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"A year ago, Nick Anglin was a jaded 6th grader who, as he put it, "hated school and rarely paid attention or did homework." He punctuated the hours of boredom by cracking jokes and making his classmates laugh. Then, something extraordinary happened. Anglin went to a summer Maker Corps camp at the Sutherland Middle School in Charlottesville, Virginia, where his teachers Robert Munsey and Eric Bredder encouraged him to follow his curiosity and passion. As Anglin recently recalled, "They challenged us from day one: 'Create a project related to something you love, incorporate some type of technology and possibly start a business around it.'""

"At the Denton mini-maker faire, I noticed Trey of Denton Public Library was teaching young children to solder! I was so excited about this empowering activity, I asked if he'd collaborate with me and come teach my high school students to solder during one of our makerspace lunch events. So for two days last week, Trey brought 10 soldering stations, some Makey badges, and a whole lot of knowledge.  I loved how Trey told the students, "It's tool, don't be afraid of it, just respect it.""

"What are you passionate about? What do you want to do more than anything in the world? Well I hope you said what you are doing right now. This is not always the case. Some people hate what they are doing. They may hate it because it pays too little, but being a teacher doesn't make me very wealthy and I love what I'm doing. More importantly, people may hate their job because they would rather be doing something else. This is where I think we can do better in education. As educators, we can help our students find and explore their passions. Once they discover what they're truly passionate about, the learning and engagement will never stop. The best way for students to explore their passions is through Genius Hour."

"As someone who has been fortunate enough to spend much of her professional career working in elementary schools -- both as an early-childhood (K-3) teacher and university-based teacher educator -- I'm often struck by the difference between how young children and teachers talk about literacy in the earliest years of school. Whether they're drawing pictures and asking you to "read" their latest story or eagerly inviting you to listen to an account of a favorite book, young children enter school enthusiastic about learning to read and write. In a world where they see print all around them -- scrolling on phone screens, in the books that they love, on the billboards they ponder -- learning to read and write makes a young child feel independent and capable. Yet early-childhood teachers point to the pressures associated with the Common Core State Standards and the accompanying standardized testing culture as deeply affecting classrooms, often characterized by a heightened focus on teaching young children to read and write as early as possible."

"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'm 38 and so automatically love Star Wars. Inspired by the new film, 'The Force Awakens.' here are some #StarWars themed Edu posters for all the other educating Star Wars fans out there. I made them using my 10-year-old neighbour Josh's excellent collection of Lego Star Wars characters - Thanks Josh! Hope you like them!"

"I've had the honor and privilege of sharing with hundreds of librarians and educators about our makerspace. Unfortunately, I see many educators hold back on starting a makerspace because of funds.  I'm always hearing excuses like: "I'd love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don't have a budget for that." "We can't really afford a 3D printer right now." "I don't see how we can get started with making in our school when our computers are dinosaurs." What many people don't realize is that the idea that you need a lot of money to start a Makerspace is a myth. All you need is to have vision, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. A lack of funds is no excuse for keeping your students from experiencing the empowerment that comes with bringing the Maker Education Movement into your program.  It may take more effort and elbow grease, but you can start a makerspace even with a zero balance in your budget."

"I'm about to say something totally unbelievable and completely ridiculous: I love Star Wars. There. It's good to get that bombshell off my chest. I'm a huge fan of the series and eagerly await the upcoming film by J.J. Abrams and the new Disney ownership. After going through all of the trailers, both foreign and domestic, it occurs to me that there is one thing in particular that is a true standout. Is it the 3-pronged lightsaber? No. Is it the lack of Jar-Jar Binks? Potentially, but not really. It's the merchandising BB-8 droid that is taking the world by storm. Better still, it's actually something you can now purchase (if you're lucky to find one) in real life. How cool is that?"

"I love gadgets. It has to be said. For me they represent the cutting edge of humanity and where we can go as a human race. When I used to watch Star Trek: Next Generation, as a teenager I used to say 'never in my lifetime' when I used to see Geordi La Forge holding a PADD in the engine room. And now look at us. iPads and other tablets are everywhere, as commonplace as a wrist watch, and even those are amazing these days too. I'm lucky to have a number of programmable gadgets. I have a number of Sphero's, an Ollie, an Ozobot (which I really should have blogged about by now which are awesome for KS1 Computing) and now a Parrot Rolling Spider mini-drone."

"In today's world, many parents (myself included) are sending kids to after school classes, summer camps, … in the hope that kids will learn something that are missing from school. But one thing we forget while sending kids to these extra curriculum activities is there are a lot we can do right at home. Today we put together these cool STEM (science, technology, engineer, math) activities for kids that you can do in your kitchen. Kitchen science activities have always been our favorite. Now we start expand from Science to STEM. We try to pick the ideas that only use materials you already have or can be easily get from a grocery store nearby, and activities that can be done safely at home, so the whole family can explore and have fun together, no matter the age of kids. It is more important for kids to have the interest to learn than to have the knowledge itself, and the more the learning being an integral part of life, the more they will be interested in learning. And of course, they would love to do activities with their parents. So here we go"

"We absolutely love seeing the many exciting ways that teachers are using ChatterPix to help engage their students. Many educators have come up with some incredibly creative ways to make their lessons more exciting by incorporating tools like ChatterPix and WonderBox. Check out these 15 awesome ways teachers have recently used ChatterPix to enhance science lessons!"

