My teaching partner and I recently worked with our 7th-grade students on a 2D design project using Procreate on the iPad and Adobe Illustrator on their laptops. Our goal was to have students create portrait designs incorporating the concepts of line, color, texture, and shape while selecting a person that inspired them in some way.... Continue Reading →
(* This post has been updated since the original post date) I first saw this concept in action at Moxi, the Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, in Santa Barbara. Like a mini version of the Exploratorium, Moxi provides visitors of all ages with hands-on science experiments, arts and crafts, and workshops ranging from high-tech... Continue Reading →
In almost all of my work with students, I search for "low-floor and high-ceiling" tools, meaning they are easy to use from the start yet have tremendous potential for growth in the learning process. However, I often take on new tools that have a steeper learning curve in my own learning, hoping to utilize my... Continue Reading →
I have always enjoyed the Adobe Suite for both vector and bitmap graphic design. And while I continue to use this professional software suite, it often does not fit a school's budget when trying to support a 1:1 laptop program. As such, I continue to explore less expensive (or free) programs that students can use.... Continue Reading →
From the iconic Kevin Costner film, Field of Dreams, comes the now famous line "If you build it, they will come." Over the years, I have heard maker educators use this same line when speaking about their personal efforts to bring a maker space to the school in which they work. There's even a documentary by... Continue Reading →
Our sixth graders are finishing up their work on the Legends of the Trash Creatures project. This interdisciplinary, environmentally focused project tasks students with (among many other requirements) the creation of a 5' tall creature made of trash and embedded with Hummingbird Robotics to allow it to sense the environment and react with sound, lights,... Continue Reading →
I am forever seeking for a new/better tool for 2D design in my work with students. While I use Adobe Illustrator regularly for my graphic design work, the application is often overkill for my middle school students, both in cost and feature set. They need a way to create shapes, modify those shapes, add text,... Continue Reading →
For the Love of Learning 