Latest education updates from around the world
Three Tools for Detecting Writing Created by AI
If you haven’t heard, AI writing tools are the hot edtech topic of the year so far. Your students are probably using them whether you know it or not. And if your middle school or high school is trying to ban them, your students are definitely using them (tell teenagers what they can’t do and they’ll do it).
Almost as quickly as new AI writing tools emerge, new tools to detect writing created by AI are emerging. I’ve tried three of them so far. All three are demonstrated in this short video. Watch the […]
Learning About Languages and The Mysteries of Vernacular
Last week I wrote a blog post titled Two Lessons for a Wicked Cold Day. After publishing that post it occurred to me that readers who are not familiar with New England may be wondering why I chose the word wicked. Sure enough, someone emailed me last night to ask what I meant by “wicked cold.” In New England we tend to use the word “wicked” as an adjective in place of extreme or very. For example, the Boston Celtics played wicked good defense against the Detroit Pistons last night.
The New England-style […]
I Took CASEL’s Online SEL Course. Here’s What I Learned
CASEL’s new online SEL course takes 45-60 minutes to complete and provides a lot of information in an efficient manner.
Classrooms Will Be Hybrid-First
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35 Fun Websites to Visit when Bored
Are you ever bored and looking for something new to do? Here is a list of interesting websites I curated for you to check out when you are in the mood to explore new things. From playing chess online to discovering inspiring interviews, these websites will definitely help drive away your boredom.
1. Bored Panda
Bored Panda is a website that features a wide variety of articles, videos, and images for entertainment. It covers topics from travel to technology.
2. Sketchfab
Sketchfab is an online 3D library of models that you can explore, rotate and manipulate.
3. […]
Samsung Partners with Google & Qualcomm to Release Android-powered XR Device
Samsung’s 2023 Unpacked event was all about the company’s Galaxy S23 hardware, although at the end of its hour-long presentation the South Korean tech giant announced it was working with Qualcomm and Google to develop an XR device.
TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of mobile experiences, didn’t reveal any more than what was said on stage, namely the existence of the partnership itself, however speaking to The Washington Post he announced the companies are “getting there,” and that the XR device was “not too far away.”
It’s not clear what sort of device it […]
‘Half-Life’ Inspired VR Adventure ‘Vertigo 2’ Shows Off Branching Story & New Bosses in Behind-the-Scenes Video
If you’re like us, you’ve probably been hotly awaiting the release of Vertigo 2 for a few years now. And as we approach the March launch date of the Half-Life-inspired PC VR adventure, Zulubo Productions has tossed out a new behind-the-scenes video showing off more of its branching narrative and gameplay, in addition to a ton of new screenshots to whet your appetite.
With less than two months to go until its March 30th release on SteamVR headsets, developer Zach Tsiakalis-Brown has released a new explainer video that delves into gameplay mechanics of their upcoming Half-Life-like (aka […]
Lesson Plans for The State of Union Address
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Tomorrow night President Biden will give the annual State of the Union Address. C-SPAN Classroom offers more than one hundred resources for teaching and learning about The State of the Union Address in historical and current contexts. If you don’t have time to review all of the resources that C-SPAN Classroom offers (honestly, who does?), then just jump to this lesson plan.
Lesson Plan: The State of the Union Address features a short video about this history of The State of the Union Address and three short clips […]
50% Off 50 Tech Tuesday Tips
In late 2021 I published 50 Tech Tuesday Tips. A huge thank you to everyone who purchased a copy. Sales of that eBook helped me keep Free Technology for Teachers going throughout 2022.
Unfortunately, like almost all books about educational technology, 50 Tech Tuesday Tips was always going to have a relatively short shelf life. Technology changes quickly and therefore books about it need to be updated regularly. I’m working on an updated version to release in March. Until then I’m offering the current version at 50% off […]
How to Add Video Playlists to Google Sites
In this week’s Practical Ed Tech newsletter I wrote about preparing for some workshops that I’ll be leading this spring and summer. Creating resource pages is one of things that I always do in preparation for leading workshops. Those resource pages always include some video tutorials that people can refer to after the workshop if they need additional help.
Google Sites makes it easy to create resource pages that include playlists of video tutorials. In this short video I demonstrate exactly how to do that and how to include individual videos in Google Sites […]
How to Prevent ChatGPT Cheating
ChatGPT has a lot of potential for teaching, say educators, but it can also be used to cheat. Here are strategies to prevent ChatGPT cheating
4 Ways Rural School Districts Can Accelerate Digital Equity
Rural school districts can accelerate digital equity by considering the roles of devices, connection, and instruction
How to Start a Teacher Microcredential Program
Microcredentials can provide teachers the opportunity to enhance their professional skills and a tangible document of their pedagogical abilities
iSpring QuizMaker- Easily Create Interactive Quizzes for Your Class
If you are looking for a powerful tool to create interactive digital quizzes, iSpring QuizMaker is a very good option to consider. iSpring QuizMaker is a quiz creation tool that you can use to create interactive quizzes, surveys, and assessments. The tool comes with a comprehensive range of features such as question banks, branching logic, time limits, feedback, randomization options, scoring & reporting tools, and many more.
iSpring QuizMaker is simple and easy to use. You can start your quiz by selecting a pre-designed template or you can construct yours from scratch. You can add various […]
How Birds Stay Warm in Winter – And How to Help Them
For the last few days it has been exceptionally cold here in Maine. Birds and squirrels keep showing up at our bird feeders despite the cold or perhaps because of the cold. While looking at the birds at our feeders yesterday my youngest daughter asked how the birds stay warm enough to not freeze their feet. It was a good question and I found the answer in this short BirdNerd video.