"I must confess: I am a coder. I like to create and build through computer programming. I find it engages a special part of my brain and calms me when I need a break of administrative or educational work. In fact, I used to code for Microsoft. I also teach coding and I love that coding teaches them to grow as analytical thinkers and problem solvers. In short, I am a big proponent for learning how to code. What has struck most of late is just how universal coding has become as a connector of people. When I first played around with the topic for this post, I considered titling it as, "Coding is a Universal Language," but a set of colleagues corrected me. Coding does not follow the rules of common languages; it exceeds them. Coding ties people together from all backgrounds and ages with the universal concepts of planning, creativity, design, and development. It is both constructive and destructive, fueling collaboration in some and isolation in others. What I challenge readers to think about is finding any part of modern society that is not touched in some way by coding? Think of any social or political event of the past 25 years that didn't have some connection to coding. Think of one nation of people on earth that haven't been influenced in some way by coding. I am sure you can find some, but those outliers are vastly overwhelmed by the examples of coding being tied to the central fabric of contemporary digital society."

"Humans are just so fascinating, which is why history just might be the most engrossing topic to learn about. Whether you're a student or just someone who wants to learn, here are five websites that look at different parts of history in unique ways. I outlined some history education resources earlier this year, and you all seemed to like it, so I'm back at it again today. These sites are all different, but they all offer ways to look at the past and learn something."

"We would love to hear what you are doing with coding within your school community. What programs and apps are you using? What books and eResources are you using? When does it take place? Are they coding at home to? Do you have special clubs? Give us the scoop....We will be sharing these stories in an upcoming webinar. Thank you so much, Shannon"

"When you were growing up, what did you enjoy playing with? If you were like me, maybe it was Tinker Toys, an Easy Bake Oven, or Lite Brite. I liked designing and creating things. As a teenager, my imagination ran wild as my ideas turned into sketches which later covered the walls of my bedroom. (Thanks Mom, for never painting over the walls-even 25 years later!) My own children love building and messing around with things, too. It's amazing how long a few cardboard boxes or toilet paper rolls and some duct tape will keep them entertained. (We've built forts, spaceships, and garages for all their Match Box cars.) It's the nature of these learning experiences that allow young people to think creatively and use their imagination. With a focus on standards, accountability, and assessment over the last decade or so, it seemed that these opportunities disappeared from our schools. However, within the last few years, the tide is beginning to turn. I believe an exciting shift is happening in education as schools across the country are embracing the Maker Movement and returning creative, hands-on learning opportunities to their classrooms. Additionally, STEAM education has come to the forefront with an emphasis on preparing students for college, career, and beyond, focusing on the 4 C's: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. STEM has transformed into STEAM as the arts become an integral component to meaningful learning. In many schools, the STEAM and maker education are colliding. Hybrid models are being created that embrace the integration of STEAM components and the creative spirit of the Maker Movement. At the intersection between STEAM and making, powerful learning occurs. I would argue that a new movement is emerging-STEAM Makers."

"I got my copy of Get Active: Reimagining Learning Spaces for Student Success at ISTE 2015 this summer in Philadelphia.  I love reading about and studying learning space design theory.  I truly feel that innovative learning environments can transform how our students learn.  This book is an excellent introduction to active learning spaces and strategies we can use in designing and redesigning learning spaces, from hacking our furniture to working with architects on new construction."

"As parents and teachers, we encourage our kids to become well rounded people who love learning.   In our world of cell phones, ipads, and computers, it's easy for kids to become passive consumers of media and technology.   We, however, want are kids to be active, curious, and creative.   Since I'm a musician and a software engineer, I hope that my kids learn to express themselves emotively and become creative thinkers.   We're trying to foster a family culture where we are active, encourage tinkering, and building physical things with our hands.    With these ideas in mind, I wanted to share a great video I found by Vinnie Vrotny and Sheryl Peterson entitled "STEAM: Creating A Maker Mindset."   In this conference talk from the K12 Online Conference in 2013, they share their experiences encouraging a "maker" mindset in the Quest Academy .   Their school has a very unique class teaching design thinking to kids.    It's giving me lots of ideas for building a maker environment for our family.    In this class, Sheryl encourages her students to invent a creative design problem and solve it.   With the tools and support of the teacher, the kids are encouraged to build their design.    In some cases, the kids ask Sheryl to assign a problem to them.    The kids aren't used to having creative freedom to design and make.    In these cases, Sheryl encourages the students to keep thinking."

"Be impressed with what physics based puzzle apps can do to help your kids excel when it comes to understanding physics. Puzzle apps make learning physics fun. Let your kids' creativity soar when they become tiny physicists to solve their physics apps and puzzle apps. Physics apps are the answer to making an otherwise boring subject exciting. Pique their interest by reinforcing the information they learn in school in a fun way. Kids love puzzle apps, so getting them to learn required material will be easier than ever. Try the best physics based puzzle apps on the market and watch kids learn with ease."

"If I could sing a parody, which trust me, you DO NOT want to hear, I'd rewrite Megan Trainor's famous song "All About that Bass,"  with the lyrics, "It's not about the space… all learning."    It's almost comical for me to say it's not about the space, because truthfully, I've loved putting together every single learning space I've ever created.  From watching the evolution of my classrooms when I taught fourth grade, until this year's space, my goals have always been the same.  Use the materials you have around you, buy as little standardized stuff as possible, create the space, and remix, redo, and revise to make the space work for learners."

"Our boys have just received The Lego Movie for their birthdays and absolutely love it. I think they have watched it every day since receiving it and now we all have the words "Everything is Awesome!" floating around in our heads all day every day. It could become our new family motto: Everything is Awesome!! This got me thinking about how we could use Lego in our homeschool. Since we have many boxes of the bricks and the boys enjoy playing with it, why not use it to help them learn! So I have made a massive list of how lego can be used as part of your homeschool.   I have split it up into subject areas to make it easier to navigate."