A few years ago, I had the chance to teach science in a self-contained classroom (teaching all subjects). I scoured the Internet for examples of great demonstrations that would captivate my students’ attention. It worked at first. I did the typical experiments. You know, add…
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When I was little, art was a refuge . . . . until it wasn't anymore. It's a story that's better told in video than in writing: Subscribe to YouTube Channel Even then, I hid behind the scenes. I sketched things on this blog until…
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It's easy to bust on standardized tests. They suck. They're boring. They're virtually meaningless. They kill instructional time. But what's the alternative? If we're not using multiple choice tests, what are we using? If we want a more creative classroom, what types of assessments exist…
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I believe that peer feedback is critical for students. Part of this is the nature of peer interactions. Peers are often able to share their thoughts in a more relatable way than teachers. Another part is simply the time limits that teachers have. Even with…
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Initially, I cringed at the term marketing. I viewed myself as an artist who thought that my work would be discovered. I viewed marketing as trickery. However, over time, I realized that if the initial goal of the design thinking cycle involved solving a problem…
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Over the last few weeks, I've enjoyed experimenting with illustrated videos. Here are three of my examples: One of the questions people ask is, "How did you make these?" This is often followed up by a second question, "How long did it take?" That…
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For the last eleven years, I asked my students to fill out a survey about how they use technology. Although I am now teaching university students, I think I'm going to do a similar survey. The questions are both about technology use (have you ever…
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It's easy to bust on standardized tests. They suck. They're boring. They're virtually meaningless. They kill instructional time. But what's the alternative? If we're not using multiple choice tests, what are we using? If we want a more creative classroom, what types of assessments exist…
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My Recommended Reading List on Creativity and Design Thinking I'm a big a fan of reading -- especially in the summertime. Later in the day, when it's blazingly hot, I usually have a quiet time. We all sprawl out on different chairs or couches and…
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I'm a fan of digital writing. After all, I'm sitting at my computer typing right now. And yet, when it comes to my deepest writing, I nearly always scribble it out by hand. When I'm stuck, I doodle. When I plan, I sketch out webs.…
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