Digital media is a powerful tool in the 21st-century classroom, and for many teachers, virtual reality is the latest tech to make the list. Here are five of the best 360-degree VR video lessons from Discovery Educator Network that you can use in your classroom today. You can access each of these diverse and engaging experiences through a VR headset if you have one — but for the budget-conscious, you can

Classcraft and the Discovery Educator Network are giving back this Teacher Appreciation Week. Starting May 6, teachers everywhere can access exciting 360-degree VR video experiences through engaging “choose-your-own-adventure” lesson plans for students. Classcraft’s Discovery Educator Network Quest provides all the learning activities you need to jump in right away. Students explore 360-degree video experiences, from swimming with s

Introducing Classcraft's first-ever Quest of the Month! Each month at Classcraft, we'll be choosing one awesome quest to promote. Quests are personalized, self-paced, choose-your-own-adventure lessons for students. Our goal is to spotlight the amazing educators who inspire us and share creative, teacher-made content with our global community of forward-thinking educators. If you use Classcraft, you can submit quests you'

New to the world of edtech, I arrived at the 2016 SETDA/ISTE conferences in Denver, Colorado, as the chief academic officer of the New Jersey Department of Education. I was there to celebrate two New Jersey educators who were being recognized for their work fostering student voice. The conference began with “speed dating” rounds, where educators could learn more about companies looking to partner with and support their work with students. The kickoff began with each new company giving an

In response to a recent video that promoted only violent scenes from video games, Games for Change has put together a video of equal length that shows video game moments at their emotional best. The original 88-second compilation came from the White House and showed only scenes from M-rated video games (the equivalent to an R-rated movie). It in

When assessing my approach to teaching and my relationship with students, I never once forgot the first piece of advice I received. It was my cousin who told that the one thing every good teacher needs to have is "eyes in the back of their head." It was true back then, and it's still very much true today, even with the huge technological development we are witnessing in schools. Whether or not you use new techniques in teaching and classroom management, the best thing you can do is to be awa

Classcraft is excited to announce our upcoming webinar with crowdfunding platform PledgeCents this February. The webinar, "How to Crowdfund the Classroom Resources You Need," will take place on Wednesday, February 28 at 8 PM EST and is available to anyone who'd like to attend. Special guest Andyshea Saberioon, the CEO and co-founder of PledgeCents, will head the prese

Technology is to the classroom as a costume is to a superhero. Superhero in this context will be defined as someone with abnormal quirks that allow them advantages over the typical human. Many superheroes use their powers without any sort of accessory, but their suit often serves as a modifier, enhancing or structuring abilities so that they can take down villains with ease. It is important to remember that the suit is unique to the superhero. Like a suit, technology should be unique t

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a key factor in ensuring students are prepared for future success. It’s one of the top determinants of their performance in the workplace, where they’re expected to be team players who can communicate effectively, manage their emotions, and adapt to changes easily. But if there’s no set curriculum to teach social emotional learning, how do we know our kids are acquiring the skills they need? Where do

The ED Games Expo 2018, an event showcasing educational games and learning technologies, is happening on Monday, January 8, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Children, teenagers, and adults will learn more about games and technologies covering a wide range of topics in education and spec

Flexible seating is one of the hottest new trends in education today. Teachers around the world have been looking at adding exercise balls, couches, and standing desks as a way to maximize engagement and provide a new environment for students to work in. But the process can be intimidating, and figuring out how to manage your new learning environment can be overwhelming. Here is how to get started with flexible seating, a

Young teenagers in middle school grow at very different rates and, in this period when they are figuring themselves out, have an “intense need for social interaction and peer affiliation.” It’s no wonder the development of students’ interpersonal and social skills has been identified as a key goal of middle-level education in the National Middle School Association’s position paper, “

To celebrate the release of his new book, Game-Based Learning in Action, educator Matthew Farber is sharing his four steps to promote real-world practice using Classcraft’s Quests for personal

The ETC Festival 2017 this week showcased some of Pittsburgh’s best student-designed games and experiences using technology such as virtual reality, mobile devices, and occasionally the more bizarre — like a fully functional Egyptian tomb. I attended the festival at the Entertainment Technology Center, part of Carnegie Mellon University, where more than 25 student-created games and experiences were on display. Many are part of Jesse Schell

About the game: Political Animals is a game where mice, reindeer, goats, and other animals live together as citizens, and any one of them can become an elected representative in their government. Students must compete to win an electoral campaign using various means. https://youtu.be/nSn_QP02gFM How it works:

Republished with permission from PledgeCents, a Classcraft partner. To view the complete article, please visit the PledgeCents blog. The Day of Giving Every year, #GivingTuesday has grown more and more popular around the world. People are sharing and contributing to the social needs that mean the most to them. This year,

Researchers at Imperial College London have made a new mobile game about controlling balloons that helps patients suffering from physical impairments make a faster, healthier recovery. Yes, it's a video game that's both good for your health and for furthering education and research. In Balloon Buddies, which runs on a tablet, a "healthy" participant supp