EducationalGames
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Valve announces Steam for Schools, helps teachers create educational Portal 2 levels
Who ever said being a scientific guinea pig couldn't be educational? With Steam for Schools, teachers can now use Portal 2's level editor to create lessons focused on boosting critical thinking, spatial reasoning and problem solving skills. Announced at the Games for Change festival in New York City, the educator edition of Steam comes with a free copy of Portal 2 and the Portal 2 Puzzle Maker. Students and teachers alike can use the tools to create puzzles, but distribution is handled by teachers alone. (That's right, kids -- no level sharing unless the teach says so.) An accompanying website serves as a gathering place for teachers to collaborate, and aims to provide sample lesson plans centered on science, technology, engineering and math. If you're an educator who can't wait to bring a Portal-assisted physics lesson to life, see the links below to sign up for the ongoing beta. Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to "study."
iPad is a nuisance for many Chinese parents
A report from the Beijing Evening News suggests Chinese parents are scuffling with their kids over iPads. It seems the iPad was the gift of choice for many children this past Chinese New Year, and now those youngsters are having a hard time putting their tablets aside. Exasperated parents don't know what to do when their tots refuse to hand over the iPad, and they're afraid iPad use may impede their children's education. It may seem silly to non-parents, but as a parent myself, I can confirm this report. My kids are enthralled with the iPad. They will creep into a corner, turn down the volume and play games. They will even sneak the iPad to bed and read play games under the covers. Instead of fighting against the machine, parents should consider embracing the iPad. Get an OtterBox case, disable Wi-Fi, and set up a password so you can restrict access to the device. Remove the time-waster type games and fill the iPad with learning apps. You may discover this system gives you the ideal balance; the kids get their iPad fix, and you can rest easy knowing their use is solely educational. If you're a parent whose children use an iPad, how do you manage their usage? We would love to hear what works (or doesn't work) for you. [via M.I.C. Gadget]
NASA debuts two new educational games for iOS, Facebook
NASA is no stranger to apps, but the space agency is branching out further into some new territory with its two latest offerings: a pair of educational games. The first is Sector 33, an air traffic control simulator for iOS devices that certainly won't be confused with Flight Control, but which NASA hopes will help teach math and possibly get folks interested in aviation. Those who prefer their games a bit more casual can also now try out NASA's very first multiplayer Facebook game, Space Race Blast Off, which tests folks' knowledge of various space-related topics (and is considerably more challenging than it first appears). Additional details and the games themselves can be found at the source links below.[Thanks, Mo]
Select McGraw-Hill educational apps for iPhone and iPad free until 4/16
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is holding its annual conference this week and in honor of this event McGraw-Hill has dropped the price on select iOS educational applications. The sale started earlier this week and extends until the conference ends on April 16. During this time, the following applications will be free: Everyday Mathematics Addition Top-It: 0 to 10 basic addition and number comparison game Everyday Mathematics Subtraction Top-It: 0 to 10, 2-digit subtraction and number comparison game Everyday Mathematics Name That Number: Computation and order of operations game Everyday Mathematics Monster Squeeze: Octopus monster-themed number comparison and recognition game Everyday Mathematics Equivalent Fractions: Fraction flashcard game Everyday Mathematics Tric-Trac: one or two-player addition game Everyday Mathematics Beat the Computer: Multiplication (0-10) game Everyday Mathematics Baseball Multiplication 1-6 Facts: Baseball-themed multiplication game Everyday Mathematics Divisibility Dash: Number multiples and division practice eFlashcards: Vocabulary flashcards If you have elementary school-aged children and younger, this sale is a no-brainer. Normally, each app is priced at $1.99 and will jump back up to this price when the sale ends. These apps require iOS 3.0 or later and are compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
Plato brings educational games to PSP
Thought the DS was all alone on its mobile educational games? Think again. A company called Plato announced that they'll be bringing educational games onto the PSP as early as April 2008. Drawing software from the company's Achieve Now product line, the company could potentially port up to 57 titles over to the handheld system.The games are designed to help out elementary and middle school students in different academic subjects such as mathematics and language arts. While most of you reading this right now probably won't be needing this supplemental grade school tutorship, our kids or little cousins might benefit from a little brain exercise. We imagine these little second graders with PSPs will grow up extra smart, maybe even clever enough to learn how to hack their PSPs. Oh my, the vicious cycle.
Study: Educational software doesn't work
The U.S. Department of Education issued a report yesterday that educational software of all types, from the video-game-like to the ultra-dry, "has no significant impact on student performance." And folks like Elliot Soloway, professor of educational tech at U. Michigan, are miffed. Says Soloway, "It is the poor kids who will suffer, because it is their schools who will not get technology because of this study."That's one way to look at it. Here's another way: the study could help schools, both underfunded and not, because now their administrators might spend more money on good teachers and less on Oregon Trail. Shooting squirrels in a video game is fun, but it's no substitute for a real human showing you how to shoot squirrels.[via GameLife]
