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"Microsoft has today introduced a new Minecraft Educational portal which has been specifically designed for teachers to be able to use the block building game to help their students learn. The new Minecraft for teachers portal is still currently in the final stages of development but any teachers interested in signing up for updates can do so over on the Education Minecraft website which has been launched by Microsoft this week."

"I'm in Minecraft, of course-the phenomenally popular, open-ended game that places players in a world in which they can live and build things infinitely. Marcus "Notch" Persson, the Swedish creator of Minecraft, started out by creating a simple game, allowing players to construct whatever they wanted, using a few different colored blocks, each equivalent to one cubic meter. Released in 2009, it has evolved into a massive, world-building video game in which players uses those blocks to create anything they can think of, from houses, caves, and machines to a scale version of the Death Star. Microsoft purchased Minecraft from Notch and his team for $2.5 billion in November 2014. There aren't any express objectives or any real way to win in Minecraft. It's a "sandbox," in gaming speak-offering free play without a specific goal and currently used by more than 18.5 million players, with some 20,000 more signing up every day. Users may choose between Creative Mode, in which they can build using unlimited resources by themselves or with friends, with no real danger or enemies, and Survival Mode, where they fend off enemies and other players and fight for resources and space. They can trade items and communicate using a chat bar. Modifications (or mods) can add complexity by creating things like economic systems that let players buy and sell resources from in-game characters using an in-game currency system. These downloadable mods can also add computer science concepts and thousands of additional features."

Via PC WORLD : CallingAmerica, an ad-heavy but otherwise free alternative to GizmoCall. Like the latter, CallingAmerica requires no software; all you need is your browser. In fact, you don't even need to sign up: Just enter the phone number for anywhere in the U.S. or Canada and click FreeCall Now. You can make an unlimited number of calls this way, but each one is limited to two minutes. By registering (also free), the call cap gets raised to 15 minutes.

Introducing SMART Notebook SE - the same dynamic software, but now it's specifically for students! Created for use in technology-rich classrooms, it gives students access to the tools they need to develop and complete coursework, store files and share ideas. Sign up, and we will notify you when the beta version of SMART Notebook SE software is available this summer

Here is an alphabetical index of everything that is included in this wiki for you to quickly locate resources on what you are looking for. I have put what type of tool each item is next to the name of it to help you select what you are looking for. A dollar sign means that the software costs money.

"Flixtime - Make an amazing 60-second video - free Flixtime turns your photos and videos into stunning and unique videos in just minutes! Sign-up for a free account, and upload your images, videos and music. Then, sit back and watch your masterpiece come together!"

PathoftheElders.com is a free, easy to use, interactive website exploring the history and culture of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, and the signing of Treaty No. 9. Ideal for youths aged 13-17, this resource helps develop leadership, negotiation, critical thinking, and decision making skills.

" eziner_box_top Sign up for the Ezine_box_bottom Yes, I accept Terms of Use. Terms of Use | Today's Headlines Ezine_box_bottom Submit News Related Articles Stop blocking social media from your employees! 10 questions to ask people at your next #mayoragan conference If you're doing an #hcsm presentation, be trendy Women hospital workers: Are you risking your health? Can your happiness impact your work in health care? box_article_footer_bluegree Related Articles By Category Featured Article Featured Article Topic Pages Mobile box_article_footer_blue Infographic: Are you paying attention to #mhealth? By 2014, mobile Internet is predicted to take over desktop usage. "

"As an advocate of BYOD, I've always talked to colleagues about the benefits of different devices and approaches within a "mixed economy" digital learning space (or "classroom where everyone's phone is different", as it's more commonly known). Largely, what you want to do should dictate the type of device you use, and I'm quite happy to work in a multi-device environment. Until I walk into my Media classroom. I should make it clear that I have no particular beef with any other individual device, or operating system, or anything else at which you think I may be showing signs of beefage. But the iPad has always been, and remains for the moment, the device with the most power in terms of Media and Film teaching. Think about it in terms of the skills you are trying to teach, and you'll see why:"

"As a working parent, sometimes it is difficult to sign up for volunteer dates. So, when I have the chance to see what's happening inside the class or on field trips, I treasure those moments. As a teacher, I've found that the more I share with parents, the less they tend to question. When they feel like they are an active part of their child's learning experience, they are also more able to help with specific needs their child may require since they have an idea of what is going on in the classroom. "

"What if every teacher tweeted? Is there some kind of sequence of events we might expect? A teacher signs up for twitter after agonizing over the details (username, avatar, bio, etc.), follows a few dozen people, then sits slack-jawed and confused as that non-stop digital stream begins. We have to assume that somehow this trickles down to the learning experiences of the students-their writing, their skills, and the wandering of their thoughts-yes? No reason to tweet just to be all avant-garde about it all. It depends on how it's used-twitter, that is. Like any tool, twitter is designed for a task. The results of that task depends on the knowledge and skill of its user. There is nothing other-wordly about twitter, if we're being honest. It has its talents (a few of which we looked at in why twitter works in education), but it is, in shorty, some thing some one made. And as teachers, we can use it, or leave it alone."