The embargo is finally lifted, and I’m excited to share something I've been working on behind the scenes… The St. Francis Public School District, and Deer Creek Intermediate School specifically, has been awarded a Fab Lab grant! This is a big step forward as we bring the tools of manufacturing directly into our 4th-8th grade classrooms. From design to prototyping to production, our students will have hands-on access to the same technologies used in today’s industries, turning ideas into real, tangible creations. More to come as we get things up and running… but this is going to be fun. From out-of-date to cutting-edge wedc.org/from-out-of-date-to…

Ghost Ships Festival

Our students had an incredible opportunity to present at "Science on Tap" at the Milwaukee Public Museum, where students showcased our #PINKrov project as part of the program, “Our Lakes, Our Science: Underwater Archaeology in the Great Lakes.” A thank-you to Milwaukee Public Museum and Dr. Ashley Lemke for giving our @materovcompetition team space to share their work before and after Dr. Lemke’s talk. The turnout was amazing, with many curious and supportive people excited about what our students are building and about our growing collaboration with Dr. Lemke and her @UWM team. This event is just one of several since the start of the school year, including @discoveryworld , @makerfaire Milwaukee, multiple presentation events, and the #SySTEMnow Conference hosted by @STEMForward. But the most meaningful part isn’t the number of events… It’s what has grown from them. I’ve watched our students stretch themselves in public speaking, explaining their work with confidence, and engaging with anyone who steps up to learn more. And for those who aren’t quite ready yet... they’re inching closer every time. (They’re middle schoolers…adults can be intimidating!) With our seniors graduating and passing the torch last May, the next group has stepped up... learning new systems, solving real problems, and building the confidence that comes from owning the work. Proud is an understatement. This is what authentic STEM learning looks like. #PINKrov #UnderwaterRobotics #STEMEducation #ROV #UWM #MilwaukeePublicMuseum #MiddleSchoolSTEM #EngineeringInAction #STEMForward #MakerEducation #ProjectBasedLearning

When you’re helping a 4th grader with their “bunker essentials” project and thinking about 8th grade dilations at the same time… the result? Three scaled 32d printeed porcelain toilets.

In news from the classroom, it was lights out as we pulled out the flashlights for our Earth’s tilt and seasons lab, exploring direct and indirect light. #ScienceLab #STEM #EarthScience #HandsOnLearning #Seasons #DirectAndIndirectLight

Had the privilege of attending The Search for Shackleton’s Lost Ice Ship, Endurance at the @waterscienceUWM. Timothy Jacob shared the incredible story of the 2022 Endurance22 expedition that located Shackleton’s legendary ship nearly two miles beneath the Antarctic ice, called “the world’s most difficult shipwreck to find.” Hearing the behind-the-scenes details of discovery, survival, and the technology used in one of the harshest environments on Earth was inspiring. It was great to showcase our own work with @UWM and Dr. Ashley Lemke. A few of our students joined me to share how they plan to use underwater robotics to investigate Lake Michigan, and I brought along our #PinkROV for people to see. It was exciting to connect what our students are building and learning with our work to support Ashley Lemke, resulting in an extraordinary story of exploration. This serves as proof that curiosity and innovation can spark discovery both close to home and across the globe. #STEM #UnderwaterRobotics #Shackleton #Endurance22 #LakeMichigan #Innovation #Exploration #StudentVoice #UWM #ROV

Sometimes you have to play with AI instead of grading papers… and this time, I couldn’t resist. I took our students’ "Dreaming Bigger, Diving Deeper" project and wrote a prompt to make it as a @Mattel Hot Wheels collectible. The image you see is an AI-generated design using @ChatGPT of our “#PinkROV,” complete with the kind of packaging one would expect to see hanging on a shelf at @Walmart. What a playful way to highlight student creativity while imagining how their ideas could live beyond the classroom. Honestly... if this were real, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. And who knows… this might find its way into the classroom as part of a future STEM project. #STEM #StudentCreativity #DreamingBiggerDivingDeeper #AIinEducation #PinkROV #HotWheelsInspired #BeyondTheClassroom #MakerMindset

