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"We are in an exciting time in education, where innovative topics like Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, Entrepreneurism, Engineering Design, High Quality Project-Based Learning, and The Future of Work are at the center of discussion. How can we give our students the chance to master content knowledge while integrating these student-centered approaches to education in the classroom? For the last five years, 3D printing has been an important part of my classroom because it encourages an innovation mindset, exposes students to elements of design thinking, and fosters self-directed learning."

"This post is a summary of an article submitted to the Learning Partnership for use in their monthly newsletter Spark. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/2pERWIG  Computational Thinking (CT) and the use of computer programming (often referred to as "coding") to support math instruction has gained momentum in recent years. CT has many definitions but most researchers agree that it "involves the use of computer science concepts such as abstraction, debugging, remixing and iteration to solve problems" (Brennan & Resnick; Ioannidou, Bennett, Repenning, Koh, & Basawapatna; Wing as cited in Lye & Koh, 2013).   There are many "potentials" for using computer programming as a context for the development of CT in the mathematics classroom, four of which I've listed below:"

"In 21 years in education, I have seen many trends come and go. I am on a mission to keep makerspaces from being added to that list. That's at the core of everything I do now. Makerspaces are an educational philosophy, foundationally solid, and we can't allow them to be cast aside by cynics who might suggest they were just a fun fad that has run its course. We must work to secure the future of makerspaces. Their fundamental purpose is too important, the impact on students too significant. A true makerspace offers student-driven opportunity for open-ended exploration for everyone. Makerspaces are a mind-set, a culture. It's about the pedagogy. A great makerspace has seven key attributes: It is personalized, deep (allowing deeper learning), empowering, equitable, differentiated, intentional, and inspiring. If you have all of that, you can call your space a makerspace-maybe even a great makerspace. So what's next? What is the key to the future of makerspaces? Sustainability. That requires proper planning. I am not just talking about the initial planning that is vital to creating the right makerspace for your school. This planning is for the future, and it requires looking back."

"Excitement about school makerspaces has been in the air, but many educators eager to create hands-on learning spaces in their schools still aren't sure how to get started or why it's worth the effort. New Canaan High School librarian Michelle Luhtala recently jumped headfirst into creating a makerspace in her library and documented what she learned, how her space changed and how it affected students along the way. Her experience was very different from elementary school librarian Andy Plemmons, whose makerspace started with a 3-D printer obtained through a grant and blossomed into a core teaching resource at his school."

"At ISTE 2016 I presented a new session called "Make It, Wear It, Learn It" about wearable electronics. It's a combination of what's out there now that can be done by students today, some far out gee-whiz stuff coming in the next few years, and how to start with wearables for young people. Wearables are a way to introduce people to engineering, design, and electronics that are personal and fun!"

"You thought that by now your kid would just be popping out toys, books, and maybe the occasional missing LEGO piece from a personal 3D printer. Patience. While these devices not as ubiquitous as your old HP Deskjet, they are finding their way to a makerspace, public library, and science center near you. And, because of that fact, Sarah O'Rourke, the product marketing manager at Autodesk, is trying to take your kid's interests and figure out how to make cool stuff they'll love IRL (like a Pokemon Go aimer). Here are few ways she gets her young design students to transition from fabricating in Play-Doh to constructing in plastic."

"Figuring out how to get (and keep) your makerspace organized can be a daunting task.  I don't claim to have a magical organization system that works perfectly 100% of the time.  But I have learned a few things about keeping our space organized over the last three years.  Here's my advice:"

"With all the great things about makerspaces, it can be easy to overlook some of the small hiccups and larger hurdles that might come up when making if educators and youth don't make time for designing and planning.  At the reMAKE education conference (#remakeedu) this past week, Stephanie Chang and I engaged educators in some planning exercises that can help bypass those hiccups and hurdles and streamline the design process. (Thanks to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and their framework for helping us focus our efforts)."

