A.J. JULIANI
  • Articles
    • All Our Articles
    • The Blog
  • Events
    • About me
    • Bring A.J. To Your Event
    • Learning and Leading Academy
    • Genius Hour Academy
    • The Global Day of Design
  • Books
  • Virtual
    • Virtual Learning Hub
  • Speaking
Oct 02
120
SHARES

5 Practical Ways to Innovate in Your Classroom (Right Now)

By AJ Juliani | Empower vs Engage, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation, Practical Strategies | 2 Comments

Note: I’m running a free webinar on this topic where I dive into the strategies, research, and resources that can make innovation come alive in your classroom and school with…

Read More
Sep 29
113
SHARES

The Innovative Teaching Academy is back (and open for enrollment!)

By AJ Juliani | Education, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation | One Comment

A year ago at this time I had the idea for a different type of learning experience after listening to Seth Godin talk about his AltMBA program. Seth said that…

Read More
Sep 26
268
SHARES

How to Be a Difference Maker in Education (in the midst of the overwhelming nature of our jobs)

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 5 Comments

Let’s be honest. Being a teacher and school leader can be overwhelming. There is so much to do (not enough time), so much to learn (where do we even start),…

Read More
Sep 21
1.1k
SHARES
What its like to be a teacher in 2017

What It’s Like to Teach and Lead in 2017 (Hint: It’s Exhausting)

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Empower, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 6 Comments

My colleague and I looked each other on Tuesday of this week. She had a look in her eyes of pure exhaustion. I could sense a call for help, but…

Read More
Sep 14
336
SHARES

Learning From One of the Most Innovative Schools in the Country

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Empower, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership, Practical Strategies | 2 Comments

“We are a school on an audacious mission. And our ‘why’ drives the teaching and learning here at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School (MVPS),” said Bo Adams in a recent interview…

Read More
Sep 11
74
SHARES

Inside Innovation: My New Podcast ⚡

By AJ Juliani | Future of Learning, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation | 5 Comments

This has been a long time coming, but I am so excited to share my new podcast with all of you: Inside Innovation! Inside Innovation takes an “inside” look at…

Read More
Sep 06
176
SHARES

5 Reasons Why Innovative Educators Listen to Podcasts

By AJ Juliani | Education, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation | One Comment

I remember doing podcast projects with my students almost 10 years ago. They seemed to be all the rage at the time, and I jumped on board as a teacher…

Read More
Sep 03
68
SHARES

The Power of Writing Every Day

By AJ Juliani | Education, Passion, Publishing, Writing | 6 Comments

I had dreams. I had goals. I think we all do. But the same thing kept happening to me. Big idea, after big idea…new goal, after new goal. I didn’t…

Read More
Aug 31
79
SHARES

The Hidden Importance of Teaching With Stories

By AJ Juliani | Education, Top, Writing | 17 Comments

 “Science, by its own definition, doesn’t give us meaning. It just provides us with facts . . . Our lives gain meaning only when we tell our story.”—David Steindl-Rast A…

Read More
Aug 29
306
SHARES

How to Build a True Culture of Innovation at Your School This Year

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Empower, Inside Innovation, Intentional Innovation | 10 Comments

“Our job, sometimes, is simply to be the spark, help build confidence, and then get out of the way. If innovation in any school is solely dependent upon one person,…

Read More
Aug 22
253
SHARES

5 Projects You Can Do in the First Month of School

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Design, Education, Empower, Empower vs Engage, PBL, Practical Strategies | 10 Comments

Ahh, summer is coming to an end. For some of us, school has already started, for others, we still have a few weeks left before the doors flood open with…

Read More
Aug 04
94
SHARES

What is your biggest question about Genius Hour?

