David Lee EdTech

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4ciN-mJSaI A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of working with a fantastic group of 2nd-grade educators. Together, we designed a social studies project where students became museum curators and exhibit designers , using design thinking to create their own museum exhibits. The team included two homeroom teachers (Shelby and Rebecca), our Tech & Innovation Specialist (Chris), our instructional coach (Jodi), our librarian (Lara), and myself. Looking back, I truly treasure that experience. It felt seamless, productive, and genuinely collaborative. I’ve been reflecting on why we were so effective. After breaking it down, I identified five key elements that made our collaboration work. 1. Diverse Skills, Perspectives, and Experiences Our strength lay in our differences. Each member brought a unique lens to the table, allowing us to fill gaps and enhance the learning experience in ways a single teacher couldn’t. Shelby & Rebecca (Homeroo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fumAknnkTg Biomimicry, they developed nature-inspired solutions to real human problems. This project, co-designed with my colleague Tracy Blair , was an experiment in meaningful transfer of learning—moving beyond just understanding concepts to applying them in new, complex contexts. NGSS & Core Concepts Our unit was anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for 4th Grade, specifically focusing on: Structure & Function:  How internal/external structures support survival and growth. Information Processing:  How animals receive and respond to sensory information. Cause & Effect and Systems:  Understanding the relationships within natural systems. We started by asking, "Why do animals and plants need structures?" Through observation and experiments, students learned that every beak, leaf vein, and stem has a specific function for survival. Introducing Biomimicry Once students understoo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzCyIEvfsBE "I don't have time to teach my students how to use the techology." This is a challenge I face constantly. I work with about 600 students across 28 classes. Because we don't have a designated "tech lesson," it is up to the teachers and me to find pockets of time to integrate digital skills. Recently, our 4th graders were wrapping up a Social Studies unit on Responsibility . They explored the driving question: How do our choices as consumers affect the world? To move beyond just learning the content, we wanted them to take Student Action —to create a campaign to influence others using digital media. The Problem: The Sustainable Model Initially, our EdTech team thought about pushing into every classroom to teach specific tools (websites, posters, videos). We quickly realized this wasn't sustainable. With so many students and conflicting schedules, we couldn't be everywhere at once. The S...

Imagine looking at a local river and seeing the water turn a thick, neon green. That is the image we presented to our 5th graders to kick off their latest science unit. We challenged them to become environmental engineers . In this post, I want to share a STEM project I designed with my colleagues, Jessica Jordon and Courtney Gienapp, where students didn’t just study algal blooms — they designed real solutions to stop them. To kick things off, we started with a “provocation.” We showed students images of algal blooms in Singapore and around the world. Although we couldn’t go on a field trip this year due to restrictions, the visual impact of the discolored water was enough to generate curiosity. The Inquiry Cycle This provocation led to three main categories of student questions: The Cause: What is algal bloom and what causes it? Plant Growth: What makes the algae grow so fast? Consequences: How does this contamination affect the ecosystem? Students researched how nutrient-rich ...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHy4SqmxgsM I want to share my "Digital Citizenship Integration Model." My goal with this framework is to help you integrate digital citizenship concepts easily and meaningfully into your students’ learning experiences. Ultimately, it’s about developing a culture of compassion, responsibility, and well-being within our digital lives. What is Digital Citizenship? According to Common Sense Education, digital citizenship is "the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and participate." While technology offers our students incredible opportunities to connect and discover, it also brings challenges—from cyberbullying and privacy violations to digital distraction. To truly help our students, we need to move beyond isolated lessons and build a Digital Citizenship Culture . This consists of shared attitudes, beliefs, and practices for responsible technology use championed by every stakeholder in the school. Here is how my two-part ...