lesson is titled How the Water You Flush Becomes the Water You Drink. As the titled implies, the lesson is all about how wastewater gets cleaned and put back into the water cycle where we’ll eventually drink it once more.
The lesson introduces viewers to three types of wastewater and how wastewater is treated. The two key terms from the video are direct potable reuse and indirect potable reuse and the differences between the two. You […]
Duolingo Lesson Plan
This Duolingo lesson plan is designed to help educators implement the digital tool into their instruction
Over 30 Idiom Examples for Students
Idiom examples for students is the topic of our blog post today!
Language is more than just words and grammar; it’s a lively dance of expressions that reflects our thoughts, emotions, culture, and creativity. Idioms, those colorful and often whimsical phrases, play a crucial role in adding depth and flavor to our communication. They are the spices in the recipe of language, giving it taste and texture.
As a former classroom teacher with over 15 years of experience and now an educational researcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the power of idioms in teaching and learning. They are not merely […]
47,000 People Get Their Educational Technology Tips This Way
This morning when I checked my YouTube Studio account I noticed that my little channel had passed the 47,000 subscriber mark. Despite publishing videos on YouTube since at least 2009, I’ve never had a viral hit and probably never will. Instead of worrying about that I just try to make as many helpful videos as I can. To get a sense of the type of videos that I publish, take a look at the five most-watched videos of the last month.
Over 100 Unique Girl Dog Names
Choosing a name for your furry friend is more than just a fun task; it’s a meaningful expression of her personality, your preferences, and the special bond you share. Whether she’s a sprightly puppy with boundless energy or a wise old soul with gentle eyes, her name is a reflection of who she is and what she means to you.
From classic and elegant to quirky and whimsical, the world of dog names is as vast and diverse as our beloved pets themselves. In this post, we’ll explore a delightful array of girl dog names, each carefully curated to […]
Gibby Presents: Road Testing the Latest Location-based VR Experiences
Location-based VR has bounced back since the pandemic. So let’s get some arcade action! The fastest-growing company, Sandbox VR, has just opened their 40th location worldwide. Gibby’s Guide went out and about to road test the best that the sector has to offer.
Gibby Zobel is an English-born journalist, filmmaker and radio broadcaster. Based in Brazil for over 20 years, he produces content for the BBC World Service, BBC News and China Global Television Network (CGTN). Currently on sabbatical in the UK, he writes and publishes Gibby’s Guide, a free independent VR digital magazine, […]