There is no field of academic study, creative expression, or professional practice that has not been impacted by computer science (CS). When we consider the career opportunities in computer science, it’s hard to ignore how essential CS education is to the future prosperity of our students and our communities. And while CS learning opportunities have grown in both K-12 schools and out-of-school time (OST) learning spaces, access, quality, and participation in those opportunities remains inadequate and uneven. What if we brought these two worlds together? Is there an opportunity to expand access ..read more

A quiet revolution is happening in Pittsburgh’s schools and communities. It involves surprises and joy, curiosity and discovery, and dozens of daily moments when students and teachers connect as human beings. This growing movement – which couldn’t be more needed at a time when educators and students alike are dealing with all manner of challenge and stress – is all about playful learning. Playful learning. That sounds wonderful! Everyone must love that idea… Actually, no. It can be surprisingly challenging to convince people that play is a necessity (spoiler alert: research has proven that it ..read more

The experience of play can bring joy and spark curiosity, teach us new concepts and skills, even help us forge deeper relationships with ourselves and those around us. So says Sarah Wolman, founder and CEO of Lightbulb Learning Lab. “Every child needs play,” Wolman says, “and adults do, too.” Wolman is an expert in play and early childhood development. She addressed an invited cohort of Pittsburgh-based community organizations at a workshop on August 28th to develop ideas for playful learning projects in and around Pittsburgh. We spoke with Sarah about the value of play, the ways it can connec ..read more

Remake Learning has been constantly evolving since its creation in 2007. As a network, we’ve strived to keep pace with the dynamic conditions of our rapidly changing world. We’ve evolved our strategies, programs, services, and indeed our governance. Since 2014, the network has been led by a Council, headed by 3 co-chairs. With the recent departures of co-chairs Dr. Jim Denova, who retired in 2021, and Dr. Valerie Kinloch, who assumed the presidency of Johnson C. Smith University, we saw the opportunity to evolve once again. Today, I’m pleased to announce an important shift in our network’s lea ..read more

Apply Now to Make Your Own Moonshot In schools around the U.S., students with exceptionalities move through their days with support from Individualized Education Plans. These IEPs are designed with the specific student in mind: What are their strengths and challenges? How do they learn best and how can their school encourage them to thrive while also keeping them smoothly integrated in classes with their peers? This is personalized learning in action. And it inspired the Remake Learning Moonshot grant project that’s now unfolding at California Area School District. “We accept the fact that we ..read more

Apply Now to Make Your Own Moonshot Ask participants in Oasis Farm & Fishery’s Learning Village Model what the project offers and you may hear a dozen different answers. They will all be accurate. It’s about learning to grow healthy food in an urban neighborhood. It’s about understanding how food deserts come about, and diving deep into the nutritional differences between packaged foods and fresh produce. It’s about the realities of running a restaurant or a food truck, and about the urgent need for a healthy ecological environment. It’s about learning in formal and informal settings, with ..read more

For millennia, humans have learned through play. And yet in too many of today’s early learning settings, playful learning has been replaced by a rigid emphasis on math and literacy skill-building. With encouragement from Hatch teaching artists Shannon Merenstein and Dahlia Rao, kindergarten and first-grade students at Faison K-6 Elementary School are developing their ability to explore literacy, math and so much more – all through the power of play. Through carefully crafted play-based teaching strategies these young children are also building meaningful relationships and vital social-emotiona ..read more

Remake Learning recently supported a delegation of rural educators in attending ISTELive23, a remarkable national education technology conference held in Philadelphia, PA this past June.  This year’s theme was to “discover what’s next in education.” Remake Learning and its delegation supported a Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT) Playground space on the first full day of the conference that centered around Remake Learning Days and its impact on the learning communities in Pennsylvania, nationally, and internationally. The Remake Learning Days Pl ..read more

For decades, SLB Radio Productions (SLB) has used professional multimedia tools to help small groups of students discover the power of telling their own stories. What if all kids could build those multimedia skills, while also reaping the many benefits of creating personal narratives about their learning? And what if these experiences could be threaded throughout the school day, helping students to grow as communicators and share their knowledge with others? Middle school students at Manchester Academic Charter School (MACS) have had this experience thanks to a Remake Learning Moonshot grant ..read more

Strolling the halls and grounds of California Area School District, you might find elementary students reading a book to a flock of lambs, or a friendly dog checking in on a classroom of middle school students, or even a stressed high schooler talking it out with a guidance counselor and a guinea pig. And that’s not to mention the chickens, jellyfish, and honeybees that also call this district home. The district’s partnership with animals began when California Area High School/Middle School principal Josh Pollock and his dog Charlie gained therapy animal certification. Principal Pollock began ..read more