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Education, Genius Hour | One Comment

I remember thinking about doing Genius Hour (or as I called it a 20% time project) in my class for the first time. It was a bit scary. It was…

Read More
Jul 28
1.3k
SHARES

Why Stickers, Pizza Parties, and Tickets Didn’t Work in My Classroom

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Education, Empower, Empower vs Engage, Learning Models, PBL, Practical Strategies, Research to Practice, The Science of Learning | 15 Comments

It was towards the middle of my first year teaching (8th grade) when it hit me: My class was spinning out of control, and it was all my fault. I…

Read More
Jul 24
150
SHARES

Genius of Making: 5 Ways to Mash-Up Genius Hour and Your Makerspace

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Design, Genius Hour, Maker | One Comment

Creativity isn’t limited to STEM or STEAM or even the arts. Every time a student is designing, building, tinkering, and problem-solving, it becomes a chance to develop a maker mindset….

Read More
Jul 17
285
SHARES

Six Simple Strategies to Help Find Your Passion (and Purpose)

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Decision Making, Design, Education, Genius Hour, Learning Models, Passion, Practical Strategies, Scratch Your Itch | 6 Comments

A few years ago, during the school year, my students and I had a similar problem: There wasn’t an opportunity for me to find out what they really enjoyed doing,…

Read More
Jul 12
420
SHARES

29 Practical Ways to Empower Learners in Your Classroom

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Empower, Empower vs Engage, PBL, Practical Strategies | 4 Comments

“Yea, but what does it look like?” This is the question I hear and see most frequently online and at conferences when someone mentions the phrase empower students.  As someone who…

Read More
Jul 09
90
SHARES

7 Smart Ways to Teach With Your Blog

By AJ Juliani | Education, Publishing, Writing | 9 Comments

Having a blog can be like standing in a packed street corner with a megaphone. You can be as loud as you want to be…but usually everyone is too busy…

Read More
Jun 29
235
SHARES

7 Things Every Teacher Should Do Before 7 A.M.

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Future of Learning, Inspiration | 3 Comments

As teachers, our life is busy. It’s not only the kind of busy when you run from one activity to the next activity. It’s the kind of busy where you…

Read More
Jun 27
91
SHARES

Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Empower, Empower vs Engage, Research to Practice | 7 Comments

EMPOWER is here!!! Get your copy on Amazon (click here) My new book, Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning is now available on Amazon. This has been a…

Read More
Jun 21
341
SHARES

10 Risks Every Teacher Should Take With Their Class

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Empower, Practical Strategies | 10 Comments

As I work with students and teachers there is one common thread that the “stand-out” classrooms share: They take risks. Not only do these students and teachers take learning risks,…

Read More
Jun 17
201
SHARES

The Epic Guide to Student Ownership

By AJ Juliani | Empower, Empower vs Engage, PBL, Practical Strategies | 8 Comments

“Is this real, Mr. J?” The question came from the back of the room. Todd rarely spoke up in class, but today he seemed visibly upset. “Yes, it is real….

Read More
Jun 11
1.3k
SHARES

How to Empower Students with One Simple Phrase (that can boost student effort by 40%)

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Empower, Empower vs Engage, Inspiration, Lessons in Leadership, Practical Strategies, Research to Practice | 17 Comments

Daniel Coyle, the author of The Talent Code, recently looked at a study on feedback from teachers. This study showed that one simple phrase could boost student effort by 40%. I was shocked…

Read More
Jun 07
168
SHARES

Forget Guide on the Side…Students Need a Guide on the Ride

By AJ Juliani | Design, Empower, Empower vs Engage, Genius Hour, Lessons in Leadership | 10 Comments

You may have missed it along the way, but your class has a story. You might have been caught up in the everyday grind, or overwhelmed, or possibly just enjoying…

Read More
Jun 05
122
SHARES

Empowered Students vs Engaged Students (What’s the difference?)

By AJ Juliani | Empower, Empower vs Engage, Engagement | 9 Comments

When I was in high school I spent most of my time playing sports (football and basketball) and worrying about my so-called social life. In school, I rarely was allowed…

Read More
May 31
155
SHARES

5 Things I Learned About Teaching from Being a Student

By AJ Juliani | Engagement, Inspiration, Passion, Practical Strategies | 13 Comments

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off…

Read More
May 24
1.8k
SHARES

Can we have an honest conversation about phones in the classroom?

