Latest education updates from around the world
Tech & Learning’s Best of 2022 Secondary Education (Grades 9-12)
Our picks for top education technology, grades 9-12
20 of The Best Valentine’s Day Movies
Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of love and friendship that is celebrated in many countries around the world on February 14th. The name Valentine comes from two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It is thought that the holiday originated in the ancient Roman Empire during a festival known as Lupercalia, which was celebrated by young Romans who went around seeking romantic partners.
Valentine’s is a celebration of love, kindness, and everything good in life. The Valentine’s section in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning contains various educational resources […]
Science, Math, and Philosophy Lessons for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away. If you teach primary grades, your students may be excited about exchanging little cards and candies (my daughters have been talking about it for weeks). If you teach middle school or high school students, you’re probably bracing yourself for a few days filled with extra teenage drama. Either way, you may be interested in the following Valentine’s Day-themed science, math, and philosophy lessons.
More Than 19,000 Teachers Get Their Tech Tips This Way
At about this time nine years ago I created the Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week newsletter as a way to provide a summary of my most popular daily posts along with a featured tip of the week. Today, more than 19,000 educators are subscribed to the newsletter. You can do the same right here.
The Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week newsletter features my favorite tip of the week along with a summary of the most popular blog posts from my blogs FreeTech4Teachers.com and PracticalEdTech.com. […]
20 of The Best Netflix Movies for Kids
Are you looking for something fun and appropriate for the kids to watch on Netflix? Here is a list I curated featuring some of the best kids’ movies on Netflix. From classic animated films to heartwarming family comedies, you will definitely find something interesting to watch with your kids.
25 Gmail Tips for Teachers and Students
As part of my on-going quest to bring some organization to the more than 1,500 videos on my YouTube channel, I’ve created a new playlist of 25 Gmail tips for teachers and students. The playlist includes everything from how to sort your Gmail messages to filtering and blocking senders to email etiquette tips we all need to be reminded of from time to time. Some highlights of the playlist are embedded below.
Feedback, AI, and Language – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it is roughly 50 degrees warmer than it was at this time last week! One thing that hasn’t changed since last week is that AI is the still the hot topic in education. I think I’ve fielded more questions related to AI in the last week than I have about anything else all year!
This week my daughter’s school was unexpectedly closed for a day. I took the day off and we went skiing at a new-to-her mountain. It was a learning experience for both of […]
6 Best AI Text Writers
As an EdTech blogger and educator interested in the use of technology in education, I have been following with huge intrigue the rapid uptake of AI technology and how this technology is currently reshaping the whole world of the Internet creating a new version, one in which creation (or part of it) is delegated to AI bots.
25 YouTube Tips for Teachers
A couple of weeks ago I shared directions on how to start a YouTube channel. Yesterday, I published directions on how to add end screens to your videos. Those are just two of twenty-five YouTube tutorial videos that I’ve published over the last few years. All of my YouTube tips for teachers are now arranged in one convenient playlist. You can find the whole playlist of 25 YouTube tips for teachers right here on my YouTube channel. Some highlights from the playlist are embedded […]
How to Quickly Turn Padlet Notes Into a Slideshow
Earlier this week Padlet launched a new feature that lets you quickly turn the multimedia notes on a Padlet wall into a slideshow. If you haven’t tried it yet, watch my new video to see how easy it is to use the new slideshow feature in Padlet. The video also shows you how to enable beta features in your Padlet account so that you can be the first to try any new features that Padlet develops.
Video – Quickly Turn Your Padlet Walls Into Slideshows
You […]
PSVR 2 Unboxing – Close-up with the Final Version of Sony’s New VR Headset
Ahead of the launch of PSVR 2, we’ve got a close-up look at the finished version of the headset and what you can expect to find when you crack open the box.
It’s just two weeks until Sony’s newest VR headset hits the streets, and while we’re not yet allowed to go into detail, today we’ve got a close-up look at the production hardware and Sony’s official controller dock. Stay tuned for our full PSVR 2 review.
The very first thing to notice about PSVR 2 compared to the original is the simplicity of setup… […]
How to Lead Post-Pandemic Students to Thrive After Years of Isolation
Best practices to help post-pandemic students learn to resolve conflict and thrive
Preview: ‘The Light Brigade’ is a Promising Roguelike Packing Realistic WW2 Guns & Plenty of Magic
Slated to arrive on all major VR headsets later this month, The Light Brigade is well positioned to make a name among the top VR roguelikes, as it follows most visibly in the footsteps of bowshooter In Death (2018) in all the right ways. In our hands-on, we got to see just how Light Brigade is setting itself apart though with a strong focus on an array of realistic WWII-era weapons and magical upgrades galore.
Coming February 22nd, Light Brigade is the latest VR title from Funktronic Labs, the team behind Fujii (2019) and Cosmic Trip (2017). With a few hours of Quest 2 gameplay under my […]
What is Nearpod and How Does it Work? Best Tips and Tricks
Nearpod uses media and assessments to make hybrid learning better and easier.
