The LAUNCH Cycle: A K-12 Design Thinking Framework Page

The LAUNCH Cycle: A K-12 Design Thinking Framework The term “design thinking” is often attached to maker spaces and STEM labs. However, design thinking is bigger than STEM. It begins with the premise of tapping into student curiosity and allowing them to create, test and…

Free Visuals, Slides and Posters Page

Lorem amet elit libero sit ipsum hendrerit libero sit consectetur lorem lorem link   The LAUNCH Cycle Visuals from the Blog Ridiculous Education Puns

Are we making space in our classrooms for imagination? Blog Post

When I go home, I’m no longer a dad. I transform into a sidekick to the world’s coolest superhero. I become a nurse to a stuffed animal surgeon. I get to help an architect and a builder in forts made from couch cushions. I become…

Projects Page

My goal is simple. I want to make something new each day. Sometimes, I make stuff. Sometimes, I make a difference. On a good day, I get to do both. I often use design thinking as a framework for my creative work. If you’re interested in any…

You Don’t Need a Makerspace to Have a Space for Makers Blog Post

When I was a kid, my brother and I built a “roller coaster” in the backyard with a wagon, some scraps of wood, and tons of pipes. Was it safe? Probably not. Did it ever work properly? Not really. But it didn’t matter. We were…

Kids Aren’t Tired of Learning. They’re Tired of School. Blog Post

Toward the end of the year, I remember feeling absolutely exhausted as a teacher. Once the testing is over and the pressure is gone, there’s this sense of relief. However, this was nothing compared to what my eighth graders experienced. You could see it in…

Teaching Should Be Fun Blog Post

Note: I’m sure my thoughts on this topic have been heavily influenced by Dean Shareski. If you don’t read his blog, go check it out.    For the last four days, I have been back at home with my family. We have had deep conversations….

Is this the new digital divide? Blog Post

“Hey dad, can I have a YouTube channel?” my son asked.”What kind of a channel would you create?” I asked.”Maybe a channel showing how to create things in Minecraft. But there’s already a lot out there. What if I had a channel showing kids how…

Can Technology Transform Learning? Blog Post

When I was a kid, I remember hearing that computers would replace teachers. I didn’t like this idea, unless they could guarantee that my teacher would be like Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, technologists promised us that computers would radically transform our…

How to Move Beyond a Deficit Mindset Blog Post

A few years back, I was sitting in an office with my best friend Javier, scribbling out a web of ideas for our upcoming STEM Camp and Lab School. “What if we . . .” He stopped mid-sentence and looked at his phone. “You were…