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Mark Gerl

@markgerl.bsky.social
591 followers 622 following 536 posts

Middle School Tech & Innovation Teacher, teaching Robotics, Programming, Game Design, Wearable Technology, VR Design & 3D Printing. Advocate for UX for Edu (LX). Presenter, Workshop Leader, Curriculum Designer and Writer.

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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 7h
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 5th gd VR Book Reports in @delightex.com are almost done. As students are testing in the headset there is that mix of "oh this is cool!" & "Wait, that's different from the laptop!". Yes, it is very cool AND you need to fix it. Two things can be true. #EduSky #VREdu
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Back at school after @3dprintopia.bsky.social 3 of a class of 7 have finished their Interactive Jewelry projects. #4 & 5 are within 20-30 min. I hope in the future there will be a designer / engineer / maker presenting their work, that started this year. #Edusky
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 26/09/2026
An image with a teal background features a quote in white text: "Good questions outrank easy answers." — Paul Samuelson. At the bottom, there is a small orange circle with the word "edu" in white.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Since 2015, I've done at least 1 presentation a year, except for 25-26. I took a year off to reset & recharge. In 2 hours, I'll be on The Build Platform at #3DPrintopia with "10 Things I've Learned Teaching Kids to 3D Print in Chocolate". LET'S GOOOOOOOO! ❤️🖨️🍫 #EduSky #PathToKeynote
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome In Philly for #3DPrintopia. Had to go to Reading Terminal Market. My introvert that hates crowds lost to my ravenous hunger for awesome food. So much awesome food!
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 6th grade Design Studio interviewed our clients, the 1st grade students. 😁 The teachers told them there was a secret chocolate factory at school, & these were the workers. Now my class want to be OompaLoompas. This is how I prepare for #3DPrintopia ❤️🍫🖨 #EduSky #CocoaPress
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome in SolarPunk class, we used Internet in a box, a local server that runs on @raspberrypi.com Students selected up to 90 GB of resources to help survive & rebuild after an apocalypse event Most of them added K-12 Edu from LibreText 😁 Maybe they do value education! #EduSky
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
#TosaysMomentOfAwesome Working in @delightex.com teaching about variables. There is something ethereal watching the A-ha! moment that variables change as needed & alter how the program runs. Thanks to @raspberrypiorg.bsky.social for "The Big Book of Computing Pedagogy" #EduSky #CompSciForLife
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Department of Technology Enhanced Learning MTU @mtutelteam.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"We have to redesign the student experience to undermine the transactional system of schooling and instead focus on learning and development as the goal." buff.ly/YY9QeXm
insidehighered.com
Moral Instruction Will Not Stop Cheating
The way to stop cheating is to worry less about cheating and more about learning.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design moving from coding tutorials to design choices & UX. Test, retest, test again. I love watching them work through the stuff that's not in the tutorials to find their own voices. One student even found the tools to make his app text the ToDo list. #EduSky #UX
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design class: Make a ToDo List with Add Item, Delete Item, Clear List. As students finished & tested, there were multiple "YES!" shouts, the metric they really learned something not just followed instructions. Next is #UX to make it intuitive. #EduSky #UX4Learning #LX
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design, they made a translation app. For those who finished early, the extension goal is "Make it awful UX ". One student turned in this design. Spelling mistakes, bad colors, but the background image made it. @celiahodent.com This is UX in the classroom 😉 #EduSky #UX
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome SolarPunk Engineering moves to explore Wind power along with solar. First question to answer "How much wind do you need to make electricity?" More than we expected... Much more than it takes to blow out candles. Next: optimizing turbine blades. #EduSky #SolarPunkCurriculum
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome What should have been a fun, self paced, independent project crashed & burned hard. 2/3 of the class couldn't access the instructions. Without instructions, they lost focus & gave up. The awesome in such chaos? It motivates me to be even better. #EduSky #LearnFromFailure
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Interactive Jewelry class added RGB LEDs to micro:Bits, creating sound reactive, motion sensing, button pressing systems on the go. I always evaluate a class by how many "It works!" moments. Today was 100% epiphany all around.😁 I deserve a treat 🍦 #EduSky #DesignClasses
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Aptera @aptera.us · 20/08/2026
Launch Design is now a partner and strategic investor in Aptera, and they're how we cross the gap between a vehicle that works and a vehicle that can be built ten thousand times over. Now they're joining forces with Aptera to aid our path to high-volume production. → youtu.be/cj74QyhK0Rk
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Project Aptera Day 4: The Engineers have finished their models so it's time to print prototypes. Some engineers are a little more eager than others. We did hand out the @aptera.us stickers because every good engineer has to have stickers. #EduSky #SolarPunk #3DPrinting
