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Two New Free Games! Just in time for the Holiday Season - two brand new games! Test-N-Teach (TNT) is our new spelling game and Read-A-Word is our first-ever reading game. Both games are available to everyone!

The eGov magazine enjoys the distinction of being Asia's first magazine on e-Governance. Founded in 2005, the monthly magazine is published in both print and online formats, and is focussed exclusively on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for bringing efficiency, accountability and transparency to various citizen and business related initiatives of the government. No other magazine in Asia offers readers such in-depth coverage of new e-Governance models. We cover all aspects of e-Governance - from new technological advances in ICT to the ways in which common citizens benefit when their interactions with government departments are through digital interfaces and the myriad issues involved in implementation of e-Governance initiatives.

The eGov magazine enjoys the distinction of being Asia's first magazine on e-Governance. Founded in 2005, the monthly magazine is published in both print and online formats, and is focussed exclusively on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for bringing efficiency, accountability and transparency to various citizen and business related initiatives of the government. No other magazine in Asia offers readers such in-depth coverage of new e-Governance models. We cover all aspects of e-Governance - from new technological advances in ICT to the ways in which common citizens benefit when their interactions with government departments are through digital interfaces and the myriad issues involved in implementation of e-Governance initiatives. The eGov magazine's biggest advantage is its ability to carry the views of all the stakeholders in e-Governance domain - policy makers, experts, industry leaders, administrators and the academia. Our experienced team of editors, researchers, and marketers take a 360-degree approach for creating content - breaking news, feature articles and interviews - that can keep our steadily growing global audience well informed on issues of e-Governance. The who's who in the industry disseminate their ideas and innovations through the pages of our magazine.

"Erika Christakis' new book, The Importance of Being Little, is an impassioned plea for educators and parents to put down the worksheets and flash cards, ditch the tired craft projects (yes, you, Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey) and exotic vocabulary lessons, and double-down on one, simple word: NPR ED Why Kindergarten Is The New First Grade Play. That's because, she writes, "the distinction between early education and official school seems to be disappearing." If kindergarten is the new first grade, Christakis argues, preschool is quickly becoming the new kindergarten. And that is "a real threat to our society's future.""

The history of teaching is littered with ideas that have come and gone. In their day each was the new bright hope, set to transform what we do as teachers and how our students learn. Each new idea had its supporters and detractors and each in turn was replaced by an alternative or simply disappeared from view. Those who have experienced this ebb and flow of ideas have learned to approach the shiny and the new with caution and yet we have all encountered ideas that are so compelling it is difficult to ignore. How might we approach new ideas and innovative practices in ways that ensure our students benefit?

"A few days ago we shared with you a new Google feature that allows you to easily fact check online content. Today, we are sharing with you 10 good tips that will enable you to critically assess the veracity and credibility of online content (e.g. news stories).  These are guidelines Facebook Help Centre provided for it users to help them spot fake news. However, these tips can also apply to any other type of content. Students can use them to evaluate digital content and enhance their critical reading comprehension.  We have embedded these tips into the visual below so you can print and share with your students in class. You can also download a PDF copy from this page. Enjoy."

"Remember the Oregon Trail? Of course you do, it's the game the internet won't let you forget. Thirty-two years after the first full-color graphic version hit the Apple II, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-the current owner of the Oregon Trail franchise-is teaming up with Microsoft on a new world that ports many of the landmarks and features of the original game into Minecraft. Announced this morning in a Microsoft blog post, the new world, called The Oregon Trail Experience, is exclusive to Minecraft: Education Edition, the version that replaced the popular MinecraftEdu late last year. Microsoft acquired Minecraft from Swedish game developer Mojang in 2014."

Two quotes by Albert Einstein point to the importance of creating a culture within our schools (and organisations) that encourages experimentation, innovation, tinkering and indeed failure. If we are serious about embracing change, exploring new approaches, maximising the possibilities of new technologies, applying lessons from new research and truly seek to prepare our students for a new work order, we must become organisations that encourage learning from failure

"The announcement that the University of Cambridge has appointed the world's first Lego professor of play gives new meaning to the phrase "red-brick university". Professor Paul Ramchandani will lead a team "examining the importance of play in education". And, presumably, building awesome spaceships that turn into Durham Cathedral. I have a one-year-old son who might agree; try as I might, I just cannot get him to recite Homer or parse a sonnet. I have, however, watched in childish joy as he tumbles through Duplo and teddy mountains, rolling in grass like an explorer on a new planet. It is a new planet - new to him. All he wants to do, it seems, is play."

