Bloxels

I've been trialing a fun new game that enables kids to explore both sides of their brain (the creative and the analytical) by expressing themselves and learning through the process of making video games. I've created an Educator account which has a free 30 day trial. Bloxels EDU resources encourage collaboration while guiding students through a design thinking process. Using the Bloxels gameboard and blocks, students create their own 13-bit layouts, characters, and art for their game. In the app, they can edit and customize everything - what it looks like and how elements interact and behave. Students have the power to create rich, dynamic stories with their games. They can use Story blocks to tell narratives, build logic puzzles with Action blocks and transform their characters with Power-ups. Check out this short video! ---> Digital Storytelling with Bloxels

Exciting Movie-making Wellbeing Program for Primary Classroom Use!

Calling all primary school teachers! Interested in trialing a revolutionary Social and Emotional Learning program with your students, free of charge? It's an empowering, wellbeing program that's launching officially soon in Australia and the US, and we have the chance to use it on a free trial basis now. The developers are looking for feedback from teachers on content and design. This children's program was created by the people from Mind Movies. So, what's a Mind Movie? It's a 3 minute video, a digital "vision board", representing your best life. In the user-friendly online platform you access an extensive library of powerful affirmations, beautiful images, motivating video clips and uplifting music, or you can upload your own, to add to your movie. I have personally created several movies and watch them daily on my phone to support my mental/emotional health and to reinforce my goals in life. The positive effects have been amazing! The children's version of Mind Movies is a SEL program developed specifically for use in primary school classrooms. There are two components: P.D. (Personal Development) for Kids, which is the explicit teaching and learning part, and the Dream Design Movies platform (creative digital design). If you're a classroom teacher interested in trying this program free of charge, message me with your email address and login access will be sent to you from the Mind Movies team! I'm passionate about student wellbeing and this is a powerful tool to empower students in school and in life.

This is Natalie Ledwell, Mind Movies co-founder, and P.D.for Kids/Dream Design Movies writer and developer. I met her at a neuroplasticity/meditation workshop and she's absolutely passionate about bringing this program to children around the world.

I love Voki.

Voki is a creative, easy-to-use tool that helps motivate students and improves lesson comprehension and student participation. You can see and listen to one of my Voki at the top left of this blog. It is so much fun! Create unique Voki characters that speak in many languages or record your own voice. Customize their appearance and what they say, and share with others! Voki Classroom is a management system for Voki - enable your students to do classwork and homework. Voki Presenter is a tool to create and project exciting presentations and increase student engagement. An alternative way to teach lessons! I have previously used Voki for Year 5 students to add an avatar to their blogs. The task was to discuss school values, and this activity made it fun. Here's the link: Voki