The Four Freedoms of Play and Common Core Standardized Testing
I was inspired by Scot Osterweil’s recent presentation at GLS, in which he presented his four freedoms of play: Freedom to Experiment Freedom to...
Read MoreThe Gravity Ether Educator Resource Packet
It’s here! We’ve spent the past few months working with Institute of Play to develop and refine a tool for educators using the Gravity Ether in th...
Read MoreHomemade device to record your iPad with your iPhone using popsicle sticks and rubber bands
So at Iridescent, we like to live what we preach. We don’t just ask kids to make things from scratch, we do it too. Recently I decided that I ne...
Read More5 Signals that an “Educational Game” Isn’t Really a Game
Kids love games, but why do they hate educational games? The short answer is that most aren’t truly games, because being gamelike means a lot mo...
Read MoreHow to support teens in leading STEM “Curious Sessions” for Youth
This is a guest post from After School Matters, an organization we work with in Chicago. This past spring we partnered with some of their wonderful te...
Read MoreFixed vs. Growth Mindsets
When I encountered Carol Dweck and her work on mindsets for the first time, I could almost physically feel a shift in my understanding. No gradual rev...
Read MoreSimilarities between Communism and the Common Core
When I was on my high school debate team, we would discuss all kinds of philosophical principles “in theory.” I remember several discussio...
Read MoreA Quick Look at the Common Core
As testing begins to roll out in the first states to adopt the Common Core standards, we thought it would be useful to talk about Common Core–wh...
Read MorePartnering with Libraries
Happy National Library Week! We love libraries and working with them, and thought we’d take the chance to celebrate some by talking about some of ou...
Read MoreA 4-stage model for training engineers and scientists to help bridge the gap between home and school
Children spend the majority of their waking hours (80%) each year outside of school (cite), yet the emphasis on education is placed primarily on teach...
Read MoreFunction vs. Aesthetics in data visualization
To me there are two aspects to data communication: aesthetics and functionality. Aesthetics is obvious, it’s the visual appeal of a graphic, but fun...
Read MoreMumbai slum girls innovating where governments can’t and markets won’t
I watched Slumdog Millionaire many years ago and cried. I grew up in India and routinely saw little, maimed beggar children on crossroads and never th...
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