Latest education updates from around the world
New Quest 2 Bundle to Include ‘GOLF+’ & ‘Space Pirate Trainer’, Replacing ‘Beat Saber’ & ‘Resident Evil 4’
Didn’t get a Quest 2 this holiday season, which includes a free copy of Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4? Although the beat-slashing rhythm game and zombie-slaying classic aren’t part of the deal anymore, for a limited time new Quest 2 owners can nab both GOLF+ and Space Pirate Trainer DX.
Meta is including the two games as a bonus when you buy a new Meta Quest 2 between February 5th and June 3rd, 2023. New Quest 2 owners must activate their headsets by June 17th, 2023 and the offer must be redeemed within 14 days of device activation.
The deal represents $50 in […]
Meta Drops Quest Pro Price to $1,100, Stripping Vive XR Elite of a Major Selling Point
It’s only been three months since Meta launched Quest Pro, pitching its next-gen mixed reality standalone to enterprise and prosumers with the hefty price tag of $1,500. In an unusual move by the company, Meta has quietly slashed the price of Quest Pro, putting it more directly in competition with HTC’s recently revealed Vive XR Elite standalone headset.
Released in late October, Quest Pro essentially set the tone of the next generation of standalone VR hardware. Typically, Meta is consumer-forward, pricing its headsets below (or close to) $500, but Quest Pro represents a pivotal shift in Meta’s strategy.
Starting with Quest Pro, […]
Best Super Bowl Lessons and Activities
The Super Bowl is an opportunity to kickoff some fun learning
Tech & Learning Names Winners of the Best of 2022 Awards
This annual award celebrates recognizing the very best in EdTech from 2022
What is Wikipedia and How Can it Be Used to Teach? Tips & Tricks
Wikipedia is a digital online encyclopedia that covers most topics and is volunteer maintained.
What is Labor-Based Grading? Its Pioneer Explains
Labor-based grading is an approach pioneered by rhetoric and composition professor Asao Inoue to be fairer for all students and separate learning from assessment
Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids – Ideas to Make Them Smile
Are you looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your child? Whether they are a tech-savvy teen or a creative toddler, there is something out there that will make them smile this holiday. From books and personalized items to toys and gourmet treats, you can find the perfect present that suits both your interests and your budget! If you are looking for gifting ideas for teachers, check out this list of best Valentine’s Day Gifts for teachers.
How to Map Spreadsheet Data on Felt
Felt is a multimedia mapping tool that I started using late last year and it has quickly become one of my favorite mapping tools. With Felt you can create everything some simple directions maps to maps that have historic overlays to maps of animal migrations and much more. The latest update to Felt makes it easy to quickly create a map from a spreadsheet.
In your Felt account you can upload a CSV or Excel file and have the data within the spreadsheet distributed as placemarks and or polygons on a […]
Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts for Teachers
Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to show some extra appreciation for your teachers. From personalized cards to cozy clothing items, there are plenty of options that will make any teacher feel special. Whether it’s a handmade item or an indulgent treat, these valentine’s day gift ideas are sure to put a smile on your teacher’s face. If you haven’t yet decided on what to get to your cherished teacher, here are few suggestions to help you:
How to Add Footnotes to Your Google Documents
When it comes answering tech support questions it is often easier to show the solution with a screencast video than it is to write directions. That’s why I made this screencast video when earlier this week I was asked “how can I add footnotes into my Google Documents?” In the video I show where to access the footnote tools and a handy little feature of the footnotes tool in Google Docs.
Skeletons, Slides, and Snow – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where there is a lot snow covering the ground. We had two big snow storms this week that cumulatively brought about 22″ of new snow to my neighborhood. So as you might have already guessed, we’re going skiing today! I spent last night sharpening the edges and putting fresh wax on all of skis my family owns. We’re ready to go! I hope that you have something equally exciting in store for your weekend.
These were the week’s most popular posts:
1. 27 Google Drive Tips and Tricks
2.
How to Block A Website- Practical Tips and Tools
Today, digital safety is a growing concern for parents. With the prevalence of web technologies and unrestricted access to digital content, it can be difficult to keep children safe from potential risks including access to sites that feature explicit, violent, or adult content.
This is one reason why school porn is on the rise. Fortunately, there are several steps that parents and teachers can take to maximize kids’ safety and ensure they have a safe and secure experience while using the internet.
In this post, I cover some practical tips and tools […]
Critically Acclaimed Propaganda Sim ‘Not for Broadcast’ Coming to Quest 2 & PC VR in March
NotGames, the indie studio behind ingenious propaganda simulator Not For Broadcast (2022), announced it’s releasing a separate VR version in March, coming to SteamVR and Meta Quest 2.
Releasing on Steam and the Quest Store on March 23rd, Not For Broadcast VR is putting the power of mass media into your hands, as you control what people see and how they see it in your very own TV studio control booth, set in an alternate ’80s timeline in Britain.
Promising all of the original game’s dystopian tale of power, greed and resistance, the VR adaptation seems like a natural fit for the seated, button-heavy game—looking […]
‘Presentiment of Death’ is Like ‘SUPERHOT VR’ with Archery, Coming to PC VR in March
SUPERHOT’s time-pausing mechanic works so well in VR, it’s a surprise we haven’t seen more games use it to bring new and interesting stuff to life. Now, Omega Pilot developer XOCUS says it’s doing just that with the release of Presentiment of Death, a story-driven VR adventure that feels like a mashup of SUPERHOT VR and archery game In Death.