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Engagement | 43 Comments

I get to visit a lot of schools around the country, and I’ll admit that when I see signs like the one below, I often cringe. It’s not the sign’s fault,…

Read More
May 22
478
SHARES

7 Ways Reflection Gives Students Ownership of their Learning

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Education, Empower vs Engage, Research to Practice | 22 Comments

In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg describes keystone habits as, “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of…

Read More
May 18
332
SHARES

Genius Hour Blueprint: Step-by-Step Guide to Running the Project in Your Class

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Design, Education, Genius Hour | 14 Comments

I often get asked about the steps for running a Genius Hour Project or a 20% Time project in your class. I tend to give the same answer every time:…

Read More
May 17
118
SHARES

On Fishing with Strawberries and Cream (or fishing with worms)

By AJ Juliani | Education, Inspiration, Lessons in Leadership, Scratch Your Itch | No Comments

Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element, has famously said: “Whether or not you discover your talents and passions is partly a matter of opportunity. If you’ve never been sailing,…

Read More
May 15
101
SHARES

Putting Math and Science Back into STEM Projects

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Education, Empower vs Engage, Launch Cycle, Learning Models, Maker, Practical Strategies | One Comment

Many teachers have done the spaghetti and marshmallow challenge in the classroom and called it a STEM project. It’s a great activity, but is it really a STEM activity? Sure there’s…

Read More
May 12
198
SHARES

How My View on Grit Changed with One Simple Study

By AJ Juliani | Education, Learning Models, Lessons in Leadership, Research to Practice, The Science of Learning | 14 Comments

Eat your heart out, Rembrandt. pic.twitter.com/hN42zJ3NPJ — Harriett Gilbert (@HarriettSG) December 7, 2014 This photo went viral a few years ago, as people from around the world shared how it…

Read More
May 10
150
SHARES

What happens when students embrace design thinking?

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Empower vs Engage, Engagement, Inspiration, Launch Cycle | 4 Comments

The Global Day of Design just wrapped up on May 2nd. If you want to see what happens when 80,000+ students embrace design thinking, check out the Twitter stream and…

Read More
May 03
142
SHARES

How to Run a Maker Madness Tourney at Your School by @AnnemarieCat

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Education, Empower vs Engage, PBL, Practical Strategies | One Comment

This is a guest-post written by a middle school teacher in my district, Annemarie Catalano. This year has been a big push to create a “maker culture” within our district….

Read More
Apr 28
168
SHARES

You Don’t Need a Makerspace to Be a Maker

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Design Thinking, Empower vs Engage | One Comment

When I was in 3rd grade my best friend Mark and I built a treehouse out of wood scraps we found in the forest behind his house. We were makers….

Read More
Apr 26
174
SHARES

Over 60,000 students from 12 countries are ready for the Global Day of Design #GDD17

By AJ Juliani | Design | No Comments

Last year over 40,000 students and 450 schools from 5 continents participated in the very first Global Day of Design. The hashtag went viral as students and teachers shared and…

Read More
Apr 21
235
SHARES

The Science of the Individual (why average doesn’t make sense in school)

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Intentional Innovation, Learning Models, Research to Practice, The Science of Learning | 8 Comments

You are not average. Neither am I. Actually, no one is average. The assumption that metrics comparing us to an average—like developmental milestones, GPAs, personality assessments, standardized test results, and…

Read More
Apr 18
147
SHARES

Building Maker Spaces vs. Building a Maker Culture

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Design Thinking | 6 Comments

In 9th grade, I cut my thumb on a saw in wood shop and had to get stitches. It wasn’t too bad… However, that was the last year I took…

Read More
Apr 11
420
SHARES

The Game of School vs. The Game of Life

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Empower vs Engage, Future of Learning, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 45 Comments

My daughter is in 2nd grade. She loves learning (seriously, she comes home every day excited about Flat Stanley, moving to multiplication, a piece of art she made, or something…

