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In this episode, Julie and Sarah discuss part of the book, Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play by Mitchel Resnick. They dive into how having structures in the makerspace allow everyone to get the most out of their time here and create freely. Book: Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play by Mitchel Resnick Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

Technology use inside and outside of the classroom is changing. In this episode, Julie and Sarah take a look at how we use technology in the makerspace and dive into the work of Resnick and Papert. Join us as we talk about how technology can be a tool for creating.  Articles We Reference: Guiding Students to Creative Uses of Technology Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play: Seymour Papert's Vision for Learning Science Backs Calls for Limiting Screens in Schools Exploring Creativity, Play, and Learning with Mitch Resnick Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode, we're centering our discussion around a favorite resource of Julie's Ambitious Science Teaching.  Julie brings several resources to support this deep dive into eliciting student thinking, learning new ideas, and the state of learning.  Links: Ambitious Science Teaching  Thinking Routine Teaching Works NSTA Phenomena Evaluation  Intro music: David Biedenbender Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode, were discussing Maker-Centered Learning, a favorite book of our staff. Julie selects several passages and we discuss how close-observation, problem-solving, and seeing yourself as a maker impact outcomes. We stretch the definition of maker is some unexpected ways and talk about how this all relates to our latest celebration: Make and Show.  Learn more about Make and Show Check out Maker-Centered Learning  Music: David Biedenbener  Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

This week, we discuss an article by Heather Bailie Shock called: I Adapted a Hospital Practice for Teacher Prep. It Was Transformative. The article describes how a shes used huddles to make her teaching practices explicit, helping student teachers understand classroom strategies. We talk about how this relates to our work with classroom and pre-service teachers.  Intro Music: David Biedenbender Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode, we discuss how outdoor education in fosters critical thinking, resilience, and interpersonal skills. Julie shares how her personal interest in mountain biking took her on a deep dive into the world of outdoor education, highlighting the benefits of outdoor education in overcoming uncertainty and challenges. Julie's brought her citations and research study to this episode, you won't want to miss it!  Links:  Children and Nature How Does Outdoor Learning Support Children's Critical Thinking  Intro Music: David Biedenbender  Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

This week we discuss an Edutopia article on differentiating instruction without separating students. This article intersects several important aspects of teaching- good questioning strategies, making content accessible for students- and addresses the challenge of doing this when students are coming at a topic from a lot of different places.  Link to Article Intro Music: David Biedenbender Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode, Ashley shares her thoughts on the podcast episode, In Defense of Dabbling with Karen Walrond, which emphasizes the value of being an amateur and trying new things without a serious end goal. They bring up some specific examples from their childhoods, as well as talking about this decidedly non-education focused episode has so many important connections for educators and learners.  Intro Music: David Biedenbener Other Music:  Paul Krasnoshchok from Pixabay Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

Welcome to our new series in Teach Wonder, Everything but the Book Study, where one of us has read the article we are about to discuss, and one of us hasn't. In this episode, Julie brings an article from The Guardian about a Finnish preschool experiment where natural forest elements were imported into schoolyards, enhancing children's health.  Article Link: How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health Intro Music: David Biedenbender  Other Music: Paul Krasnoshchok from Pixabay Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode, we discuss updates to our Educator Institute, a professional learning community focused on equitable teaching practices in STEM. We talk about the challenges we faced when testing our self-reflection tool as one for observation and how we shifted things. If you work with future teachers, or are trying to better your own practice, this episode is a one that talks about the intentional ways we have to self-reflection and pitfalls to avoid when observing others.  Intro Music by: David Biedenbender Music by Viacheslav Starostin  Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

Ashley and Julie discuss the Educator Institute, a project aimed at bridging the gap between classroom teachers and future educators. They emphasize the importance of shared language and practices among educators. They talk about their experiences using the tool to both self-reflection and observe others.  Intro Music: David Biedenbender Other Music: by Clavier Clavier from Pixabay Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode Ashley O'Neil and Julie Cunningham discuss the book Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby as it relates to curiosity and agency. This book was part of the summer work in the Educator Institute, discussed in Episodes 1 and 2. In this episode they've each brought specific examples from the book and explore how these examples challenged or reframed their thinking. Throughout the podcast, the  balance between classroom management and fostering authentic student engagement and self-expression is a central theme. They wrap up the episode by discussing some ways that teachers can sustain these types of practices in the classroom.  Read the book: Troublemakers Intro Music: David Biedenbender  Outro Music:  Leigh Robinson from Pixabay Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

Ashley and Julie are hear talking about what Risky Play has to do with Curiosity in the classroom. They highlight the need for educators to shift from replication to genuine learning, valuing respectful relationships and deeper skills. Ashley reflects on her experience with a homeschool group, noting the challenge of balancing student agency with personal expectations. Link to Article on Risky Play Intro Music: David Biedenbender Outtro Music: Music by Christoph Scholl from Pixabay Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

Ashley O'Neil and Julie Cunningham, hosts of the Teach Wonder podcast, discuss the Educator Institute, a new project at Central Michigan University's Center for Excellence in STEM education. The Educator Institute began this summer when a group of educators and Center staff created a professional learning community who then developed an educator observation tool. This tool is intended to scaffold reflection on equitable classroom practices in STEM education. The tool will be piloted by members of the learning community, Center staff and pre-service teachers who work with children in the maker space at the Center. You are invited to join us on our journey this fall as we make meaning out of our experiences with the tool in our learning community. Intro Music: David Biedenbender    Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese

In this episode we sit down with Steve Frisbee, camp director at the Chippewa Nature Center. We discuss the importance of experiential learning and community in childhood development. Steve emphasizes the shift from content-driven to experience-focused education, highlighting the transformative impact of nature on children's lives. We hear how the center's programs foster risk-taking, social interaction, and personal growth, using examples like frogging and group adventures. This conversation underscores the need for collaboration between parents, educators, and the community to create safe, nature-rich spaces that nurture children's development. You won't want to miss it!  Intro Music by: David Biedenbender Find us on social media:  Instagram: cmichcese Facebook: cmich_cese