EpisodeSummary

I return after a six-week break to recap MASSCUE and NYSCATE—two conferences that, despite being totally different, revealed the same message from educators everywhere:

Teachers want learning that is joyful, simple, hands-on, and usable tomorrow.

This episode highlights inside-session moments, hallway conversations, and even late-night trivia and Family Feud that turned into powerful professional learning. I also preview my upcoming FETC workshop, Design. Build. Play.Assess., happening January 11 at 8:00 AM.

•MASSCUE: The Spark

• Showing up as a Bills fan in Patriots territory
• Hands-on takeaways from sessions
• The real learning happening in hallway conversations
• After-hours chats that kept circling the same theme: “Give me something I can use Monday.”

• • NYSCATE: The Family ReunionWhy NYSCATE feels like coming home
• Trust, honesty, and real talk with “family”
• High-energy LEGO Serious Play + worksheet-busting sessions
• Trivia and Family Feud fueling meaningful conversations
• The deeper need for joy + manageable routines

• The Pattern Across Both Conferences

• Teachers everywhere are asking for:
• Joyful learning with clear structure
• Simple routines that work every day
• Assessment that shows thinking
• AI that supports—not complicates—teaching
• A sense of community and connection

• FETC Preview

• I give a sneak peek at the hands-on LEGOlearning lab he’s leading: Design.Build. Play. Assess. A practical, use-it-tomorrow workshop rooted in everythingteachers said all fall.

Free Resources Mentioned

• Fun LEGO warm-up: Build the Worst Superhero Ever!
• Build → Reflect → Share routine
• Simple AI workflow for hands-on lessons

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