Every Educator is a Designer

Seeing the wave of "I’m an ADE!" posts is bringing back a rush of nostalgia. I vividly remember the excitement of getting accepted to the Apple Distinguished Educator program for the 2019 Gold Coast Institute.

To the Class of 2025: Huge congratulations! You are joining a family that will challenge and lift you up. To those who didn’t get in this year: I see you. Please know a badge doesn’t define your worth. Your impact is real. Keep building.

At that Institute, I gave a talk that defines my career: Every Educator is a Designer.

But like all industries, there is good design and bad design.

As a student, I once had to sculpt a clay bust of Herbert Hoover. I became an expert on his nose shape but learned nothing about history. I constantly asked, "Why am I doing this?"

That question led me to eduPermaculture—an approach where we mimic real-world ecosystems. instead of "school-ified" tasks, students take on professional roles (like urban planners) to solve authentic problems.

My challenge to you: Don't just plan lessons. Strive to be the Steve Jobs of learning design. Create experiences so relevant that students never have to ask "Why?", but instead feel empowered to tackle the future.