Somebody actually read my book!

I posted this on my socials but couldn’t resist talking about it on my digital garden. I’m teaching a course this week on coding and Minecraft. All the students are teachers who are learning more about computer science and how to teach it. One of my students had a copy… Continue reading

Next week is Minecraft week!

A whole week of Minecraft? Yes, indeed. I’m teaching a whole week for teachers on how to use Minecraft in their computer science classes! Not only helping CS teachers learn how to use it in their classes, having some serious play time, but even getting paid to do it. Kinda… Continue reading

Mid-year musings — CS in Progressive Ed, pt. 1

I’m learning in public. Which means that I’m not doing the normal everything-is-awesome social media post. I’m trying to figure something out and navigate some tricky pedagogical terrain as a kind of newbie. Just a bit of backstory….. I was hired by a local independent school to teach computer science… Continue reading

CheatGPT?

I’ve written about how AI is going to change education here. But that was back when the AI bomb first detonated and incurred widespread panic in the education field. A year later, and we all know it’s here to stay and we can’t keep it out. And we need to… Continue reading

Computer Science and Progressive Ed?

How can we make CS work in a student voice and choice-driven, gradeless learning environment with true differentiation allowing for student levels and learning styles? That’s the essential question. I know that student engagement is key. I know that big projects are the way to go. I know that "just-in-time"… Continue reading

There are worse addictions

Hi. My name is Bob, and I’m a lifelong learner. Just can’t help it, really. I love learning about almost anything, but my main jam is coding, whether that’s text-based, block-based, Minecraft-based, robots, microBits, art, music, whatever. I love making the language actually DO something, then tinkering with it to… Continue reading

After 1 week back in the saddle

It’s been quite a ride so far, and not one that can be easily reduced to one post. But here’s a start: First, I’m very happy to have found something that just works for me and my schedule at this point in my life. It’s 4 afternoons a week, 2… Continue reading

Back in the saddle again

It’s now officially the night before the first day of school. For me! Again. Only a year ago, I retired from full time classroom teaching. I spent the year busy as always, putting lots of effort into whatever might be next for me. A new business venture, possibilities of tutoring,… Continue reading

A week of Minecraft mania!

This was a first for me — a complete week of doing Minecraft all day, every day. How did I get so lucky? I taught a week of Minecraft in Computer Science at a CSTA PD event for the state of South Carolina, put on by the awesome folks at… Continue reading