Come See What Our Teacher Fellows Are Up To!

As we continue a new year of deep inquiry into maker-centered learning with our 2018-2019 teacher fellowship, it’s always nice to go back to our previous year’s culminating event for inspiration. We are proud to share this video from last year’s culminating event, and give a big thank you to our 2017-2018 teacher fellows for being exemplars and providing us with their Pictures of Practice.

To see what our 2018-2019 teacher fellowship cohort is up to, we cordially invite you to our Agency by Design Oakland Teacher Fellowship - Inquiry Cycle I Culminating Event on December 11, 2018. Please RSVP and join us in celebrating their teacher action research in maker-centered learning!

Educators from 17 Oakland schools and institutions will be represented at the event, including:

• Alliance Academy

• Alameda County Office of Education's Integrated Learning Department

• ASCEND Charter School

• Bret Harte Middle School

• Brookfield Elementary School

• Cleveland Elementary School

• EnCompass Academy

• Frick Impact Academy

• Grass Valley Elementary School

• Lighthouse Community Charter School

• Lodestar Charter School

• Madison Park Academy

• Oakland International High School

• Park Day School

• Roots International Academy

• Roses in Concrete Community School

• Urban Promise Academy

Thank you to our funders: 
Abundance Foundation
Culture of Repair
Rogers Family Foundation

Have questions? Email Nico Chen, our Program Coordinator, at yiishinn.chen@ousd.org.

We will also have an end-of-the-year culminating event for Inquiry Cycle II in May 2019. Stay tuned for more information about this event in Spring 2019.

Creativity and the Discovery of Self

BURCKHALTER MAKER IDENTITY: CREATIVITY AND THE DISCOVERY OF SELF

AN IGNITE TALK BY 2017-2018 AGENCY BY DESIGN OAKLAND TEACHER FELLOW CICELY DAY

"Maker Lunch. Coding Club. Mouse Squad. Maker Wednesdays. Maker Recess. Students CRAVE informal learning spaces to learn about themselves, each other, and about technology."

In her ignite talk "Burckhalter Maker Identity: Creativity and the Discovery of Self!" Cicely Day described the power of making and technology during her time as a Teacher on Special Assignment at Burckhalter Elementary. She describes these making experiences as moments when students are empowered in their learning process while also learning about themselves and their agency within their community.

"Maker-centered learning is a great way to have students create and learn from their mistakes and collaborate with others."

Cicely A. Day
Fab Lab Coach, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Cicely A. Day is from Oakland and went to Oakland Public Schools. She loves tech, coding, art, and making, and is currently the Fab Lab Coach at West Contra Costa Unified School District. During her time as an Agency by Design Oakland teacher fellow, Cicely was a Teacher on Special Assignment at Burckhalter Elementary. Cicely describes Burckhalter as an awesome school with great learners and creators.

Thinking Routines Work - If Used Routinely

THINKING ROUTINES WORK - IF USED ROUTINELY: AN IGNITE TALK BY 2017-2018 AGENCY BY DESIGN OAKLAND TEACHER FELLOW ED CRANDALL

“The students will RESIST. One student told me, ‘This isn’t science. Mr. Crandell, this is a cult.’”

Ed Crandall is the Science, Making and Robotics Teacher at Lighthouse Community Charter School. During his fellowship year, Ed spent his time focused on the Agency by Design thinking routines by consistently incorporating them into his classes. In his talk entitled, "Thinking Routines Work - If Used Routinely," he described thinking routines as a powerful tool for shifting the way our students engage with ideas. 

“Thinking Routines are a strategy that will change your students forever.”

Watch Ed's insightful Ignite Talk below!  And follow the #PictureofPractice hashtag to see more Ignite Talks and leadership from our 2017 - 2018 Teacher Fellows.   

"[Maker-centered learning] provides students who need hands on learning a concrete way to learn, solve problems, and see success."

-Edward Crandall
9th grade Science Teacher and High School Making and Robotics Teacher, Lighthouse Community Charter School, Oakland

Edward Crandall is a relatively old (55) new (8 yrs) teacher who spent most of his adult life as an engineer before becoming a teacher. He teaches 9th grade science, making, and robotics. He teaches all grade levels of high school at Lighthouse Community Charter School. The students are predominately low-income English language learners.