Welcome to the speaking page of Aaron Maurer, an educator deeply passionate about transforming the landscape of learning. With a dynamic blend of energy, expertise, and enthusiasm, I am dedicated to reigniting the spark of curiosity in educators and students alike. By leveraging the power of purposeful play, hands-on learning, and inquiry-based methodologies, I strive to equip educators with innovative tools and strategies that make learning a joyful and engaging journey. I can customize topics based on individual needs.

Expertise and Experience:

With many years of experience on the front lines of education in both the classroom, as an instructional coach, and now supporting 21 school districts where I am in classrooms daily working alongside educators, I have honed a unique set of skills and insights that enable me to bring fresh perspectives to educational challenges. My deep understanding of pedagogy and student engagement, coupled with my knack for delivering highly energized presentations, have allowed me to inspire and empower audiences at numerous workshops, PD sessions, conferences, and keynotes.

What You Can Expect:

When you book me as a speaker, you can expect a dynamic, interactive, and thought-provoking presentation that challenges the status quo of education. I’m committed to providing a valuable experience that extends beyond the presentation itself, offering custom resource pages with references and additional learning materials to continue the conversation and deepen the learning after the event. I’m dedicated to maintaining a high level of professionalism, including prompt responses to inquiries and diligent preparation to meet your event’s unique needs.

Call to Action:

Ready to ignite a transformation in your learning community? Connect with me to discuss your event’s unique needs and how we can work together to inspire and empower your audience.

Examples of Sessions, Keynotes, Workshops, Classrooms projects, Curriculum, and more

A search on YouTube and this website and the good old internet will bring up lots of past videos of presentations if you would like to seek them out. Below are some resources to what I have put together for various speaking opportunities.

Artificial Intelligence

Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | AI Professional Development Workshops | 2022 – present
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator: Tech and Teach: Tackling the evons Paradox in Transformative Teaching | 2024| Slides| Resources|
Panelist | ITEC AI Reloaded – One Year Revisit | 2024| Resource created for webinar
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘How is AI Redesigning Education | 2023 – present
Curator | ‘AI Education Prompts I Use‘ Resource | 2023 – present
Curator | ‘AI Productivity Prompts‘ Resource | 2023 – present
Curator | ‘AI Learning and Research Journey‘ Resources | 2023 – present
Curator | ‘AI Art and Media Prompts I Use‘ Resources | 2023 – present
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Bodacious Bard: Guided Exploration of AI Prompting’ Professional Development | 2023 – present
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Unveiling AI’s Multimedia Magic: From Creation to Virtual Reality’ PD & Guide | 2023 – present
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘AI Prompts Matter: Detective Gizmo vs. Dr. Swipe‘ Session | 2023
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘Iron Man and the Classroom of Tomorrow‘ Presentation | 2023

Engagement, Purposeful Play, Inquiry, Authentic Learning and PBL

Presenter | ‘Lunch and Learn: LEGO® Serious Play® in K-12 Education’ | Resource | January 17th, 2024
Curator | ‘Authentic Learner Agency Menu of Learning‘ | 2023 – Present
Facilitator | ‘Empowering Future-Ready Learners‘ PD Series | 2023-2024
Lead Facilitator | ‘Core is the Floor‘ PD Series | 2023 – Ongoing
Lead Facilitator | ‘Creating Authentic Learning Experiences For All‘ Hub | 2023 – Present
Session Leader | ‘PBL with a Purpose‘ PD Conference Session | 2023
Facilitator | 4 Day Summer Workshop: ‘Creating Authentic Learning Experiences’ | i-STEM Institute June 14-17, 2022
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Putting Out The Fires Of Teaching‘ Series | 2020
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Purposeful Play With LEGO‘ Course | 2020
Lead Facilitator | ‘Sustaining Inquiry in Work That Matters‘ PD | 2020
Workshop Leader | ‘Flight of the Endangered Species‘ Workshop, Deeper Learning Conference 2019 | High Tech High

