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Level Up Report
March 30, 2018
There were some great hardware announcements last week, with both Google and Apple launching interesting new tablets for the classroom. If you try either of the new devices, let us know what you think!
Thanks to Simon Carless and Russell Shilling for contributions to this week's news! Send us YOUR news at news@levelup.org.
News
Cryptocurrency company Ripple gave some educators an early Christmas present last week, donating $29 million to fund all 35,000 classroom requests that were on DonorsChoose.com. WOW! Stephen Colbert announced the donation. I think the moral of this story is to make sure your classroom always has an open request on DonorsChoose! #BestSchoolDay
 Google introduced its first Chrome OS tablet device, the Acer Chromebook Tab 10. Will the popularity of Chromebooks for classrooms translate into acceptance of this iPad-shaped device? The $329 price point gets you a 2048x1536 display with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Not shabby, but also a bit more expensive than most Chromebooks.
Apple held an education-focused event in Chicago, and announced a new iPad for schools! The standard-sized iPad includes a Retina display with 10-hour battery, and Apple Pencil support (though it is not included), and will cost $299 for schools ($329 for others). Also announced at the event were a new version of iWork for the iPad, a Mac version of Classroom, a new app for class assignments called Schoolwork, and the ClassKit API that enables apps to communicate with Schoolwork. Lots of education announcements from Apple!
A few weeks ago, we pointed you to a video of Andrew "bunnie" Huang talking about the "Love to Code" kit he was working on at Chibitronics. Now you can try it for yourself! The Love to Code Creative Coding Kit introduces you to coding using a clip-on microcontroller board and paper circuits, built into a storybook. That looks like a lot of fun. Check out Sparkfun's video for more details.
The U.S. Government's E-Rate and Lifeline programs are both designed to increase access to the Internet -- and both have been seeing setbacks recently. It seems that E-Rate is having a "funding slowdown", with school districts that have applied to the program seeing outsized approval delays and a higher percentage of denials. The Lifeline program provides phone and broadband access to over 13 million low-income Americans, and a recent FCC proposal made significant changes that may invalidate 80% of current service providers. What do both of these programs have in common? The Federal Communications Commission.
 Don't you love those crazy Rube Goldberg-like videos from the band OK Go? So do many educators! So OK Go partnered with AnnMarie Thomas of the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St Thomas to create OK Go Sandbox, a free website with educator guides and behind the scenes videos. Like this one!
If you're building some games, you might find these two stories interesting. Epic Games recently released $12 million worth of art assets from their game Paragon for free. This includes 20 AAA-quality characters and their associated textures, animations, etc. But what if you're looking for environments? Google announced a Unity integration for the Google Maps API, so you can pull real-world maps and 3D models into your game!
Have you ever considered having your students run their own "genius bar" to help other students and faculty with technology challenges? Matthew Lynch gives you a few tips in this piece on EdWeek (subscription site).
Yes, your teenagers can make millions by playing video games! Okay, that's a hyperbolic headline but it's also TRUE, whether it be through playing eSports, building Roblox games, or doing Twitch streaming. The BBC dives into the details in this surprisingly long piece.
Progress. Kids now draw women one-third of the time when asked to draw a picture of a scientist. That's still not what it should be, but much better than it was fifty years ago... (and some of the kid drawings in this CNN article are kind of great.)
Play
 Freeways (iOS, Android, PC, Mac) – Try your hand at building traffic interchanges in this simple-sounding but fun and complex game! Each intersection is more challenging than the last, and even after you've got the cars moving properly you just might find yourself driven to go back and optimize the traffic flow. Video.
Just a Line (Android) – Google has launched its augmented reality SDK, ARCore, and you can experiment with it using this simple Android app. With your camera on, walk around and draw a line in the real world... or smiley faces... or rain drops... or a secret note for your friend! Video.
Watch
 Turning a drawing into a toy using 3D printing! – This creative Dad decided to use his 3D modeling and printing skills to bring to life one of his son's drawings. You can, too! He'll show you how.
Jim Henson on Making Muppets 1969 – Ever wanted to make your own Muppets - I mean puppets? Who better than Jim Henson to give you some tips?
Baba Is You trailer – Baba Is You is the extremely creative game that won Nordic Game Jam 2017. It also won Best Student Game and Excellence in Design at this year's Independent Games Festival! The game has yet to release, but check out this trailer. What a creative game design! Inspiring.
The Rise of Nintendo's Original Gaming Master – Howard Phillips was one of Nintendo's first employees, and through his passion for games he became a celebrity to a generation of kids. Learn how he became "Mister Nintendo" to many.
Why the Miami bridge broke – Explaining complex science topics in an accessible way is a unique skill, and Professor Simon Holland is one of the masters. In this video on his YouTube channel, he examines the recent collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Miami. Very informative.
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