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"Technology moves far too fast to know every detail. That's what's changed.  In a society that moves quickly, we have to find ways to slow down, be in the moment, and process what's happening on the screen, in the device, or in the conversation around us.  People love to say that our kids are different - for their world is different than ours was.  The truth is, we have to adjust AND be ready to help guide them.  It's a challenge for sure, but it's going to be all about our ability to slow down, process, and deeply understand.  To get out of their way. But it's the reason I believe in the deepest part of my soul, that making is the future of education. Entrepreneurial-ship. Ideas that change our world.  Connecting with each other. Being a community.  Thinking deep about improving something, then doing it.  Helping our kids be WHATEVER they dream of and DREAMING big.  Because when we use technology that's one thing. But when we create with technology, and add in tangible, hands on materials?  It's us slowing down, and somehow in the midst we become the kind of learning environment that kids need, simultaneously becoming the kind of learning environment our kids need.  Because we are all learners."

"Hold up.  Before you ask me what kind of 3d printer to buy, I want to introduce you to something even better. Someone, actually. Seymour Papert.  Let me guess, if you're like me, you were NOT introduced to him in your college coursework on education.  Then one day, you discovered his work and started reading it.  Articles dated from around the year you started kindergarten, talking about empowering children to use their creativity and how technology's role plays into all of that in a beautiful way. Then you realize this Maker Movement unfolding around us?  It's so NOT about products. It's not about the flashy kits and lists of things to order.  In fact, that STUFF is an INSULT to what it really is.  You don't need tons of expensive stuff or a special room where creativity is allowed.  You need to make the environment, wherever it may be, the kind of place that brings the makerspace OUT of each child.  And to do THAT? You just need to know your kids. What are their needs? What do they like? What are their passions? Empowerment comes out of connecting with kids and then letting them steer the ship."

"We need a revolution.  We are the revolution. Creativity for all.   Deep learning and thinking. Human Connection. Community.  The right kind of school for every single learner, big or small.  The kind where each and every teacher is valued as a learner and a human being, just as we must value and honor the needs of each and every student."

"If you're thinking about starting a Makerspace in your school, one thing you might want to consider is how to make sure kids are digging deep in their learning.  Questions to ask include: How can we tie the maker mindset into existing curriculum? How might we ensure that our students are going deep with their creativity, problem solving, and reflection? What learning experiences and opportunities do our students need? These questions are way more important than, "What stuff do I buy?""

"With the advertisement of maker-this and maker-that, there are a flood of products claiming to be the "next big thing" you need in your makerspace.  I've tried some things I love, somethings I thought fell short, and I'm constantly on the lookout for new ideas, new gadgets, and new ways to use old things."

"Social media is fascinating.  It's the double edged sword of the 21st century.  It can highlight the good and it can put a magnifying glass on the bad.  There is a story going viral right now about a teen having her birthday party alone. I love that this teen is going to be flooded with cards that will likely mean more to her than any of us can comprehend.  It's going to be a really awesome surprise for her. But, then I start to get frustrated.  The string of people proclaiming, "I'm sending a card," goes viral.  Everyone proclaiming how terrible it is for this teen to be alone on her birthday.  Everyone who must not have any true idea of what autism is really like for families, for children, and for the world."

"Could you really run a makerspace that is fun, dynamic, engaging, thought-provoking and inexpensive?  Take the twice a month "5 In a Bag" challenge using only household and easily obtainable items.  Add pics and videos of your creations on the padlet, and particpate in the Twitter chat using #5inabag.  Who knows what you will come up with!"

"Innovate is a verb. It's easy to talk about, far harder to do.  Yet, it's the DOING that matters most.  The daily grind in the details of the ebb and flow of progress forward, bit by bit. It's in the tiny microscopic changes we make that are often hard to detect until we zoom out, after a bit of time, and see the forward motion.   There is this panic of "Oh my gosh every school needs a makerspace" when our schools are FILLED with the resources we have to make.  Inside our kids and each other.  When we move, things happen."

"I've always been obsessed with all things creative.  I've always assumed I was just a Sharpie collecting, cardboard building, Lego designing girl who never grew up.  What was this relentless urge to create?  It's really been about being a maker, all along. The Maker Movement is making it's way into education and these are my favorite resources.  Join the conversation about making on Twitter by adding the hashtag #MakerEd, or the new hashtag just for resources for youngest learners, #Elemaker.  You can also add your name to a growing list of educators looking to collaborate!"

"Why is robotics awesome?  Because it can fit ANYWHERE in the curriculum.  It's problem solving, critical thinking, cooperative learning, collaboration, play, exploration, creativity, and grit… all in one.    It's often thought of as an afterschool program or an enrichment.  But robotics should be part of the everyday classroom.  Why? Because it has so much to offer."

"I've gotten several emails after my last post and they all ended with the same line, "Where do I start?"  It can be overwhelming to start by Googling "makerspace."  What do you most often see?  That stark modern space with expensive 3d printers. But that? It's not the reality of what making in the classroom can be. I know the constraints faced by many of us in education, and I've lived them before.  You make do with what you have, get creative, and repurpose existing materials to MAKE making happen in your classroom.  You gotta start somewhere, right?"

"This past week our learning space transformation was revealed and The Launch Pad is open for business.  My fingers are still stinging from the glue gun burns and fingernails stained with enamel spray paint, but the ribbon was cut and the door was open for our teachers and students.  As kids were coming in, seeing the room for the first time after months of anticipation, I got to watch their eyes light up, again and again.  And that?  It's what learning should be.   Shouldn't we blow kids minds sometimes (or as Kevin Jarrett said… often?), and then give them opportunities to blow our minds, too?  Of course we should."

"When we ask kids to read Chapter 3, we're telling them what to know. When we fill our boards with objectives that say "You will learn ____," we're explaining to them the very basis for the lesson we are delivering. When we give out a packet of worksheets that have fill in the blank answers, multiple choice, and matching, we're telling kids to choose answers from our choices. When we ask kids to spend days and weeks in silent classrooms answering test questions, we're telling them that knowing stuff is more important than their voice. But when we ask kids to design?"

"If kids are making, there will be a mess. This post it not about keeping tables shiny or keeping masking tape rolls symmetrically organized.  I'll write another post someday about how I like to organize my Sharpies in ROYGBIV fashion by shade (not even kidding). This is about the day to day. The real life of making."