Mark Gerl

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Python class: Student is using Turtles, & wants a pen up / down function based on keyboard input Me: Did you check the knowledge base? S: No M: Read the knowledge base S:*reading* Ohhhhh that's how that works! Reading is a superpower now 🙄 #EduSky #Python #RT_M

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Printed 36 smaller versions of designs 6th graders created for 1st graders. If you ever want to feel like a hero, deliver 4 plates of designer chocolate to 7 year olds. #♥️🖨️🍫 @ellierose.me @mattstultz.bsky.social #EduSky #3DChocolate

Be careful. Tests are biased. Computer programs are biased. Any instrument of data collection and analysis is biased. If you recognize the biases and attempt to reconcile them, I’ll pay attention. If you assume they are unbiased, then I won’t.

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome AI foundations class creating Teachable Machines, training for Up Down Left Right data. It could be sounds, images or poses They are wildly creative in their choices. Next class = trained machine predictions used to navigate a maze in Scratch. #EduSky #AIinEDU #Creativity

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome A student, now a senior, came by to say hi. She was part of a class I pitched to my principal as "What would kids learn if they could learn anything they want?" 5 years later she was raving about everything she still remembers. 🥲 #EduSky #ImNotCryingYoureCrying #TeachBoldly

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome in Python class, had a student admit "at summercamp, we did python, but all we did was copy paste the examples. Here I have to figure things out. I'm actually learning how this works!" Amazing what happens when you design curriculum for how brains really work. #EduSky

*Imagines bringing back learning for the sake of learning and play because play is learning. Play is work.*

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome New class for 5thGd VR Design in @delightex.com "Can we start coding now?" After I show you how to start a scene. "Now?" Still showing you how to start "NOW?" Here's how to add characters to the scene "NOWWW???" Okay ....Now! #EduSky #LeverageCuriosity #LetThemCode

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome New Term, New Classes. Was able to use one of the lessons from @raspberrypiorg.bsky.social AI in Education Fellowship resources as an introduction to Neural Networks and Data Science. Excited to see where the students go with their projects. #EduSky #DataSCience

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Mobile App Design wrapped up with reflections on what they've learned & why AI can't replace Developers. Full Stack Development Empathy Curiosity Creativity Crazy Ideas Server Specs Security protocols Accessibility Issues Little things really... #EduSky. #VibeCoding

When we think about future-ready classrooms, we don't need to "add" a thing. It is the process of learning, not the content of learning, that builds the skills students need. www.thecreativeeducator.com/2023/article...

Margaret Hamilton was a true Ada Lovelace of the 20th century.

ah damn, RIP Margaret Hamilton. she took safety-critical software engineering seriously, and got people to the moon and back. news.mit.edu/2026/margare...

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Wrapping up SolarPunk class with Lander Stoddard, an ambassador for @aptera.us A brief overview of Innovation, a history of the design & company, then students got to explore a scale model of the production design Great way to continue thinking Solar🌞 #EduSky #SolarPunk

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Letting students "vibe code" with Gemini in App Design class. One student showed his displeasure with our web filtering by turning it into an asteroids like game. Gotta love a good creative protest! Next: Do it better without AI. #EduSky #AppDesign #GoogleGemini

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome VR Book report peer reviews happened. Given the range of books, & shorter than usual development time, it was wild to see students responding to other students. @delightex.com makes student creation quick & intuitive. "Low floors, high ceilings, wide walls"😁 #EduSky #VREdu

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Prototypes for chocolates after interviews with 1st graders. I wish I had edible spray paint to make this a Golden Ticket. #♥️🍫🖨️ #EduSky #3DChocolatePrinter

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 5th gd VR Book Reports in @delightex.com are almost done. As students are testing in the headset there is that mix of "oh this is cool!" & "Wait, that's different from the laptop!". Yes, it is very cool AND you need to fix it. Two things can be true. #EduSky #VREdu

