Learning about animals is always better when there are Muppets involved. Jim Henson’s The Song of the Cloud Forest and Animal Show with Stinky and Jake are two new DVD’s about our favorite animals and the rainforest. Children can enjoy watching the zany antics of puppets and animals, while learning some valuable lessons in the process.

The two DVD’s offer several different episodes to watch, each talking about different species of animals from our friends at the rain forest, to Africa’s finest. There are also plenty of songs to keep you entertained and educated…

By now, the inevitable has probably happened. You’re probably back in school. It happens, and until you turn 18 you’re stuck there for the time being. But learning can be fun and doesn’t have to be a dismal experience.

A good way to help make the learning process easier and more entertaining is to turn to educational video games. The DS’ extensive and impressive game library has led to a surprising amount of educational games that can be a great help to not only students, but ordinary gamers with a passion for learning new things. It can also help parents who have children who aren’t willing to sit down with an educational help book or tutor, but are willing to sit for hours playing a video game.

To help you see what kind of applications and educational games are out there and available, Gamertell has put together a rudimentary list of informative DS programs. To help make things even easier, all games are organized into the classes or skills to which they pertain…

The cover story for the most recent issue of the Kent State University alumni magazine (Kent State Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 3, Spring 2009) highlights the efforts of several professors using Second Life as an educational tool.

Although a feature story about Second Life might seem, “Like, so two years ago,” this is a prime example of how video games can be used to contribute to society and bring together a world community.

Titled “Get a Second Life,” the article focuses on the educational efforts of two Kent State professors and their students within Second Life with virtual classes and live SL theater performances…

I’m sick and tired of people saying that video games are a waste of time and that people are unintelligent for playing them. It’s just not true. The only people who say that are people who have never played a game and don’t realize what really goes into it. I think games are very much educational and should not be shunned.

First, playing video games involves a lot of thought and strategy. Each game has a completely different set of rules that you have to learn and follow. Now you can either sit and read the instruction booklet or you could…

Remember when you couldn’t wait to get into high school? It was the place of learning all those subjects and educational keys to really start molding your future and setting your sites on the career of your choice. But after you enter, the classes became harder and though you excelled at one subject you moan as another flopped. It was no longer fun, challenging and at times you feel disconnected.

For Steve Waddell, CEO and Lead Developer of I Support Learning, remembers that all too well and had developed a way to engage students through videogame design.

“The videogame design curriculum is about making learning relevant to the learner by showing them how math, science and language are used in the real world. The big benefit is engagement,” Waddell told Gamertell. “If a student isn’t engaged, as I found myself in school, then it becomes very tough to learn. This is pretty much common sense. If your audience isn’t listening to you they won’t get the message. We’re also excited that universities around the country are starting to give students…

With technology expanding and luring youth away from school, the British are trying to use technology to lure students back to school. One such way is through the upcoming BETT technology fair at Olympia in London starting January 9, 2008.

The goal of this event is to bring together the global teaching and learning community for four days of innovations and inspirations. Some of those inspirations stem from current gadgets children may already own, which is why Sony is getting involved in this technology fair with a few ideas of its own.

Sony, famous for its video-game consoles, came to the event to offer educators a way to reach children who play games and to help make learning fun using the PSP. The handheld was first made available in Europe on September 1, 2005, allowing children to play their favorite games on the go.

Since the recent upgrades and added capabilities such as being able to download videos, the handheld system could be used for educational purposes. Using the latest models, Stimpfig suggests that teachers could create video lessons their students can download and review wherever and whenever they like by simply downloading them to their PSP and watch it later.