As I wrote about previously, MacArthur Foundation is winding down its support for the “digital media and learning” portfolio (I.e., digital learning, as we know it) into a new nonprofit. Now we know what it's called: Collective Shift. Main points from their press release: Collective Shift has received $25 million dollars in seed money from …
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as an educator, it’s that you can only be a jerky foreman to your youth miners for so long before they fight back. But I’m getting ahead of myself in the story… Back in 2009, I was in one of the principal educators running “I Dig Zambia.” “I Dig Zambia” …
A couple of weeks ago, we got the official word on the phasing out of the MacArthur Foundation's support for Digital Media and Learning. While this was not terribly surprising for those of us who have been in the field and paying attention, it still is a major shift in our community. Barry Joseph on …
I haven't been in a Gap store for years. But I have to say that I'm loving this new Gap Kids "ED" line, Ellen Degeneres' new clothing line that celebrates girls doing lots of "non-girly" things. I love that this has actual kids who play drums, start businesses, dance, skate and make. For example, here's …
The Techteens are a team of young people at the California Academy of Sciences who get to explore different science topics, create cool digital media, and educate the public about science and sustainability. We just opened up the application for our 2015-2016 co-hort of Techteens. We have a very narrow window to apply — we …
Answer: I watch Brain Scoop videos all day, obviously. As a youth educator who runs after-school programs, I sometimes get asked by our teens what I do when I’m not teaching. Or as Ellie, one of our summer TechTeens asked me, “What do you do all day when we’re not here?” It’s a legit …
Although we've known about this for awhile, this is the most public statement from the MacArthur Foundation, indicating that they are stepping back from their digital learning support. The latest essay from Julia Stasch the president of MacArthur Foundation makes clear that they are ending their support for several key parts of their portfolio, including affordable …
One of the buzzwords we use a lot in Cal Academy youth programs is “pivoting.“ To pivot is a necessary and even welcome part of the process of working with youth. “Pivoting” is a term borrowed from business, and in particular tech companies, to describe how a firm can rapidly shift strategy or even entire product …
Guess who's hiring? My Youth Programs team at the California Academy of Sciences! We're hiring an entry-level Program Coordinator to assist in the delivery and planning of programs that serve middle school and high school youth. If you have experience working with young people, have good organizational skills, and love science, this could be a great position …
At the Digital Media and Learning Conference last weekend, one of the most powerful sessions was a talk on an "ecological view of equity" by Dr. Nichole Pinkard, founder of the Digital Youth Network in Chicago. Dr. Pinkard's talk was shaped and framed by the legacy of Brother Mike Hawkins, an educator, activist and spoken …