admin – Dr. Ray Pastore's Instructional Technology Blog

My latest book – The Game Master’s Gloves!

admin — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:09:09 +0000

I present my new fiction book: The Game Master’s Gloves

As I was writing my first fiction/fantasy book last year, I had already come up with an idea for a second book. This new book combines my passion for video games with my job and presents them in an exciting story! It’s taken me 13 months, but it’s finally completed!

The Kindle version is FREE from today (Monday) until Friday. Please download, like, and share! And if you do read it, please leave a review!

Here is the link: https://amzn.to/4d3NSX7

Here is a short synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Hunt had one goal over summer break: to win the largest gaming competition in his state, a victory that could pave the way to a professional career. Despite spending countless hours practicing with his friends, he was still far from being the best.

Everything changed one evening when Hunt’s dad, a high school computer teacher, brought home a dusty, mysterious old box that had been donated to the school. Inside, Hunt discovered an old video game system and a pair of intriguing gaming gloves. These weren’t just any gloves – they were magic. The moment he slipped them on, a voice whispered to him, declaring him the Game Master. The gloves promised he would never lose again if he wore them.

Hunt rigorously tested the gloves, dominating local competitions and catching the attention of a renowned esports coach. Invited to explore the coach’s state-of-the-art facility, Hunt believed his dream of playing with the best was finally within reach. But his dream quickly turned into a nightmare when he uncovered the coach’s sinister plot: to steal his magic gloves.

Framed by the coach, Hunt found himself on the run, pursued by the police. With his future on the line, he had to clear his name while preparing for the ultimate gaming showdown – a battle that would determine his fate among the gaming elite.

UNCW Esports Documentary

admin — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 19:46:33 +0000

I am excited to post a documentary that I had a big part in on collegiate esports. Please check it out:

2022 Computer and Mobile Device Security Recommendations for Home Users

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 22:28:28 +0000

See the recommendations here:

Research Interview Series #26 – Alan Baddeley, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, University of York

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:57:14 +0000

Dr. Baddeley is one of the world’s leading authorities on Human Memory. He created the three component model of working memory in the 1970s.

Research Interview Series #25: Dr. Richard E. Mayer, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UCSB

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 22:41:10 +0000

2021 Annual Security recommendations

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 16:32:25 +0000

My 2021 Annual Security recommendations. These are recommendations I think you should follow to help keep your data and privacy safe online.

Browser: Firefox – Its open source and is the backbone of Tor for a reason. I much prefer firefox to any other browser. Chrome is a close second but I do not like that its not open source. Download it here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

Most secure browser: Tor. Tor is designed for those times when you don’t want anyone to see what you are doing. TOR blocks your ISP, the government, etc. from seeing what you are doing online. It keeps everything you are searching very secure. Researchers, journalists, the government, and criminals all use tor when they want their tracks to be private. The bad thing about Tor is that its slow because its rerouting your data and some functions on various websites won’t work. https://www.torproject.org

Mobile Browser – Firefox Focus is my preferred go to mobile browser. Focus is really fast and simple. If you want more privacy, there are various tor browsers for the mobile web https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/focus

Most Secure Mobile Browser – Onion Browser. Uses TOR, so just like TOR its going to be slower and not work on every site, but its very secure. https://onionbrowser.com/

Security add on for your browser/adblock:

uBlock – Works for Firefox and chrome and keeps away ads and other nonsense. This helps many pages load faster too. This is my go to addon when I install a new browser. https://www.ublock.org/

HTTPS Everywhere – forces the browser to go to the https version of the website. It helps when transmitting secure data, for example, what you would want a site you log into to use. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywhere/

Search Engine – DuckDuckGo. It doesn’t track or store what you are searching. https://duckduckgo.com/

Email: Protonmail – Anonymous email. Doesn’t track you. Keep your data/emails private and safe. https://protonmail.com/

VPN, Antivirus, Malware, Firewall:

VPN – Cyberghost and Norton (though many others are great too). When you use a VPN your entire computer is hidden from your ISP vs TOR which just hides the browser. A VPN is a must when using public wifi like at a hotel or starbucks. https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/ and https://us.norton.com/products/norton-secure-vpn

Antivirus – Honestly, windows defender that comes on your machine is probably good enough. Its all I personally use. While I think Windows Defender is enough for most people, if you want the best, Norton would be my go to choice for antivirus, malware, and adware.

Malware/adware – Malwarebytes – its free and very powerful. I use this every few weeks to check my machine. I recommend using this whenever your computer is acting slow/funky. Please consider buying the full version to support them. https://www.malwarebytes.com/

Firewall – I don’t use a firewall anymore now that windows defender does the job for me. But if I were to need the extra protection, I would use Zonealarm. A firewall is designed to stop all traffic you don’t approve to and from the internet – https://www.zonealarm.com/software/free-firewall/

All in one Antivirus/VPN/Malware/Firewall – Norton. It’s cheap and powerful. It also can run on multiple devices. https://amzn.to/2Pv9c0b

5 Reasons to get a Master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:55:46 +0000

How do I use multiple Instructional Design models? How do they fit into the process?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:55:14 +0000

What are NFTs? A simple explanation of what they are and how you buy and sell them!

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:54:10 +0000

The Game Agency’s Training Arcade: Review and Walkthrough

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:53:39 +0000

Is esports in a bubble? Are we valuating the esports industry correctly?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:52:57 +0000

Challenge: No Social Media for 24hrs!

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:52:30 +0000

How do you spell esports, e-sports, eSports?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:51:52 +0000

Micro-credential vs Certificate: The future of Education

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:51:29 +0000

Do you need a college degree?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:50:59 +0000

Why do people wear headphones in their videos?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:50:27 +0000

Podcast and Video Stream Metric and Marketing Tips

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:50:04 +0000

Tips for planning a podcast, video, show, or stream!

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:49:38 +0000

Do you need a degree in esports?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:48:39 +0000

Research Interview Series #24: Girard Newkirk, Founder and CEO of Genesis Block and KWHCoin

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:46:09 +0000

Research Interview Series #24: Girard Newkirk, Founder and CEO of Genesis Block and KWHCoin

Girard Newkirk is a technology entrepreneur Founder and CEO of KWHCoin and Genesis Block. Genesis Block is a business development services company focused on small business, entrepreneurship and economic development that provides coworking, educational resources and technology. KWHCoin an energy data management company.

Genesis Block: https://genesisblockilm.com/

KWHCoin: https://kwhcoin.com