Design Thinking / Innovation / Innovation / Inspiration / Leadership / Learning / Project Management / Space Configurations / Strategic Planning / Teamwork / The K12 School Experience in America Posted on:

Designing A Better World

In August 2019, over 2,200 schools will open doors to students in the state of Georgia. A small number of those schools will be brand new. None like this. Mount Vernon Presbyterian School opens the doors to a brand new Upper School (Grades 9-12) building after a year of construction and years of planning, dreaming, and designing. The building is the physical expression of the School’s mission and vision; innovative, flexible, and relational. Everything is on castors. All desks are stackable and nest-able. Writable walls move up and down allowing disciplinary classes to combine and become interdisciplinary or trans-disciplinary. Smart […]

Read More
eportfolio / Innovation / Maker Movement / Technology / Video Posted on:

Students Want Access

Students Want Access The past couple of mornings, I’ve received several unexpected student visitors to my office. My desk is covered in papers, my nose buried in a laptop while diligently working to accomplish a variety of projects, but thankfully I know when to put all of the ‘important stuff’ on hold. What’s more important than taking the time to listen and talk to a passionate and curious learner? One student came in to show me the BB-8 robot he got for Christmas. He just walked right in, opened up the box, placed the robot on the floor, and showed […]

Read More
Council on Innovation / Innovation Posted on:

Curiosity and Intelligence

Curiosity and Intelligence Mount Vernon Presbyterian School and the Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation hosted the 3rd annual Council on Innovation last Friday. Students in the Upper School iDiploma cohorts read and discussed the article ‘Curiosity is as Important as Intelligence‘ beforehand, then listened as the panel of external experts discussed the same article. The conversation was interesting. Here are a few of the quotes and questions I captured… Complexity is an indicator of change. No one says, “I’m going to manage complexity today.” (As HOMS, I might disagree) How much is innate and how much ‘around the margins’ can […]

Read More
Badging / Collider Conference / Innovation / Learning Measures / MVIFI Posted on:

Scaling Up Badging

Scaling Up Badging In a recent professional learning workshop (at #MVCollider), our team made new strides in the pursuit of badging and micro-credentialing. 3 significant insights have got our team thinking. The first insight revolves around how to create a badge using the 6 components of a badge. A second strand fuses badges with vertical learning progressions. The third one envisions taxonomy or a framework for organizing badges and ‘permission’ for ‘local level’ badge building by anyone in the learning community without diluting the quality of the overall badging program. Build a Badge At the start of the session, participants […]

Read More
Innovation / Learner Engagement / Teamwork / Technology Posted on:

Class Trip to Space Camp – Day 2

Class Trip to Space Camp via Twitter Feed Space Camp® launched in 1982 to inspire and motivate young people from around the country to join the ranks of space pioneers who persevere to push the boundaries of human exploration. Today, with attendees from all 50 states, territories and more than 60 foreign countries, the immersive program continues to challenge young people to dream of a future in space. With the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® as home base, trainees have an unparalleled environment to spur imagination. Historic space, aviation and defense hardware, along with exhibits that highlight current and future programs help […]

Read More
Innovation Posted on:

Father/Son Based Learning: Chocolate Fondue

My friend and esteemed colleague Bo Adams has inspired many with his #FSBL aka Father/Son Based Learning concept (it also takes other forms such as Mother/Son or Mother/Daughter, etc.) Here is a peak at my family’s most recent learning adventure in search of the perfect dipping items for chocolate fondue. Thanks for the inspiration Bo!

Read More
Scroll Up