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Back at school after @3dprintopia.bsky.social 3 of a class of 7 have finished their Interactive Jewelry projects. #4 & 5 are within 20-30 min. I hope in the future there will be a designer / engineer / maker presenting their work, that started this year. #Edusky

Since 2015, I've done at least 1 presentation a year, except for 25-26. I took a year off to reset & recharge. In 2 hours, I'll be on The Build Platform at #3DPrintopia with "10 Things I've Learned Teaching Kids to 3D Print in Chocolate". LET'S GOOOOOOOO! ❤️🖨️🍫 #EduSky #PathToKeynote

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome In Philly for #3DPrintopia. Had to go to Reading Terminal Market. My introvert that hates crowds lost to my ravenous hunger for awesome food. So much awesome food!

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 6th grade Design Studio interviewed our clients, the 1st grade students. 😁 The teachers told them there was a secret chocolate factory at school, & these were the workers. Now my class want to be OompaLoompas. This is how I prepare for #3DPrintopia ❤️🍫🖨 #EduSky #CocoaPress

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome in SolarPunk class, we used Internet in a box, a local server that runs on @raspberrypi.com Students selected up to 90 GB of resources to help survive & rebuild after an apocalypse event Most of them added K-12 Edu from LibreText 😁 Maybe they do value education! #EduSky

#TosaysMomentOfAwesome Working in @delightex.com teaching about variables. There is something ethereal watching the A-ha! moment that variables change as needed & alter how the program runs. Thanks to @raspberrypiorg.bsky.social for "The Big Book of Computing Pedagogy" #EduSky #CompSciForLife

"We have to redesign the student experience to undermine the transactional system of schooling and instead focus on learning and development as the goal." buff.ly/YY9QeXm

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design moving from coding tutorials to design choices & UX. Test, retest, test again. I love watching them work through the stuff that's not in the tutorials to find their own voices. One student even found the tools to make his app text the ToDo list. #EduSky #UX

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design class: Make a ToDo List with Add Item, Delete Item, Clear List. As students finished & tested, there were multiple "YES!" shouts, the metric they really learned something not just followed instructions. Next is #UX to make it intuitive. #EduSky #UX4Learning #LX

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design, they made a translation app. For those who finished early, the extension goal is "Make it awful UX ". One student turned in this design. Spelling mistakes, bad colors, but the background image made it. @celiahodent.com This is UX in the classroom 😉 #EduSky #UX

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome SolarPunk Engineering moves to explore Wind power along with solar. First question to answer "How much wind do you need to make electricity?" More than we expected... Much more than it takes to blow out candles. Next: optimizing turbine blades. #EduSky #SolarPunkCurriculum

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome What should have been a fun, self paced, independent project crashed & burned hard. 2/3 of the class couldn't access the instructions. Without instructions, they lost focus & gave up. The awesome in such chaos? It motivates me to be even better. #EduSky #LearnFromFailure

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Interactive Jewelry class added RGB LEDs to micro:Bits, creating sound reactive, motion sensing, button pressing systems on the go. I always evaluate a class by how many "It works!" moments. Today was 100% epiphany all around.😁 I deserve a treat 🍦 #EduSky #DesignClasses

Launch Design is now a partner and strategic investor in Aptera, and they're how we cross the gap between a vehicle that works and a vehicle that can be built ten thousand times over. Now they're joining forces with Aptera to aid our path to high-volume production. → youtu.be/cj74QyhK0Rk

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Project Aptera Day 4: The Engineers have finished their models so it's time to print prototypes. Some engineers are a little more eager than others. We did hand out the @aptera.us stickers because every good engineer has to have stickers. #EduSky #SolarPunk #3DPrinting

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Interactive Jewelry class learns to program micro:Bits A student made "digital sand" that shifts with a tilt. In 25 minutes. Last year I got digital sand from @print-kits.bsky.social that took me 3 hours not counting 3D printing the case. Kids these days.... #EduSky

