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This venture marked an early exploration of blending technology with physical spaceâa theme that would later inform maker education philosophy.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"The experience of building a startup from the ground up provided invaluable lessons in design thinking, user experience, and the power of play-based learning.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2007,"permalink":"/journey#city-hunt-2007"},{"title":"NYU ITP - M.P.S.","slug":"nyu-itp-2008","date":"2008-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"education","organization":"NYU Tisch School of the Arts","location":"New York, NY","tags":["NYU","ITP","graduate","masters","education"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/nyu-itp.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(n,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Earned a \\",e(o.strong,{children:\\"Master of Professional Studies\\"}),\\" from NYU\'s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), graduating in 2008.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\'ITP is often described as \\"the center for the recently possible\\"âa graduate program focused on the intersection of technology, creativity, and communication. 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Telecommunications Program","slug":"nyu-itp-2009","date":"2009-05-15T00:00:00.000Z","category":"education","organization":"New York University","location":"New York, NY","tags":["NYU","ITP","Education","Physical Computing"],"featured":false,"image":"/images/timeline/nyu-itp.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:t,jsxs:n}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return n(e,{children:[n(o.p,{children:[\\"Graduated from the \\",t(o.strong,{children:\\"Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)\\"}),\' at New York Universityâwidely regarded as a \\"center for the recently possible.\\"\']}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.p,{children:\'ITP provided the theoretical and practical framework that would define my career: a blend of high-tech engineering and low-tech \\"tinkering,\\" focusing on the creative application of emerging technologies.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.p,{children:\\"It was here that I was introduced to the formal concepts of physical computing, digital fabrication, and the maker movement.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:n}=e.components||{};return n?t(n,{...e,children:t(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2009,"permalink":"/journey#nyu-itp-2009"},{"title":"NYU ITP Adjunct Instructor","slug":"nyu-itp-adjunct-2010","date":"2010-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"teaching","organization":"NYU Tisch School of the Arts","location":"New York, NY","tags":["NYU","ITP","teaching","higher education","adjunct"],"featured":false,"image":"/images/timeline/nyu-itp-teaching.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(o){const r={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...o.components};return t(e,{children:[t(r.p,{children:[\\"Returned to NYU\'s Interactive Telecommunications Program as an \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"Adjunct Instructor\\"}),\', teaching \\"Designing for Tweens & Teens.\\"\']}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"This course explored the unique 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experience\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.li,{children:[\\"Founded the \\",e(o.strong,{children:\\"Making and Learning Institute\\"}),\\" with Ford Foundation support\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2011,"permalink":"/journey#marymount-fablab-2011"},{"title":"Co-Founded NYC Makery","slug":"nyc-makery-2012","date":"2012-06-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"founding","endDate":"2019-11-01T00:00:00.000Z","organization":"NYC Makery","location":"Brooklyn, NY","tags":["Makerspace","Community","Public","Brooklyn"],"featured":false,"image":"/images/timeline/nyc-makery.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(e,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Co-founded the \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"NYC Makery\\"}),\\"âa public-facing makerspace initiative designed to democratize access to digital fabrication.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'Concerned that the benefits of maker education were primarily accruing to students in elite private schools, the NYC Makery brought \\"pop-up\\" fabrication experiences to children and families in Brooklyn and across New York City.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'By bringing high-tech tools to public parks, libraries, and community centers, we sought to democratize access to the \\"means of production.\\"\'})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2012,"permalink":"/journey#nyc-makery-2012"},{"title":"TEDxNYED: \'What did you make today?\'","slug":"tedx-nyed-2012","date":"2012-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","category":"milestone","organization":"TEDxNYED","location":"New York, NY","tags":["TEDx","Speaking","Maker","Education"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/tedx-nyed.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const a={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(e,{children:[t(a.p,{children:[\\"Delivered a TEDxNYED talk titled \\",n(a.strong,{children:\'\\"What did you make today?\\"\'}),\\"âa thematic anchor for much of my subsequent work.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(a.p,{children:\'The talk challenged the assumption that students should be passive recipients of knowledge, arguing instead for a shift toward \\"demand-driven\\" learning where students are deeply invested in projects that require them to seek out necessary skills and knowledge.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(a.p,{children:\'This questionâ\\"What did you make today?\\"âbecame a guiding principle for rethinking education around creation rather than consumption.\'})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2012,"permalink":"/journey#tedx-nyed-2012"},{"title":"Constructing Modern Knowledge Staff","slug":"cmk-staff-2013","date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"fellowship","organization":"Constructing Modern Knowledge","location":"Manchester, NH","tags":["CMK","Papert","constructionism","professional development"],"featured":false,"image":"/images/timeline/cmk.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(n,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Joined the staff of \\",e(o.strong,{children:\\"Constructing Modern Knowledge (CMK)\\"}),\\", an annual summer institute founded by Gary Stager that brings educators together for an immersive constructionist learning experience. Staff member from 2013 to the present.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"CMK is grounded in the work of Seymour Papert and the constructionist philosophyâparticipants engage in extended, passion-driven projects using a wide range of tools and technologies.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"Being part of the CMK staff means helping facilitate transformative learning experiences for educators from around the world, while also continuing to learn and grow alongside an inspiring community of practice.\\"})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2013,"permalink":"/journey#cmk-staff-2013"},{"title":"Columbia Teachers College Adjunct","slug":"columbia-adjunct-2013","date":"2013-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"teaching","endDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","organization":"Columbia University Teachers College","location":"New York, NY","tags":["Columbia","Teachers College","higher education","adjunct","graduate teaching"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/columbia-tc.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(e,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Served as \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"Adjunct Professor\\"}),\\" at Columbia University\'s Teachers College for over a decade (2013-2024), teaching graduate-level courses on maker education, constructionism, and innovation in schools.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"At Teachers College, worked with aspiring educators, administrators, and education researchersâhelping them understand how to bring maker-centered learning into diverse educational contexts.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"This ongoing engagement with graduate education ensured that emerging educational leaders were equipped with both the theoretical foundations and practical skills to transform their schools and communities.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2013,"permalink":"/journey#columbia-adjunct-2013"},{"title":"Named \'Teacher of the Future\' by NAIS","slug":"teacher-of-future-2013","date":"2013-02-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"award","organization":"NAIS","tags":["Award","Recognition","Teaching","NAIS"],"featured":false,"image":"/images/timeline/nais-award.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};
1return t(e,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Named \\",n(o.strong,{children:\'\\"Teacher of the Future\\"\'}),\\" by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"This recognition validated the maker-centered approach to education and the belief that hands-on, project-based learning represents the future of teaching.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2013,"permalink":"/journey#teacher-of-future-2013"},{"title":"Senior FabLearn Fellow","slug":"fablearn-fellow-2014","date":"2014-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"fellowship","organization":"Stanford Graduate School of Education","location":"Stanford, CA","tags":["Stanford","FabLearn","fellowship","research","maker education"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/stanford-fablearn.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(n,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Appointed as a \\",e(o.strong,{children:\\"Senior FabLearn Fellow\\"}),\\" at Stanford University\'s Graduate School of Education, a position held from 2014 to the present.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"FabLearn is a global network of researchers and practitioners dedicated to understanding and advancing maker education. As a Senior Fellow, contributed to research, curriculum development, and the broader mission of bringing making into schools worldwide.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"This fellowship represents an ongoing commitment to bridging practice and researchâensuring that work in schools is informed by evidence, while also contributing practical insights back to the academic community.\\"})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2014,"permalink":"/journey#fablearn-fellow-2014"},{"title":"Tech DIY Published by Make Media","slug":"tech-diy-published-2017","date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"publication","organization":"Make Media","tags":["Book","Publication","Electronics","Education"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/tech-diy-cover.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(e,{children:[t(o.p,{children:[\\"Published \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"Tech DIY: Easy Electronics Projects for Parents and Kids\\"}),\\", co-authored with Ji Sun Lee.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'The book focuses on \\"soft circuits\\"âelectronics that use conductive thread and fabric rather than solder and wire. This approach was intentionally chosen to bridge traditional crafts with high-tech engineering, making electronics more accessible and appealing to a broader demographic, particularly young girls.