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"Our job as educators is more than just standards we teach. We are in the business of helping students know they are more than just a number. More than just data points. They are the story, the song, the art that moves and matters. They are the embodied learning. Our challenge is to help stakeholders care more about the embodied learning, the things that don't have names. The journey that collectively leads to things that matter. Our challenge is to care most about students that are fully alive in their learning. It is up to us to make the things that matter, the most important."

Some people can read instructions on how to do things and can immediately go out and do them without any problems. But others need to see things done before they fully grasp how to do them. This is fine if you know someone who can show you how to do things, but if you don't, it's a little harder. Enter the video tutorial.

"I am back on my soapbox… …because I continue to see great things happening in classrooms, but get blank stares, when I ask, if these things are being shared beyond the school building. …because I watch as administrators feel the need to "protect" their faculty from "one more thing to do". …because I continue to hear fear of transparency, competition, privacy and technology skills and tech phobia.  Setting up my soapbox to raise awareness of the "moral imperative of sharing" for teachers (Dean Shareski) goes back to his keynote in 2010 at the K-12 Online Conference. Since then I have stepped on that soapbox via my blog and at conferences advocating for the IMPORTANCE and NECESSITY of sharing."

"What does 'the internet of things' mean, anyway? It is a term that I've heard periodically over the past few years but explored little and never wrote about here, as it doesn't specifically refer to education and there are so many other (specifically) relevant things to share and talk about. The short explanation is that the Internet of Things refers to the interconnectedness of devices of all types - especially 'smart' devices that can react, anticipate, and adapt as necessary. In short, this interconnectedness and advancing technology is expected to simplify automation in so many areas of our lives."

"For those who just came for the definition, the internet of things is the connection of smart electronic devices in our daily lives. For the sake of simplicity, think of the phrase not in its entirety-the internet of things-but rather by stressing the last word: the internet of things."

The rise of self-publishing and the advent of social media has exploded the popularity of printed books. But this trend has only brought more variety to a market already overflowing with options - which means a generation of people who have grown up expecting just about anything from the Internet pesonalised cards https://boomf.com/ . And you can't do it without thinking differently from your peers or innovating, or being creative and original.

"I cringe when people ask me, "Are you handy?" Partly because I don't consider myself to be the best with tools, but also because it is asking me to judge whether or not I'm capable of fixing, making, or crafting something. Here's the thing, I didn't know how to put new shower tiles in and patch up my existing dry wall with cement board when we had a leak last year…but I had a friend help get me started, I watched a few DIY Youtube videos, looked at some articles online, and now I know how to do that (although not too well). The same thing happens in high schools all the time. The "handy" kids go to shop class, the "artsy" kids go to art class, the "business" kids go to business classes, the "techy" kids go to web design classes and so on… It's got to stop. We can't continue labeling kids as one thing or another thing. What we know about the future workforce is that creativity, making, and innovating will be at the center of most jobs…and that will require students to be all of the above: 'Experts predict that 50 per cent of occupations today will no longer exist by 2025 as people will take up more creative professions,' said Martin Chen, Chief Operating Officer of Genesis."

"There are so many movements and initiatives in education. The vocabulary changes from time to time, and it's important to keep current. There's always something new. We try new things, read new things, and emulate successes in other people's classroom. This is the time to start thinking about what worked this year, things we might try for next year, and ways to think about helping students take initiative. This week's Learnist feature is dedicated to education initiatives and ideas-things to think about using next year."

"Chances are you know someone who likes to code, build things, hack things, or make, break, and fix things. Chances are also good that you have no idea what to get them for a gift. But don't worry: Co.Labs has you covered. Whether they're into hardware or software, stuff you wear or stuff you fly, still in elementary school or retired from IBM, we have just the thing for the hacker in your life."

"Carol Dweck's famous book, "Mindset", was one that was (is) hugely popular with educators, not only in helping shape their work and thoughts on students, but also pushing learning in educator with their peers.  There were two simple concepts shared that resonated with many readers; the "fixed" mindset and the "growth" mindset. Here is how the two differ according to Dweck: "In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it." The great thing about Dweck's work is that she found that you can move from one to the other.  You may have a fixed mindset, but it is not necessarily a permanent thing.  The other aspect is that you do not necessarily have a "fixed" or "growth" mindset and fall into one of those two categories in all elements.  I have a growth mindset on (most things) education, but have a fixed mindset on fixing things around my house. So what I have been thinking about lately is the notion of the "innovator's mindset".  This would actually go one step past the notion of a growth mindset and is looking at what you are creating with your learning.  SImply it would go look this:"

