Welcome to the home of Passion, Pondering, and Practice with Mike Cobb!
As a futurist and consultant for innovation and organizational excellence, I am dedicated to revolutionizing the educational landscape by analyzing current patterns and data to help forecast potential future scenarios, helping to prepare for and adapt to an unknown future. By envisioning and planning for the future, we can drive innovation and ensure sustainability and progress.
My passion is around helping communities foster authenticity, agency, and agile frameworks for deeper learning.
Through this website, I share my thoughts and insights on how to design learning environments that inspire us all to become our best selves. My blogs and podcasts cover a wide range of topics related to education, including innovative teaching methods, student-centered learning, and the importance of cultivating curiosity and creativity in the classroom.
By exploring these topics, I hope to unveil tools and insights to help others create meaningful and transformative experiences.
Join the conversation and discover how you can foster passion, pondering, and practice in your classroom today!
With Mike Cobb
Here are a few of the design projects I have been fortunate to lead.
At NEOM Community School, our construction and implementation of some of the most innovative learning spaces, setting a new standard for future-forward education. Our approach was centered on creating environments that foster creativity, collaboration, and authentic learning, preparing students for the challenges of tomorrow.
**Cutting-Edge Robotics Labs**: We designed state-of-the-art robotics labs equipped with the latest technology and tools, allowing students to engage in complex, real-world problem-solving and develop skills in coding, engineering, and automation. These labs were tailored to accommodate a range of robotics activities, from beginner projects to advanced competitions, ensuring an inclusive learning experience.
**Fab Labs and Maker Spaces**: Our fab labs and maker spaces were crafted to be hubs of innovation, where students could bring their ideas to life. Equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, and other advanced fabrication tools, these spaces supported interdisciplinary learning, encouraging students to explore, prototype, and create tangible products, all while developing critical thinking and technical skills.
**Learning Garden**: The learning garden was designed as an outdoor classroom that seamlessly integrated nature into the learning process. It served as a living laboratory where students could engage in hands-on environmental science, agriculture, and sustainability projects. The garden fostered a deeper connection with nature and encouraged exploration and experimentation.
**Collaborative Spaces**: To promote teamwork and collaborative learning, we implemented flexible, tech-enabled collaborative spaces throughout the school. These spaces were designed to be adaptable, with movable furniture, interactive displays, and access to digital tools, supporting various group activities, from brainstorming sessions to collaborative projects.
**Wellness Centers**: Recognizing the importance of holistic education, we designed wellness centers that focused on mental and physical well-being. These centers included spaces for mindfulness practices, yoga, counseling, and relaxation, providing students with the resources to manage stress, build resilience, and maintain a healthy balance between academics and personal well-being.
Each of these spaces was thoughtfully integrated into the school’s overall design, creating an ecosystem that supports innovative learning and the development of future-ready skills. The implementation of these cutting-edge facilities reflects NEOM Community School’s commitment to pioneering education that not only meets the needs of today but also anticipates the demands of tomorrow.
When we began to dream of the ultimate Third Science Teacher we went big. The Science Explorium is a learning laboratory exploring the world of science with inquiry-based experiences that transform learning. Our vision centered on creating a learning environment where students are compelled to confidently ask questions, question answers, and understand the world around them through immersive, hands-on learning. A perfect mic of entertainment and education to create an engaging space to inquire and take action.
The Science Explorium will be the absolute example of our dedication to lifelong learning and teaching, curiosity and inquiry, iteration and evidence, integrity and authenticity, sustainability and community, and inclusion and respect.
This monolithic learning dome is an living example of what we can do for the future of learning if we are willing to dream.
Our Learning Village concept provides students a sense of belonging as they walk down the hallway and enter their homeplace.
As students walk down the hallway, they see trees growing overhead. Then they enter their learning village and see three houses per grade (red, yellow, blue). The hallways also have display areas for student work throughout the Lower School.
Each room instantly feels like a home with adaptable furniture and a high-tech space. Each classroom has a Promethean interactive display board for learning. The classroom feeling like a home with
warm and welcoming Learning zones within the classroom such as speaking corner, idea wall, presentation area and art/wet zone.