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"The projects are designed to be completed together by parents and children, fostering collaborative learning and quality time.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2017,"permalink":"/journey#tech-diy-published-2017"},{"title":"Founding Director of Innovation at Franklin School","slug":"franklin-founding-2021","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"role","organization":"Franklin School","location":"Jersey City, NJ","tags":["Franklin","Leadership","Innovation","Founding"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/franklin-founding.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const r={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...i.components};return t(n,{children:[t(r.p,{children:[\\"Embarked on a new institutional chapter as a founding faculty member and \\",e(r.strong,{children:\\"Director of Innovation\\"}),\\" at the Franklin School in Jersey City.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.p,{children:\\"Unlike previous work at established institutions, Franklin offered the opportunity to design a high school from its inception around student-centered, project-based principles.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.h2,{children:\\"Key Initiatives\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\'Established and managed a fully equipped Fab Lab at the \\"heart\\" of the school\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Designed curricula for Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, and Digital Design\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\'Developed \\"TeachersPet,\\" an AI-powered tool to assist faculty in writing report card narratives\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Launched Franklin Student Ventures, an incubator for real-world student businesses\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2021,"permalink":"/journey#franklin-founding-2021"},{"title":"Maker in Residence, Dwight Foundation","slug":"dwight-foundation-2024","date":"2024-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","category":"role","organization":"Dwight Foundation","tags":["Dwight","Global","Spark Tank","Innovation"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/dwight-foundation.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const i={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...r.components};return t(n,{children:[t(i.p,{children:[\\"Appointed as \\",e(i.strong,{children:\\"Maker in Residence\\"}),\\" for the Dwight Foundation, coordinating the Spark Tank program across the global Dwight network.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Key Initiatives\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.li,{children:[\\"Leading the \\",e(i.strong,{children:\\"Sparkathon\\"}),\\"âa globally distributed design challenge bringing together students from different cultures to solve shared problems\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among students worldwide\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Guiding schools in integrating creative technology and maker education\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2024,"permalink":"/journey#dwight-foundation-2024"},{"title":"World\'s Best School Prize for Innovation","slug":"world-best-school-2025","date":"2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z","category":"award","organization":"T4 Education","location":"Jersey City, NJ","tags":["Franklin","Award","Innovation","Education"],"featured":true,"image":"/images/timeline/world-best-2025.jpg","ctaLabel":"Read the evidence","ctaHref":"/recognition#world-best-school-evidence","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(a){const i={a:\\"a\\",blockquote:\\"blockquote\\",h2:\\"h2\\",h3:\\"h3\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...a.components};
1return t(e,{children:[t(i.p,{children:[\\"Franklin School was named the winner of the \\",n(i.strong,{children:\\"World\'s Best School Prize for Innovation\\"}),\\" by T4 Educationâthe first school in the United States to receive this honor.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.blockquote,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'\\"The curriculum is grounded in design, systems, and preparing students for the future. A Franklin education is about how they take that knowledge and make an impact.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'The award recognized the school\\\\\'s \\"living prototype campus\\" and its student co-designed learning model, validating the vision that education should prepare students not just to know, but to do.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h2,{children:\\"Supporting evidence (full PDF text)\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.p,{children:[\\"The following is the full text content from the PDF: \\",n(i.strong,{children:\\"âCopy of T4 Interview Worlds Most Innovative School Evidence.pdfâ\\"}),\\".\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 1\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Franklin School is a forward-thinking high school in the heart of Jersey City, New Jersey, USA,\\\\nwhere students have the freedom to chart their own educational journey. Our approach\\\\ncombines innovative learning methodologies with personalized experiences, supported by a rich\\\\nlegacy of educational excellence and global partnerships. Our history reflects a commitment to\\\\neducational innovation dating back to 1872, when our forefather school was established in New\\\\nYork City. Originally dedicated to personalizing learning and preparing graduates for prestigious\\\\ncolleges, the school adopted the name Franklin in the early 20th century and later changed to\\\\nthe Dwight School. Today, as a new incarnation of the Franklin School, we are proudly affiliated\\\\nwith the global network of Dwight Schools, offering our students international connections and\\\\nperspectives.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Franklin\'s mission is to broaden access to world-class private education, developing students\\\\ninto innovators and socially responsible global leaders. Our vision transforms the traditional\\\\neducational experience through an innovative model that empowers students to pursue their\\\\npassions, develop real-world readiness, and take agency over their futures. We aim to be both\\\\nan academic haven for young innovators and a launchpad for tomorrow\'s leaders.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Our innovative educational approach is built around several key components:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"â Applied and experiential learning philosophies that promote critical thinking, problem-solving,\\\\nempathy, and collaboration\\\\nâ Transdisciplinary learning opportunities that break down traditional subject silos\\\\nâ Student agency that empowers learners to determine their own educational paths\\\\nâ Micro-courses and electives that enable students to explore potential career interests\\\\nâ Technology and design integration, including our state-of-the-art Fab Lab and core design\\\\ncurriculum\\\\nâ A skills curriculum that equips students with tools to tackle complex global challenges\\\\nâ Capstone projects designed to highlight and explore studentsâ personal interest areas\\\\nâ Comprehensive academic care system to ensure each student thrives academically and\\\\nemotionally\\\\nâ Community engagement through partnerships with local organizations\\\\nâ Global engagement opportunities that foster exploration and multicultural connections\\\\nâ Public speaking training for all students through a highly respected corporate training program\\\\nâ Exploring the use of AI agents to help with personalized learning and administrative tasks.\\\\n(Ben Sparkz , NarrativeGPT)\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Through this holistic approach, Franklin School prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing\\\\nworld, developing the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to become thoughtful innovators\\\\nand impactful leaders.\\"}
1),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Franklin School\'s innovation journey began with a vision to reimagine education for the 21st\\\\ncentury. After conducting a comprehensive audit of promising practices, we established three\\\\nfoundational pillars: technology and design integration, student-centered learning, and\\\\ncommunity collaboration.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 2\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Design and Technology Integration\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'At Franklin, technology and design serve as tools for exploration and empathy. Students learn to\\\\ncode, fabricate prototypes, design robots, and train machine learning models, fostering what\\\\none learner calls a \\"passion for design I never knew I had.\\" Supported by our state-of-the-art\\\\nFab Lab, students learn how to take the perspective of others, identify and define problems, and\\\\niterate and improve solutions as they practice collaboration and project management skills.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Panorama of the Fab Lab\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"As part of our introductory ninth-grade Digital Design and Fabrication class, students participate\\\\nin the annual Make:able Challenge, partnering with elderly or disabled clients to create practical\\\\nsolutions for everyday challenges. Recent projects include a wheelchair-securing clamp for a\\\\nweightlifting client with a spinal cord injury and a specialized pot holder for someone with\\\\nosteoarthritis.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Students sharing some of their Make:able projects\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 3\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Students in Creative Applications of AI have trained AI models to translate sign language into\\\\nEnglish as well as identify âWALKâ vs âDONâT WALKâ street-crossing signs for the visually\\\\nimpaired. Accessibility projects like these demonstrate how emerging technologies can benefit\\\\ndiverse communities.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student demonstrating sign language interpretation AI model\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"The Fab Lab tools and materials, as well as the design teachers, are available for students\\\\noutside of class hours so that they can work on personal passion projects, like gifts for friends,\\\\nfurniture for the school, a drone controlled by a glove, or a remote-controlled robot dog.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student documentation of building a glove controlled drone\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 4\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student project: Longboard converted to motorized with electric power\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student project: Little free library\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 5\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student-Centered Learning\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"The Creative Learning Studio is a year-long elective rooted in constructionist pedagogy, where\\\\nstudents pursue personally meaningful projectsâranging from furniture design and music\\\\nproduction to robotics and social entrepreneurshipâthrough a dynamic process guided by\\\\npassion, projects, peers, and play.