A few weeks ago, I was so pleased to receive my copy of my friend Barry Joseph’s new book Making Dinosaur’s Dance (American Alliance of Museums). Subtitled “a toolkit for digital design in museums,” the book uncovers Barry’s unique take on how to create powerful learning experiences in museum spaces using a variety of digital …
Thirteen years ago I was a new educator at Global Kids in New York City. I was co-leading an ambitious virtual summer camp called “I Dig Zambia” in collaboration with the Field Museum of Chicago. Along with all the challenges of putting on a science camp with 20+ students in two locations, I had been …
Zoom In, Zoom Out is an ice-breaker designed to help students to explore how good stories engage the reader by focusing on tiny details and by telling universal truths. We’ve used it to good effect to get our students creative juices flowing at the beginning of our youth programs. The ice-breaker requires no supplies or …
Despite having lived in San Francisco for seven years and working in a tech field, I’ve never actually participated in a hackathon. Since I’m not a developer or a designer, it just never felt like something that I would have much to contribute to. That changed this weekend. For the past couple of months, I’ve …
Art doesn’t spring from nothing. It emerges from something that already exists in the world. As Michelangelo famously said: “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” A major barrier to creating art is how to …
I have on my desk a pile of plastic 3D-printed marine animal parts that I’ve kept for years. I’ve use it as a reminder of that: Technology can and often does behave in unexpected ways. Running a Digital Learning program involves a certain amount of risk and uncertainty. Plan accordingly. I realize that I’ve been …
I’m excited to share the news about KQED Learn, a free, safe online space for students to engage in thoughtful discussions about timely societal topics, using fact-based arguments and social media that they share. As the next generation of KQED’s awesome “Do Now” series, this looks like a great tool for teachers to facilitate thoughtful debates …
I just finished Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. A present from a good friend (Thanks, Barry!), it comes at a perfect time in my life, as I contemplate a career shift. Designing Your Life is a guide to applying a design-thinking process to career planning. As someone who has done and taught design for …
For the past couple of weeks, I have been focused on next steps in my career. I’m plotting a major professional transition, which is both frightening and thrilling. As I ponder all of the possibilities and consider all of the external and internal factors involved, my brain gets overtaxed with the cognitive load. Then I …
The Science Action Club team that I'm a member of is seeking to hire an instructional designer. It's a great job, on a great team, at a great museum. If you are a bad ass instructional designer who loves science, you should consider applying. More about the position: Reporting to the Science Action Club (SAC) …