"Starting to integrate technology can be intimidating.  So many choices, new ideas being shared all of the time through social media, blogs, books, Teacher Professional Development, and more. I find the best time to walk away with new ideas is right after a big event dedicated to edtech. With conference season upon us, maybe you recently attended a conference or edcamp or read something and now have a long list of new ideas which can be overwhelming. Or maybe you just are looking for something to change in your classroom or school and need some quick ideas for new, engaging elements to implement in your classroom or with your faculty even for professional development."

"For the first time in four years, I am without a makerspace.  My new school's library is beautiful and huge and has a school culture that is just ripe for making.  Even though it was tempting, I decided not to change it up and create a makerspace over the summer.  I want to be sure that the library program, including a new makerspace, is responsive to the needs of the school and its culture.  Therefore, I plan on spending at least the first-semester making plans for how this space will work.  It will likely be very different from my previous space, but I'm excited to see what forms. Making plans for a new makerspace can be daunting, so I've gathered together some tips to help get started:"

"My daughter looks up from her cereal and says, "You know what day I can't wait for?" "Um, your birthday?" She shakes her head. "Next Christmas?" She shakes her head again and then says, "The first day back to school. I can't wait to see my friends and my teacher. I don't know what projects we're going to do but I know it's going to be awesome." She's right. It will be awesome because her teacher is always trying new projects. She is always taking creative risks and my daughter is excited to be there as a result. It has me thinking of a brilliant blog post that A.J. Juliani wrote last year, imploring teachers to use the new year as a reboot to take new creative risks.So, with that in mind, I'm going to share a few of my own thoughts on creative risks teachers can take with the start of a new year."

"At an event in New York City today, Microsoft unveiled a radically updated version of its ubiquitous Paint app for Windows 10, one that lets users build three-dimensional creations. And it turns out that the new tool will be especially useful for Minecraft players. According to Microsoft, players will not only be able to export their in-game creations to the new Paint 3D tool, but then 3D print them from the app, so you can have a real live version of your previously digital creation. There are already a few third-party options that offer similar services, of course, but given the tight integration between Minecraft and Paint 3D, this should be the most streamlined way yet."

"The messaging app Snapchat allows motorists to post photos that record the speed of the vehicle. The navigation app Waze rewards drivers with points when they report traffic jams and accidents. Even the game Pokémon Go has drivers searching for virtual creatures on the nation's highways. When distracted driving entered the national consciousness a decade ago, the problem was mainly people who made calls or sent texts from their cellphones. The solution then was to introduce new technologies to keep drivers' hands on the wheel. Innovations since then - car Wi-Fi and a host of new apps - have led to a boom in internet use in vehicles that safety experts say is contributing to a surge in highway deaths."

"Apple has set the stage for a textbook revolution with the new iBooks 2 and free iBooks Author software, but as it turns out, that was only the first of the company's plans to unveil in New York City today -- Cupertino is also introducing a new iTunes U app for allowing colleges and universities to share their knowledge with the world."

News-Basics.com is for students and adults who want to quickly learn the background behind major news stories. Each article covers the key facts you need to know, describes conflicting opinions, and leads you to sources of more detailed information. You may be confused about globalization when you start reading, but you'll know more than most people when you finish.

Last fall I asked readers to contribute to a list of tips for new teachers. I compiled that list and put it together as a Google Docs presentation of 131 tips. This year, I would like to expand the list with more tips from you. If you have a helpful tip for new teachers, be it technology related or not, please consider leaving a comment on this post and I will add it to the presentation. Last year's list is embedded below.

In this week Media Literacy Digest: the social value of new media, the information cycle, a nice presentation tool, and the real help we get from technology as human beings.

Science News for Kids is a web site devoted to science news for children of ages 9 to 14. Our goal is to offer timely items of interest to kids, accompanied by suggestions for hands-on activities, books, articles, Web resources, and other useful materials. Our emphasis is on making the Web site appealing by offering kids opportunities to comment on and grade the subject matter, get ideas for science projects, and try out mathematical puzzles. At the same time, we offer teachers creative ways of using science news in their classrooms.