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'Students flourish when pursuing their passions in a supportive environment. \\"My favorite thing is\\\\nthe encouragementâyou feel more comfortable in your own skin,\\" explains one student.\\\\nThrough a diversity of electives like Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, and micro-courses\\\\nsuch as Franklin Student Ventures, learners gain real-world exposure while forging their own\\\\npaths. As another student notes, \\"They do a great job helping us find our path.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"This autonomy cultivates resilience and self-confidence, culminating in each student\'s Franklin\\\\nCapstone Projectâfinal projects that integrate learning across disciplines, from investigating\\\\nlocal food systems to designing eco-friendly urban prototypes.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Student project: designing and building table and stools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'To develop agile thinkers, the Franklin Skills Curriculum offers units in Systems Thinking,\\\\nFutures Thinking, and Complex Adaptive Systems. Students learn to identify leverage points\\\\nand address root causes rather than symptoms. One faculty member highlights that \\"the school\\\\nencourages transdisciplinary projects between departments. We have built-in time to\\\\ncollaborate.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 6\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Finished student furniture project: table and stools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Community Collaboration\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'Franklin Student Ventures exemplifies our focus on meaningful community engagement. \\"I feel\\\\nlike you can go to any teacher and they\\\\\'ll help you launch your idea,\\" says one participant. In\\\\nthese trimester-based courses, budding entrepreneurs create social-impact projects, including\\\\nDoGooders , a platform connecting teenager
1s with nonprofit volunteer opportunities, and STEM\\\\nSprouts Academy , a mobile engineering workshop for younger students at neighboring schools.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"STEM Sprouts engineering workshop at a local primary school\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 7\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'Our annual Sparkathon, a 48-hour global hackathon, unites learners across the Dwight network.\\\\nRecent winning projects by Franklin teams include a \\"reverse-vending\\" machine incentivizing\\\\nbeach cleanups and an AI model detecting irregular heartbeats by sound.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Video about 2024 Sparkathon Video about 2023 Sparkathon\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Beyond our campus, Franklin serves as the leading North American node of the Fab Learning\\\\nAcademy , offering teacher professional development for our own teachers as well as educators\\\\nfrom other community schools in advanced fabrication and constructionist methods\\\\nco-developed with MIT\'s Center for Bits and Atoms.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Community teachers participating in a microcontroller workshop\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'Participants in our node include both Franklin faculty and teachers from various schools\\\\nthroughout the community. \\"We\\\\\'re constantly bumping into each other and collaborating,\\" says a\\\\ndepartment lead, illustrating how we share expertise to amplify impact.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Franklinâs Professional Learning Program is designed to give teachers time to dedicate to their\\\\nown learning and professional growth each week. Every teacher has two periods a week built\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 8\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"into their schedule to dedicate to professional learning. As a way of focusing that learning, at the\\\\nstart of the year, teachers choose a Professional Learning Pathway (the Pathways for â24-â25\\\\nwere Differentiation, Critical Thinking, and Assessment and Feedback). Over the course of the\\\\nweek, teachers meet once with other teachers in their pathway as they work through their own\\\\nindependent learning and research.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Impact and Achievement of Goals\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\'Students consistently affirm our approach: \\"There\\\\\'s a strong sense of community here, and\\\\nopportunities most high schools don\\\\\'t have.\\" Faculty echo this sentiment, noting that \\"new\\\\nfaculty feel incredibly welcome\\" and emphasizing that \\"we are proactive instead of reactive.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"By integrating technology and human-centered design with student choice and community\\\\npartnerships, Franklin has achieved measurable outcomes:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Real-World Problem-Solving: Projects like Make:able deliver tangible improvements for\\\\nclients while building empathy and adaptability in students.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Growing Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Ventures like DoGooders and STEM Sprouts show\\\\nhow practical social enterprises can spark civic engagement.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Fostering a Supportive Culture: âIt feels like you have a relationship,â a sophomore\\\\nexplains, âYouâre not scared to ask questions.â This openness nurtures both academic\\\\nsuccess and emotional well-being.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Sustaining Educator Enthusiasm: Teachers express gratitude for the autonomy and\\\\ncross-departmental collaborations that let them push boundaries.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Promoting Global Readiness: Through Sparkathon events and Fab Learning Academy,\\\\nstudents and teachers learn to collaborate across continents, cultivating a global outlook.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"In the words of one parent volunteer, âFranklin has the opportunity to keep building.â Our vision\\\\nis exactly that: to keep refining programs, expand partnerships, and deepen every learnerâs\\\\nsense of purpose and possibility. Whether a studentâs passion is robotics, literature, or art, as\\\\nanother teacher says, âFranklin Sc
1hool is not a great STEM school; itâs a great school if you\\\\nwant to study STEM. And itâs a great school if you want to study literature or art.â By nurturing\\\\ncreativity, adaptability, and empathy, Franklin prepares young people to meet the challenges of\\\\ntomorrow with confidence and compassion. âAt Franklin,â exclaimed a student, âwe find and live\\\\nour passion.â\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"All quotes were gathered by the Accreditation Team from the Middle States Association.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Franklin Schoolâs transformative impact is evident in both measurable outcomes and personal\\\\ngrowth among students. Over the past three years, enrollment has doubled annually, reflecting\\\\nstrong family confidence in our forward-thinking model. Students have won the global\\\\nSparkathon innovation challenge twice in a row, and their projects extend well beyond\\\\ncompetitions.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Page 9\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Our broader community engagement amplifies this impact. Two students, accompanied by our\\\\nDirector of Curriculum, were selected as Villars Fellows in Switzerland, where they explored\\\\ncutting-edge applications of Systems Thinking. Another student joined the Villars Intensive\\\\nProgram on Ecopreneurship, honing strategies to address environmental challenges. Beyond\\\\nthat, Franklin learners have been awarded scholarships to The Knowledge Society (TKS),\\\\nimmersing themselves in high-level innovation programs that broaden their horizons.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"In the words of one enthusiastic student, âAny time I get the chance to advocate for Franklin, Iâll\\\\ndo it!â That passion also resonates with teachers, who describe the âleadership opportunities we\\\\nnever thought weâd have.â Ultimately, we gauge success not just by accolades but by the\\\\ncuriosity, empathy, and civic engagement students bring to every endeavor. As another student\\\\nobserved, âTransdisciplinary thinking makes us question everything,â capturing the mindset that\\\\ndrives Franklinâs culture of invention and social responsibility.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h2,{children:\\"Links referenced in the PDF\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://ben.devsparkspace.com/\\",children:\\"https://ben.devsparkspace.com/\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E5e2yqw6xSspBEvtX6YwpURK-I9FZDtl/view?usp=sharing\\",children:\\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E5e2yqw6xSspBEvtX6YwpURK-I9FZDtl/view?usp=sharing\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qvqz8nHsvc8Vh29oNJ2lF1zUkrfFDnft/view?usp=drive_link\\",children:\\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qvqz8nHsvc8Vh29oNJ2lF1zUkrfFDnft/view?usp=drive_link\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/lauren-kartzman/about/\\",children:\\"https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/lauren-kartzman/about/\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/sarah-judd/\\",children:\\"https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/sarah-judd/\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://fla.academany.org/program/node_list_2024.html\\",children:\\"https://fla.academany.org/program/node_list_2024.html\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://franklin-narrative-helper-v3-1776c8028138.herokuapp.com/\\",children:\\"https://franklin-narrative-helper-v3-1776c8028138.herokuapp.com/\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://t4.education/blog/how-franklin-school-became-a-platinum-certified-best-school-to-work-after-building-a-great-school-culture/\\",children:\\"https://t4.education/blog/how-franklin-school-became-a-platinum-certified-best-school-to-work-after-building-a-great-school-culture/\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/global-connections\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/global-connections\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/fabrication-certification-for-educators-at-franklins-fab-lab\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/fabrication-certification-for-educators-at-franklins-fab-lab\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-participates-in-dwight-schools-spark-tank-10th-anniversary\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-participates-in-dwight-schools-spark-tank-10th-anniversary\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-takes-journalism-skills-beyond-the-classroom\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-takes-journalism-skills-beyond-the-classroom\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-students-attend-the-global-systems-thinking-symposium-in-switzerland\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-students-attend-the-global-systems-thinking-symposium-in-switzerland\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-wins-sparkathon-2024\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-wins-sparkathon-2024\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/jaymes-dec-director-of-innovation-shares-his-journey-to-founding-franklins-makerspace\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/jaymes-dec-director-of-innovation-shares-his-journey-to-founding-franklins-makerspace\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/nj1015-features-franklins-dogooders\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/nj1015-features-franklins-dogooders\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:n(i.a,{href:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/our-design-expo-attracts-local-area-students-to-take-on-innovative-challenges\\",children:\\"https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/p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1ss constructionist approaches to learning.