Stacks of possibilities. Getting ready for our upcoming @GearboxLabs Residency this fall! My middle school computer science students will dive into engineering, electronics, and coding with Arduino—from controlling LEDs, buzzers, servos, and RGBs, to exploring science sensors like LDRs, temperature, distance, and soil moisture sensors. These resources are invaluable in the hands of kids, turning curiosity into discovery and ideas into innovation. Huge thanks to @GearboxLabs and their supporters for making this opportunity possible! Excited to spark curiosity, creativity, and real-world problem solving with these tools in kids' hands. #STEM #Arduino #ComputerScience #EngineeringEducation #Electronics #Coding #STEMEducation #GearboxLabs #MiddleSchoolSTEM

First Day of School Photos Two exciting new classmates joined one of my school terrariums, captive-bred juvenile Blue Poison Dart Frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius ‘azureus’) picked up at Wisconsin’s largest reptile show. They’ve traded their show VRBO cramped container for a new jungle to explore. #FirstDayOfSchool #ClassroomTerrarium #BluePoisonDartFrogs #DendrobatesTinctorius #poisonbluedartfrogs #ReptileShowFinds #STEMLife

Excited to share that my school was chosen to host a @gearboxlabsinc Residency with my computer science students this fall! Our residency, Intermediate Engineering, Electronics, and Coding with @arduino – Science Sensors, will give students hands-on experience with a Light Dependent Resistor, Temperature Sensor, Distance Sensor, and Soil Moisture Sensor. Before that happens, I’ll be ramping them up with an Intro to Engineering, Electronics, and Coding, where students will learn to control LEDs, buzzers, servos, and RGB LEDs. It’s shaping up to be a fun and engaging course as I return back to the middle school for a computer science enrichment. Big thanks to @gearboxlabsinc .... looking forward to working together in just a few weeks! #STEM #Arduino #ComputerScience #EngineeringEducation #Electronics #Coding #STEMEducation #GearboxLabs #MiddleSchoolSTEM

Proud of our students diving into @discoveryworld’s Wheels and Water event! #ROV Hornet explored the 85,000-gallon Lake Michigan Aquarium while #ROV Nibi (the #pinkROV) was on display, sharing our "Dreaming Bigger, Diving Deeper" project. Even with technical challenges and no upperclassmen support, the team pulled it off — with alumni Emmitt coming in clutch remotely from Michigan and project partner Dr. Ashley Lemke joining us in the afternoon. Great teamwork, resilience, and some hands-on diving (and troubleshooting) practice! #STEM #ROV #Teamwork #Innovation #LakeMichigan #DiscoveryWorld #DreamingBiggerDivingDeeper

Just got the best kind of email, one of my robotics students was awarded a scholarship today! I love the unexpected in my inbox, especially when it’s a story like this worth celebrating. Congratulations Emmitt!

We’ve been hit with a $450 "excessive interior dirt" cleaning fee (severity: heavy). Unfortunately, we didn’t take before-and-after photos—lesson learned. But here’s the frustrating part: the vehicle was already dirty when we picked it up. We returned it in the same condition—no smoking, no pets, no food ground into the carpet, and no spills. Just the kind of cleanup a shop vac could’ve handled in 15 minutes. Very disappointed in @Budget for what feels like a manufactured fee. This experience has made it hard to trust the brand.

AUGH! Whatever you do, don't rent a vehicle from @Budget. You can't trust Budget! We had an 11-day rental out of Seattle. We fully own the fact that we didn’t take before-and-after photos (lesson learned), but here’s the thing: the vehicle was handed to us in a condition that could’ve used a good vacuum, and we returned it in pretty much the same state. We don’t smoke, we had no pets, and we rarely ate in the car. Nothing excessive. Definitely not $450 worth of “damage.” We called this morning and filed a claim, but Budget’s response so far is that the charge is justified. We've requested proof and are currently waiting to hear back. Honestly, it feels like a scam, and I’m beyond frustrated here in Wisconsin.

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” - Winnie the Pooh

Reshaping education alongside Ashley Lemke, Joost Allard, and Pete Reynolds of Learn Deep, rethinking how students learn and lead through our #PinkROV project. More and more classrooms are diving into hands-on, project-based learning, and it’s helping students grow in ways that go way beyond just tech skills. But for that to really work, teachers need support as they shift how they teach, manage their time, and think about what learning looks like. That’s where good coaching comes in; it can make a huge difference for teachers and students. Check out Joost’s post on LinkedIn: bit.ly/43Wc63a See what we're doing at: pinkrov.org