I have been a teacher for nearly 20 years and, in that time, the computing landscape has changed immeasurably. I was the Computing Lead in the mid-to-late 2000s where I used videogames to add and enhance learning in the classroom. Alongside like-minded colleagues in the local authority, we used Big Brain Academy and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training to improve quick mental maths strategies. Later on, we used videogames including Endless Ocean, Shadow of the Colossus and Limbo to help create a stimulus for writing. Years later, when PlayStation introduced the PSVR headset, I purchased it for the school and used virtual tourism experience Perfect as tool to help with our setting description work for Michael Morpurgo’s wonderful book Kensuke’s Kingdom.
To share the work, we used QR Codes for parents to access using their mobile phones. We often have a reception area in schools where parents and guests are waiting and my thinking was that having QR codes up on the wall would give the visitors something to do whilst waiting. It proved engaging as it was a simple way to encourage visitors to just scan one of the QR codes and access the appropriate page; this did away with linking to MLEs and proved successful due to its simplicity and intuitive nature.
As time has moved on, it has been difficult to keep abreast of all the tools and resources available in this ever-changing landscape which is why I was asked to look at the website squadhelp. It has links to many resources and services which could prove useful for education or startup businesses.
It has a powerful name generator which I had a fun time with, messing about to come up with a unique brand name that could stand out in an increasingly congested online world. I entered the search terms videogames pop culture and got these results:
I will continue to look through the website and add further articles if I find anything else pertinent or relevant for educators of creative out there. In the meantime, why not have a look as it might be just the ticket!