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Conference Context\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"Constructionism conferences continue the intellectual tradition established by Seymour Papertâexploring how people learn by making things that are meaningful to them.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Themes Explored\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Connecting maker education to broader constructionist theory\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"International perspectives on maker learning\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Building maker communities across cultural contexts\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"The role of technology in supporting constructionist learning\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2018,"permalink":"/publications/constructionism-2018"},{"title":"Constructionism/FabLearn 2023","slug":"constructionism-2023","type":"presentation","date":"2023-10-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"Constructionism/FabLearn Conference","location":"New York, NY","abstract":"Presented at the combined Constructionism and FabLearn conference in New York City, continuing the tradition of sharing maker education research and practice with the global community.","coverImage":"/images/publications/constructionism-2023.jpg","topics":["Maker Education","Constructionism","FabLearn","Research"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:r}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const t={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...i.components};return r(n,{children:[e(t.h2,{children:\\"About This Presentation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.p,{children:\\"Participated in the 2023 Constructionism/FabLearn conference held in New York City, bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the future of constructionist learning.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.h2,{children:\\"Conference Highlights\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.p,{children:\\"The combined conference represented a convergence of two major traditions in maker education researchâthe Constructionism conference series rooted in Seymour Papert\'s work, and Stanford\'s FabLearn community focused on digital fabrication in education.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.h2,{children:\\"Key Themes\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(t.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"The evolving role of AI in maker education\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Scaling maker education beyond elite settings\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Assessment and documentation in constructionist environments\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Building sustainable maker programs in schools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:r}=n.components||{};return r?e(r,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2023,"permalink":"/publications/constructionism-2023"},{"title":"The Nerdy Derby: Making Cars that are Different","slug":"fablearn-nerdy-derby","subtitle":"Encouraging creativity through rule-free racing","type":"presentation","date":"2016-10-15T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"FabLearn, Stanford University","abstract":"A presentation on the Nerdy Derbyâan alternative racing competition that encourages wild experimentation by removing traditional constraints.","coverImage":"/images/publications/fablearn-nerdy-derby.jpg","slidesUrl":"https://example.com/slides","topics":["Maker Education","Creativity","Design Thinking","Competition"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:r}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(t){const i={h2:\\"h2\\",h3:\\"h3\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...t.components};return r(e,{children:[n(i.h2,{children:\\"About This Presentation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Presented at FabLearn at Stanford University, this talk explored the philosophy and impact of the Nerdy Derbyâa miniature car racing competition with no rules.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h2,{children:\\"Key Points\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\'Why \\"No Rules\\"?\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"Traditional competitions like the Pinewood Derby impose strict constraints that limit creativity. The Nerdy Derby removes these barriers, encouraging participants to experiment freely.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"The Results\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.p,{children:[\\"When you tell participants their car can be \\",n(i.strong,{children:\\"anything\\"}),\\", remarkable creativity emerges. Cars are built from:\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Discarded toys\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"3D-printed components\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Found objects\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.li,{children:\\"Unusual materials\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h3,{children:\\"Learning Through Failure\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"The Nerdy Derby celebrates iteration and failure. Cars that don\'t work the first time are rebuilt, redesigned, and reimaginedâteaching resilience and problem-solving.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.h2,{children:\\"Impact\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(i.p,{children:\\"The Nerdy Derby has grown from a small experiment to a global phenomenon with events at World Maker Faire New York, Tokyo, and beyond.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:r}=e.components||{};return r?n(r,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2016,"permalink":"/publications/fablearn-nerdy-derby"},{"title":"Evaluating Accessibility in Fabrication Tools for Children","slug":"idc-2013","subtitle":"IDC 2013 Workshop Paper","type":"presentation","date":"2013-06-24T
100:00:00.000Z","venue":"Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference","location":"New York, NY","publisher":"ACM","coAuthors":["Ben Leduc-Mills","John Schimmel"],"abstract":"In recent years, several new threads of research have found their way into the Interaction Design and Children community. Two of these threadsâdesigning for children with special needs, and designing fabrication activities for childrenâhave been especially fertile grounds for discussion and reflection. The intention of this workshop is to bring interest to these two realms simultaneously by choosing to look at children\'s fabrication activities through the lens of accessibility. This paper presents the initial challenges of this enterprise, frameworks and best practices for inclusive fabrication activities with children, examples of current relevant research, as well as discussion and conclusions.","coverImage":"/images/publications/idc-2013.jpg","paperUrl":"/papers/evaluating-accessibility-in-fabrication-idc-2013.pdf","topics":["Interaction Design","Children","Maker Education","Accessibility","Assistive Technology","Digital Fabrication"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:i}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(t){const r={a:\\"a\\",em:\\"em\\",h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...t.components};return i(e,{children:[n(r.h2,{children:\\"Read the Paper\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.p,{children:[n(r.a,{href:\\"/papers/evaluating-accessibility-in-fabrication-idc-2013.pdf\\",children:\\"Download the full paper (PDF)\\"}),\\" â published in the \\",n(r.em,{children:\\"Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children\\"}),\\" (IDC \'13), ACM.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Summary\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"This workshop paper sits at the intersection of two growing threads in the Interaction Design and Children community: designing for children with special needs, and designing fabrication activities for children. We asked what happens when you look at children\'s making and fabrication through the lens of accessibility.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.p,{children:[\\"We start with two hard problems. First, \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"assistive technology abandonment\\"}),\\" â studies show roughly one-third of assistive devices end up unused, largely because users lack agency in choosing them. Second, \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"inaccessible tools\\"}),\\" â the typical maker shop (drill press, chop saw, soldering iron, sewing machine) is unusable or unsafe for many children with disabilities. The hopeful thesis: if kids can make and modify their own assistive technology, abandonment drops, because nothing creates ownership like building the thing yourself.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.p,{children:[\\"The paper then surveys frameworks for inclusion â online maker communities, digital fabrication tools (laser cutters, 3D printers) that lower the dexterity barrier, and Resnick and Silverman\'s \\",n(r.em,{children:\\"low floors, high ceilings, wide walls\\"}),\\" design heuristic. We extend that framework with Meryl Alper\'s additions for special-needs design: \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"ramps\\"}),\\" on the low floors, \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"tall ladders\\"}),\\" alongside high ceilings, \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"frames of interest\\"}),\\" within wide walls (for kids who thrive on focused, repetitive engagement), and \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"reinforced corners\\"}),\\" where extra support meets exceptional capability.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"We close with examples of tools that already do this well â Squishy Circuits, Scratch, e-textiles and the LilyPad Arduino, VizTouch (3D-printed tactile math graphs for blind children), the Easy Make Oven, and MaKey MaKey â and a challenge to the community: don\'t relegate accessible fabrication to producing digital files. Keep searching for truly embodied making experiences for everyone.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Co-authors\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.li,{children:[n(r.strong,{children:n(r.a,{href:\\"https://benatwork.cc/\\",children:\\"Ben Leduc-Mills\\"})}),\\" â then at the Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.li,{children:[n(r.strong,{children:n(r.a,{href:\\"https://www.diyability.org/\\",children:\\"John Schimmel\\"})}),\\" â co-founder of DIYAbility, which builds accessible making and assistive-technology programs.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Citation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.p,{children:[\\"Leduc-Mills, B., Dec, J., & Schimmel, J. (2013). \\",n(r.em,{children:\\"Evaluating Accessibility in Fabrication Tools for Children.\\"}),\\" In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC \'13), 617â620. ACM. ISBN 978-1-4503-1918-8.\\"]})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:i}=e.components||{};return i?n(i,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2013,"permalink":"/publications/idc-2013"},{"title":"KDS Spring International Conference","slug":"kds-2022","type":"presentation","date":"2022-04-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"KDS Spring International Conference","location":"South Korea","abstract":"Presented at the KDS (Korea Digital Summit) Spring International Conference in S
