by Ari Yares | Sep 22, 2016 | Innovative Parenting
As much as we had wanted to spend time with our kids, my wife and I were quickly becoming frustrated with our kids’ morning and afternoon routines. It was filled with nagging, yelling, and everyone generally being miserable. This was not a recipe for a happy...
by Ari Yares | Sep 16, 2016 | 21st Century Learning, Design Thinking
Like many parents at this time of year, I am somewhat dreading “Back to School Night.” It’s not out of any sense of school phobia or flashbacks to my own education. After all, I’ve spent my entire professional life working in schools. I’m...
by Ari Yares | Sep 6, 2016 | 21st Century Learning, Design Thinking, Writings
The school year has started and many educators are already talking about failure. This isn’t the failure that many of us are familiar with from school (not from personal experience, just from being in school. It isn’t the glaringly big red F that we...
by Ari Yares | Sep 1, 2016 | Design Thinking, Writings
Innovation has clearly become a buzzword in our society. Everything is innovative from consumer products like shampoo and toilet paper to business practices like purchasing and budgeting. As it so often does with terms and elements of pop culture that may be “jumping...
by Ari Yares | Aug 9, 2016 | 21st Century Learning, Innovative Parenting
I just finished watching Gever Tulley’s Ted Talk, “5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do,” and I’m not sure that I’m done freaking out. I have visions in my head of allowing my 5 year old to use real knife or letting my 8 year...
by Ari Yares | Aug 2, 2016 | Writings
The other day, the following quote was posted in a Facebook group on innovation that I participate in. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door” – Coco Chanel, founder of Chanel. My first response was snarky – this is why I...
by Ari Yares | Jul 18, 2016 | 21st Century Learning, Innovative Parenting
Like most people, I haven’t really ever thought of myself as a maker. I’ve been watching as schools and libraries have introduced makerspaces and I’ve encouraged the creation of them and students to get involved in them. But, I never really thought...
by Ari Yares | Jul 12, 2016 | 21st Century Learning, School Psychology, Writings
As a kid, I was always impressed by the list of initials that appeared on the video games at the arcade announcing the high scores (I didn’t at the time realize how many quarters had gone into making that happen). There is something exciting about reaching a...
by Ari Yares | Jun 20, 2016 | Design Thinking, Writings
I have been wondering for a while why I am fascinated with design. Some of it, I’m sure, I picked up while my wife was earning two degrees in communication design, but the fascination didn’t really hit full steam until well after she had finished. What was...
by Ari Yares | Jun 15, 2016 | Innovative Parenting
So the other night, I accidentally left my cell phone in my toddler’s room and he found it. When I retraced my steps to find the phone, he was lying on the floor trying to swipe away on it, just like mommy and daddy. No, he didn’t figure out how to unlock...