By watching BirdNerd’s How Birds Stay Warm in Winter video my daughter and I learned that some birds can regulate […]
How to Use SVG Files in PowerPoint
Last week a reader reached out to me for advice about how to design slides and PDFs so that the images in them didn’t get grainy-looking when they were enlarged. The solution that immediately came to my mind was to use SVG files whenever possible instead of JPG or PNG files. SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphic.
An SVG won’t get grainy when it is enlarged for use on a slide or PDF. In the video that is embedded below I demonstrate how to use SVG files in PowerPoint and Canva. In the video I also show […]
Exploring the Benefits of Implementing BOYD in Education
Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) is becoming an increasingly popular option for schools as they look to give students more access to technology. The potential benefits of BOYD for learning and teaching are significant, including increased collaboration and engagement among students.
However, implementing BOYD in schools also presents some challenges such as data security, digital divide, and compatibility issues. In this post, I discuss the potential benefits and challenges of implementing BOYD in schools, as well as strategies that can be used to ensure students are using their devices responsibly in schools and beyond.
1. What […]
10 Tools for Gathering Real-time Feedback From Students
Chat tools and polling services provide good ways to hear from all of the students in a classroom. These kinds of tools, often referred to as backchannel tools, allow shy students to ask questions and share comments. For your more outspoken students who want to comment on everything, a feedback mechanism provides a good outlet for them too. Over the years I’ve used a variety of feedback tools in my classroom. This is my updated list of backchannel and informal assessment tools for gathering real-time feedback from students.
Groundhogs, AI, and Cold – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where the it’s -17F and windy as I write this blog post. Even by Maine standards it is exceptionally cold. How cold? The ski school where I teach on the weekends is closed today due to the wind and cold. Instead of skiing today we’ll be doing some baking and some art projects. I’m looking forward to some warm chocolate chip cookies this afternoon after I ride my indoor training bike. I hope that you have something fun to do this weekend regardless of the weather.
These were the week’s most popular posts:
How to Use Canva to Create Custom Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids to Share
Now that Groundhog Day has come and gone, Valentine’s Day is the next holiday that my daughters are looking forward to celebrating. Yesterday, both of them came home from school with letters from their teachers about Valentine’s Day activities planned for their classrooms. The activities are mostly the exchange of little cards between classmates. I’m sure that some of you who teach pre-K and early elementary school grades have similar activities planned for your classroom. If you find that you need some templates for printing cards that your students can exchange, take a look at
Jasper- One of the Best AI Writing Generators
Jasper is a powerful content generation tool that enables users to quickly and easily produce high-quality content. It uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to analyze user input and generate text in response. Compared to ChatGPT, Jasper is absolutely the best.
Unlike ChatGPT, Jasper has built-in features that help users create more detailed and engaging content with a higher degree of accuracy and efficiency. Using its automated summarization feature, you can take long texts containing multiple topics and break them down into shorter summaries without losing any important information.
Two Lessons for a Wicked Cold Day
Over the next two days here in Maine we’re expecting some of the coldest temperatures and windchills of the last 50 years. As we say in Maine, it’s going to be wicked cold! It’s going to be so cold that kids will stay inside for recess and we’ll leave the water dripping in our faucets overnight to prevent pipes from freezing. If you’re experiencing some wicked cold weather right now or you’re just curious about it, I have a couple of short lessons to share with you.
How windchill is calculated:
The windchill is expected to reach […]
Interacty – A New Platform for Teachers to Create Educational Games and Interactive Worksheets
Interacty is an online platform that allows teachers and educators to create learning games and interactive worksheets to work with students at school and online. In a sense, Interacty works resembles Kahoot, Blooket, Quizlet, Quizizz, and other services that allow you to create game-based learning materials. However, there are also several differences that set Interacty apart.
AI in Education- Benefits and Limitations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly popular in the education sector, with many schools and universities leveraging its services to enhance the learning experience for their students. By harnessing the power of AI, educators can better engage with their students, helping them learn faster and more efficiently. AI also has the potential to help educators identify, understand, and address learning gaps. The purpose of this post is to discuss the benefits and limitations of the use of AI technologies in education.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways that AI is being used in education today.
Former Oculus CTO Has Doubts About PSVR 2’s Chance for Success
John Carmack, former CTO of Oculus and key player in the VR startup’s genesis story, says Sony’s upcoming PSVR 2 headset may be see a bumpy road to adoption based on its high price and potential for scattershot geographic distribution.
Carmack seems to really like PSVR 2’s hardware from a technical standpoint; the headset’s 2,000 x 2,040 per-eye OLED displays combined with PS5’s ray tracing performance might deliver some notable gains when it comes to motion-to-photon latency, meaning the console’s GPU may yet be able to deliver more compute overhead for developers.
As a legendary programmer and one-time spearhead of […]