Category: Professional Development

  • Institute Day Five: Equity Maps, Resources, and Final Reflections

    Institute Day Five: Equity Maps, Resources, and Final Reflections

    After working all week on identifying resources around curriculum integration, program development, and assessment through the lens of equity and sustainability, we had the opportunity to share and present all of our work with each other. Read more…

  • Institute Day Four: Creating and Prototyping Resources

    Institute Day Four: Creating and Prototyping Resources

    On Day Four of our summer Institute, we started the morning with an equity session centered on the Ready for Rigor framework provided in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond. This framework outlines four areas of practice of culturally responsive teaching that enable us to support learners to become more independent: awareness,…

  • Institute Day Three: Culture, Strands, and Ideation

    In order to reflect on how culture impacts our learners, we started Day Three of our Summer Institute by asking participants to consider their own cultural roots through Zaretta Hammond’s representation of the culture tree. Based on this reading and our equity session on Day Two, participants created a physical representation of their own culture…

  • Institute Day Two: Tinkering, Values, Identity, and Strand Debuts

    Institute Day Two: Tinkering, Values, Identity, and Strand Debuts

    We believe that starting with an understanding of why we value maker education is important. So after surfacing our intentions as maker educators on Day One of our Summer Institute, we participated in a Values Mapping activity as a whole group on Day Two. Then, participants split up into one of their choice-based Learning Strands: Program Development…

  • Institute Day One: Introductions and Intention-Setting

    Yesterday we welcomed 32 educators from 8 states to our Community Studio for our inaugural summer Institute! We’re so excited to learn in collaboration with our new colleagues for the next 4 days. Here are some photos from our first half-day of programming, during which participants got to know each other, shared some snacks, and…

  • Fulfilling the Maker Promise, Year Two

    In 2016, Digital Promise and Maker Ed launched the Maker Promise, a campaign to bring quality making experiences to students across the country. Since the launch, we’ve challenged school leaders, […]

  • Engaging Maker Educators a World Away: Similarities and Differences in Singapore

    In the middle of March 2017, Daniella Shoshan and Stephanie Chang criss-crossed the globe to run professional development workshops in Singapore. Here, they reflect on their experiences.

  • Creating a Culture of Growth in Your Makerspace

    About the author: Meredith Rice is the innovation specialist at Sunset Ridge District 29 in Northfield, Il. Besides managing the district’s makerspaces, she also provides technology coaching and professional development […]

  • Documenting our Open Portfolios Workshop in Pittsburgh

    Documenting our Open Portfolios Workshop in Pittsburgh

    Thinking about spending a few inspiring fall days in Pittsburgh? We did! Along with approximately 60 other educators, administrators, practitioners, and even a few researchers—from K-12 and higher education, we offered […]

  • Release of “A Practical Guide to Open Portfolios”!

    Release of “A Practical Guide to Open Portfolios”!

    Coming off the heels of a successful Open Portfolio Workshop in Pittsburgh last week, we are thrilled to announce the official release of “A Practical Guide to Open Portfolios“! A […]