Three years ago I shared with you what I was buying to boost our Makerspace area using four empty Library study carrels that no longer held desktop Macs. Our MHMS Makerspace How it works: Kids can come in before school, during lunch, or when they've finished their work to explore, craft, and create in the Library Media Center. I want you to know that though I'm daring, I'm also cautious and considering. Robotics? Click to see all sizes! MORE

But I also bemoaned the lack of opportunities available to non-CTE students who wish to work with their hands. Loosely defined, makerspaces are areas in schools that provide students with tools, materials and some assistance in constructing hands-on projects that are usually connected to an academic assignment. Many are being assembled and supported by industrious librarians looking for new ways to offer their students hands-on learning opportunities. MORE

It was a nod, in part, to Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking , a book that I’ve found useful in understanding how grief clouds our thinking, how grief makes use want to believe the unbelievable, how it “ruptures the rational,” as I wrote then. 2016 was such a terrible, terrible year, and as I composed my reflections on it for this annual series, I wanted to start by recognizing the pain and the loss. MORE

Tech & Learning Rounds Up a Summary of New Tools for Schools Software & Online ACHIEVE3000 & ICIVIC ( www.achieve3000.com ) & ( www.icivics.org ) Achieve3000 and iCivics are partnering to offer middle and high school students government and civics lessons designed so that students can learn the fundamentals of American democracy at their own individual reading levels. Achieve3000 will add 30 of iCivics’ best-in-class student readings to its platform. MORE

This December will again host the Hour of Code , a one-hour introduction to programming designed to demystify the subject and show that anyone can be a maker, a creator, and an innovator. logic – go through a problem from A to Z. Grade-levels below are guidelines. MORE

Eleanor Roosevelt The technologies of the Internet and the Web are reshaping where, when, and from whom we learn--and even how we think about learning. We also highlight good conversations about learning taking place between educators, learners, leaders, and others from the school, library, museum, work, adult, online, non-traditional and home learning worlds. Our projects have members from 200+ countries and the Learning Revolution newsletter is sent to 130,000 each week. MORE

The GEC features thought leaders from the world of education and beyond, is completely free to attend, and all events take place online in webinar format. We invite you to join the 24,000 GEC community members (from 170+ countries) and actively participate in more than 100 sessions focused on international education topics. Thanks to the GEC Sponsors Social Media Amazing List of Currently Scheduled Sessions! Anyone can apply to be a member of the Outreach and Advisory Board. MORE

“High school students will be allowed to carry mace in the 2016–2017 school year after the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education agreed to remove prohibitive language and amend its policy,” the Salisbury Post reports. ” And the state of North Carolina sues the feds in response: “ North Carolina’s Suit to Keep Federal Funding After HB2.” “How Hard Is the New SAT ?” But how do they compare to the old one and the ACT ?” MORE

Librarian Chad Lehman helps us learn about the technologies we need to set up an awesome maker space. Additionally, Chad talks about how he orients students to the maker space and the biggest problems he’s had with it (and how he’s solving them.) Maker spaces are great places for kids to explore and learn, so take a trip inside the new library — one with a Maker space. See Todd’s show for guidelines. Ollie robots [link]. MORE

Mark Twain Welcome to the Learning Revolution. These events bring together educators, learners, leaders, and others to rethink and reinvent education. To receive the weekly Learning Revolution newsletter, please join the Learning Revolution network. In 2014, we are celebrating the fifth anniversary of GlobalEdCon and we''re excited to share information about our future plans with you at this face-to-face event. Click here to register. MORE

Soon (April 2), he will be launching “ The Innovative Teaching Academy “, which is an amazing opportunity to further your own learning with a cohort of innovative educators from around the world. The deadline to sign up is April 2. Below, is a post from AJ, so you are able to see his thinking on “innovation in education” I am looking forward to doing a “launch webinar” (more information coming soon) tp help kick this off. MORE

Blond and doe-eyed, Duggan has been dancing since she was two, everything from tap to ballet. There is no entrance exam, screening or application required to attend VLACS, which is free for any New Hampshire student. VLACS is part of a nationwide boom: In the last decade, the number of full-time virtual schools has grown from a handful to over 450, enrolling more than 260,000 full-time students and millions more part time. That helps a lot if you need to ask a question.”. MORE

Via The New York Times : “ Trump Orders Review of Education Policies to Strengthen Local Control.” ” In other Department of Education bureaucratic nightmares, “Dozens of Colleges’ Upward Bound Applications Are Denied for Failing to Dot Every I,” The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. ” Via Education Week : “ FCC Chairman Announces Plan to Roll Back Key Net Neutrality Rules.” Robots and Other Ed-Tech SF. MORE