Students crave comfort and a safe feeling, and that is exactly what they get everyday when they walk into their homeplace.
The goal of the Center for Innovation @ All Saints is to create spaces that compel students to develop skills and mindsets necessary to succeed in college and in life, such as problem-solving, adaptability, empathy, entrepreneurship and collaboration.
The Center for Innovation @ All Saints is composed of six key areas:
Fab Lab
Design Studio
Digi Studio
Idea Lab
E-Cafe
VR Room
Fab Lab (Fabrication laboratory) is a 21st Century workshop offering access to a range of advanced fabrication tools and digital resources to inspire students to turn their ideas into new products and prototypes. The beauty of the Fab Lab is its ability to not only inspire students but to teach them the value of learning, creating and providing the resources to have positive impact beyond the walls of a classroom.
The Fab Lab features:
3 D Printers – Two Raise3D N2 Dual Extruder printers
3d printers can create a physical model of virtually any shape through the extrusion of plastic based filament (PLA, ABS).
Laser Cutter – AP Lazer Cutter
Laser cutters utilize a high powered laser to make precision cuts in a variety of materials (wood, metal, stone, acrylic, glass, paper and much more). The laser is accurate to 1/100 of an inch (.01 inches), which allows it to cut very complex, intricate designs. The laser can be programmed to either engrave (raster cut) the surface of the material or cut through the material (vector cut).
Milling Machine – Nomad 883 Pro Desktop Miller
A milling machine is basically the inverse of a 3D printer. The Nomad 883 allows for rapid prototyping of product designs, building custom circuit boards, production of molds, and more. The Milling machine can be used on wood, mdf, modeling wax, plaster and FR1 circuit board blanks.
Vinyl Cutter – Titan 28 Vinyl Master Cutter
A vinyl cutter opens a world of possibilities for transferring vinyl designs, printed transfer papers, and sublimation ink designs, to apparel, mugs, other substrates and of course makes great banners.
Electronics Bench – Soldering stations, power supplies, arduinos, and more
The electronics bench enables students to take their creations to the next level with computer controls, lights, powered motion, and more.
Design Studio - Students want to engage in — and contribute to — their community. Having the tools and space to design drives intrinsic motivation and reinforces for students what we already know — that they are a tremendous asset to the communities in which they live.
The Design Studio features:
A Conference Carrel to allow students to work independently or in small groups.
Design Stations to provide clear line of sight for group viewing and collaboration and other presentation applications.
A powerful computer station with Mac Pros ready for students to engage in high-end design work.
Collaborative work areas throughout the Design Studio space.
The Digi Studio (Digital Video / Audio Recording Studio) allows students to explore the power of the media and produce top quality sound and video work to share with the world.
The All Saints Center For Innovation Digi Studio features:
A fully functioning News Room with:
Two ProHD cameras on mobile tripods
News desk with teleprompting
Green Screen for video production
Adaptive lighting with booms and filters
Producers desk for broadcasting and streaming
An Audio Recording Studio
Radio Broadcast Station with producers desk for broadcasting and streaming
Mixing board for recording
Sound Booth for acoustics
ProHD Microphones
E-Café (Entrepreneur Café) will inspire a entrepreneurial mindset and give a unique learning experience to foster passion and excitement for what it takes to start and run a business. The E-café will be a full service beverage shop with bottled beverages, coffees, and smoothies.
The E-Café features:
A commercial store front bar
Digital retail displays for branding, menu presentation, and product placement
Digital Brewing System with twin shuttles
Double Frozen Beverage Machine for Smoothies and Slushees
Double Beverage Cooler for bottled drinks
Idea Lab (Blended Learning and Conference Hub) is a space for Blended Learning to occur within a state-of-art Conference Hub with tools to make learning global and assessable for all students. The Idea Lab will feature a variety of areas to allow for collaborative learning. Outfitted with video conferencing for up to three sources will allow for distance learning connections across the globe.
The Idea Lab features:
3 - 50” displays for projection
An idea wall with writable surfacing for brainstorming and collaborative work. The wall will also feature storage for printed resources and reference books
Café style classroom area for casual class activities
VR Room (Virtual Reality)
The VR room is equipped with technologies that include various software and design platforms, headset configurations, workstations, and filming resources to help students experiment and create innovations in the virtual and augmented reality realms. Students will be able to create and experience simulations for classes and design projects across the curriculum.