PBL Examples

Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Michel Mockers’ Graphic Novel PBL Unit | 2023
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Food Scarcity and Waste PBL Unit | 2022
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Systems for Survival PBL Unit | 2023
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Systems for Survival PBL Unit | 2022
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Systems for Survival PBL Unit | 2021
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Riva’s Reality’ Graphic Novel PBL Unit | 2022
- For more details about the unit and the graphic novel, visit the Riva’s Reality Exemplar page and the Riva’s Reality main page.
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | SDG Sea Turtle Plastic Pollution PBL Unit | 2019-2021
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Power of Water PBL Unit | 2019
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | Our Education Matters PBL Unit | 2019

STEM, Computer Science, Maker,Tech,Purposeful Play

Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘LEGO EV3 Classroom Trainer Course‘ | 2021
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘Raspberry Pi Educator Trainer Course Level 1‘ | 2021
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘Google Geeking 2020‘ | 2020
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘MAKEing A Difference‘ PD Workshops |2018-2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Literally Making‘ PD Workshops |2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘‘LEGO EV3 Summer Camp‘ | 2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘‘LEGO EV3 Summer Camp‘ | 2018
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘‘LEGO EV3 Summer Camp‘ | 2017
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘micro:bit and Design Thinking Workshops‘ | 2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator| ‘Minecraft Education Workshop‘ | 2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Circuit Playground Workshop‘ Program | 2019
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘LEGO Design Thinking Experience for 150+ 6th Graders‘ Program | 2018
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘You Can Do What With LED’s?‘ Program | 2017
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘Make Yourself Into A Maker‘ Program | 2017
Content Creator and Lead Facilitator | ‘You Can Do What With LED’s?‘ Program | 2017
Creator | ‘25 Days of Making 2020‘ | 2020
Creator | ‘25 Days of Making 2019‘ | 2019
Creator | ‘25 Days of Making 2018‘ | 2018
Creator | ‘LEGO EV3 Classroom Bootcamp’ | 2020
Creator | ‘Purposeful Play With LEGO Lessons’ Course | 2020
Developer | ‘Learn Python Playlist‘ Self-Paced Course | 2018
Developer | ‘Makey Makey Self Paced Course‘ | 2018
Lead Facilitator | ‘Makey Makey Workshop‘ | 2018
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | ‘Greek Myth:bit’ – Social Studies STEM Project | 2019
Co-Creator & Co-Teacher | ‘Wild Robot Escapes’ – Literacy, CS, and STEM Project | 2020

Publications:

Maurer, A. “How Teachers Can Start the Learning Space Story.” DEMCO Array: School Space Design Issue (2023): 16-19.
Maurer, A. “Case Study 9.” Building Better Learning: Using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method in Education. (2023): 206-221.
Maurer, A. Design Innovative Robots with LEGO SPIKE Prime: Seven Creative STEM robotics designs to challenge your mind (2022).
Maurer, A. Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor: Learn to Play with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Kit and build creative robots (2021).
Maurer. A. “Sharing Project’s Story With Greater Community” Championing Your STEM Initiatives: A Guidebook. (2021): 5.
Maurer, A. “Empowering Teachers With Purposeful Play White Paper” LEGO Education and SmartBrief. (2021): 3-4.
Maurer, A. “Chapter 5.” How Does 3D Printing Work? (Project Learning with 3D Printing.) (2017): 94-116.
Maurer, A. “Mr. Robot Returns” Robot Magazine (November/December 2016)

Webinars:

“Summer Dream Big Series: Project-Based Learning (PBL) with a Purpose” What Schools Could Be Community. (2023)
“ITEC Webinar: ChatGPT: ChatGPT: Exploring Potential & Pitfalls of AI in Education” ITEC (2023)
“ITEC Webinar: ChatGPT: ChatGPT: Exploring Potential & Pitfalls of AI in Education” ITEC (2023)
“Crafting Authentic Learning Experiences Through PBL” What Schools Could Be Community. (2022)
“The Joy of Owning One’s Own Learning Journey Through Authentic Learning Experiences” Comic Con. (2022)
“Purposeful Play with LEGO PD” Unreasonable Kids College. (2021)
“Purposeful Play with LEGO” Indiana Connected Educators Conference. (2020)
“Classroom Culture: Share and Model Mistakes and Iteration ” DisruptED TV. (2018)
“Make Every Space A Makerspace” DisruptED TV. (2018)
“LEGO Duck Eliminates All Your Excuses” DisruptED TV. (2018)
“Featured Teacher for Classroom20LIVE” Classroom20LIVE. (2014)

