"A new study supports our hunch that kids who are exposed to the arts gain benefits beyond just being "more creative." "

"During the 2016 National Week of Making, as a part of President Obama's Nation of Makers initiative, Digital Promise and Maker Ed announced the Maker Promise. A commitment made by school leaders, in-school and out-of-school educators, and community advocates to bringing quality making experiences to all students. By signing the Promise, individuals commit to becoming champions of making, supporting spaces for making, and showcasing what students have made. As this year's Week of Making comes to a close, we are excited to publish our first annual Maker Promise report, which shares what we have learned about the state of making in schools and how this is shaping our future efforts. This year, our work focused on understanding how maker learning is being implemented at Maker Promise schools and identifying areas where the Maker Promise could offer support and resources. To develop our understanding, we interviewed K-12 school leaders who had signed the Maker Promise and surveyed the "maker champions" most responsible for integrating making into their school or district. Here are a few highlights from our findings:"

"And you thought Red Bull was bad. It turns out that while a can of the energy drink has 80 milligrams of caffeine, a small cup of Starbucks drip coffee has more than three times that amount. Since many beverages don't show their caffeine content, it can be tough to make sure you're not overdoing it - and the Mayo Clinic advises adults to limit their caffeine intake to 400 mg per day. More than that and you run the risk of unpleasant side effects ranging from migraine headaches to irritability, upset stomach, and even muscle tremors"

"There's an old saying that the things that change your life are the books you read, the places you go, and the people you meet. But I'd like to add a fourth: the challenges you face (and how you face them) will always change your life. If we want our students to respond to challenges with creativity and inventiveness, we must create the conditions in which innovation is not only possible but encouraged. You don't help students learn to invent by giving worksheets or cookie-cutter assignments. In fact, these one-size-fits-all approaches may actually take up the time that could be used for such creativity. "

"3D printing has been used to build houses, cabins, offices, bridges, pavilions, large-scale structures, and much more. Even though they only existed for a handful of years, there are a vast number of completed projects, ongoing construction jobs, and unique concepts that are driving the industry today. Before we get started with the greatest 3D printed houses and structures in the world, take a glance at the top five advantages that 3D printing can offer the construction industry."

Downloadable resources from two books Leading for Literacy and Reading for Understanding

"Technology is changing the way we teach and learn at a rapid speed. So, how can teachers make learning more interactive and more fun with technology? True, teachers can make up games to teach a concept that involves every student. But, when teachers need to help students in small groups or one-on-one, how can they make sure that other students are actively practicing subject-area skills? One of the great aspects of having tablets, laptops, and desktops in the classroom is the availability educational apps. With these apps, students can individually learn, practice, study, and have fun with different subjects and concepts. Luckily, there are many good, quality apps for students of all ages. It is important to note that this list is separated into categories, and the apps in each category are not in rank ordered. Here are 116 of the best teaching and learning apps for 2017."

"Science, technology, engineering, and math are more important than ever, so we've put together a list of books to encourage girls to persevere in these subjects. "

"WWF Together is a beautiful iPad app and Android app that features interactive stories about endangered animals around the world. Each of the interactive stories includes beautiful images and videos, facts about the animals and their habitats, and the threats to each of the animals. Some of the animals currently featured in the app are pandas, marine turtles, elephants, tigers, polar bears, bison, whales, gorillas, rhinos, and snow leopards."

"It's possible that robots will take over some human jobs. In fact, it seems like it could be only a matter of time before they do. Increasing automation will lead to massive job displacement, and less people working means less employed citizens paying taxes. So, the question is, how will communities make up the difference if automation is inevitable in the future of employment? Co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates suggests that robots that take human jobs should pay taxes."

"Here is a collection of some good iPad coding apps we curated for you from iTunes App Store. These are apps you can use with your middle school students to teach them everything related to coding and programming.  These include tutorials, guides, interactive games and several other materials ideal for use with students in class. "

"In the last ten years, technology has changed the way we work and communicate with others - and it's also changed how we interact in the classroom. In fact, some educators argue that technology can improve the classroom by eliminating the need for a physical one, and allow students to learn remotely, from wherever they do their best work. While it's still too early to know if this is the most effective way to teach, it's important to stay-to-update on these innovations in education and see what we can learn from them. In these TED talks, students and educators share their stories of how technology has helped them learn to code, make art, connect with others, start schools, and more."