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Project Aptera Day 3: Students are designing their own frames for solar cars. After what we've learned from @aptera.us they're looking to make lean, aerodynamic, lightweight designs that can support solar panel & motor. Next step: 3d Printing! #EduSky #SolarPunk #MakerEDU

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design Class learned about wireframe prototypes, sketching out the layout of a screen. The objective was "a phone app for teachers to monitor students computer usage as they walk around in class" They did not disappoint! #EduSky #UXDesign #UXDesignersOfTheFuture

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Solarpunk class progressing. We looked at Aptera designs, read design notes from the website, & compared Aptera models to Solar Racers. Lo Rez prototypes with LEGO for frames. Next will be 3D CAD design for new frames for Solar panel & Motor. @aptera.us #EduSky #Solarpunk

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome "Good worksheets are good. Bad worksheets are bad." Wise words from one of the greatest educational minds @nancyeblairblack.bsky.social Students brainstorming potential designs for their chocolate printing projects. Amazing seeing them think. #EduSky #3DChocolate #♥️🍫🖨️

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Solar Punk class Project Aptera @aptera.us continues. Testing stock solar racer 3 meter & 5 meter. Avg 3m was 6.34 sec. Avg 5m was 9.05 sec. The next challenge: Build a better solar car that beats the average. 🌞🌞🌞 #EduSky #SolarPunk #ProjectBasedLearning #Constructionism

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome A new group learning to solder! I'm still so impressed & amazed at the pride they show in their work & the joy they have in their learning. @emmafletcher.bsky.social @acolborn.bsky.social Your legacy & influence continues to yet another year. #EduSky #LearnToSolder

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Teaching a new curriculum "Solarpunk Engineering". 1st project = build solar cars, measure speed over 3 meters. Look at @aptera.us & how they optimize solar powered cars. Redesign our kits to optimize like Aptera did. Can we outperform stock designs? #EduSky #SolarPunk

Was just playing with a @raspberrypi.com 400 connected to my tv, having flashbacks to 1982 & a TRS-80. That sense of learning to code, opening so many possibilities in my 13 yo brain... it was transcendent! Time to eat some Cap'n Crunch, read comic books, & ignore homework until Sunday night.

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Started Interactive Jewelry Class with quick overview of MakeCode. First responses were immediate ideas about possible projects. Not an hour later, I get the notice that the Learn To Solder Kits have arrived. Tuesday morning we will begin soldering! #EduSky #MakeToLearn

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 1st day of real classes. Kids were excited, energetic. Grateful to Alecia Blackwood for the word "Sawubona", Zulu greeting that says "I see you". The students are not data points, grades or scores. They are people looking for ideas. I see them. #EduSky #Sawubona

#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Today was Orientation for new families to the school. Seeing the change from anxiety to excitement is another underrated reason why teaching is awesome. School is scary. I'm anxious too. But it's gonna be okay. "What if I fall?" "Ah child, What if you fly?" #EduSky

If you don't have proper eclipse glasses / filters, try a pinhole camera ... When the sun is whole, images will be circles. When partially eclipsed they will be crescents. You can use a colander or even a Ritz Biscuit. Find out more in my book "Up - a scientist's guide to the magic above us"

"They maybe found a place where they fit, better than they expected". God that sentiment hits home. Give me a story that lets me feel THIS .... I will buy every book, stand in line at DragonCon to get your signature & send you a plate of cookies just to express the deepest gratitude.

New sticker for the laptop to start the new year! Thanks to @aptera.us for a bundle the kids will get when they do their first Solarpunk project #EduSky #Solarpunk #TheFutureIsWhatWeMakeIt

Robotics isn't just engineering. 🤖 It's creativity, psychology, design + problem-solving. When students see a Black woman leading a robotics lab, possibilities expand. Representation matters. #NoireSTEMinist #Robotics #STEM #AI #BlackInEngineering #RepresentationMatters