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRP7g4Sn5Fw Want to take your students’ conceptual understanding to the next level? I had the incredible opportunity to join the first cohort of Julie Stern ’s “Learning Transfer Endorsed Educator” course . As someone whose school uses a conceptual approach, I couldn’t pass up the chance to learn directly from the expert herself. Here is a breakdown of the key tool I learned—the Learning Transfer Mental Model —and how I used it to design a 4th-grade STEM project. Why We Need This Model Our world is becoming increasingly complex. Students need more than just information retention; they need to think divergently and apply knowledge to unpredictable challenges. The Learning Transfer Mental Model helps organizing information into “concepts”—fundamental elements that act like mental folders. This organization builds schema in the brain, allowing students to retain information better and transfer it to new contexts. The Storyboard Phases 1. Acquire (Sur...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQsDlL4bIXU In this video I wanted to share with you all a glimpse of what I did as a teacher, specifically as a 4th and 5th grade Design & Innovation Specialist at Singapore American School. Learn more about what I do here: www.lpbeta.org

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQbUrFo8WG8 As a learning designer, I love finding connections between seemingly disparate subjects. Recently, I collaborated with Sean Smith, a 5th-grade teacher, to merge two unlikely partners: NGSS Science standards (Ecosystems & Earth’s Systems) and Fantasy Writing. The result? A project-based learning experience centered on Worldbuilding . The Challenge: Connecting Middle-Earth to Science  We needed to integrate standards about matter, energy flow in ecosystems, and the interaction of Earth’s spheres (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). Looking at these concepts through an “eduPermaculture” lens, I realized they are essentially the rules that govern a world. This led me to J.R.R. Tolkien. His creation of Middle-earth wasn’t just about characters; it was about geography, history, and systems. This process is called “worldbuilding.” We used this real-world creative process to frame our driving question: How might we create a ...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPg9PPMPnoU What happens when you combine student passion with a framework for deep learning? You get meaningful engagement. This year, the Grade 5 Learning Community embarked on Personalized Inquiry Projects (PIPs)—long-term, transdisciplinary experiences co-designed by students based on their own interests. From Passive to Active Traditional learning can often feel passive, short-term, and siloed. PIPs flip the script. They are active, open-ended, long-term, and deeply personalized. Students weren't just completing assignments; they were driving their own learning journey. The variety of projects was staggering: Two students used Blender to design and mint NFTs, actually selling one on a marketplace. Another student prototyped custom sneaker colorways using design software. One group created a website with strategies for students with autism. Others built a Minecraft solar system, wrote original music, or designed digital comic book...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCO0qh4_XrA If you look at the "About" page of almost any school website, you will likely find a mission statement about nurturing students to be "creative, collaborative problem-solvers." We all agree this is the goal. The Future of Jobs Report confirms that innovation and interpersonal skills are rising in prominence. However, when I entered the teaching profession, I have to admit I was ill-equipped to teach these skills. My training focused on content, not on how to design authentic experiences that empower students to design their own future. Through my journey to fix this gap in my own practice, I discovered Design Thinking . More Than Just Brainstorming : While traditional Creative Problem Solving (CPS) focuses on innovation, Design Thinking is the "ultimate toolkit" because it is rooted in empathy . It cultivates a human-centered culture where solutions are born from the needs of others. Putting It i...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am_KYaOqyEc I love living in Singapore. It is usually sunny and beautiful, but even on rainy days, there is always something to do indoors. I recently spent an exhausting but fun ninety minutes just chasing my kids around—a stark contrast to how I used to spend my time. Before moving here, I was living in Korea. In my late 20s and early 30s, my life was glued to a laptop. I would start at 5:00 AM, work until school started, teach, and then jump back on the computer until 10:00 PM. I did this for years. Initially, the excitement of creating content and planning units fueled me. But quickly, that faded. I realized it wasn’t sustainable. I became cranky, low-energy, and easily frustrated. I shared this personal story with my 5th graders last week during our Digital Citizenship unit. We focused on media balance and the importance of reflecting on how we feel when using technology. The goal was to help them understand that they have the power to make ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXGvn_vKFKw Korea was where my teaching journey started. Being here reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s concept of "the Mountain" —that distant goal that guides every decision we make. Korea was the start of my path toward my mountain. Looking back, I realize two things defined my early 20s. First, luck plays a huge role . I came to South Korea at 23 to teach English. By pure chance, the academy I chose was in the same building as an international school. I walked upstairs, asked about positions, and that serendipitous moment launched my international teaching career. Second, accountability forces growth . I was hired as a computer teacher despite knowing very little about technology. As Johnny Harris says, high accountability forces you to learn . I had to convince the administration I could do the job, then frantically upskill. That pressure is exactly what jumpstarted my journey into EdTech, Project-Based Learning and STEM education. To young educat...