Like SUPERHOT, Presentiment of Death’s time dilation system means the enemy robots move when you move. The kicker: you have to draw your bow, which means you’ll have to really be your toes as the enemy arrows come flying in when you want […]
How to Create a YouTube Channel
If you’re looking for a little weekend project, starting a YouTube channel could be a good one for you. Whether you make a YouTube channel simply to share instructional videos with your students or you make a YouTube channel with the hopes of becoming rich and famous, the process of getting started is the same. In the short video that is embedded below I demonstrate how you can start your YouTube channel in five minutes or less.
Video – How to Create a YouTube Channel
After you’ve started your YouTube channel you’ll probably want to […]
How to Add Checkboxes to Tables in Google Docs
Earlier this week when I was looking back at The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators I noticed that Google Docs was still a beta product back when that book was written. Google Docs has come a long way since then. Today, Google Docs is packed with some many handy little features that it’s hard to keep track of them all. One way that you could try to keep of them is to make a table with checkboxes inside it. That’s what I demonstrate in this new video.
Create Writing Prompts With Spinner Wheel
In reviewing my Google Analytics earlier this week I noticed that “writing prompts” was one of the most frequently searched terms on FreeTech4Teachers.com in the last month. That was the inspiration for a new video about how to create a random writing prompt generator.
In this new video I demonstrate how to use Spinner Wheel to create random writing prompts. In the first part of the video I use Spinner Wheel to simply select a writing prompt from a list that I’ve given it. In the second part of the video I use […]
What is GPTZero? The ChatGPT Detection Tool Explained By Its Creator
Programmed by Edward Tian, a Princeton senior, GPTZero is designed to help educators detect writing generated by ChatGPT
6 Best Sound Level Meters in 2023
Sound level meters are great tools to use to monitor and manage sound levels in the classroom. They can help teachers maintain an environment conducive to learning by providing real-time sound level readings and allowing them to adjust sound levels accordingly.
I have already covered some of the best web-based sound meter tools to use in class. In this post, I will discuss some of the best sound level meters available on Amazon specifically designed for classroom use. I did an extensive online search, dug into the piles of user reviews and came up with the […]
Title: Four Great AI Tools to Boost Your Teaching
Creative Fabrica, one of the leading design platforms, has recently published a powerful suite of AI tools called CF Spark. Since its introduction, CF Spark has already enjoyed growing popularity among users. CF Spark AI tools allow you to easily generate stunning artwork using text-based prompts. No graphic design is required.
For us in education, Creative Fabrica’s AI-powered design tools offer exciting opportunities to unleash students’ creativity and help them explore their artistic potential. From creating stunning visuals for presentations to designing original artwork using textual prompts, CF Spark AI tools will help bring […]
‘Hitman 3’ Becomes ‘Hitman World of Assassination’ Today, Giving Previous Owners Access to Full Trilogy
Starting today, the VR-supported stealth shooter Hitman 3 will be rebranded under the new umbrella name of Hitman World of Assassination. This not only includes Hitman 1, 2 and 3, but a free upgrade for previous owners of Hitman 3 on all platforms.
IO Interactive says the aim is to simplify the purchase experience for new players, who previously would need to either navigate the various deluxe editions, or buy additional access passes to play Hitman 1 & 2.
“Essentially, these […] changes will mean that all new players and existing HITMAN 3 owners will have the same base content ownership. There will be […]
VR Training Company Gemba Secures $18M Series A to Expand Enterprise Metaverse
Gemba, the corporate VR learning platform, announced it’s closed an $18 million Series A funding round, which the company says will be used to continue expansion into Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America.
The latest funding round was led by Parkway Venture Capital, now valuing the UK-based company at $60 million.
In 2017, Gemba grew out of executive training company The Leadership Network, which was founded in 2013 by CEO Nathan Robinson and Chairman Victor Lewis. At the time, The Leadership Network was focused on cross-industry leadership training which, through its executive masterclasses, let senior execs from non-competing companies go […]
How to Find the Source for Images in Google Slides
A couple of weeks ago I published a video about using the explore function in Google Slides to find images to use in presentations. Since then I’ve had a few people ask for clarification about how to use the image source when using the other image search option in Google Slides. The process of finding the image source is the same whether you use the Explore function or you use the Insert Image option in Google Slides. Watch this video to see how that process works.
What is ClassFlow and How Can it Be Used to Teach? Tips & Tricks
ClassFlow is the lesson delivery tool that could make your digital classroom more engaging.
Teacher Burnout- Symptoms, Causes, and Strategies to Prevent It
If you’re a teacher, chances are you’ve felt the effects of burnout at some point in your career. It’s an all-too-common phenomenon and one that can have serious consequences for both your professional and personal life. But what exactly is teacher burnout? And how can you avoid it?
What is teacher burnout?
Teacher burnout is a phenomenon that occurs when teachers become overwhelmed and exhausted from the demands of their job. It can be caused by an excessive workload, unrealistic expectations from administrators, inadequate wages or resources, and a lack of appreciation or recognition for […]