The Collaboratory is an agile learning environment that adapts to the needs of our teachers and students. From the green screen theatre to the maker cubbies to the writeable wall, the space transforms into a collaborative learning environment fitting the needs of each and every lesson.
The Collaboratory is a 21st century library that offers way more than books! Students Pre School thru 4th grade come to the Collaboratory for digital media literacy and reading.
The Outdoor Learning Center is located in 15 dedicated acres leveraging the beauty of our natural surroundings and offering hands-on, authentic learning that inspires wonder and curiosity in our students. The Outdoor Learning Center is a unique learning environment where students learn about science in a natural, experiential environment that supports teamwork, stewardship, empathy, and real world problem solving. The OLC is comprised of the Learning Welcome Center, two class cabins, the Outdoor Chapel, The Wetlands Learning and Observation deck, and countless trails for exploration.
Video from Leyland Cabins
https://vimeo.com/296446560
The All Saints Learning Farm is the largest on-campus learning farm in Texas. Outfitted with 21 raised plots nurturing over 600 plants, with a hatching, pullet, and laying hen coops. The farm serves as a hands-on, authentic learning environment where Lower School students learn not only science and math but sustainability, entrepreneurship and stewardship.
Nutrition, science and sustainability come alive to Lower Schoolers on the largest Learning Farm in the state of Texas. Whether they are tending the chickens or harvesting their crops students understand the tangible results of their learning daily. These authentic learning opportunities engage students in the classroom as they see their lessons come to life on the farm.
STEM and Robotics Zone fosters the Maker Mindset and literally oozes with student engagement from the time you enter. Equipped with fabrication and electronic tools appropriate for 5th to 8th graders, the STEM Zone continues to build on the wonder established in our Lower School Makerspace and instills the advanced problem solving skills that will help ignite their passions. With the skills gained in the STEM Zone students will be ready to utilized the various spaces in the Center for Innovation to impact their world as Upper Schoolers.
The Oasis 4-D Tinker Lab allows Pre School through 4th grade students to discover, design, develop, and deliver.
The Oasis is where students begin building a “maker mindset” where they can identify problems, empathize with their users, and then prototype and deliver solutions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NfVgxepFCMG2G-n_AmYfuecpae8vLX2Q/view?usp=sharing
Vaughn Hall has truly become the hub for Fine Arts at All Saints encompassing Theater, Band, Music and Creative Arts.
The plan to elevate our arts program with a major renovation of this space into a modern arts center was realized. We tied all of the new spaces together with our LS Music Room, Choir Hall and Black Box Theater with an immersive hallway complete with the Melody Lane Music Store front to display instruments and music history.
The Band Hall has an authentic feeling of a place where masterpiece music is formed.
The band hall is a wonderful area with expanded space, enhanced acoustics, beautiful aesthetics and storage to give our band students a perfect place to gather, learn and play.
An Upper School Art studio, this room serves our students in an abundance of ways with Mrs. Lassiter at the helm.
This art classroom is an amazing new area for our Upper School 3D Art students. The furniture is adaptable, we can shift the space to accommodate materials and processes, such as sculpture, architectural rendering and models, metal work, ceramics, glass work, and more.
We take the arts outside with this larger than life pavilion that all 3 of our art classrooms open up to.
The pavilion is a huge communal area that is a literal connector to all of our art classrooms. The pavilion features our kiln room with four full size kilns, storage for works in progress, and plenty of space to collaborate and create.
The Learning Commons repurposed a traditional computer lab and storage area to create a collaborative learning space for teachers and students. This space was designed around the design principle of being adaptable, flexible, and collaborative in nature. The space became the hub for innovative learning for students and adults on campus. This space became the inspiration for several other areas on campus to duplicate the outcomes of effective and design centered spaces.
""Learning in the future will be a symphony of technology, creativity, and human potential, where every student becomes a maestro of their own destiny, orchestrating their knowledge to explore infinite possibilities and create a better world."