1outh Korea, sharing perspectives on maker education and innovation in schools.","coverImage":"/images/publications/kds-2022.jpg","topics":["International","Maker Education","Innovation","Korea"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:i}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const t={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...r.components};return i(n,{children:[e(t.h2,{children:\\"About This Presentation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.p,{children:\\"The KDS Spring International Conference brought together educators and innovators from around the world to discuss the future of education and technology in South Korea.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.h2,{children:\\"Presentation Focus\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.p,{children:\\"Shared insights on:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(t.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Building sustainable maker education programs\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"The role of fabrication in K-12 learning\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Cultivating innovation culture in schools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"International perspectives on maker education\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.h2,{children:\\"International Context\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.p,{children:\\"South Korea has been actively exploring innovation in education, and this conference provided an opportunity to exchange ideas between Western and Asian approaches to maker learning.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.h2,{children:\\"Key Themes\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(t.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Cross-cultural collaboration in maker education\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Technology integration in schools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Preparing students for future challenges\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(t.li,{children:\\"Building global maker networks\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:i}=n.components||{};return i?e(i,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2022,"permalink":"/publications/kds-2022"},{"title":"Makeology Maker Summit","slug":"makeology-2017","type":"presentation","date":"2017-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"Makeology Maker Summit","location":"Chennai, India","abstract":"Presented at the Makeology Maker Summit in Chennai, India, bringing maker education perspectives to the growing Indian maker community.","coverImage":"/images/publications/makeology-2017.jpg","topics":["International","Maker Education","India","Makeology"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:i}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(a){const r={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...a.components};return i(n,{children:[e(r.h2,{children:\\"About This Presentation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.p,{children:\\"The Makeology Maker Summit in Chennai, India gathered educators, makers, and innovators from across India and internationally to discuss the growth of the maker movement in South Asia.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.h2,{children:\\"Presentation Focus\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.p,{children:\\"Shared experiences and insights on:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Establishing maker programs in schools\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"The Nerdy Derby and playful making\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Building maker culture in educational institutions\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Connecting global maker communities\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.h2,{children:\\"Indian Context\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.p,{children:\\"India has seen remarkable growth in maker education, with grassroots movements, government initiatives, and private schools all embracing making as a learning approach.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.h2,{children:\\"Key Takeaways\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",i(r.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Maker education principles translate across cultural contexts\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Local adaptation is crucial for success\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Community building is essential to sustainability\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(r.li,{children:\\"Cross-cultural exchange enriches all participants\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:i}=n.components||{};return i?e(i,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2017,"permalink":"/publications/makeology-2017"},{"title":"Meaningful Making (Volumes 1 & 2)","slug":"meaningful-making","subtitle":"Projects and inspirations for fab labs and makerspaces","type":"book","date":"2014-06-01T00:00:00.000Z","publisher":"Constructing Modern Knowledge Press","coAuthors":["Sylvia Martinez","Gary Stager"],"abstract":"A two-volume collection featuring projects and inspirations for educators bringing making into their classrooms and makerspaces. Includes my essay \'My First Makerspace\' about the origins of my maker journey.","coverImage":"/images/publications/meaningful-making.jpg","purchaseUrl":"https://constructingmodernknowledge.com/meaningful-making/","topics":["Maker Education","Fab Labs","Constructionism","Project-Based
1Learning"],"featured":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const r={a:\\"a\\",blockquote:\\"blockquote\\",em:\\"em\\",h2:\\"h2\\",h3:\\"h3\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...i.components};return t(e,{children:[n(r.h2,{children:\\"About This Publication\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"Meaningful Making is a two-volume collection published by Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, featuring projects, ideas, and inspiration for educators implementing maker education.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Featured Essay: My First Makerspace\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.p,{children:[\\"My contribution to Volume 1 includes the essay \\",n(r.strong,{children:\'\\"My First Makerspace\\"\'}),\\"âa personal narrative about how my childhood basement became my first laboratory for learning. Written as a response to Seymour Papert\'s \\",n(r.em,{children:\\"Mindstorms\\"}),\\" introduction, this essay explores the contrast between my struggles in traditional schooling and my thriving in self-directed making.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.blockquote,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\'\\"In school I was a failure, but in the basement I was a designer, an engineer, and an inventor.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.p,{children:[\\"The full essay is featured on \\",n(r.a,{href:\\"/philosophy\\",children:\\"my Philosophy page\\"}),\\", where it serves as the origin story for my work in maker education.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Additional Contributions\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"As a contributing author, I also shared projects and insights from my work establishing Fab Labs and makerspaces in schools, with a focus on making fabrication accessible to diverse learners.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Key Themes\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h3,{children:\\"Learning by Doing\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"The book emphasizes the constructionist principle that learning is most effective when students are actively creating tangible objects.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h3,{children:\\"Accessible Entry Points\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"Projects range from simple introductory activities to complex fabrication challenges, allowing educators to meet students where they are.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h3,{children:\\"Real-World Application\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"Each project connects making to authentic problems and interests, demonstrating how fabrication skills translate to meaningful work.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Impact\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"Meaningful Making has become a go-to resource for educators establishing makerspaces and integrating making into their curriculum.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2014,"permalink":"/publications/meaningful-making"},{"title":"NAIS Annual Conference 2013","slug":"nais-2013","type":"talk","date":"2013-02-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"NAIS Annual Conference","location":"Philadelphia, PA","abstract":"Presented at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference in Philadelphia, sharing insights on maker education and innovation in independent schools.","coverImage":"/images/publications/nais-2013.jpg","topics":["NAIS","Independent Schools","Maker Education","Innovation"],"featured":true,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const o={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...i.components};
1return t(n,{children:[e(o.h2,{children:\\"About This Talk\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\'The NAIS Annual Conference is the largest gathering of independent school educators in the United States. The 2013 conference was a pivotal momentâthe same year NAIS recognized the \\"Teacher of the Future\\" award.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.h2,{children:\\"Presentation Focus\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"Shared the story of establishing maker education at Marymount School, including:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.li,{children:\\"Building the first Fab Lab at an all-girls school\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.li,{children:\\"Integrating making across the curriculum\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.li,{children:\\"Shifting school culture toward innovation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.li,{children:\\"Lessons learned from early implementation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.h2,{children:\\"Conference Context\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"This presentation helped introduce the broader independent school community to the possibilities of maker educationâshowing how schools could transform their approach to teaching and learning.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.h2,{children:\\"Impact\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(o.p,{children:\\"The NAIS presentation contributed to growing interest in makerspaces across independent schools nationwide, inspiring many institutions to begin their own maker education journeys.