Read More
Apr 03
133
SHARES

Innovation is the “Buzzword” We Need in Education Right Now

By AJ Juliani | Education, Innovative Teaching Challenge, Intentional Innovation | 3 Comments

I was talking with a teacher in my school district yesterday who said, “I just don’t know if we should try this again in class. It seems like lots of…

Read More
Mar 28
196
SHARES
Innovative Projects in the Midst of Standards and Curriculum

How to Do Innovative Projects in the Midst of Standards and Curriculum

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Empower vs Engage, Intentional Innovation, Practical Strategies, Research to Practice | 4 Comments

There is a scene in the film, “Most Likely to Succeed”, that struck me to the core. You see, for years I wanted to be the challenging teacher. I wanted…

Read More
Mar 24
244
SHARES

10 Ways to Make Innovation Real in Your School

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Intentional Innovation, Practical Strategies | 6 Comments

Building a New Model Together Let’s stop fighting change. Instead, let’s build on the best practices we’ve developed over centuries as learners, and embrace next practices that reflect our world….

Read More
Mar 22
574
SHARES
Trying to be an Innovative Teacher and Leader

3 Mistakes I Made Trying to be an Innovative Teacher and Leader

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 22 Comments

Let’s be honest. Being a teacher and school leader can be overwhelming. There is so much to do (not enough time), so much to learn (where do we even start),…

Read More
Mar 20
456
SHARES

The Real Reason Teachers and Leaders are Overwhelmed

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership, Maker, Technology | 23 Comments

Imagine you’ve been in education for 7, 11, 15 or even 25 years. In each of those years, you have grown as a professional, learned new technologies, shifted with the…

Read More
Mar 16
224
SHARES

4 Small Questions That Lead to Innovative Breakthroughs

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Engagement, Intentional Innovation, Learning Models, Lessons in Leadership | 8 Comments

Let’s start with the beginning. I’m an idea guy. That is, I have a lot of ideas. As a teacher I would constantly improvise, come up with new projects, lesson…

Read More
Mar 11
187
SHARES

Learning Has Always Been Personalized and Individualized (School Is Catching Up)

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Empower vs Engage, Intentional Innovation, Learning Models, Research to Practice | 8 Comments

Blended learning. Personalized learning. Individualized learning. Mass customized learning. Differentiated learning. Online learning. It seems we are obsessed with adding adjectives in front of the noun, learning. While I have…

Read More
Mar 07
142
SHARES

Announcing the 2017 Global Day of Design (are you in?) #GDD17

By AJ Juliani | Education, Intentional Innovation, Launch Cycle, Maker | One Comment

Last year over 40,000 students and 450 schools from 5 continents participated in the very first Global Day of Design. The hashtag went viral as students and teachers shared and…

Read More
Mar 02
176
SHARES

Want innovative schools? Start celebrating what matters.

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Innovative Teaching Challenge, Inspiration, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 13 Comments

I came across a story about Tracy Musser, a bus driver in Penn Manor school district. I couldn’t help but smile as I read about Tracy (who never liked to…

Read More
Feb 24
129
SHARES

The Big Difference Between Fail-ing and Fail-ure

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design Thinking, Engagement, Intentional Innovation, Launch Cycle, Learning Models | 11 Comments

My daughter lowered her eyes, looked at me, and said, “I can’t do it.” I looked back and asked her again to put one foot on the board, push off…

Read More
Feb 18
177
SHARES

How do you move from “pockets of innovation” to a “culture of innovation”?

