Recent articles
6 ways to create a more engaging classroom
02/23/2016
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Most classrooms today still share one similarity with classrooms of more than a century ago: rows and rows of desks.
“Often when I’m leading a session, I’ll show a picture of a classroom from 1950 – and then we’ll look around and realize we’re in a classroom like the one…
Your students can create virtual reality expeditions
03/01/2016
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Virtual reality (VR) is on the verge of gaining a foothold in schools thanks to affordable viewers like Google Cardboard. And with…
Gameful lessons focus on the learning, not the product
03/09/2016
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Game-based learning traditionally involves either playing games, such as Minecraft, to master content or concepts, or using programs like Scratch or Gamester Mechanic to learn coding.
A third, less-talked-…
6 tools to spark a love of story
03/14/2016
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There are dozens of digital tools that are transforming reading in the digital age — and we’re not just talking about e-readers and tablets. Innovation in literacy-focused ed tech goes far beyond the format — whether it’s a physical book, a comic book, an ebook or audio — and focuses…
Manage your Minecraft class
03/17/2016
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Minecraft is an extremely popular game for kids and adults. Whenever I mention the game to a new group of students, their eyes light up and they ask me, “You play Minecraft too?!” The buy-in is instantaneous.
The advantages of using Minecraft in the…
5 surprising results of a self-paced classroom
11/05/2019
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"It's like they've been spoon-fed until now."
"How are they going to meet deadlines when they're adults?"
"What does it take to get students to think for themselves?"
Until recently, these were the words my colleagues and I would utter…
Students choose their own learning adventures with interactive fiction
03/24/2016
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Ever read a Choose Your Own Adventure book? Or played a text-based game on a Commodore 64 or IBM clone? If the answer is yes, then you have experienced an interactive fiction (IF).
Interactive fiction reads like a story but…
Reimagine your classroom with gamified learning
04/14/2016
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As I was preparing to take the GRE a few years ago, I knew I needed to brush up on my math skills. Considering the best way to go about this, I vaguely recalled a friend telling me about Khan Academy, so I decided to give it a shot…
8 ways to empower student voice in your classroom
12/24/2018
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Shhhhh. We’ve all been in classrooms where it seemed as though the kids just couldn’t be quiet. Frustrating as that may be at times, many educators see the value in student voice and want to help their students channel those voices for good.
Angela Maiers and the…
7 ways to address Common Core tech standards
04/21/2016
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As an educator, I know there are teachers who are excited about technology, teachers who think it's an annoyance and teachers who fear it. But no matter where you are on the tech integration spectrum, the Common Core Standards affect you because they require you to use technology more…