Failure and Growth Mindset
Why We Need More Ignite Talks and Less Software Training in High School
“Why do we have to give a speech during a Microsoft Office class?” – Disgruntled Student “Software changes too fast. Let’s learn something you’ll use your whole life, like how to talk about something you care about in a clear, concise way.” – Me. “Enlighten us, but make it quick.” An Ignite talk is exactly […]
Taking Students to Conferences
A teacher friend told me, “Why did you bring students to the conference..that’s where you go to get AWAY from them!” I bit my tongue, but I thought to myself, “Because I LIKE my students, and I want to help them become young professionals.” Isn’t that why we became teachers? To make a difference? Why Take […]
Building a Business in the Classroom Part 4: Traction
For weeks my students and I gathered, asking “Where are the customers? Why aren’t they responding to our advertising?” Some students got frustrated that customers weren’t breaking down the door to give us money. Turns out, this struggle was just what we needed. The Push The more frustrated we got, the more determined we were […]
3 Ways to Teach Computer Science through Game Design
There is more to computer science than programming, I know. So just for fun, let’s see the ways game design meets ALL the CS strands as defined in the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) K-12 Computer Science Standards. Each time I see a standard being met, I’ll shout out in parenthesis one of the below strands. I’m […]
Building a Business in the Classroom Part 3: Grit9 Emerges
We finally have a name, we are “Grit 9 Design”. Grit9 came out of many iterations and consults with trusted peers, former students, colleagues, and other business owners. We even utilized the pros-in-the-classroom services of Nepris, who hooked us up with Colin Dwan, owner of Prologue Games, to help us choose a good name. Why the […]
Building a Business in the Classroom Part 2: The Plan
Our entrepreneurial club’s identity is being formed. We actually are not even a club, we’re an EdCorp, (created by the twitch-inducing minds at Real World Scholars) which is defined as : EdCorp: Education Corporation – a web based, student run business that operates out of a K-12 classroom as a way to foster real world skills. As […]
Building a Business in the Classroom Part 1: The Pitch
LARP in school, Not Just Gen Con
Call me Jeffery Baker. I’m a coal baron in the United States circa 1874. Along with my good buddy David Montgomery (and real life good friend Steve Isaacs) who owns most of the railroads, are at a wedding reception in Long Island, NY for the wedding reception of Jacob Tyler (TX redneck cattleman) and Paulette […]
Game Design as a High School Course: Gateway to Computer Science?
“I wish they had fun classes like that when I was in school”. – Student Parents That’s how you know you’re on the right track. Alumni and parents of students tell you they’re jealous. Starting at my new school, Elida High School, I was given a lot of freedom to design new courses that […]