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Interactive Jewelry class learns to program micro:Bits A student made "digital sand" that shifts with a tilt. In 25 minutes. Last year I got digital sand from @print-kits.bsky.social that took me 3 hours not counting 3D printing the case. Kids these days.... #EduSky
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Project Aptera Day 3: Students are designing their own frames for solar cars. After what we've learned from @aptera.us they're looking to make lean, aerodynamic, lightweight designs that can support solar panel & motor. Next step: 3d Printing! #EduSky #SolarPunk #MakerEDU
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome App Design Class learned about wireframe prototypes, sketching out the layout of a screen. The objective was "a phone app for teachers to monitor students computer usage as they walk around in class" They did not disappoint! #EduSky #UXDesign #UXDesignersOfTheFuture
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Solarpunk class progressing. We looked at Aptera designs, read design notes from the website, & compared Aptera models to Solar Racers. Lo Rez prototypes with LEGO for frames. Next will be 3D CAD design for new frames for Solar panel & Motor. @aptera.us #EduSky #Solarpunk
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome "Good worksheets are good. Bad worksheets are bad." Wise words from one of the greatest educational minds @nancyeblairblack.bsky.social Students brainstorming potential designs for their chocolate printing projects. Amazing seeing them think. #EduSky #3DChocolate #♥️🍫🖨️
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Solar Punk class Project Aptera @aptera.us continues. Testing stock solar racer 3 meter & 5 meter. Avg 3m was 6.34 sec. Avg 5m was 9.05 sec. The next challenge: Build a better solar car that beats the average. 🌞🌞🌞 #EduSky #SolarPunk #ProjectBasedLearning #Constructionism
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome A new group learning to solder! I'm still so impressed & amazed at the pride they show in their work & the joy they have in their learning. @emmafletcher.bsky.social @acolborn.bsky.social Your legacy & influence continues to yet another year. #EduSky #LearnToSolder
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Teaching a new curriculum "Solarpunk Engineering". 1st project = build solar cars, measure speed over 3 meters. Look at @aptera.us & how they optimize solar powered cars. Redesign our kits to optimize like Aptera did. Can we outperform stock designs? #EduSky #SolarPunk
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Was just playing with a @raspberrypi.com 400 connected to my tv, having flashbacks to 1982 & a TRS-80. That sense of learning to code, opening so many possibilities in my 13 yo brain... it was transcendent! Time to eat some Cap'n Crunch, read comic books, & ignore homework until Sunday night.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Started Interactive Jewelry Class with quick overview of MakeCode. First responses were immediate ideas about possible projects. Not an hour later, I get the notice that the Learn To Solder Kits have arrived. Tuesday morning we will begin soldering! #EduSky #MakeToLearn
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome 1st day of real classes. Kids were excited, energetic. Grateful to Alecia Blackwood for the word "Sawubona", Zulu greeting that says "I see you". The students are not data points, grades or scores. They are people looking for ideas. I see them. #EduSky #Sawubona
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
#TodaysMomentOfAwesome Today was Orientation for new families to the school. Seeing the change from anxiety to excitement is another underrated reason why teaching is awesome. School is scary. I'm anxious too. But it's gonna be okay. "What if I fall?" "Ah child, What if you fly?" #EduSky
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Dr Lucy Rogers @drlucyrogers.com · 12/08/2026
If you don't have proper eclipse glasses / filters, try a pinhole camera ... When the sun is whole, images will be circles. When partially eclipsed they will be crescents. You can use a colander or even a Ritz Biscuit. Find out more in my book "Up - a scientist's guide to the magic above us"
Ritz biscuit held above a red book. Crescents can be seen in the shadow as the holes work as a pinhole camera.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
"They maybe found a place where they fit, better than they expected". God that sentiment hits home. Give me a story that lets me feel THIS .... I will buy every book, stand in line at DragonCon to get your signature & send you a plate of cookies just to express the deepest gratitude.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
New sticker for the laptop to start the new year! Thanks to @aptera.us for a bundle the kids will get when they do their first Solarpunk project #EduSky #Solarpunk #TheFutureIsWhatWeMakeIt
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Dr. Carlotta A. Berry #NoireSTEMinist 🤖 @drcaberry.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Robotics isn't just engineering. 🤖 It's creativity, psychology, design + problem-solving. When students see a Black woman leading a robotics lab, possibilities expand. Representation matters. #NoireSTEMinist #Robotics #STEM #AI #BlackInEngineering #RepresentationMatters
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Dr. Gary Ackerman @garyackermanphd.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
How much of school is doing things to find out what they already know? -paraphrasing John Dewey when he saw is daughter in a classroom
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Two days before pre-planning. Going in to set up the lab, get things ready, and figure out what quote to hang on the door. Last year was "The one thing every student is capable of is surprising you with what they're capable of" @garystager.bsky.social #EduSky #RoomPreparations
