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The Knowledge Tree is an e-journal generated by members of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system to enable the sharing of research and learning innovation in national and global e-learning practice.

"Series Content Conversations: Strategies for ELLs: Using Technology to Boost Confidence" - Video page includes questions for discussion and teacher conversations on the topic.

"Classcraft, the first online educational role-playing game that teachers and students play together for free, recently announced the launch of a fully-updated version of their product for the new academic year. This revised version boasts new features such as free iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, interactive forums, student analytics and customisable characters, all of which will be useful for both teachers and students. Also included are French, Chinese, Dutch, German, and Spanish translations, which has made the game even more accessible to classrooms worldwide. To date, more than 30,000 students in 50 countries around the world are playing the game. "In order to keep students engaged, the Quebec-based team of education professionals are keen to inject the mechanisms of popular social games into learning. Playing in teams, students can become mages, warriors and healers, each with unique powers. The more a student excels, the more they gain points and real powers, like the ability to take notes into an exam. Teams can lose points by disrupting the classroom or submitting homework late; consequences can include detention and and less time to finish assignments."

"The Game Design Tool Kit has been designed to support conceptual game design and development activities independent of the need for software programming. Although not intended to be a primer for any specific game production tools or technical frameworks, it outlines strategies teachers can use to bridge conceptual development with technical implementation using a variety of tools and applications, such as Game Salad, Game Maker, Gamestar Mechanic, and Kodu, among others. " The frontpage includes a video discussing game design methodology at the Stanford U. Game Design Jam. This is serious educational gaming. I've downloaded Game Salad, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Registration required; inservice training sessions, and game jams are available, probably for a fee, but it looks usable out of the box.

This is a short article linking to several educational game-making sites. Creating your own game means targeted practice for your students, but most of the sites also have a bank of games made by other students and teachers. Most are exceedingly simple, but students find them really motivating. And students will learn even more by making their own for self-study or practice with friends.

This article has a list of great sites for the K-6 audience (many adaptable to 7-12 and adult). All of them are free and no registration is required. Some are very low tech.

Nice articles on how and why to use games at a philosophical level more than how-to. Well worth the read(s).

"Google Docs in the Classroom" Lesson objective is to write collaboratively using Google Docs. Video page includes discussion questions and teacher comments.

"This article examines the use of both game-based learning (GBL) and gamification in tertiary education. This study focuses specifically on the use of games and/or simulations as well as familiarity with gamification strategies by communication faculty. Research questions concentrate on the rate, frequency, and usage of digital and non-digital games and/or simulations in communication courses, as well as instructor familiarity with gamification. A survey was constructed with questions emerging from the game-based learning and gamification literature. It was distributed to communication faculty at public institutions of higher education in a southern state. In this context, the author argues that while the term gamification is novel, the approach is not. Based on the results, current gamification strategies appear to be a repackaging of traditional instructional strategies."

"Series Five Essential Practices for the Teaching of ELLs - Elementary : Using Technology to Collect Classroom Data" - Video page includes discussion questions and teacher comments. Lesson objective is to collect and analyze formative assessment data.

"Students who take part in physical exercises like star jumps or running on the spot during school lessons do better in tests than peers who stick to sedentary learning, according to a UCL-led study." Another piece of evidence that makes TPR (Total Physical Response) an appropriate approach to learning languages.

This site is commercial, but it has lots of interesting ideas on ways the readers theater can help students with reading, listening, and speaking.