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"Don't try to put making in a box. Don't make it a kit, standardize it, and water it down.  Don't develop a canned-for-sale-program out of it.   Don't make it a packet to sell on website. Don't reduce it to a moment in a day, a day in a week, or a kit from the shelves. Don't make it into a program that a school has to pay billions to be a part of. Don't reduce making to that "thing" that happens in a certain room or a certain space or once a month.  Please just don't reserve making for gadgety electronics or robotics.  Don't just call it STEAM. Making is connecting, interpreting, and building a relationship with the world. Let's make school more about making. The mathematics and patterns in sewing, the joy in colorful art, the visual beauty in cooking, painting, the science of mixing colors, the music of sculpture in the wind, the flow in writing from the imagination, the collaboration in developing something together, the spark in sharing cardboard creations via Skype, the motivation in sharing with the world, the engagement in raw discovery, the fun in tinkering with a pile of junk, the passion in an idea grown from a seed, and the excitement in untouched exploration."

A few years back a dear friend introduced me to the concept of Augmented Reality and I have been fascinated by it ever since. Augmented reality is when technology is used to create a  live view of an alternative, augmented world by generating sensory information through a computer or tablet. (This was the first video I saw that demonstrated Augmented Reality and I was awed by it!)  I have found it to be an effective tool to encourage deeper thinking and maximise instructional time in my classroom. The kids love it, other teachers are awed by it and you will have fun experimenting with it. There are many ways you can approach the application of Augmented Reality in you classroom. I have found the simplest to be Aurasma. Aurasma is an app for iPhone or iPad that can allow for augmented experiences to be embedded simply in your day-to-day teaching. 

"It is a new school year and I'm so excited to see many teachers and schools starting Genius Hour or 20% Projects for the first time! As I mentioned to Joy Kirr on Twitter a few weeks ago, I sense a tidal wave of student choice being unleashed in K-12 schools around the world this year. As someone who is passionate about letting our students choose their own learning paths, this has me pumped to be a part of the movement! I recently had a conversation with two teachers in my school district about start Genius Hour and wanted to share a few of the key takeaways from that talk. When you give students choice, amazing things happen. But it is also difficult as a teacher to support this type of learning. Here are five things to remember before you jump into Genius Hour:"

"Are schools taking advantage of the breadth of career opportunities for young people? Is there a fixed mindset in the structure and organisation of school as if nothing has changed? Who is making the choices for technology? The educators, the techies or the persuasive sales-people?  The key is being open and willing to embrace the opportunities of a changing world. Creativity flourishes within the context of constraints. There are conditions that must be maintained, including: academic rigour, standards, student safety and the joy of learning. So rather than see the world either/or, how do we embrace the both/and to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset? To meet community expectations AND create the context for entrepreneurs to flourish."

TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach young children the joys of reading in a format they'll love.

"Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D, has been a fixture on the education technology scene for years. Dr. Gerstein shares inspiring ideas, practical advice, and the joy of teaching and learning through her blog, User Generated Education, on Twitter (@jackiegerstein), and on numerous other web media channels. If you've been browsing the web with an eye for teaching and technology insights and ideas, you're highly likely to have come across this education technology thought leader."

"I knew when we started our unit on neighborhoods that I wanted to add a Genius Hour component to it. Kinders are fascinated with building, making and designing with the various manipulatives they have available to them and the sheer joy of creating. Each piece they connect, whether on their own or with a friend, has a story: the how, the who and the what for about their structure/vehicle/invention. We introduced the idea of neighborhoods with brainstorming, read alouds and a Brainpopjr. We asked questions and created a Neighborhood Wonder Wall."

"Denise Krebs, Hugh McDonald and Joy Kirr came together to discuss "Genius Hour". Each of these teachers has been running Genius Hour in his/her classroom and writing about their experiences online. This is the "Genius Hour Manifesto": A guide to anyone who wants to know WHAT Genius Hour is, WHERE the idea came from, HOW to facilitate it in the classroom, WHY it is a next-practice in education, and HOW to get involved. Enjoy!"

"One of the true joys of being online and connecting with others are the others that you connect with.  One of these people is Shelly Sanchez Terrell.  We've never formally met but I've been following her learning and sharing for a long time.  Recently, she agreed to be interviewed for this blog.  It's a great opportunity for me to ask her questions that I've always wondered about."

"Since starting teaching with Genius Hour, we have read so many inspirational books that have changed us and our pedagogy. With the help of my GH friends and fellow contributors - Joy Kirr, Hugh McDonald and Gallit Zvi - we have compiled this list of books that we know Genius Hour teachers love. Of course we know it is incomplete, as we haven't read all the great books out there, and new books are coming out regularly. We hope you will add to this list by sharing your favorite book in the comments section. We look forward to more great GH-friendly reading!"

"Recently many of our Year Six students have been involved in projects that require them to utilise the brain of a maker. Facing challenges involving the exploration of how everyday objects are manufactured and while responding to their 'Genius Hour' ambitions they are facing a new set of problems and discovering the joy that comes from solving these with their hands as much as their brains."

"In this era of overly scripted, overly tested, overly controlled students AND teachers, there seems to be little or no room for curiosity at school. So what is the cost of curiosity-void schools?  The result , way too often, is a school culture of malaise rather than a culture of curiosity, engagement, excitement and joy for learning. Educators along with their administrators need to be agents of their own teaching and bring curiosity into their classrooms especially if they have the slightest belief that the future belongs to the curious."

Have you been spending too much of your time on social media recently? Is that making much of your internet usage wasteful? Social media can be so addictive, so much that we spend hours on it without really noticing. While social media does contribute in healthy discussions and is also our primary source of news and ideas at times, it's equally likely to encourage us to refrain from learning something useful in our lives. It's very important to keep our social media usage in check if we want to enrich ourselves with great learning experiences and upgrade our lives. Here are 25 great websites which you should check if you want to escape from the vicious trap of social media and live a life full of knowledge, joy, and inspiration.

For teachers in Australia the year is drawing rapidly to a close. It is a time for packing away classrooms, taking down displays of student learning and saying farewell to students as they move on to new classes. At the ending of one year it is worth taking a moment to ponder what is so remarkable about teaching as a profession.

"We are a global community of mathematics teachers and supporters who want all learners across the globe to experience joy and wonder in school-relevant mathematics"

"For the past few years, I've helped out with LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day by pulling together a list of author volunteers who would like to spend part of the day Skyping with classrooms around the world to share the joy of reading aloud."