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Intentional Innovation, reading | One Comment

How do you move from “pockets of innovation” to a “culture of innovation”? How do we start to innovate inside of the box? What does innovation mean for education, and…

Read More
Feb 05
675
SHARES

21st Century Skills Have Always Been “Needed” Skills, But Now We Need Them More Than Ever

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Education, Engagement, Learning Models, Research to Practice | 17 Comments

It’s 2017. Communication is changing fast (my 7-yr old daughter and I just exchanged Snaps while I am in Chicago and she is outside of Philadelphia in different time zones,…

Read More
Feb 02
142
SHARES

The Ups and Downs of Writing Everyday (30 Day Blogging Challenge Recap)

By AJ Juliani | Education, Writing | 10 Comments

On January 1st I posted a call to action on my blog about (you guessed it) blogging. It was as much a call-to-action for me as it was for anyone…

Read More
Jan 28
105
SHARES

The Ultimate Guide to Technology in the Classroom

By AJ Juliani | Education, Tech, Technology | 3 Comments

I’m someone who constantly uses new technology and tries out new tools to see what will work for me, and for my teachers. Yet, there are often times that I…

Read More
Jan 25
177
SHARES

Designing an Education System for the Present (and the Future)

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Intentional Innovation, Launch Cycle, Practical Strategies | 6 Comments

I distinctly remembering learning how to type. It was hard. I had been a hunt and peck perfectionist up until age 14 when my school provided a computer course focused…

Read More
Jan 23
109
SHARES

How to Read and Write More in 2017

By AJ Juliani | Inspiration, Publishing, reading, Writing | One Comment

After writing my post on “100 books every teacher should read” I received a number of emails about finding the time to read all of those books (without going broke…

Read More
Jan 18
171
SHARES

What Schools Can Learn From Netflix’s Culture (and Values)

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Decision Making, Design, Education, Inspiration, Intentional Innovation, Lessons in Leadership | 12 Comments

A few years ago a colleague of mine shared a slide deck with me that completely transformed my perspective on leadership and building culture. I was new to a leadership…

Read More
Jan 14
95
SHARES

Why Blogs Still Matter in 2017

By AJ Juliani | Education, Writing | 3 Comments

Two weeks ago I launched the “30 days of blogging” challenge on this blog (you can read about it here). Almost 200 education bloggers signed up to share their blog,…

Read More
Jan 12
135
SHARES

A Complete Guide to Project Based Learning (in 10 Easy Steps)

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, PBL | No Comments

Hacking Project Based Learning: 10 Easy Steps to PBL and Inquiry in the Classroom Last year I had a teacher in my district come up and ask me if I…

Read More
Jan 09
57
SHARES

How To Read More Books

By AJ Juliani | Publishing | No Comments

After writing my post on “100 books every teacher should read” I received a number of emails about finding the time to read all of those books (without going broke or insane!)….

Read More
Jan 09
293
SHARES

10 Habits Worth Starting in the Classroom

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Learning Models, Practical Strategies | 12 Comments

When we look at what research says about becoming better at something, two pieces of evidence stand out. First, we must have clarity on what our goals are, and where…

Read More
Jan 03
194
SHARES

Fighting the Fear and Anxiety of Sharing Your Work with the World

By AJ Juliani | Education, Lessons in Leadership, Writing | 3 Comments

The crowd roared. Everyone stood up and clapped with deep enthusiasm. I saw a couple in front of us crying. I looked at my wife and smiled wide. “Amazing,” she…

Read More
Jan 02
192
SHARES

30 Days of Blogging Challenge (are you in?)

By AJ Juliani | Education, Practical Strategies, Publishing, Writing | 323 Comments

Blogging can be a lot of things. It can be reflecting, it can be sharing, it can be planning, it can be a how-to, it can be a call to…

Read More
Dec 23
310
SHARES
#marschallenge

2016 #MARSchallenge Maker Project Winners

By AJ Juliani | Maker, Technology | No Comments

Over 10,000 students from 329 schools officially signed up to participate in this year’s MARS Challenge project. The videos, advertisements, and projects that were submitted are unbelievable. Students designing their…

Read More
Dec 20
192
SHARES

How to Improve Your Writing in 10 Quick Lessons

By AJ Juliani | Practical Strategies, Writing | 10 Comments

Each year after holiday break I told my students their writing would change forever. It was a simple statement, but most of them did not take it seriously. What ensued was…

Read More
Dec 13
183
SHARES

10 Simple Rules for Learning

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Engagement, Inspiration, Intentional Innovation, Learning Models | 6 Comments

