Project-Based Learning

What is a makerspace and how can makerspaces change the landscape of education? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Caroline Haebig, author of The Maker Playbook: A Guide to Creating Inclusive Learning Environments. Caroline sheds light on today’s makerspace movement and the benefits of high-impact, inclusive maker learning culture inside schools and school systems.   Listen in to learn how educators from different fields can use a makerspace to foster innovative design thinking and creativity, the importance of integrating design ethics into the prototype design process, and the must-have and nice-to-have materials (both raw and digital) to include in a makerspace. Then, Caroline offers expert advice on finding entry points in your curriculum for maker learning and creating a more inclusive culture in your makerspace.   “Maker learning has a lot of opportunity to help kids develop their metacognition, reflection, and self-assessment skills.”  - Caroline Haebig   Caroline’s Tips for Teachers and Parents: Maximize opportunities for kids to share curiosities and ask questions. Provide a scaffolded design process so students know what they’re expected to know, do, and engage with during specific parts of the design process. Get kids to think and talk about the choices and decisions they are making.  Resources Mentioned: The Maker Playbook by Caroline Haebig Makedo morphi app Disruptus Mission Feature Feature Tinkercad ScratchJr   Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?  Access a variety of creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity Podcast by visiting our website,  www.CreativityandEducation.com.   Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!   Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!   You can also find The Fueling Creativity Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!   About Caroline Haebig: Based in Wisconsin, Caroline Haebig has extensive experience designing and leading professional learning for teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators nationwide. Focused on helping educators develop innovative teaching, learning, and assessment practices, she has successfully facilitated student, teacher, and administrator preparation for school system 1:1 technology initiatives to support student learning and led district -wide work in the areas of inclusive maker learning and technological literacy.  Caroline Haebig is also the author of The Maker Playbook: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences, a book for K-12 leaders and educators. An accomplished educator, Haebig was named an ISTE Emerging Leader, Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and a recipient of the Wisconsin State Superintendent Service-Learning Award, the University of Indiana Jacobs Educator Award, and the ISTE Outstanding Young Educator award.    Connect with Caroline Haebig on LinkedIn Follow Caroline on Twitter

Why is inquiry-based learning such a powerful part of modern education? In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Dr. Frank LaBanca, a teacher, educational researcher, and change agent based in Connecticut. Frank is one of the few public-school principals, nationally, that teaches students in his own classroom. Tune in to learn his approach to inquiry-based learning, a significant part of his strategic planning in founding the Westside Middle School Academy Magnet.    Frank shares why he prioritizes inquiry-based learning in the classroom over other approaches to education as well as the role of inquiry-based learning in developing creativity and problem-solving skills. He speaks on the power of teaching students to ask meaningful questions, how he does that, and how he helps teachers develop the capacity to implement and manage project-based learning in the classroom.    “Inquiry is questioning and investigation. In that simple elegance, it’s a wonderful way to approach learning because children can ask meaningful questions and seek their own idiosyncratic, diverse methods to try to solve those problems.” - Dr. Frank LaBanca   Frank also highlights the value of teachers not being the ultimate evaluators of students’ work, rather their work being evaluated by others in the real world. Then, he divulges how he selected new faculty for his school, the challenges he and his administrative colleagues are currently facing, and how his creative projects outside of school that inspire his professional development.   Frank’s Tips for Teachers and Parents: Spend time problem-finding. Don’t rush students through the process of developing ideas for study. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Let it be exciting to not have answers for your students’/kids’ questions. Have confidence to facilitate the process of finding their own answers. There’s a continuum between developing ideas and solving ideas.  Don't be focused on just solving ideas.   “Developing questions takes time and students need and deserve the time to go through that process of evaluating questions.” - Dr. Frank LaBanca   “I think a really important part of inquiry is you learn to do and about at the same time.” - Dr. Frank LaBanca   Resources Mentioned: Listen to the episode with Natalie NixonListen to the episode with Jeffrey Davis Listen to the episode with Dr. Vlad Glaveanu Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?  Access a variety of creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity Podcast by visiting our website,  www.CreativityandEducation.com.   Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!   You can also find The Fueling Creativity Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!   About Dr. Frank LaBanca: Dr. Frank LaBanca is a teacher, educational researcher, and change agent. He is the Founding Principal of the Westside Middle School Academy magnet in Danbury, Connecticut. Previously he was the Director of the Center for 21st Century Skills at Education Connection as well as a 16-year high school biology and science research teacher. Dr. LaBanca has also taught and supervised research at the university level in both Biology and Educational Leadership. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, whitepapers, and research conference presentations. Having taught well over 2000 students, Dr. LaBanca’s most meaningful contribution to education is conducting extended open-inquiry authentic applied research with students. Over his tenure, numerous students have been nationally recognized for their work. He is one of the few public school principals, nationally, that teaches his own class with students.    Visit Frank’s website  Visit his blog Follow him on Twitter Connect with him on LinkedIn    

In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview Dr. Sally Reis, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, about why teachers need to be more aware of gifted and talented students, including 2e students, and why there’s a big focus on creativity in this field of gifted education. She also offers recommendations on how we can continue breaking down the challenges women and young girls face in STEM education and leadership.  Sally shares her thoughts on why creativity isn’t incorporated into mainstream education curriculums as much as it is for gifted students, as well as her framework for schoolwide enrichment reading and exploration of passions and interests. We also discuss the beneficial impacts of facilitating creative and productive activities in school, including science fairs and writing books. Then, using the concept of multi-potentiality, Sally addresses parental concerns with navigating their children’s many interests and talents.  “One of the major goals of many gifted education models and programs is the development of students’ creativity so that we will have the next generation of inventors, producers, painters, artists, engineers, high creatives that are doing good work in our society. This type of education benefits the entire globe.” - Sally Reis Sally’s Tips for Parents & Teachers: Exposure, exposure, exposure! Take your kids to museums, watch Tedx talks with them, watch good TV and films, expose them to nature, and so much more. Help your children develop an interest. Good exposure leads to strong interests. Interests may not last, but their capacity to have interests is critical. Having interests makes life better. Integrate project-based learning. Doing experiments and hands-on projects helps them nurture their creative fire, develop passions, and have fun while learning.   Resources Mentioned: Schoolwide Enrichment Model: https://gifted.uconn.edu/schoolwide-enrichment-model Schoolwide Enrichment Model Reading Framework: https://gifted.uconn.edu/semr-about   About Sally Reis: Sally Reis is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, and a Teaching Fellow in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. She currently holds the Letitia Neag Chair in Educational Psychology. She was a public school teacher and administrator for 15 years, prior to her work at UConn. She has authored more than 250 articles, books, book chapters, monographs and technical reports. She has traveled extensively across the country conducting workshops and providing professional development for school districts on enrichment programs and gender equity programs. Sally serves on the editorial board of the Gifted Child Quarterly, and is a past-president of The National Association for Gifted Children. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and was named a Distinguished Scholar of the National Association for Gifted Children.   Connect with Sally: Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sally-reis-4304b810    Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?  Access a variety of creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity Podcast by visiting our website: www.CreativityandEducation.com    You can also find The Fueling Creativity Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!  

Cyndi Burnett and Matthew Worwood, interview renowned creativity and education researcher Ron Beghetto in a two-part episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast. This first episode defines creativity inside the context of teaching and learning and considers how to teach children how to identify when creativity is most appropriate.    To learn more about the work of Ron Beghetto, click here.