What’s right with this classroom?

This is a photo of a virtual world. I’d like to highlight some of the pedagogical features of this room. Firstly, the IWB and projector is off. The teacher is not standing in front of it as the conduit between information and learning. Secondly the students are not using small netbooks, and using desks with [...]

Class vs Metaverse Pedagogy

Teachers pay a lot of attention to their point of view and interests. Most usually know exactly how to teach their subject, what they like and what they don’t. Kicking new ideas to a teacher is harder than creating a teacher it seems. Many are paying no more interest to educational technology than their students [...]

Meeting ISTE NETs – Using World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is an online massive multiplayer game with a free 10 day trail. Here’s how to align it with ISTE NETs and meet your own standards/outcomes – though assessment. This is for those teachers who ‘get’ the Web2.0 concepts of participation, collaboration and shared reality. It’s not a post about whether games are [...]

Smile for the camera

This is not me but someone whom I knew at  school who I now ‘talk’ to in Facebook. He left the UK not too long after this photo was taken. We talk again now thanks to technology and even played a bit of Warcraft over Christmas too. He’s now a Night Elf. Here we can [...]

Ideas over application

As mass production has obviously departed our shores followed by the information worker, I have to wonder what my kids will do when they leave school. So what should every teacher be doing in order not to stagnate or repeat last years lessons. Have a look at Jonathan Coulton, a guy who 2005 I left [...]

Oil in the water

For those who don’t know. I’m somewhat odd. I love all things game-tech, but when it comes to cars — I prefer them simple, retro and functionally escapist. You’d think I’d like BMWs iDrive … but actually I can’t think of anything worse. I like simple, functional, and a degree of brown in my motoring, [...]

Forget the tool, grab the data!

While there is a galaxy of cool tools, the real issue for many students lies in critical thinking — dealing with too much information. If you think of a brick wall – to computer types, this is what information looks like. The bricks themselves are elements of data. They can be use to create WALLS [...]

Cleaning up YouTube

Having decided the Bubblegum post was far too long, I’m making up for the sin with kicking a few small but mighty bits. Worried about seeing hot babes on car bonnets while watching ‘proper’ YouTube clips? Freaking out when another Evony ad informs your class that they can be some wenches Master? – Rejoice – [...]

Stop watching and start being

For those who have loved Avatar … how about being one … Second Life of course.

Ineffable Essence of Nothing

Tweet this In my first post this year, I put forward my predictions for 2010. I’d like then to pick up on the first point — Bubblegum EduPunk – the ineffable essence of nothing. Stepping into 21st Century learning — should be a leap into tomorrow — Buck Rogers style. My idea of punk is [...]