For many teachers, online games are the scourge of the classroom – a drain on students’ attention, time and potential. Any educator who has ever tried to teach a lesson using online resources or taken a class in the computer lab has probably experienced the frustration of finding a student on a gaming site instead of sticking to the intended lesson plan. But online games don’t always have to be a distraction (see last week’s post 5 Reasons to Embrace Gaming […]
Category: Toys and Play
5 Reasons to Embrace Gaming in the Classroom
Gaming is an amazing strategy to use in the classroom, yet few teachers use it to increase their students’ learning. Generally it is used a ‘reward’ or dismissed as purely fun, with no learning purpose. Gaming, however, is a wonderful way to re-engage students with learning and make learning relevant to their lives. This is not to say that it should be the only teaching strategy that you should use, or that all topics would be best taught through gaming. […]
5 Different Ways to Start Creating Apps With Students
It’s true… Coding is officially cool! Well, at least that’s what Will.I.Am is telling me. With high profile figures in business, sport, technology and music promoting coding, it is no longer a space reserved just for geeks and nerds. A huge part of this mainstream adoption to coding has come from our daily interaction with smartphones and Apps. With 17 year old students becoming App millionaires and thousands of new Apps entering the marketplace each day, the opportunities for kids to […]
7 Brilliant ‘Design Your Own Game’ Websites/Apps for Students
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the use of gaming in the classroom – from the ‘gamification’ of learning to the use of Minecraft to teach everything from physics to strategic…
5 Brilliant Ideas for EdTech Scavenger Hunts
Inspired by Stephen & Shae Pepper’s 52 Scavenger Hunt Ideas, scavenger hunts are a brilliant way to pursue a particular topic or educational course with your class in a fun and innovative way. As well as the excitement of pursuing clues and deciphering the message to work out where to hunt next, educators can use scavenger hunts as a way to drip-feed small, digestible chunks of information to students in a clear, memorable way. A scavenger hunt in a history […]
5 Fun Online Games that Disguise Important Lessons
Of all the impact education technology can have in the classroom, it is at its most powerful when students are enjoying themselves so much they don’t even realize they are learning! These brilliant online games each help students learn about important new skills, issues or ideas, but they are guaranteed to enjoy themselves at the same time! 1. Immune Attack An incredibly exciting and addictive game from the Federation of American Scientists, which students will never want to stop […]
10 of the Best Online Programming Tools for Students
1. Hackety Hack Great for beginners, this site offers the absolute basics of programming from the ground up, with no previous programming experience required. Simple toolkits, technical support and online lessons make it a great way for students to get started. 2. Light-Bot Great for younger students who might not be able to grasp full programming just yet, this game allows users to control a robot using programmer-style logic and commands. (Update: You do need Flash enabled to use it […]
10 Of The Best Educational Online Games
Danger Zone Students are faced with serious global issues to tackle in this fantastic character-based game. They have to use different skills to solve a challenge like combating a deadly airborne illness using test-samples, note-taking and learning along the way! The Blood Typing Game This brilliant, prize-winning game from the Nobel Prize website lets students get up-close and personal with medical and biological processes, learning about patients, treatment and blood-types. Two settings enable students to choose between quick play […]
4 Lessons Elearning Can Take From The Explosively Popular “Draw Something” App
It’s a dog… No, cow… No, a Furby! Conjuring memories of the laughter, tears and broken friendships shared in the 1985 classic Pictionary, Draw Something has set a new benchmark in mobile gaming. Launched only a few months ago, OMGPOP‘s instant hit has caught the eye of more than just bored gamers. If you have not yet been caught up in the hype, Draw Something is an extremely addictive, free mobile game for both iOS and Android. Based on a social gaming foundation, the […]
The Best Educational Video Games and Apps For Learning That Students Actually Enjoy
There is no doubt that the gaming industry is huge, but with sales of $18.58 billion last year the industry overall is down 5% on 2009 figures. One of the theories behind the drop is the huge bloom of online and mobile games that are taking away customer focus. When we originally created this list nearly 10 years ago, there were only Flash animation games available. They were fun, and taught many subjects. But oh, how have times changed! Today […]