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Ready? Set. Make!
Create. Collaborate. Iterate. Dream. Reflect. Design. Take risks. It’s the stuff learning is made of. Not the kind you find in a textbook or in testing practice. The kind you find in the world. The...
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Uncomfortable, But Worth It
I know it didn’t happen my first day of teaching. It probably didn’t even happen my second year of teaching. But somewhere in the journey, I realized that truly teaching was only possible if I was a...
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Deeper Learning with iStopMotion
iStopMotion is one of those great apps. You know, the kind that are soooo easy to use, yet offer so many possibilities for learning and collaboration? Best of all? It involves hands on creativity to...
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A Playlist of Things I Discovered Today
Today I spent the day at the Independent Schools Association Southwest Technology Conference and was lucky enough to hear Sylvia Martinez, co-author of Invent to Learn, as keynote, followed by a day of...
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The Danger of Labels
Labels are made to sort things. There are sizes of clothing, types of food, and even prices at garage sales. We use them to create a sense of order for ourselves and the world. But, with kids? I worry...
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Why The Maker Movement Matters
I get caught up in things. Informercials. New gadgets. New shades of Sharpie. Every kid I’ve ever taught has said, “You say EVERYTHING is your “favorite thing.” It’s true. Life? It’s my favorite. I...
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The Maker’s Song
Markers and cardboard, LED’s, tape, and glue, 3d printers and wires, So much to do. Thoughts in your head, like bulbs lit up bright, Inspiring thoughts, become ideas taking flight. Create a design, to...
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Waves of Understanding
This past Friday, we watched our daughter as she ran into the ocean, embraced the waves, and surfed. Fearless courage. Enjoying the sand, the waves, and wind. Not just enjoying a day at the beach, but...
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The Future Is Here: Apple Watch Excitement
When I look at the technology that’s happening around us, it’s exciting. One day I know we’ll look back on this time as a turning point in education. Technology is no longer an event, it’s become part...
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Become an Open Source Teacher
A few weeks ago, I listened as Sylvia Martinez gave an inspiring keynote about Maker Education. She shared a video clip of Andrew Katz, a boy at a New York Maker Faire, who had invented his own...
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There Is No Innovation Drive-Thru in Education
There is no boxed-learning with a huge smiley face. There’s no place to pull up, place an order, and get it at the window in five minutes flat. It’s not quick. It’s not easy. And it’s not even...
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Open the Gates and Set Them Free
I read something today that I can’t stop thinking about. Storyboards. I’ve always thought they were awesome. A well planned movie, all organized with every detail. I’ve always thought they helped kids...
View ArticleWhat Will You Make?
I don’t usually write poems. But riding home from a short road trip to Austin to attend the MiniMakerFaire, and these words were in my mind. The day was filled with so much, including balloons filled...
View ArticleProbably Something Awesome
You know that feeling when you’re in a hot, stuffy elevator and you think, “Gosh, I just need some air.” It’s a terrible feeling. Stifling. Like you’re trapped and the walls feel small. It’s like being...
View ArticleHope for the Pencil
This device? It’s amazing. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before, or at least used lately. It sparks my imagination, it contains an infinite number of possibilities for brainstorming, doodling,...
View ArticleSoar Like Eagles
I learned this poem, The Eagle, in second grade. I can remember it like it was yesterday. The poem. The feathers we had to explore. The bird feeders we crafted with cardboard, suet, seeds, and...
View ArticleThe Magic of Connections
Another edcamp in the books. This one? It was magical. Pun intended, as it was #edcampmagic. Truly. My tenth edcamp. But you know what? All the rest were just as magical. St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha,...
View ArticleThat Time I Googled Laser Cutter
I can still remember the satisfaction of printing a card on a dot-matrix when I was 10. And now? We can design, create, and laser cut. Acrylic, wood, metal. Cut the pieces, assemble your art. I had...
View ArticleGive Them The Power
Every single day I see something awesome on Twitter, on a blog, or from a colleague that excites me about learning. We are surrounded by awesome. Education is filled with a new energy that about...
View ArticleWhere IS Gifted Ed?
I grew up going to a gifted ed program in my elementary school. When I became a teacher, I ended up teaching that same program. It was ironic. Especially how much it had stayed the same. And when I say...
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