1. Learning starts with attention. It’s almost impossible to learn if you aren’t paying attention. And whatever you are giving attention has the ability to turn into learning. 2. Attention…

Read More
Dec 07
145
SHARES

The Best Books of 2016 for Teachers (and Learners)

By AJ Juliani | Future of Learning, Learning Models, Research to Practice | 10 Comments

Maybe you are a bibliophile like me and love reading a new book each week or month. Or maybe you are thinking about 2017 and want to read a book…

Read More
Dec 01
133
SHARES

Join the #MARSchallenge With Your Class (FREE Maker Project)

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Launch Cycle, Maker | 2 Comments

Last April, we had over 50,000 students participate in the Global Day of Design (and next year’s GDD is slated for May 2nd). It was powerful to watch students embrace design thinking…

Read More
Nov 28
147
SHARES

Creating a School (on Mars) From Scratch

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Education, Future of Learning, Launch Cycle, Maker | 36 Comments

A fresh start. Isn’t that what so many want in education? Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, administrator, or community member, we all have our opinions on what school…

Read More
Nov 26
196
SHARES

What I Feed My Brain (10 things to read and watch this week)

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Inspiration, Podcast, reading, Writing | 5 Comments

Ahh, the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m seriously regretting that last piece of pie last night. But, I’ve got something today that’s been on my mind for a while. I…

Read More
Nov 19
323
SHARES

10 Risks Every Teacher Should Take with Their Students

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Innovative Teaching Challenge, Technology | 4 Comments

As I work with students and teachers there is one common thread that the “stand-out” classrooms share: They take risks. Not only do these students and teachers take learning risks,…

Read More
Nov 15
97
SHARES

Magic Is Something You Make

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Lessons in Leadership, Maker | 2 Comments

A week ago at this time my family and I were packing our bags to head home from Disney World. As the kids played in the pool, my wife and I…

Read More
Nov 01
166
SHARES

What are our students doing 400 minutes a day?

By AJ Juliani | Education, Empower vs Engage, Innovative Teaching Challenge, Inspiration, Launch Cycle, Passion | One Comment

Raise your hand if you have spent over 14,000 hours in school during your lifetime. If you grew up in the Unites States, or a country with similar education philosophy,…

Read More
Oct 20
114
SHARES

How to Make Your Own Chatbot

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Engagement, Launch Cycle | 13 Comments

When I was in sixth grade we were tasked with one of my favorite school projects of all time. We were allowed to choose a book to read and then,…

Read More
Oct 14
1.4k
SHARES

Why We Need Libraries In a World Filled With Noise

By AJ Juliani | Education, Empower vs Engage, Future of Learning, Inspiration, Maker, reading | 24 Comments

I could hear my oldest daughter come rushing down the stairs last week as I arrived home from work. My two youngest pulled and gripped on me as I picked…

Read More
Oct 10
82
SHARES

The Complete Starter Guide to Makerspaces

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education | 5 Comments

This is the most fun I’ve ever had reading a “professional” education book. I’m serious. Maybe you are just thinking about getting started with a makerspace at your school. Maybe…

Read More
Sep 28
154
SHARES

The Logical Fallacies of Time Magazine’s “Technology Hoax” Article

By AJ Juliani | Decision Making, Education, Future of Learning | 17 Comments

Before I begin, let me make a very clear statement: I don’t believe that technology in our classrooms is a silver bullet. Adding technology cannot alone increase engagement, empower our…

Read More
Sep 22
161
SHARES

We Don’t Want a Virtual Reality Learning Program

By AJ Juliani | Education, Empower vs Engage, Future of Learning | 11 Comments

You know what makes the internet awesome? You get to explore it. You get to use it for your own learning, making, communicating, collaborating, researching, and thinking purposes. When I…

Read More
Sep 19
1.1k
SHARES

Relationships > Everything Else in Education

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Empower vs Engage, Inspiration, Lessons in Leadership | 28 Comments

My grandmom is wise. And at 91 years old, she’s still as curious as ever. Yesterday we were having a discussion about the work we are doing in my school…

Read More
Sep 14
168
SHARES
Why Teachers Teach

You wonder why teachers teach? This. A thousand times THIS.

