Beyond the Audience: Why Students Need to Embrace Self-Initiated Creativity Blog Post

I’ve often written about the power of a launch. However, there’s also a place for self-initiated creative work where students engage in creativity with an “audience of one.” Here, they experience the permission to try experiment and work through multiple iterations. They find their creative…

Ten Surprising Truths About Creativity Blog Post

While we tend to think of play as spontaneous, I’ve learned that I need to schedule longer extended periods of creative play. I put these dates on my calendar weeks in advance and treat them like a work meeting or a training. No matter how…

The FACTS Cycle for Prompt Engineering Blog Post

Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with educators who are incorporating generative A.I. into their classroom practice. Whether it’s working with the pre-service teachers at my university or in working with current teachers in the workshops and professional development I lead,…

Will AI Cause More Harm Than Good? Blog Post

Last week, a friend of mine asked me, “Do you have any concerns about AI destroying the world and being the worst thing ever and then having people know that you were an early proponent of it?” This led to an ongoing conversation which eventually…

In a World of AI, Our Students Need Project-Based Learning Blog Post

The Artificial Intelligence revolution is here. That might sound like hyperbole. After all, the world looks the same. The revolution didn’t arrive with Skynet and robots or with Blade Running cyborgs. It’s been subtle. Auto-correct here. Grammarly suggestion there. An auto-fill option in G-mail and…

16 Ways to Own Your Professional Learning Blog Post

I’m sitting at a barbecue joint putting finishing touches on a social studies pedagogy course I’m teaching this summer. While I try to focus, I can’t help but notice the passion and excitement at the table across from me. “Screw going on a cruise. I…

The Seven Types of Creative Teachers Blog Post

When I was a new teacher, I railed against boxed curriculum. I felt like a chef being forced to use Hamburger Helper or an artist forced to paint by number. It felt like they had taken the creativity out of the profession and I was…

Why I’m Not Too Worried About Learning Loss Blog Post

All three of my kids have missed a significant number days because of the need to quarantine. The Omicron variant is sweeping through our neighborhoods and our local school district recently created a no-contact day this last Friday. Many caregivers and community members are concerned…

Starting the Semester on a Creative Note Blog Post

I’m sitting in my office right now with a web sprawling out all over my whiteboard. I’m planning out my five courses that start in the next few weeks. But even if I weren’t designing new courses, I would be dreaming up new ideas. For…