Podcast Appearances:

“Top 10 Ways Educations Can Use AI Tools, with Aaron Maurer.” Unpacking Education. #250. (2024)
“Chat-GPT in Education with Aaron Maurer.”. AEA Learning Online. #5. (2023)
“Aaron Maurer”. Behind the Bookcase. (2021)
Issues in Education (2019)
“25 Days of Making: When Educators Make, Create, and Have Fun.” The Coolcat Teacher. #441. (2019)
“5 Ways to Improve STEAM Learning at Your School.”. The Coolcat Teacher. #141. (2017)
“Awesome Ava and Dorky Dad Discussion and Makerspace” Dads inED. #68. (2017)
“Teacher Aaron Maurer @coffeechugbooks #ecmatters.” The Coolcat Teacher. #13. (2013)

Articles:

Featured in “6 amazing STEM webinars for teachers” CoderZ. (2022).
Maurer, A. “3 ways teach community supports STEAM education.” eSchoolNews. (2021)
Featured in “Empowering Teachers with Purposeful Play.” LEGO Education. (2021)
“Interview with Aaron Maurer.” packt. (2021)
Featured in Dearybury, J. and Jones., J The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages (2020): 247.
Maurer, A. “Using Teacher Communities to Support STEAM Education” School Robots by RobotLab, (2020)
Featured in Newton, D. “LEGO is probably the biggest education company on Earth.” Forbes. (2020)
Maurer, A. “How hands-on learning improves middle school confidence.” SmartBrief. (2019)
Maurer, A. “How hands-on learning improves middle school confidence.” WaybackMachine. (2019)
Maurer, A. “Rethinking Learning and Homework with Minecraft.” Minecraft Education. (2016)
An educators take: the new TETRIX PULSE Robotics Controller. PITSCO Education. (2017)
Educator Review: Coding Essentials Curriculum Pack. PITSCO Education. (2017)
Makerspace: It’s about the Mind-set Not the Tools. PITSCO Education. (2016)
“Expanding robotics into the science classroom using EV3. slideshare. (2014)

Speaking Engagements:

Keynote Speaker | LCSD1 Wyoming | 2023
Keynote Speaker | Wyoming Department of Education Innovations Conference | 2023
Keynote Speaker | ITEC Iowa | 2022
Keynote Speaker | Quad Cities FIRST LEGO League Kickoff Event | 2019
Keynote Speaker | MIE Expert and Showcase School Leader Summit | 2018
Keynote Speaker | ESU Makerspace Faire | 2017
Keynote Speaker | MUSD EDCON California| 2017
Keynote Speaker | DALI STEM New Orleans| 2017
Keynote Speaker | NCCE Makerspace Summit Seattle| 2016
Keynote Speaker | DAR Good Citizen Bettendorf| 2016
Keynote Speaker | Bettendorf National Honor Society | 2014

Curriculum:

Curriculum Writer | Impossible Science (run by Jason Lattimer) | 2023
Co-Developer | PBS Virtual Professional Learning Series: ‘Our Planet’ | 2020
Program Designer | ‘Carnival LEGO PBL Unit‘ for Grades 3-5 | Camp Re-Imagine | 2019
Curriculum Author | Innovation Lab Schools (supported by Jane Goodall)| 2018
Curriculum Developer | ‘Mission to Mars‘ Computer Science Experience | Envision Experience by WorldStrides | 2017

Leadership Certifications

Makey Makey Ambassador | Joylabz | 2018 – present
Minecraft Global Mentor and Ambassador | Microsoft | 2017 – present
PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator | PBS LearningMedia | 2016
PITSCO TAG Educator | PITSCO | 2016
Microsoft Innovator Educator Expert and Fellow | Microsoft | 2014 – Present
Master Meta Judge | First Classroom NetGen | 2013
Coach and Mentor | First Lego League Coach | 2010 – 2018

Awards:

ISTE Making It Happen Award Winner| ISTE | 2018
Featured Educator for ITEC |Iowa Technology and Education Connection ( ITEC) | 2014
Finalist | Iowa Teacher of the Year | 2014