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Genius Hour, Inspiration | 12 Comments

We’ve all had our “aha” moments as teachers. Those days where everything clicks, the students are not only engaged but also empowered, and for a minute we remember why we…

Read More
Sep 13
144
SHARES

The Beginner’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence For Educators

By AJ Juliani | Education, Future of Learning | 4 Comments

This is the second in a 7-part series on the Future of Learning. You can read the first post here, and join the discussion on our Facebook page: The Future…

Read More
Sep 09
72
SHARES

The #InnovatorsMindset MOOC Starting Soon! #IMMOOC

By AJ Juliani | Education, Innovative Teaching Challenge, Intentional Innovation | One Comment

Have you heard of “The Innovator’s Mindset” MOOC, happening over a six week period? This awesome opportunity will begin on September 17, 2016 and finish at the end of October…

Read More
Sep 04
250
SHARES

7 Reasons You Should Be Excited About the Future of Learning

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Future of Learning | 9 Comments

In the year 1820, a person could expect to live less than 35 years, 94% of the global population lived in extreme poverty, and less that 20% of the population…

Read More
Sep 02
111
SHARES

How to Tell Your Classroom’s Story

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Empower vs Engage | No Comments

You may have missed it along the way, but your class has a story. You might have been caught up in the everyday grind, or overwhelmed, or possibly just enjoying…

Read More
Aug 29
150
SHARES

Seven Mantras to Start the School Year

By AJ Juliani | Uncategorized | 17 Comments

On Monday of last week, I officially started my new job as Director of Technology and Innovation for Centennial School District (Warminster, PA). While I’m really excited to get started…

Read More
Aug 22
135
SHARES

Daily Innovation: A Snapchat Account to Showcase Your Classroom and School

By AJ Juliani | Education | 3 Comments

I’ve been writing a lot about Snapchat recently, as I’ve seen it take over my phone as one of the top apps I use to connect with my family and…

Read More
Aug 10
285
SHARES
How Genius Hour Benefits The Entire School Community

How Genius Hour Benefits The Entire School Community

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Education, Genius Hour | One Comment

Note: I recently opened up enrollment in my Genius Hour Master Course. The course is available to join from now until July 30th. After July 30th we are shutting down the…

Read More
Jul 30
1.2k
SHARES
Genius Hour Kid

10 Reasons to Try Genius Hour This School Year

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Genius Hour | 49 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Genius Hour or 20% time in the classroom, the premise is simple: Give your students 20% of their class time (or an hour each week) to…

Read More
Jul 25
134
SHARES

Teaching Our Kids to Scratch Their Itch

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Education, Passion, Scratch Your Itch | 7 Comments

“Let me ask you a question,” she said. “Ok,” I offered back, not too sure where this was headed. “This whole Genius Hour and 20% project thing…isn’t that how we…

Read More
Jul 21
65
SHARES

Interested in Redesigning Your Classroom?

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education | No Comments

A few years ago a group of educators started talking about one of the biggest issues we continued to see in school after school, classroom after classroom: The classroom still…

Read More
Jul 19
160
SHARES

In Defense of Computers in the Classroom

By AJ Juliani | A Culture of Innovation, Education, Future of Learning | 18 Comments

I didn’t think I would have to write this post. But apparently someone needs to write it. This past week a highly acclaimed organization (NPR) put out a story where a…

Read More
Jul 15
172
SHARES

Last Call: Take an online course at UPenn centered on using Technology With a Purpose

By AJ Juliani | Education | No Comments
Read More
Jul 11
114
SHARES

Virtual Reality Classroom Walkthroughs #vrlesson

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Launch Cycle | 2 Comments

It’s the morning of Edcamp Leadership, and all around the world educational leaders will be learning from each other, sharing ideas, and talking about how to better their schools, classrooms,…

