David Lee EdTech

null  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvovLzwA-1g This pair of sneakers is one of the favorites in my collection. It’s not just the fit or the look; it’s the story behind them. This New Balance collaboration was designed by Jeff Staple, the founder of Staple Pigeon and a creative force I have admired for years. Jeff is legendary for the 2005 Nike Pigeon Dunk, a release that effectively birthed modern sneaker culture and the "campout" phenomenon. But beyond the hype, Jeff is a master communicator. Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to meet him at Sneaker Con Singapore. It was a surreal moment to see someone so influential be so authentic and down-to-earth. Reflecting on his work, here are four lessons from Jeff that have shaped me as an educator. 1. Message and Medium Jeff uses streetwear to express the grit and hustle of New York City. He realized that a t-shirt allows "mad people" to see his message on the subway, unlike art hidden in a gallery. I try to m...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVOlS5mUjHk I was honored to learn that a Design & Technology Book Club selected my book as their featured read for the month. It is always a privilege to engage with fellow educators who are passionate about innovation, and the members sent over some truly thought-provoking questions regarding the text and how my perspective has evolved since its publication. I wanted to share those questions and my responses with you here, as they sparked some deep reflection on my own journey with Design Thinking. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion. Has the Vision Changed? : A common question was whether my view of Design Thinking has evolved. The short answer is yes. While I still believe it is a powerful, human-centered toolkit for navigating a world of constant change, I’ve realized that Design Thinking is only as effective—or as harmful—as the person using it. As designer Jennifer Daniel noted, "Design is not good unto itself. D...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaZ0COelJ34 Project-Based Learning (PBL) has a unique power: it makes learning come alive. It transforms abstract standards into essential tools for solving real problems. I recently experienced this firsthand while collaborating with educators Mary Kate Burke, Matt Kish, and Sean Smith on a Grade 5 science unit rooted in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Challenge: Hand Sanitizer Shortages   We started with a real-world problem. During a time of panic buying and empty shelves, we posed a driving question to our students: “How might we create our own hand sanitizer for our classmates due to shortages?” This wasn’t just about mixing chemicals. It was about becoming product development chemists. By framing the unit this way, we created a learning narrative  — a story where the students were the heroes and the science standards were the tools they needed to succeed. Empathy & Design Thinking   Before mixing anything,...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M05mEpYq6KQ One of the essential elements of Project-Based Learning (PBL) is Sustained Inquiry . According to PBLworks.org, this implies an active, in-depth process where students “seek information or investigate,” rather than just looking things up online. A powerful way to facilitate this is by tapping into real-world experts. I saw the value of this during a 1st-grade STEM project led by Ms. Gillian Lait. The students were tasked with designing their own instruments to create music for a puppet show. To help them understand the science of sound, we invited James McMullen, our Middle School Makerspace Specialist and a former engineer who builds guitars out of cigar boxes. James didn’t just show his instruments; he explained the engineering behind them. He taught the students how to choose materials that vibrate effectively (like springy spruce) and how to design the structure so that nothing limits those vibrations. He transferred professional strategi...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAbl4c6z4-E I recently spent a morning at Tombalek, a traditional craft workshop, with my friend Shaun. We are both makers at heart, but this was a new challenge: forging a knife. It was an incredible experience—taking raw steel, heating it to high temperatures, hammering it into shape, and carefully grinding the blade. But as I stood there covered in dust and sweat, I wasn't just thinking about the knife. I was thinking about our responsibility as educators. Our job is to connect what students learn in school to the real world. We need to show them that the knowledge they acquire is actually used by professionals. The Hidden Connection: PBL and Standards In my new video series, I examine real-world projects alongside Project-Based Learning (PBL) elements and student content standards. By looking at my knife-making experience through an academic lens, we can see how to design truly authentic learning experiences—even using 2nd Grade Science standa...

 When designing learning experiences, it is easy for educators to get fixated on the What —"What will the students learn?" We list out the standards, the concepts, and the vocabulary. But to create truly impactful learning, we must also focus on the Why . Why do they need to learn this? What problem could they solve? What could they create? I like to think of this as the “Brownie” within the educational context. Traditional lessons often feel like we are just handing students individual ingredients—flour, sugar, eggs. But lessons need to be designed so that students don’t just hold the ingredients; they mix, heat, and blend them to bake a brownie. A Case Study Let’s look at a concrete example using Grade 5 Science standards focused on the Structure and Properties of Matter . Students are required to know: 5-PS1-1: Matter is made of particles too small to be seen. 5-PS1-2: Regardless of heating, cooling, or mixing, the total weight of matter is conserved. 5-PS1-3: Identifyi...