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"Video games in the classroom are becoming a popular way to integrate game-based learning into curricula. But Shawn Young of Sherbrooke, Canada has taken it one step further and actually built his own education version of World of Warcraft. He put his own spin on the extremely popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) and dubbed it 'World of Classcraft.'" this is a plea for Kickstarter money, but it describes a good deal about the game. A worthwhile endeavor, and student testimonials.

An interesting argument that the flipped classroom is really a stepping stone to students doing their own learning/research. Very thought-provoking about the role of the teacher in a classroom or online: "Ultimately, we have realized that three fundamental questions should drive the teaching and ­learning experience: What are you going to learn? How are you going to learn it? How are you going to show your learning? As this new way of learning has played out over time, my students have found that they no longer need me to locate or create videos for them. They can find their own resources and direct their own learning. My goal as a teacher is to help them become independent learners, to give their learning a purpose that is apparent to them (beyond simply passing the unit exam). I prompt them to reflect on their thinking and learning while sharing stories of my own journey as a learner. I help them develop skills, such as finding and evaluating sources and collaborating with their peers."

Watch TV shows on your computer. You may wish to use excerpts from episodes in your class as conversation starters or models for social interactions to be play-acted.

Play your presentations without an Apple TV, through any Mac or Windows computer, from your iPad or iPhone.

You can now use a third-party app to mirror your iPad/iPhone on a computer (Mac or Windows). This app is now called Reflector, however. Check it out at http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/. Play your presentations without a projector.

"We learn most effectively when motivated. This is a list of games your kids will have fun playing ... while also learning important skills and lessons as a by-product!" Spotted this, via Sam Gliksman's blog. Several are social games also. I'm eager to try The Oregon Trail. Now, if only they made a Hypercard app.

"Swift Playground is an iPad app to learn Apple's Swift coding language which underpins apps on iOS. The app has engaging lessons and different levels to Play." I think learning an app language is appropriate for many levels of students. It gives them control over the games and processes as they think about how the app should go and what it should do.

Thanks to R. Byrne for this description of how to play Quizlet Live (link to YouTube video). Quizlet can help you turn review materials into a classroom game that involves students intrinsically.

"Content curation will play a major role both in the way we "teach" and in the way we educate ourselves on any topic. When and where it will be adopted, it will deeply affect many key aspects of the educational ecosystem." I feel that Diigo is a way to help with that curation. This is a great article by Robin Good.

Free PowerPoint templates to make your own animated slides. "There are many transitions that you can also make in your own PowerPoint presentation but starting with an animated PowerPoint template lets you avoid spending so much time creating the animated templates from scratch." In PowerPoint 2007 and 2010 there are many already defined animated effects that you can use. For example, you may choose to use cool animations for PowerPoint like Cover effects, Blinds effect, Shape Diamond effect, Wheel effect and even more. Usually you start with your PowerPoint presentation file with no effects. Once you start building your slides you can add new effects to the slide transitions. When playing the presentation then your audience will see a transition between the slides."

"In discussing the activity-based learning model the other day, I realized that there had to be another layer to it. Just as a reflection by the learner on the product they produce as the outcome of an activity should be developed, there's another way in which reflection should come into play." A follow-up to the earlier blog entry on using activity-based learning. What I mean here is that there should be a reflection layer on top of the curricula and the content as well, this time by the instructor and administration. In fact, there may need to be several layers. "

50 different examples of formative assessment, by a specialist in "new visions for public schools." These are inventive and will keep students guessing while enabling you to find out what they know -- or don't. This is a slideshow that can be played automatically, and is under CC so can be freely copied and used.

"Have students create a Pinterest board with 10 pins that summarizes them. Ask students to create a 30 second podcast that introduces themselves. Then allow students to present them or play them on separate devices as an audio gallery. Create a classroom blog and ask each student to write a blog post introducing themselves to the rest of the classroom. Have students create a quick comic strip to describe themselves or to recreate a recent funny moment in their lives. Use PollEverywhere to ask students interesting questions and get to know them as a class, like their favorite subjects, bands or TV shows. Use GoogleForms or SurveyMonkey to survey students about their interests, academic inclinations, and background info - a 21st century alternative to the "Getting to Know You" info sheet! Have students create word clouds to describe themselves and share with the rest of the class. Have students go on a QR code scavenger hunt in teams to get to know each other and learn about your classroom rules in a fun, engaging way. Ask students to create their own Voki avatars that introduce themselves to the class. Encourage them to be creative with the backgrounds, characters and details of the avatar to reflect their own personalities and preferences. Have students create graffiti online that speaks to their interests and personalities and share with the class." A nice set of ready-made lessons using readily available apps on the computer.

Very practical classroom ideas to help students get the creative juices flowing. "You will have seen, there is a strong collection between imagination and creativity. We did not want to get bogged down with the neuro-science behind how imagination works (click on the links above if you want to read further about this), but the need to encourage imaginations should not be left behind in Early Years settings. Allow time and space for imaginations to flourish is a tough demand within modern schools, but the importance of finding time is crucial, being something which all educators can play a part in."

A multi-user collection of over 300 tools. Original based on a presentation for Norfolk Public Schools by Mickie Mueller, this LiveBinder is updated frequently. For all levels of learners.

"One of the best book creation apps on iPad is now available for all Android Devices, as BookCreator makes the jump onto the Google Play store (click here to view). The iPad app has found its place as a key educational app in classrooms across the world, putting publishing into the hands of students and enabling teachers to collaborate with classrooms in other countries."

"The Teaching Foreign Languages workshop will help K-12 foreign language teachers improve their practice by making connections between the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning and current research in foreign language education. Workshop components include eight lively half-hour video programs with leading researchers and practicing teachers discussing how the standards play out in day-to-day classroom situations, a workshop guide available online and in print, and interactive activities on the Web. " Looks very well done--has video workshop and materials, all free.

An online game where you can discover how energy decisions impact life. Don't be put off by the Chevron sponsorship -- there is a wide range of energy resources, and opportunities to point out discrepancies, do research with newer stats, etc. Upper middle school and higher. Can be played in Group mode competitively.

"Geeky teachers have brought Minecraft to subjects ranging from history to biology to probability. The game is being rolled out to every secondary school in Northern Ireland this month. If you're a parent, you've noticed Minecraft offerings spawning in your local summer camp listings. The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers a Minecraft camp for budding builders. Ninety-two libraries participated in the International Games Day Minecraft Hunger Games tournament, andcrowned a 13-year-old girl as its champion. And, I've helped launch Connected Camps' Summer of Minecraft, a new in-game online camp. "Progressive educators have been advocating for games-based learning ever since Carmen Sandiego, Oregon Trail, and Reader Rabbit opened up a new market for consumer children's software in the '80s. SimCity demonstrated how a building and tinkering game could be embraced by parents, kids, and educators. And, Scratch shows how kid-centered learning communities can thrive online. "Minecraft is part of this lineage of learning games, but it fundamentally rewrites the playbook." This blog talks about why Minecraft is so popular with kids and with educators alike, referring back to Papert's experiments with "turtles." My 9-yr-old granddaughter is totally absorbed by the game and the games within the game she can play. She's even venturing into the "survival" mode where exploration includes fighting zombies. What's not to like?

"Use the intuitive Animatron Editor to design and publish animated and interactive content that plays everywhere, from desktop computers to mobile devices." This looks like a great tool for creating imaginative learning apps. Get your students to help you!