"In some instances, research illuminates a topic and changes our existing beliefs. For example, here's a post that challenges the myth of preferred learning styles. Other times, you might hear about a study and say, "Well, of course that's true!" This might be one of those moments. Last year, Dr. Karlsson Wirebring and fellow researchers published a study that supports what many educators and parents have already suspected: students learn better when they figure things out on their own, as compared to being told what to do.  "

"Makerspace or STEM projects for kids don't have to be complicated or expensive.  In fact, some of the best projects use recycled or repurposed items like cardboard or soda bottles which means nothing to buy. Below, we've compiled some of our favorite projects that are great for makerspaces. Learn how to make a boat out of a soda bottle, create a car from cardboard and many more. Let get started !"

"Though there were a host of professional learning takeaways for me, one stood out as a real actionable item. Funny, this same theme came up at every conference I attended: Celebrating Failing."

"dditive manufacturing has been hyped for years. But in 2017 much of its promise materialized: 3-D printing took a series of big steps out of the realm of niche prototyping and into the world of mass manufacturing. Here's a look at some of the most impressive things 3-D printers made this year, as well as what their creations portend for the future."

"Squishy circuits are a fun way to learn and explore the basics of electricity and electrical circuits. By using conductive and insulating dough, you can create sculptures with embedded lights, motors and buzzers.  This project is great for younger students because it utilizes a material they already know…PlayDoh."

"If you haven't said it yourself, someone has said it to you: "I'm just not that creative." Most of us wouldn't mind being just a little more creative. Fortunately, you can. Not only are there proven ways to increase your creativity, but also, according to research, all of us have a creative gene. In a longitudinal test of creative potential, a NASA study found that of 1,600 4- and 5-year-olds, 98 percent scored at "creative genius" level. Five years later, only 30 percent of the same group of children scored at the same level, and again, five years later, only 12 percent. When the same test was administered to adults, it was found that only two percent scored at this genius level. According to the study, our creativity is drained by our education. As we learn to excel at convergent thinking--or the ability to focus and hone our thoughts--we squash our instinct for divergent, or generative, thought. The 5-year-old in us never goes away, though. Here are four ways to rediscover your creative genius."

"Here's a flashback to Back to School time!  I never got to post all the activities we did at the beginning of the year.  Colorful quotes is one of my favorites! I had been on the search for motivational quote posters that were appropriate for my fifth graders.  My second grade ones seemed too "little" for them and all I could find were ones that belonged in a high school classroom.  Then I came across Doodle Art Alley.  They have educational, motivational, and inspirational quotes "doodled" just waiting to be filled in.  I found almost enough quotes for my entire class.  I doubled up on my favorites."

"Want to learn more about using industrial additive manufacturing? Here's a breakdown of the different technologies, applications, companies, and services. Year by year, the additive manufacturing industry continues to flourish in ways that were previously unimaginable. Currently, the market is divided into two primary factions: one for consumers and another for industrial purposes. In this "Additive Manufacturing Overview," we will focus in on the professional uses of 3D printing technology. Whether you're a manufacturing business owner, an industrial engineer looking to create a functional automotive prototype, or anyone else who could benefit from professional-grade additive manufacturing, we've strung together an incredibly comprehensive breakdown of the pros and cons of industrial additive manufacturing as well as an introduction to the different technologies, applications, companies, and services that are out there."

"Another cardboard activity along the side of the Large scale & Small scale stop motion animations in the event of Infinite Versatility of Cardboard was Making Cardboard Costumes. This time, we set up our favorite "Tinkering photo frame" for people to capture their cardboard costumes, and to take this photo booth experience online, we also set up a hashtag #cardboardtinkering and used a social media wall "Walls.io" so that we could collect all the pictures with the hashtag and display them as a live-updating photo album on the large monitor during the event."

"Incorporate broadcasting projects into your curriculum to help engage students while deepening their STEM knowledge and understanding. There is a lot more to the television and radio industries than students realize. By assigning broadcasting projects to students, teachers can begin to make connections between their STEM classes and an industry they are passionate about."