"With so many Raspberry Pi projects to choose from, it can be tricky to find the one you really want to build. Our advice is to find a way to marry the Pi with something you really love. One great example is TV and movie robots - iconic characters from popular sci-fi that can be rebuild at home with a Raspberry Pi built in. Once constructed, your robot might be able to utter commands when a condition is met (perhaps a sensor detects motion). Or it might move around, learning about its surroundings, or reading information to you from Wikipedia. Whatever you have in mind, it should be relatively straightforward to plan and execute. It may take some time, however. Here are five example projects that show how you can combine a Raspberry Pi 2 or later with your favorite fictional robot. 5 Things Only a Raspberry Pi 2 Can Do 5 Things Only a Raspberry Pi 2 Can Do The latest edition of the pint-sized computer is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that there's 5 things you can only do on a Raspberry Pi 2. READ MORE 1. R2-D2 We've all wanted our very own astromech droid, haven't we? Sure, no one on earth is (currently) operating a light speed drive, but Star Wars droid R2-D2 has far greater abilities than onboard spacecraft maintenance. For instance, he can hold torches, carry a tray of drinks, and launch lightsabers across pits in the desert. Okay, it's unlikely you'll manage to get your own R2-D2 robot to do that… but don't let that put you off. Check out this little guy, controlled by a Raspberry Pi. While this project was based on an existing R2-D2 toy, that shouldn't limit your ambition. You'll find plenty of R2-D2 builds on YouTube. There's a massive R2-D2 building community online. Finding one that has a drive unit should be ideal for integrating a Raspberry Pi (and perhaps an Arduino, which you can use the two together) and developing a more realistic R2-D2 experience. Arduino vs Raspberry Pi: Which Is The Mini Computer For You? Arduino vs Rasp

"If you enter the physical world and open a door-say, to walk into a store-you will intuitively hold the door open if someone is walking behind you and you see them or hear them. Even if you aren't intending to be kind, the weight of the door and the presence of a fellow human being will encourage you to do the right thing, the human thing. In the digital world, it's much more difficult to see and feel the doors we walk through, to see and hear the people walking behind us. As a result, it's also much more difficult to do the right thing, the human thing-to hold the door open for a person walking in right behind you."

"We can't teach as fast as things change. By things I mean information. Perspectives. Ideologies. What's socially acceptable and what's not. Our collective cultural biases and intellectual prejudices."

"A mind is a valuable thing to waste. You've heard the saying many times, but it truly does ring true. Your mind is your most valuable asset. You need to take care of it. So here's a list of 10 things you can do every day to benefit your brain:"

"Every classroom is different-and that's good because every student and teacher is, too. But are there any common elements that most/all classrooms should share? and more specifically, in a modern classroom? Screens and data and artifical intelligence and robots and Skype and holograms? Do these belong in every classroom? What ideas, practices, strategies, patterns, and technology belong in every classroom? Can we identify the kinds of 'things' that every modern, high-performing classroom should have? In the post linked to above, we explored some of these ideas in the form of 'characteristics.' And there were more-32, in fact. This post is a bit simpler and briefer. Some of the items are better suited to specific grade levels, content areas, teaching styles-even certain times of year. Still, most can remarkably improve the learning of students and the overall climate of your classroom. So then, that's the premise: What sorts of things belong in every modern classroom?"

"Most people don't look forward to Sunday nights. According to research, a huge 76% of American workers say they get the Sunday-night blues. Even if you love your job and usually look forward to getting back into the swing of things, it's easy to feel a little bit dread about the stresses waiting for you on Monday morning. Yet, there are certain things happy people do at the end of the week to combat those Sunday-night blues. Here are 10:"

"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."

"One of the most powerful things you can do to set the philosophical tone in your makerspace is to hammer home the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are not only acceptable actions-they're desirable actions. That's what you're hoping for! But telling a group of little kids that it's okay to make mistakes is not an effective way to deliver your message. The droning voice of the teachers in the Peanuts cartoons springs to mind! To get kids to internalize your message and truly take it to heart, you have to show them in a wide variety of ways what you really mean. Here are some ideas for getting across the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are desirable outcomes."

"One of the great things (among many) about 3D printing is that not only is it an important skill in itself, it's also a valuable tool for learning about other things. Just look at 3D printed organ models, for example - they're becoming increasingly common in hospitals and clinics as a way for surgeons to plan operations before operating, but they also allow medical students and professionals alike to study the human body - and all of its quirks and malfunctions - more closely and thoroughly than ever before. 3D printing, and its ability to create perfect replicas of microscopic particles and blow them up to thousands of times their original size, has also enabled researchers and students to study things like pollen, for example, in a tactile way that wasn't previously possible. At the other end of the spectrum, 3D printing can scale the universe down to a cube that can be held in the palm of a hand. There's virtually no limit to the concepts that can be elucidated with a 3D printer, and a group of scientists at the Institute of Materials Science in Barcelona (ICMAB) have designed a course that uses the technology to teach high school students about the growing field of materials science."

"To get back space on your phone, it means you'll need to get rid of some stuff. But don't worry - if you do it smart, you'll barely notice what you've deleted. Here are seven things things you should toss out if you need to free up even more space."

"Apple has just released an exciting collection on iBooks called One Best Thing. Each of these books was written by an Apple Distinguished Educator about one thing they do well using-you guessed it-Apple products. The useful thing about this collection is that not only are the Multi-Touch books written about the ways educators are transforming their classroom, but each of the 102 books (today I counted 83 available so far) are offered free. I am thrilled to be one of these authors."