\\"})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2013,"permalink":"/publications/nais-2013"},{"title":"Rockefeller Foundation Hackathon","slug":"rockefeller-2014","type":"presentation","date":"2014-03-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"Rockefeller Foundation","location":"New York, NY","abstract":"Participated in a Rockefeller Foundation hackathon focused on using technology and design thinking to address social challenges.","coverImage":"/images/publications/rockefeller-2014.jpg","topics":["Social Innovation","Hackathon","Design Thinking","Technology"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(o){const i={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...o.components};return t(n,{children:[e(i.h2,{children:\\"About This Event\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"The Rockefeller Foundation convened innovators, technologists, and educators to collaborate on solutions to pressing social challenges through a focused hackathon format.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Participation\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"Contributed expertise in:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Design thinking methodologies\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Educational technology approaches\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Maker-centered problem solving\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Rapid prototyping for social good\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Hackathon Focus\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"The event brought together diverse perspectives to address challenges related to:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Educational equity\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Access to technology\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Community development\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.li,{children:\\"Sustainable solutions\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Outcome\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"The hackathon represented an opportunity to apply maker education principles to broader social challengesâdemonstrating how the skills and mindsets cultivated in makerspaces can translate to real-world impact.\\"})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2014,"permalink":"/publications/rockefeller-2014"},{"title":"Tech DIY: Easy Electronics Projects for Parents and Kids","slug":"tech-diy","subtitle":"Making electronics accessible through soft circuits","type":"book","date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","publisher":"Make Media","coAuthors":["Ji Sun Lee"],"abstract":"An accessible introduction to electronics for children and their parents, focusing on soft circuits that use conductive thread and fabric rather than solder and wire.","coverImage":"/images/publications/tech-diy-cover.jpg","purchaseUrl":"https://www.amazon.com/Make-Tech-Electronics-Projects-Parents-ebook/dp/B01LVYNECY","to
1pics":["Electronics","Soft Circuits","Family Learning","STEM"],"featured":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const r={h2:\\"h2\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...i.components};return t(e,{children:[n(r.h2,{children:\\"About the Book\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.p,{children:[\\"Tech DIY is an accessible introduction to electronics for children and their parents. The book focuses on \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"soft circuits\\"}),\\"âelectronics projects that use conductive thread, LEDs, and other components sewn into fabric and other materials.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Why Soft Circuits?\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"This approach was intentionally chosen to bridge traditional crafts with high-tech engineering, making electronics more accessible and appealing to a broader demographic, particularly young girls.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"Soft circuits provide a friendly, non-intimidating entry point to electronics. By combining crafting with technology, these projects appeal to a wide range of learners and help demystify electronics for those who might be hesitant about traditional circuitry.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"What\'s Inside\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"The book includes step-by-step projects that teach fundamental electronics concepts through creative, hands-on activities. Projects are designed to be completed together by parents and children, fostering collaborative learning and quality time.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"Learning Together\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"At its core, Tech DIY is about parents and children discovering electronics togetherâbuilding confidence, sparking curiosity, and creating meaningful objects that light up, respond, and delight.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2017,"permalink":"/publications/tech-diy"},{"title":"What did you make today?","slug":"tedx-nyed-2012","subtitle":"Rethinking education through making","type":"talk","date":"2012-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"TEDxNYED","abstract":"A challenge to rethink educationâshifting from passive consumption to active creation, and asking every student the most important question: What did you make today?","coverImage":"/images/publications/tedx-nyed.jpg","videoEmbed":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpPSe6zrMp4","topics":["Education","Maker Movement","Student Agency","TEDx"],"featured":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(r){const o={h2:\\"h2\\",h3:\\"h3\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...r.components};return t(e,{children:[n(o.h2,{children:\\"The Talk\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"In this TEDxNYED presentation, I challenged the assumption that students should be passive recipients of knowledge.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h2,{children:\\"The Question\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:n(o.strong,{children:\'\\"What did you make today?\\"\'})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"This simple question became a thematic anchor for my work. It shifts the conversation from what students learned to what they createdâfrom consumption to production.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h2,{children:\\"Key Ideas\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h3,{children:\\"The Problem with Traditional Education\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'Schools were designed to produce compliant workers. But the modern economy and the \\"connection revolution\\" have made this model obsolete.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h3,{children:\\"The Shift to Making\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.p,{children:[\\"When students are deeply invested in a project, they will naturally seek out the necessary facts, skills, and theories to complete it. Learning becomes \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"demand-driven\\"}),\\" rather than supply-driven.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h3,{children:\\"The Teacher\'s New Role\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'The educator doesn\\\\\'t need to be an expert in every new tool. Instead, they become a \\"resourceful\\" co-learner who helps students navigate the process of inquiry.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.h2,{children:\\"The Legacy\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"This talk articulated principles that have guided my career: maker empowerment, student agency, and the belief that everyone can be a creator.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","year":2012,"permalink":"/publications/tedx-nyed-2012"},{"title":"World Maker Faire Panels","slug":"world-maker-faire","type":"talk","date":"2019-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","venue":"World Maker Faire New York","location":"New York, NY","abstract":"Participated in multiple panels and presentations at World Maker Faire New York from 2012-2019, discussing maker education, the Nerdy Derby, and the future of making.","coverImage":"/images/publications/world-maker-faire.jpg","topics":["Maker Faire","Maker Education","Nerdy Derby","Community"],"featured":false,"body":"const{Fragment:n,jsx:e,jsxs:r}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(t){const i={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...t.components};return r(n,{children:[e(i.h2,{children:\\"About World Maker Faire\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"World Maker Faire New York was the flagship event of the global maker movement, attracting tens of thousands of attendees annually to celebrate creativity, invention, and DIY culture.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Panel Participation (2012-2019)\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"Over the years, participated in numerous panels and presentations including:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.li,{children:[e(i.strong,{children:\\"Education Stage Discussions\\"}),\\": Exploring how to bring making into schools\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.li,{children:[e(i.strong,{children:\\"Nerdy Derby Events\\"}),\': Running and discussing the \\"no rules\\" racing competition\']}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.li,{children:[e(i.strong,{children:\\"Maker Education Panels\\"}),\\": Connecting educators and makers\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",r(i.li,{children:[e(i.strong,{children:\\"Future of Making Discussions\\"}),\\": Trends and predictions for the maker movement\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.h2,{children:\\"Impact\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",e(i.p,{children:\\"World Maker Faire served as a vital gathering point for the maker community, providing opportunities to share ideas, build connections, and inspire the next generation of makers.\\"})]})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:r}=n.components||{};return r?e(r,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","year":2019,"permalink":"/publications/world-maker-faire"}]'),o=JSON.parse('[{"title":"Origins","slug":"origins","order":1,"subtitle":"The tinkerer who dismantled TVs","yearStart":1977,"yearEnd":2007,"summary":"Before becoming an educator, I was a tinkererâfrequently the subject of faculty meetings, but always building, dismantling, and exploring.","pullQuote":"I was not a traditionally successful student. I was frequently the subject of faculty meetings where teachers attempted to understand my lack of engagement with standard assignments.","heroImage":"/images/chapter
1s/origins-hero.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const r={h2:\\"h2\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...i.components};return t(e,{children:[n(r.h2,{children:\\"The Early Tinkerer\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"By my own account, I was not a traditionally successful student. I was frequently the subject of faculty meetings where teachers attempted to understand my lack of engagement with standard assignments.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"In reality, my intellectual energy was directed toward self-designed engineering projectsâbuilding treehouses or dismantling televisions in the family basement to understand their inner workings.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"The Outsider Perspective\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\'This early experience of being \\"outside\\" the traditional success metrics of schooling would later become a cornerstone of my pedagogical philosophy. It fueled a lifelong commitment to validating diverse forms of intelligence and creative expression.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"City Hunt\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.p,{children:[\\"Before entering the field of education, I co-founded a company called \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"City Hunt\\"}),\\", which specialized in creating analog scavenger hunts. Working with City Hunt eventually led to exploring how mobile technologyâspecifically SMS messagingâcould enhance these interactive experiences.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"This technical curiosity served as the catalyst for the next chapter: enrollment in NYU\'s Interactive Telecommunications Program.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","permalink":"/journey#origins"},{"title":"Discovery","slug":"discovery","order":2,"subtitle":"Finding the maker movement at NYU ITP","yearStart":2007,"yearEnd":2011,"summary":"NYU\'s Interactive Telecommunications Program introduced me to physical computing, digital fabrication, and the maker movementâproviding the framework that would define my career.","pullQuote":"ITP is a center for the recently possibleâa place where high-tech engineering meets low-tech tinkering.","heroImage":"/images/chapter
