Things are slow as the family sets into summer routine, but I keep reading and thinking about what comes next.
This is worth a couple minutes.

https://medium.com/@spencerideas/ten-things-that-happen-when-kids-engage-in-design-thinking-9838b5627233#.2m6jwpm8i

As is

http://maclab.guhsd.net/reimagine/

This last is a 20 minute read.  Sit down and buckle up.

Today it begins in earnest.   I am careening into educational Valhalla, creating a middle school course that is :  gamified, occurs is a maker space, and teaches empathy.  I would say wish me luck but I think luck will play little role.  I have the blessing of my administration, my colleagues, my inner 13 year old, and most importantly my students.

So how do I weave them all together.

Here is my opening salvo:

1.  Use gameon, a wordpress plugin to create the enviroment, maybe someday like this example http://maclab.guhsd.net/)

My fledgeling effort here:  http://gameon.wpengine.com/

2.  We have a maker space and students eager to fill it.

3.  Teaching for empathy.  We are starting with https://www.extraordinaires.com/ as a way to break into making for others gently.

More to come over the next days/weeks/years as I inch closer to spending my days in battle against drill and kill....