Some people say that it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission but I disagree. In my experience, it’s often best to try new things by getting the support of leadership. If they are skeptical, simply use the word “pilot.” Administrators love the word…
The students filed into class discussing the latest TV shows they had binge-watched and swapping stories of their weekends. A few of them talked about the challenges of a fast-paced MAT program (Masters in the Arts of Teaching) and how they were balancing that with…
This is the first article I’m doing in a summer series on Empowering Readers. If you want to take a deeper dive into the topic, I also have the Empowered Readers self-paced course that I co-created with literacy expert Bonnie Hamer. It officially launches today….
Nothing about this evening fit the description of a dance recital. Not the parking lot or the lawn chairs or the sound of the cars whizzing past. I sat in jeans and a sweatshirt, eating a slice of pizza off a thin paper plate as…
In this latest podcast episode, Stephanie Higgs shares how she has integrated intentional creative thinking into her daily routine with students. She also shares her journey from from working at a museum school up to her current role as a gifted education teacher and coach….
Creative work is inherently fun. However, sometimes it’s also frustrating, slow, and difficult. In other words, it’s a lot like working out. We explore this connection in the following article and podcast. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to…
Content curation is a vital part of the creative process. In this blog post and podcast, we explore why curation matters and how we can help students learn how to engage in the curation process. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but…
In this latest podcast episode, I interview Manuel Herrera on the idea of visual thinking and how to make it a reality in the K-12 classroom. Manuel shares specific strategies and key insights to help you on your visual thinking and sketchnoting journey. Listen to…
There are so many different ways we can empower students to own the learning; from owning the assessment process to doing choice menus and choice boards to having students engage in project-based learning. In this article, we explore how Geek Out Blogs allow students to…
It’s easy to remember the highlight reels of the project-based approach I used when I taught eighth grade. I think about the moment we finished our second mural and my students were so excited they started spontaneously cheering or the moment students asked thoughtful questions…
I’m a professor and a maker. Sometimes I make things. Sometimes I make a difference. On a good day, I get to do both.