1s/discovery-hero.jpg","body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(i){const r={h2:\\"h2\\",li:\\"li\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",ul:\\"ul\\",...i.components};return t(e,{children:[n(r.h2,{children:\\"The Center for the Recently Possible\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\'The Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University is widely regarded as a \\"center for the recently possible\\"âfocusing on the creative application of emerging technologies.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"A New Framework\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"It was in this environment that I was introduced to the formal concepts of:\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.ul,{children:[\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.li,{children:[n(r.strong,{children:\\"Physical computing\\"}),\\": Bridging the digital and physical worlds\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.li,{children:[n(r.strong,{children:\\"Digital fabrication\\"}),\\": Making ideas tangible\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.li,{children:[n(r.strong,{children:\\"The maker movement\\"}),\\": A community of creators\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\'The ITP ethosâa blend of high-tech engineering and low-tech \\"tinkering\\"âprovided the theoretical and practical framework that would define my subsequent career.\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"GreenFab: Theory Meets Practice\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(r.p,{children:[\\"Fresh from graduation, my first major contribution was leadership of the \\",n(r.strong,{children:\\"GreenFab initiative\\"}),\\" (2009-2011). Managed in partnership with Vision Education & Media, Sustainable South Bronx, and NYU ITP, GreenFab was an NSF-funded program designed to teach STEM concepts to high school students in the South Bronx.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"At the time, this was the poorest congressional district in the United States.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.h2,{children:\\"The Realization\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"GreenFab proved that maker education wasn\'t just for privileged students at elite institutions. Given access to tools and mentorship, young people from any background could become creators and problem-solvers.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(r.p,{children:\\"This realization would shape everything that followed.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","permalink":"/journey#discovery"}]'),s=JSON.parse('[{"title":"Hello World","slug":"hello-world","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z","description":"The first post on my new blog. A place for reflections on making, teaching, and building.","tags":["meta"],"featured":false,"published":false,"body":"const{jsx:e}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(n){const t={p:\\"p\\",...n.components};return e(t.p,{children:\\"Welcome to my blog. More to come.\\"})}return{default:function(n={}){const{wrapper:t}=n.components||{};return t?e(t,{...n,children:e(_createMdxContent,{...n})}):_createMdxContent(n)}};","readingTime":1,"permalink":"/blog/hello-world"},{"title":"How I Quit Copy-Paste","slug":"how-i-quit-copy-paste","date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00.000Z","description":"I connected a capable AI agent to my school\'s learning management system through an MCP server â and eliminated hours of weekly tab-toggling. Here\'s what happened next.","tags":["AI","teaching","Canvas LMS","MCP","automation"],"featured":true,"published":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:n,jsxs:t}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(a){const o={a:\\"a\\",em:\\"em\\",img:\\"img\\",p:\\"p\\",strong:\\"strong\\",...a.components};return t(e,{children:[n(o.p,{children:\\"It\'s the end of 2025 and I am so sick and tired of copy-pasting. I swear, if I have to type âC âV one more time, I\'m going to throw this school-issued laptop against a wall.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.p,{children:[\\"I\'m running an experiment where I try to use AI for every possible task at work. I know, I know. I\'m wasting water, burning tokens, and driving up energy costs. But I\'ve always been curious about what technology has recently made possible. I\'m on a quest to figure out how much of my job I \\",n(o.em,{children:\\"can\\"}),\\" automate â and then I\'ll go back and figure out how much of my job I \\",n(o.em,{children:\\"should\\"}),\\" automate.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"I\'m a design and technology teacher, and I find chatbots are genuinely good at helping me develop lesson plans, build learning resources, and draft feedback on student work. I know I\'m not alone in this.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:n(o.img,{src:\\"/images/blog/how-i-quit-copy-paste/gallup-poll.png\\",alt:\\"Frequency of Using AI Tools for Various Teaching Tasks â Gallup Poll showing that teachers most commonly use AI for lesson planning, creating assignments, and modifying materials\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:t(o.em,{children:[\\"Source: \\",n(o.a,{href:\\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/691967/three-teachers-weekly-saving-six-weeks-year.aspx\\",children:\\"Walton Family Foundation-Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow Study\\"})]})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"But there\'s one part of my week that no chatbot has touched: the endless shuttling of words between Chrome tabs to set up Canvas, our learning management system, with detailed pages for each lesson and assessment. I\'m tired of it.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(o.p,{children:[\\"I\'ve spent a few years using the Canvas API to build tools for administrators, teachers, students, and parents, so I figured I\'d try to wrangle Claude Code into automating some of this work. Along the way, I keep running into a term: \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"MCP\\"}),\\", or \\",n(o.strong,{children:\\"Model Context Protocol\\"}),\\". Eventually it clicks. MCP is just a bridge between a chatbot and an external tool. Canvas, for example.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\'On a lark, I google \\"Canvas MCP.\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:n(o.img,{src:\\"/images/blog/how-i-quit-copy-paste/canvas-mcp-repo.png\\",alt:\\"Canvas MCP Server â an open-source MCP server for Canvas LMS with 88 tools and 8 agent skills\\"})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:t(o.em,{children:[\\"Source: \\",n(o.a,{href:\\"https://github.com/vishalsachdev/canvas-mcp/\\",children:\\"Canvas MCP Server\\"}),\\" by Vishal Sachdev\\"]}
1)}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"Angels sing from the heavens. If I can connect Claude to a Canvas MCP, I can quit the copy-paste and do all of my work in one place. No more toggling between tabs. No more âC âV.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"I follow some instructions, struggle for a bit with configuration, and then⦠hello world.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:n(o.img,{src:\\"/images/blog/how-i-quit-copy-paste/claude-class-list.png\\",alt:\'Claude connected to Canvas via MCP, showing my full teaching schedule when I ask \\"What classes am I teaching?\\"\'})}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"Here\'s the thing about AI agents that took me a while to internalize. You don\'t need to tell them exactly how to accomplish a task. You give them the tools, you describe what you want, and they figure out which tools to use and how to combine them. The Canvas MCP is essentially a toolbox the agent reaches into. It gives the agent the ability to create, read, update, and (gulp) delete any information on Canvas.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"So now I plan lessons and assessments with Claude, and then just ask it to post the content to Canvas. I can have it retrieve all the student submissions for an assignment. I jot down rough notes for feedback, and Claude refines them and pushes comments directly into the gradebook. It can build rubrics and use those rubrics to score work.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"This workflow is saving me hours every week. Hours I can spend developing stronger relationships with my students. Hours I can spend improving my automations and building new ones.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"When administration asked if we could automate a daily report flagging any student who received a D or F on an assignment that day, it took a few prompts. Now we get a Slack message at 5 p.m. every weekday.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"When a teacher had to leave our school in March, I built a detailed transition report for the incoming substitute. What had been taught and assessed, what hadn\'t, and which students were at risk.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"When I learned how much time our Department Leads were spending checking every Canvas page and assessment against a long list of compliance requirements, I deployed an automated report that drops a fresh Google Doc into their folder each week.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"None of these were on my roadmap. They\'re emergent capabilities â what becomes possible the moment you connect a capable AI agent to your learning management system through an MCP.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",n(o.p,{children:\\"And I\'m going to teach you how to do it.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:t}=e.components||{};return t?n(t,{...e,children:n(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","readingTime":4,"permalink":"/blog/how-i-quit-copy-paste"},{"title":"Planting Seeds, Growing Software","slug":"planting-seeds-growing-software","date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z","description":"How I built an agentic teacher\'s assistant that connects to Canvas LMS â and discovered that the best software isn\'t built, it\'s grown.","tags":["AI","teaching","agents","Canvas LMS"],"featured":true,"published":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:t,jsxs:a}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(n){const s={a:\\"a\\",em:\\"em\\",p:\\"p\\",...n.components};return a(e,{children:[t(s.p,{children:\\"Over the past few months I\'ve been building an agentic teacher\'s assistant that handles a significant amount of my day-to-day tasks.