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

CUE 2018 has come to an end — and so has The CUE Adventure. As we leave Palm Springs, California, and head home, here's a little overview to remember the conference by. Missed our other recaps? Here are all the best moments from #CUE18 Day 1 and

CUE 2018 is well underway as thousands of teachers from across the country meet in Palm Springs, California, to connect with other educators, learn from expert thought leaders — and start their CUE Adventure. Missed yesterday's recap? Here are all the best moments from #CUE18 Day 1

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

As part of its partnership with Code.org, Minecraft Education has just released a new Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial called Minecraft: Hero’s Journey. Available on iOS, Android, and Windows at no cost, th

In a paper titled “Bullying in secondary schools: Action planning using a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support framework,” Tory De Shannon Lawrence suggests ways to incorporate proactive initiatives into a PBIS framework to prevent bullying behavior. Lawrence, a PhD student at Liberty University in Virginia, has worked with several schools to create action plans that address problematic student behaviors. In her paper,