The Mind Lab by Unitec
Should you be learning for the collaborative and digital era? The Mind Lab thinks so and has teamed up with Unitec to offer a postgraduate part time programme in digital and collaborative learning.
Designed for teachers at all levels, the Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) is a 32-week part-time NZQA accredited qualification designed for teachers at all levels to build knowledge of emerging technologies and teaching methodologies, for immediate application in the classroom.
Minecraft sold to Microsoft
Microsoft is buying Minecraft and the studio behind it, Mojang, for US$2.5 billion. The company says it “plans to continue to make Minecraft available across all the platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation.” However, it isn’t getting the game’s creator, Markus Persson, aka Notch, who will be pursuing other interests.
New graphic novel in Te Reo
Kiwa Digital has published a Reo Māori Graphic Novella app that’s available on iTunes and Google Play. Te Orokotīmatanga o te Ao re-tells the creation story of the universe for the digital generation and is the first of a series of novellas named Ngā Atua Māori.
Next ‘Hour of Code’
Last year, more than 40 million students tried ‘Hour off Code’ – an introduction to computer programming designed to show that anyone can learn the basics. This year the goal is to get 100 million taking part during Computer Science Education Week, 8-14 December.
Microsoft launches Project Spark
Microsoft has formally launched Project Spark, a ‘game maker’ video game. It’s a virtual game world that contains a suite of tools and a digital canvas for players to create their own games.
Introducing Tonido
Access your computer’s files, music, media, videos from anywhere using Tonido’s iOS app.
Official Poptropica Walkthrough
Find out about Poptropica by joining Captain Crawfish as he shows you how to meet the challenge of Arabian Nights, Episode 1: How Bazaar!
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8
Remember Polaroid cameras and their iconic, instant photos? Well, if you’re in the mood for some photographic nostalgia – and some instant fun and excitement – Fujifilm’s produced the contemporary Instax Mini 8.
Would you like one? We have an Instax Mini 8 up for grabs – plus, we’ll throw in a pack of 20 extra photos (total RRP $158.90). To enter click here [Paul can you add a link to the competition page]
The Physics Lounge 2014
In the last issue, we reviewed how teachers are ‘flipping’ their classrooms’. We’d previously reported on The Physic Lounge [Teaching on demand, Issue 52, December 2013] and how teacher Sam Hight was creating and sharing videos on secondary school level physics. Here’s an introduction to the site and recent changes.
Explain Everything 2.0
Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. Create slides, draw in any colour, add shapes, add text, and use a laser pointer. Rotate, move, scale, copy, paste, clone, and add new or existing photos and videos.
Kids Puzzles Puzzingo
Do you like educational puzzles? Kids Puzzles Puzzingo has tons of them. They cover core concepts such as shapes, colours, numbers, food, and alphabet, as well as children’s favourite topics like animals, fish, bugs, cars, princesses, and rockets.
Asteroid Zoo
Scientists are scanning our solar system for asteroids and need your help to find ones that might pose future hazards or be suitable for exploration and mining. Enter Asteroid Zoo, a citizen-science project that invites you to join an online asteroid hunt – from the comfort of your classroom.
Moodle Presentation
A brief presentation of Moodle, an open source learning management system.