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"This tool connects to my school\'s learning management system and acts as a chatbot that is loaded with 83 atomic tools and skills like: planning and posting lessons, assignments, assessments, rubrics. It can create, read, and update any content on Canvas.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"It can quickly grade student work and provide feedback that is more helpful and comprehensive than what I can consistently produce by myself.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I have a pedagogical council of AI advisors that help me plan lessons, projects, and assessments. The council is made up of three voices patterned after Seymour Papert, John Dewey, and Maria Montessori. Papert pushes me toward constructionism and learning by making. Dewey keeps me honest about experience and inquiry. Montessori watches for student agency and the prepared environment. I give them a draft lesson, and the council reads it, argues with it, and hands back a revised version.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"It knows all about Franklin\'s core philosophy and organizes learning around nine Transdisciplinary Competencies - skills that cut across every subject and define what it means to be a Franklin graduate. The assistant has a skill called the Serendipity Generator that can look across the curriculum of all my colleagues and identify transdisciplinary project opportunities that align to student interests.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",a(s.p,{children:[\\"All of this is done in one chat experience. There is no copying or pasting. Once I approve my assistant\'s draft, I have it pushed to Canvas. It cannot \\",t(s.em,{children:\\"publish\\"}),\\" to Canvas. That is a design choice. I want to ensure that I do a final check on Canvas before I push the publish button and make any content viewable by students. All student names and identifiers are replaced with anonymous IDs before anything hits the large language model. This tool is FERPA compliant.\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Because I built this as an AI Agent with small tools and skills plus access to our learning management system, it can combine those tools and skills to express emergent capabilities that it was not originally designed for.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"When one of our science teachers unexpectedly had to leave mid-year, I was able to generate a comprehensive transition report for administration and the substitute teacher about where her classes were, what had been taught, what hadn\'t been taught, how each individual student was doing.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"When the grade level deans needed a daily report that shows what students got D\'s or F\'s on any assignments that day, I was able to spin it up with a few prompts and a Slack bot that now automates that task.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"The Department Leads used to spend hours each week checking every Canvas page and assessment to check for c
1ompliance with a list of Franklin guidelines. I was able to ask my tool to create and automate that report. So now they receive a Google Doc at the end of each week that flags any issues on Canvas.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"When we want to get a full picture of how a particular student is doing on their nine Transdisciplinary Competencies, I can search out all assignments and assessments that the student has ever done to curate a portfolio of work that demonstrates or fails to demonstrate those skills.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",a(s.p,{children:[\\"I love building with AI and for AI Agents. In January, I started with a few small tools that could accomplish specific tasks. I linked the tools together and learned about \\",t(s.a,{href:\\"https://every.to/guides/agent-native\\",children:\\"Agent Native Architecture\\"}),\\".\\"]}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I realized that I was growing software rather than building it.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:t(s.em,{children:\\"I am planting seeds and wondering: what will this become?\\"})})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:a}=e.components||{};return a?t(a,{...e,children:t(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","readingTime":3,"permalink":"/blog/planting-seeds-growing-software"},{"title":"The Tools Aren\'t the Point","slug":"the-tools-arent-the-point","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z","description":"Eight weeks into my first teaching job, I realized report card comments for 450 students were impossible. Twenty years and twenty AI tools later, I stopped asking how to grade faster and started asking what teachers should actually be doing with their time.","tags":["AI","teaching","Claude Code","automation","reflection"],"featured":true,"published":true,"body":"const{Fragment:e,jsx:t,jsxs:n}=arguments[0];function _createMdxContent(a){const s={h2:\\"h2\\",p:\\"p\\",...a.components};return n(e,{children:[t(s.p,{children:\\"Eight weeks into my first teaching job, I realized that I had to write personalized report card comments, one paragraph for each of my students in 4th through 9th grade. All 450 of them. Two weeks sounds like plenty of time. But I am a procrastinating writer. I agonize over every word. The best way to get me to clean my house is to give me a writing task.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I don\'t remember how I did it. I\'m sure I asked for every extension available. But I remember the feeling. The thing I was supposed to be doing, telling each student something true and specific about their learning, was mentally and physically impossible. Since that first experience with report cards, I have been working on easier ways to get this done without compromising the authenticity and utility of each comment.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Over the years I built comment banks, mail merges, batch grading routines. I even learned programming languages just to automate parts of the task. I got faster. But faster isn\'t the same as better. Every one of those tricks was just a more efficient way of coping with the same impossible math: the feedback that actually matters to students and parents, the specific, personal, timely kind, is the feedback that takes the most time to write. And every hour I spent on comments was an hour I wasn\'t reflecting and working with students.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.h2,{children:\\"Something Changed\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Something changed in January 2026. I started using Claude Code.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\'I\\\\\'d been messing around with AI tools before the release of ChatGPT. I even built and deployed a tool that uses rubrics and submission comments to draft report cards. But this year the technology got good enough that I stopped asking \\"how do I get through this grading pile faster\\" and started asking something different: \\"does this task actually need me?\\"\'}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I literally went through my workday task by task and tried to automate everything I could. I trained an AI on 462 of my actual comments from past semesters. Not a generic \\\\\\"teacher voice.\\\\\\" My voice. My patterns, my phrasing, the way I balance honesty with encouragement. Then I built a system around it. It pulls student submissions, scores them against the rubric, drafts feedback that sounds like me, and shows me everything before a single grade gets posted. I review every piece of feedback. I change what needs changing. But I\'m editing now, not writing from scratch. That\'s a different job.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.h2,{children:\\"Twenty Tools in Three Months\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Grading was just the beginning. Over the past three months I\'ve built over twenty tools. AI Skills and Agents that handle lesson planning, content creation, competency tracking, and course audits, all wired directly into our school\'s learning management system through API connections. Every tool respects student privacy. Anonymization is built into the data layer, and sensitive documents like IEPs and 504 plans never touch the AI.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I built a tool that turned a chapter of a Spanish novel into 31 quiz questions in minutes. I built another that generated an honest transition report when a colleague left mid-year, showing the substitute exactly what had been taught, what hadn\'t been graded, and where each student stood. I built a gamified grading interface that turns the feedback loop into an 8-bit video game. I started recording my classes (with student consent) and feeding the transcripts to three AI-simulated educational philosophers (Montessori, Dewey, and Papert) who review every lesson and tell me what worked and what didn\'t. Then the system updates my next lesson plan and Canvas content on its own.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Maybe the tool I\'m most proud of is one that builds a narrative portrait of each student\'s growth across all their courses. It pulls every rubric assessment, every teacher comment, and actual excerpts of student work, then assembles a \\\\\\"Portrait of a Graduate\\\\\\" that tells the story of who that student is becoming. No percentages. No point values. Just rubric level names, real teacher quotes, and the student\'s own writing. The kind of document I always wished I had time to create for every kid.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Over twenty tools. Three months. One procrastinating writer who got tired of staring down report card comments by hand. The tools aren\'t the point, though. What I\'m able to do with the time is.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.h2,{children:\\"The Work That No AI Can Do\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"When I wasn\'t spending my time grading, I built interactive explorable explanations inspired by Bret Victor, where students discover how stochastic gradient descent works by dragging sliders and watching the math respond in real time. When I wasn\'t manually assembling and posting Canvas modules, I was rethinking what my courses should actually feel like. When I wasn\'t buried in the administrative side of teaching, I was doing the work that no AI can do: designing experiences that make hard concepts click, having real conversations with students, being the kind of teacher I got into this for.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"The tools won\'t replace me. They cleared away the busywork so I could do the job I actually signed up for.\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.h2,{children:\\"What\'s Next\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"Over the next several weeks, I\'m going to share everything I built. How
1it works, what failed, what surprised me. Not because the technology is the story. But because it points at a question every school is going to have to answer soon: if AI can handle the administrative and algorithmic parts of teaching, what should teachers actually be doing with their time?\\"}),\\"\\\\n\\",t(s.p,{children:\\"I have an answer. It starts with what my school calls its nine transdisciplinary skills. The Human Superpowers.\\"})]})}return{default:function(e={}){const{wrapper:n}=e.components||{};return n?t(n,{...e,children:t(_createMdxContent,{...e})}):_createMdxContent(e)}};","readingTime":5,"permalink":"/blog/the-tools-arent-the-point"}]')}}]);
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