Read More
Jul 10
123
SHARES

5 Rules I’m Using to Simplify Life

By AJ Juliani | Education, Lessons in Leadership, Passion | No Comments

For some of my friends, it seems so simple. They can go to work, hang out with their family, spend time with their friends on the weekends, have a vacation…

Read More
Jul 07
157
SHARES

Millennials Aren’t “Going” to Change the World, They Already Are Changing It

By AJ Juliani | Empower vs Engage, Lessons in Leadership, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The Millennial Generation is said to start with those born in 1980 and ends with those born in 1995. If those dates hold up, then I’m a proud member of…

Read More
Jul 06
159
SHARES

The Future of Learning is Going to Be Empowering (and Scary)

By AJ Juliani | Education, Future of Learning, Technology | 4 Comments

Lately, I’ve been obsessing over the future of learning. That has included a lot of research and time spent analyzing trends in technology, especially those that will impact the education…

Read More
Jul 05
121
SHARES

How teachers can find work-life balance (and be highly effective)

By AJ Juliani | Education | No Comments

Note: The 40-hour teacher workweek club has been massively successful in the past few months. Angela Watson (the creator) is holding one last webinar before the club closes on July…

Read More
Jun 30
148
SHARES

The Einstein Project: Genius Hour Meets Makerspace

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, A Culture of Innovation, Design, Education, Empower vs Engage, Genius Hour, Launch Cycle, Maker, PBL, Practical Strategies | 5 Comments

I failed a lot this year (you can read about them all here in my failure report), but also had some amazing successes with teachers and students at our school….

Read More
Jun 27
162
SHARES

Misconceptions About Genius Hour

By AJ Juliani | 20% Time, Genius Hour | 3 Comments

In the five years since doing the 20% Project in my class, I’ve connected with amazing educators doing the same type of inquiry-based learning, whether it be Genius Hour, 20%…

Read More
Jun 21
84
SHARES

Learning Like You’ve Got Nothing to Lose

By AJ Juliani | Education, Empower vs Engage, Engagement | 2 Comments

My first game ever as a head football coach had us losing 13-6 with one quarter to play in the game. My team was young, but extremely talented. I realized…

Read More
Jun 20
139
SHARES

LAUNCH into Design Thinking (book clubs, chats, contests) this summer!

By AJ Juliani | Design, Design Thinking, Education, Launch Cycle, Maker, reading | 3 Comments

Our new book, LAUNCH: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student, has been out for almost a month now and the response has…

Read More
Jun 17
270
SHARES

7 Simple Ways to Use Technology With Purpose

By AJ Juliani | Design, Education, Practical Strategies, Tech, Technology | 7 Comments

Why are you using technology? Or more importantly, how are you using technology to better the learning in your classroom and/or school? If you are like me, then you’ve had…

Read More
« Previous
NextPrevious »

AJ Juliani

I am the Director of Technology & Innovation for Centennial School District. I believe we need to be intentional about innovation in our schools…

Contact me

Books

Upcoming Projects

Intentional Innovation - Writing Final Draft (so close to being finished)


35000 / 40000 words. 88% done!

Scratch Your Itch - Re-writing First Draft


25000 / 45000 words. 56% done!

LEARN BETTER

  • Learning Models
  • The Science of Learning
  • Practical Strategies
  • Research to Practice

TEACH BETTER

  • Genius Hour
  • Design Thinking
  • Empower vs Engage
  • Project-Based Learning

LEAD BETTER

  • A Culture of Innovation
  • Lessons in Leadership
  • Decision Making
  • Intentional Innovation

SCRATCH YOUR ITCH

  • Podcast
  • Youtube Channel
  • Articles
    • All Our Articles
    • The Blog
  • Events
    • About me
    • Bring A.J. To Your Event
    • Learning and Leading Academy
    • Genius Hour Academy
    • The Global Day of Design
  • Books
  • Virtual
    • Virtual Learning Hub
  • Speaking