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QnsV9pDKZs&feature=youtu.be ecently, I had the chance to do exactly that when my colleague, Gabe Haydu, introduced me to a team of 5th graders who wanted to build a hexacopter drone. Here is the catch: I had never built a drone in my life. But I realized this was the perfect opportunity to show students that you don’t need to be an expert to tackle a complex challenge—you just need passion, persistence, and a growth mindset. The Reality Check We bought a QWinOut F550 Drone Kit and started the build. However, we hit a wall almost immediately. I had made two unfair assumptions: that the students knew how to collaborate effectively, and that they possessed project management skills. We had to pause the build to build the team. We established collaboration norms—like "mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them" and "communicate feelings productively." We also developed a concrete Action Plan to track goals, resources, and ti...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GduxJVcet8c Too often in schools, valuable data sits in silos — locked in spreadsheets or isolated within specific departments. But what happens when we use that information to fuel collaboration rather than just reporting? That is the focus of the Data in Schools Conference . We are gathering educators to explore how we can move from “data-rich but information-poor” to truly actionable, team-based decision-making. This isn’t just about complex algorithms. It’s also about: Breaking down silos: Creating systems where insights are shared across grade levels and departments. Fostering teamwork: Using data as a neutral starting point for difficult conversations about student support. Real-world application: Learning from peers who are already using data to drive tangible improvements in teaching and outcomes. If you are looking for strategies to harness the power of data for the benefit of all students — and want to connect with a community doing the same —...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgvHMrQ6Vq8 Deion Sanders famously said, “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.” I felt that extra boost after getting a fresh cut, but as I sat in the chair, I realized I was walking away with more than just a haircut—I was witnessing a masterclass in design. The place was K-Cuts here in Singapore. At first glance, it’s a budget option: 10 to 15 minutes, cost-effective ($12 SGD), and no-frills. But when I looked closer, I saw that everything was designed with extreme intention. I noticed the payment kiosk that eliminated queue friction. I saw the individual closets for customer belongings, the UV sterilizers for tools, and the ingenious vacuum system at the floor base that let stylists sweep away hair in a second. This wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about removing every non-essential barrier to create efficiency for both the customer and the employee. Design is Problem Solving We often confuse "design" w...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dPwynLRQMo "Cheeseburger Kid." Known for his agility and daring aerial maneuvers, his performance was a masterclass in athleticism, theatrics, and storytelling. As I watched the spectacle unfold—from the high-flying moves to the intense rivalries—I had a thought: What if a group of students decided to create their own wrestling entertainment event? If safety and student well-being were the top priority, I believe this would be the ultimate Project-Based, Transdisciplinary Learning experience. Authenticity in Design : I love designing learning experiences that are as authentic as possible. To hone this skill, I often examine real-world projects to see how academic knowledge is applied to produce a tangible outcome. A wrestling event is the perfect case study. It all starts with a Challenging Question: “How might we produce a wrestling entertainment event for the community?” This central focus motivates students to engage in sustained inquiry...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe9bv9w5-o0 In this conversation, Joyce Pereira and I dive into the innovative KoLAB program —a unique STEM and project-based learning (PBL) initiative that blends transdisciplinary pedagogy with real-world challenges. I share insights into the program's foundational principles, including its focus on authentic contexts and applied learning practices, while we explore its impact on students and educators alike. We also discuss thoughtful strategies to breathe new life into the program, from aligning with community needs to integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainability goals. Whether you're an educator, program designer, or STEM enthusiast, this episode offers inspiration and actionable recommendations for creating transformative learning experiences. Let’s reimagine the future of STEM and PBL education together! Joyce Pereira inkedin.com/in/joycelourencopereira