The Admiral Squad: How One School District Promotes Staff Diversity
Middletown City Schools does not have many Black male employees. The Admiral Squad was formed to help change that.
29 Google Sites Tutorials for Teachers
Yesterday afternoon a reader emailed me to ask if I had any resources she could reference while building a website with Google Sites. The first video that I thought to send her was this one covering all of the basics of creating your first Google Site. In looking for that video I came across a bunch of other Google Sites tutorials that I’ve made over the last few years. I then put all of those videos into one playlist of 29 Google Sites tutorials. Some highlights from the playlist are […]
A Quick Tip for Sorting Gmail
Here’s a little tip that I shared with a friend last weekend and I figured a few of you might appreciate it as well. When an email that you are expecting to appear in your primary tab in Gmail appears in another tab, you can simply drag it over to your primary tab. When you do that, Gmail will give you the option to have all future emails from that sender appear in your primary tab. Doing that is a good way to make sure you don’t miss an important email that you’re expecting. Watch the […]
14 Things to Draw When Bored
Drawing is an enjoyable activity for individuals of all ages. It is also a great way to pass time when feeling bored. Not only does it serve as a creative outlet, but it also provides people with a chance to express themselves in ways they may not be able to do otherwise. If you are in the mood to draw and unleash the creative gene within, here are some practical ideas to help you out.
New Padlet Feature! Present Padlet Walls as Slideshows
Padlet has been one of my go-to tools for more than a decade. That staying power is due in large part to the flexibility of the tool and that the team and Padlet continues to add more and more helpful features for teachers. The latest feature added to Padlet is an option to present all of the notes on a Padlet wall as a slideshow.
Now when you want to display the notes that your students have added to a Padlet wall you can simply click on the slideshow button on […]
‘Squid Game’ Multiplayer VR Experience Coming to Sandbox Locations This Year
Sandbox VR, the location-based VR destination, announced a new partnership with Netflix to create a virtual reality experience based on South Korean hit show Squid Game.
Netflix’s most watched show of all time will soon have its own location-based VR experience, which will let fans take on the role of Squid Game contestant.
Set to roll out to Sandbox locations in late 2023, the location-based VR game promises “pulse-pounding challenges” where users compete against each other to be the last one standing. What’s more, game sessions include personalized highlight videos capturing in-game reactions for post-game review.
There’s no trailer […]
Report: Meta to Open ‘Horizon Worlds’ to Younger Teens Amid Renewed Retention Push
Meta’s social VR app for Quest, Horizon Worlds, is lagging behind the competition when it comes to attracting and retaining VR users. According to a leaked memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the company is now ostensibly looking to boost numbers by more transparently appealing to younger teens in addition to funding a slew of new second-party content.
WSJ only posted snippets of the memo, entitled ‘Horizon 2023 Goals and Strategy’, which was allegedly written by Meta Vice President of Horizon Gabriel Aul. The memo is said to outline the team’s objectives for the first half of 2023.
Here’s […]
How to Set Expiration Dates for Google Docs
Setting access expiration dates is one of the many “hidden” or frequently overlooked features of Google Documents. This is a feature you can use when you want to share a Google Document with a person or group of people for a limited time. By setting an expiration date you can grant access for as little as an hour or as much as a year. In the short video that is embedded below I demonstrate how to set expiration dates for Google Docs.
Video – How to Set Access Expiration Dates for Shared Google Docs
Much […]
What is SciencetoyMaker and How Can it Be Used to Teach? Tips & Tricks
SciencetoyMaker is a resource website offering guidance on how to print and make gliders, boomerangs and more.
Meta Affirms Plans for Quest 3 Launch This Year, Despite Layoffs and Focus on “Efficiency”
Despite major layoffs from Meta, the company has affirmed that its next-gen consumer headset, Quest 3, is planned for release this year. While it will adopt some of the features from Quest Pro, not all will make the leap.
In November last year, Meta announced plans to reduce its workforce by 13%—a whopping 11,000 cut jobs. And though CEO Mark Zuckerberg said recently in the company’s latest earnings call that 2023 would be focused on streamlining the company, Meta continues to prioritize its VR headset lineup and plans to launch Quest 3 sometime this year.
Meta’s XR division, Reality Labs, […]
‘Half-Life 2: Episode One’ VR Support Coming in March from Team Behind ‘HL2 VR Mod’
Half-Life 2: Episode One is getting VR support soon, brought to you by the same team behind the recently released SteamVR fan mod for Half-Life 2.
Released in 2006, Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of games to reveal the aftermath of Half-Life 2 and launch a journey beyond City 17.
The standalone title is finally getting VR support on March 17th, courtesy of the SourceVR Mod Team, a group of VR enthusiasts who are unaffiliated with Valve.
Like the team’s Half-Life 2 VR Mod, which released for free on SteamVR headsets in September 2022, the VR mod brings the […]