The perfect stocking fillers for edtech nerds
This post is long overdue, but with a postal strike as a perfect excuse (in the UK at least) plus a ready number of Kaizen just-in-time shoppers out there, it may not be too late to browse through this list of stocking fillers for those with a penchant for edtech.
Disclaimer: This list has not undergone a randomised controlled trial efficacy study! On this occasion, it is my chance to offer up a few gift gems for those magpies who like shiny edtech type things in their analogue stockings. Move over satsuma, move over coal lump, this is The perfect stocking fillers for edtech nerds inspired by some of the people I met this year via The Edtech Podcast.
Hue HD
Did you know online viral food video agency Jungle Creation (those quick clips on making recipes you might see on your FB feed) is now the sixth most-viewed media company in the online sphere, behind the Walt Disney company in fifth place, and in front of US media giant Comcast in seventh?? Jungle Creation’s online videos are now watched more than 2.5 billion times a month and its annual turnover in past financial year was £2.5m, nearly nine times the previous 12 months.If you fancy being the next Jamie Bolding (the 25 year old founder – bleugh/success overload!) then why not snap up a HUE HD and start making stop-frame animations in time for Wallace and Gromit on Xmas Day?
Magikbee
Tired of standing on lego and swearing profusely? This Xmas why not pick up a Magikbee and stack the traditional wooden blocks of your childhood against your iPad to help the hero of your onscreen world get across another dangerous ravine to safety? Part of the ‘phygital’ trend towards integrated online and offline learning toys – see Osmo or Filisia.
Detective Dot
I love this book. Did you know, in kids’ media, only 2.9% of characters are black, boys are twice as likely to take the lead, and 92% of female characters are underweight ? Sophie Deen created Detective Dot to inspire the next generation to be coders, not Kardashians. Given us women have to defend our right to have knees and the amount of bull**** out there at the moment, this is the most timely book I can think of right now.
Snapchat spectacles
Remember when everyone wore Google Glasses and looked like a bit of a k**b? Well, now you can wear Snapchat spectacles and look like a Shoreditch t**t whilst uploading to Snapchat. Let’s face it, these are pretty darn cool and make updating your status a doddle.
Your own chatbot
Sick of replying to emails in 2016? Set up your own chatbotand put your feet up for the rest of 2017.
Kano
Want to create a computer with your own bare hands and feel like a total legend once more? Set up a Kano computing kit and you can create a mission impossible style sensor-tripped light show and then photograph the whole thing! If you like the idea of creating your own mini rave, I think this could be for you. (See also raspberry pi, Pi-Top, Kubo robot and Primo Toys, depending on age and budget).
Audible account
Want to get through all the book recommendations from guests on The Edtech Podcast, but struggling for time? What about an Audible account? Soak up as many books as you can manage with a new audiobook subscription, or better still subscribe to The Edtech Podcast for amazing aural experiences in 2017!
Big Bang Legends
Tired of listening to the Queen’s Speech or a family discussion on how to cook sprouts correctly? Get your thumbs a wagging instead by Beta Testing Big Bang Legends – a mobile game where the elements of the periodic table go on adventures and you learn about particle physics in the process.
Love, Courage, Patience
Let’s face it, none of this comes close to spending precious time with your loved ones. The Edtech Podcast wishes you all the love in the world with the special people in your life, and courage and patience to explore new opportunities in 2017.
Have a wonderful Xmas holidays!