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Maker Faire Orange County @makerfaireoc.com · 02/08/2026
#MeetTheMaker: Tech Rockstar Academy is joining us for #MakerFaireOC 2026! Take control of their Crash & Go Bots in a fun robot wrestling match & discover how hands-on coding, robotics, & problem-solving make STEM exciting for makers of all ages. techrockstar.academy #MFOC2026 #TechRockstarAcademy
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Great webinar with @darrenhood.bsky.social "UX Cycle of Excellence" Where teachers could benefit: Closing the skill gap, we have an ever evolving range of tools for teaching, and very little time to play with them to learn them. Making a commitment to explore is professional development. #EduSky
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
IXDF UX Class 5.7: @celiahodent.com introduces Seymour Papert's Constructionism learning as a means of teaching players in games. My nerd teacher's heart swells when my two passions collide. 🤓♥️ Seriously, when do we start to see beyond Thorndike's conditioning in school? #EduSky #UX4Learning
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Lesson 5.3 IXDF class with @celiahodent.com Presence as an element of engagement has Physical, Narrative & Emotional presence. How the player feels as they play. What if we designed curriculum & classrooms with the same attention to Presence? Could school be as engaging as gameplay? #EduSky
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Quote @scottdejong.bsky.social Facilitation becomes key in learning through games because it invites a different type of pedagogy. In games, specifically, facilitation becomes split into two worlds,one focused on the learning goals of the game and the other on managing the space. #EduSky #Games
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Alice Keeler @alicekeeler.com · 15/07/2026
In Google Gemini, if enabled, students can type @classroom what are my assignments and get information about their assignments across classes! #GoogleEDU #TeacherTech #EduSky
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Dr. Szymon Machajewski (UIC, AIEdu) @smprof.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
AI produces B-minus work in seconds. If your assignments test what AI commoditized, you are measuring the wrong thing. Time to redesign. 📉 #Education #AIEDU
us.amazon.com
Average Is Now Free: The Collapse of B-Minus Work
The AI Story for Education
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Jennifer Gonzalez @cultofpedagogy.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Rather than having the teacher be the only one who decides what constitutes good work, have the students contribute as well, and make them part of that process from the very beginning. Interview with @mssackstein.bsky.social www.cultofpedagogy.com/co-construct...
cultofpedagogy.com
Build it Together: Co-Constructing Success Criteria with Students | Cult of Pedagogy
When we include students in the process of defining quality work, they are more likely to rise to those standards.
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
As part of the 1st ISTE AI in the Classroom cohort, and long time coach, I disagree. Some of us were calling out the pitfalls back in 2022 before ChatGPT 3.0 It's just that no one wants to hear that the emperor has no clothes. #WhyWeNeedProgressiveEd #EduSky #ConstructionismWorks
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
"In other words, we should be measuring how well our kids are equipped to survive and thrive in the world we find ourselves in." One of the best pieces about Data Science in education I've read this year! adsei.org/2026/06/22/q... @lindamciver.adsei.org #EduSky #MeasureWhatMatters
adsei.org
Questioning the Answers: The Role of Scepticism in Data Science (and Education!)
What is education for, how do we measure it, how SHOULD we measure it, and how can we fix it? At the moment we’re mostly measuring atar and student retention as the most important outcomes of…
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mirobo technology @mirobo.tech · 26/06/2026
It's freebie Friday!! Wanna build a robot? 🤖 😀 Start by learning #Arduino #programming with a set of five free activities for my ARPS2 circuit. Here's activity one: www.tinkercad.com/things/0A7EI...
tinkercad.com
Circuit design ARPS2 Introductory Activity 1 - Tinkercad
Circuit design ARPS2 Introductory Activity 1 created by johnrampelt with Tinkercad
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
#TodaysAwesome The video for lesson 2.3 in IXDF course "Game UX Design: The Ultimate Guide" with @celiahodent.com should be on every teacher / EdTech coach / instructional specialist's Must Watch list. Cognitive Science for learning design *chef's kiss* #EduSky #DesignForLearning #RealLearning
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Mark Gerl @markgerl.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
My students have an absolutely awesome level of pride in the games they make, the apps they build, the chocolates they design & print. Building is essential to true deep learning.
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Vicky Somma @tgaw.com · 23/06/2026
It is a Prime Tuesday-- June 23rd. Tonight we'll be joined by @thisold3dprinter.com to reminisce about printers and slicers past and marvel at how far we've come. Join us live at 8 PM EDT if you can. Links below. Photo by @daveofthings.bsky.social
A delightful array of old 3D Printers, many with wooden, laser cut frames.
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Department of Technology Enhanced Learning MTU @mtutelteam.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"When saving money, time, or resources become the grounds upon which it requires students to do things, how can we not expect students to respond with their own approaches being efficient or doing so with a sense of apathy."
buff.ly
Apathies and Artifices in Education
Part 1 of piecing a few things togther...
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