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"t's been my dream to make my 2nd grade classroom look more like a "Starbucks for kids", and less like, well, a classroom. Think about when you go to Starbucks to complete some work. Why do you choose to work there? Where do you choose to sit? I usually gravitate towards the comfy seating choices like the couches and big chairs, and yet, I see people choose the tables and chairs over and over again. Regardless, when you walk into Starbucks, you have choice. You get to choose where you sit. No one checks you in and directs you to a spot, telling you that you must sit there for the remainder of the day to do your work. If you need to get up, walk around, or choose a different seat, you are free to do so. As I sat in our local Starbucks this past summer, I looked around and thought-why can't my classroom look like this? After several weeks of planning and a little bit of faith, what resulted was this"

"3D printing has been around for a long time, but only recently has it become available to the general public. My friends and family still think of a 3D printer as some sort of miracle device that can make whatever you want at the push of a button. Of course, we as creators know that it takes a lot of work to go from an initial idea to a final 3D printed product. There was a period of time where everyone was telling me I HAD to make prosthetic hands because I own this futuristic 3D printer and I had a social responsibility to use it for the forces of good.  I think of 3d printers like any other tool such as a table saw or lathe. Sure you can make just about anything, but what do you want to make? I've always loved the aesthetic of boy's action toys so I couldn't resist the opportunity to make my own action figures."

"I am always curious to see the words and ideas that are growing.  It was from individual classrooms and schools that ideas around self-regulation, inquiry and digital access have exploded.  I have also written before about the growth of outdoor learning among other trends that are taking hold.  It is sometimes hard to track their growth - it comes from students, teachers, parents and the community and when they stick - they become the new normal. The two ideas this fall that I would add to the list and I think are just beginning to blossom are coding and robotics.  When I look at the growth plans of staff, or the inquiry questions of our Innovation teams, or listen to the interests of parents, these ideas are coming up more and more. Coding is not new, and it is part of the ICT 9-12 curriculum.  In part driven by the global Hour of Code initiative, there are efforts to expose all students to the possibilities around coding not just those who select it as a secondary school elective.  More and more we are hearing from students, teachers and parents that we want to engage younger learners with these skills.  Cari Wilson has done a wonderful job leading the Hour of Code initiative in our district - getting into elementary and secondary classrooms.  Given the Star Wars theme this year I am sure students in classrooms and at kitchen tables across our community will be engaging with coding."

"Foodskey is a site produced by The University of Nottingham who also produces the Periodic Table of Videos. Foodskey is a set of fourteen videos about the science of food. The videos cover topics like nutrition, food security, and crop technology. I've embedded the video about broccoli below."

"Welcome to Computational Conversations, an interview series where we talk to educators introducing computational thinking into classrooms and curricula. Whether they teach at a high school or develop programs at a university, each interviewee brings new ideas to the table on how to get students and teachers thinking computationally."

Interesting way to explore data.

"Another collection of good educational iPad apps specifically curated from iTunes App Store for high school teachers and students. These are apps to help students with chemistry learning from understanding the elements, molecules and atoms to exploring chemical reactions.They provide students  with activities, video lessons, simulated experimentations,  periodic tables and several other materials to boost their chemistry learning."

"The Ancient Greeks loved algorithms, and devised lots of useful ones. One of the most famous is the Sieve of Eratosthenes. It is a way to find prime numbers, special numbers that are also known as the atoms of numbers. Prime numbers now form the basis of our most powerful encryption systems upon which digital money is based. Our electronic banking systems (and lots more) would collapse without prime numbers. You can use the Sieve of Eratosthenes as a way to practice times tables, spot patterns and explore how to improve algorithms, whilst also uncovering these mysterious, magical numbers with no obvious pattern of their own. Here you can follow in the footsteps of Eratosthenes and develop your algorithmic thinking skills."

"To cover the coronavirus is a challenge. Journalists should inform the public, but also don't want to create a panic with harmful consequences. We're trying to help. Here are 17 charts, maps and tables that show the latest numbers about the coronavirus:"

"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."

"I had some visitors in my library makerspace last week that were wanting to add an aspect of maker education into their own libraries. As they walked around our space, visited with my collaborating English teacher, and witnessed students prototyping for our invention literacy project, they said something surprising. "We noticed you have traditional wooden library chairs and tables, so it isn't about the furniture, is it? Maker Education? It's about the mindset?""

"It's important to remember that every interview is a two-way street. You should be assessing the employer just as much as they're assessing you, because you both need to walk away convinced that the job would be a great fit. So when the tables are turned and the interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions for me?" take advantage of this opportunity. It's the best way to determine if you'd be happy working for this employer, and whether your goals are aligned with theirs. "

"Below is a collection of some new educational websites we unearthed from the accumulated  piles of emails in our inbox. These are tools that you can use for a variety of educational purposes including: provide students with engaging arithmetic exercises to practice multiplication tables, easily create animated and explainer videos to share with students, develop educational apps appropriate for your own students or kids, upload and share large files, enhance students critical thinking and spacial awareness skills using a number of challenging puzzle games, and many more."

"Consider the following scenarios: Laurie's school is trying to individualize students' learning experiences. As a 9th grade social studies teacher, Laurie is expected to use her school's learning management system to provide texts at multiple reading levels for her units so every student can read at their level. In one corner of an elementary school library are tables with lots of "gadgets" and a sign reading "Welcome to Our Makerspace!" Fazil, a 3rd grade teacher, is curious about this area and how it can be used to support his curricular goals. Guidance counselor Shonna is concerned that Maria, a 10th grader, is using Instagram in ways that might be damaging to her in the future. But Shonna doesn't feel she has the knowledge or experience to guide Maria in using social networking tools. In these instances, a school librarian would likely have the expertise to help a teacher use technology more advantageously. As expectations for classroom teachers to use-and understand-technology tools grow, the need for assistance in using these tools effectively is growing as well. Teachers don't always realize that one powerful source of such assistance is a school-based librarian. So, as a technology director who often sees good librarian-teacher collaboration, I want to highlight how powerful that assistance can be."

""This is a collection of sites for Grades R-7 teachers that could aid reading and writing in a technology-integrated classroom"

"What is the best strategy for starting a makerspace in your school? How long should you take to plan your makerspace before you get started? Is flying by the seat of your pants a good idea or a bad one? What are the key features of an 8 foot tall DIY teeter totter? Stay tuned for the answers in today's podcast.  Our guest today is Laura Fleming.  Laura is a librarian and media specialist at New Milford High School in Jew Jersey.  A little over a year ago, she started a makerspace in her library, and the results have been unbelievable.  I'm not a big fan of spoilers, so let's get straight to the interview."