"Are you spending hours managing social media? Looking for a way to shave hours off your day? We have the tools to help! Below you'll find the key elements of a social media marketing strategy, plus the tools that will improve your efficiency and performance."

"Here, we've rounded up some of the best Windows 10 apps. Make sure you let us know what we missed!"

"Cardboard Creations Maker Education Camp utilized no technology (except for projecting images of example projects on the whiteboard) and low/no cost materials. Many of the discussions about and actions related to integrating maker education into educational environments center around the use of new technologies such computer components (Raspberry Pis, Arduinos), interactive robots for kids (Dash and Dot, Ozobots, Spheros), and 3D printers. These technologies are lots of fun and I facilitate Robotics and Computer Science with my gifted students and at one of my summer camps. The learners engaged in these high tech learning activities with high excitement and motivation. Such high excitement, engagement and motivation, though, were also seen at my low tech/low cost maker education camps: LED crafts, Toy Hacking and Making, and Cardboard Creations."

"In a perfect world, all of our students would come to school every day well rested, well fed, clean, healthy, happy, feeling good about themselves and ready to learn. But some of the time, and perhaps for a significant segment of our students, that is not the reality. So yes, schools need to be clear on their priorities and make tough choices in supporting students while making sure their basic and psychological needs are met before we can aspire to assist them with their self-fulfillment needs. It's a delicate dance schools must do in supporting students with their varying needs; a balancing act of sorts that comes with great consequence. What complicates this even further is the reality of the very dynamic, digital world our students are growing up in. With a shifting world, comes shifting needs. And along with shifting needs comes a shifting role that schools must take on in order to best prepare students moving forward. We must revisit the graphic above to explore and best support students with their changing needs in our DIGITAL WORLD. In some cases, students get these emerging needs related to our shifting world met at home, but for others, this is not the case for a variety of reasons."

"Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers are everywhere - from the home to the office, from the classroom to the workshop! The most commonly used materials in 3D printing are the thermoplastics PLA and ABS, but the list goes on (and on). Other materials that are sold as 3D printer filament include nylon, polycarbonate, carbon fiber, polypropylene, and many more! There are even special blends which can conduct electricity or glow in the dark! With so much variety on offer, it's easier than ever to create functional, beautiful, and high performing prints in a variety of exciting materials. Read our 3D printer filament guide to find out which 3D printer filament - standard, exotic, or professional - is right for you."

"It could be very soon that every child amputee can don a bionic arm in their favorite Disney character's colors for a fraction of the current price. This result will be thanks to Open Bionics and 3D printing. This week, a clinical trial of 3D printed bionic hands for children starts in Bristol. The trial is the world's first and could result in children receiving bionic hands at a fraction of the regular cost of £60,000. Funding from the Small Business Research Initiatives scheme made the trial a reality. 3D printing plays a large part in the price decrease from £60,000 to a projected £5,000. This is thanks to the technology's ability to offer amputees a custom fit at the same time as speeding production. If the trial is successful, bionic hands for kids could soon be available on the NHS (the national healthcare system for the UK). The hands would also feature kids' favorite Disney characters."

"Citizen Maths is for people who want to improve their grasp of maths, and become more confident in using maths at work and in life. Maths may have passed you by at school. Or you may be rusty. Maybe you've passed maths exams but find it hard to apply what you know to the types of problem you need to solve now. Problems like using spreadsheets, judging amounts or assessing odds. If so, then Citizen Maths may be for you. The course is at 'Level 2' - the level that a 16-year-old school leaver is expected to achieve in maths. (For questions about certification, please see our FAQ.) The course is based on solving the kinds of problems that come up at work and in life. And it is free. All you need is access to a computer, the internet and a basic grasp of maths. Sign up straight away, or try our nine-point check-list to see if Citizen Maths can help you."