Since 2008, Constructing Modern Knowledge has created a space in which educators can interact with their heroes, confront powerful ideas, and spend time in the company of genius. Despite any institutional support, sponsorships, or vendors, has been able to do the seemingly impossible. In addition to our brilliant faculty, the following speakers have been part of CMK’s institutes. If they participated more than once, the number of years is noted in parentheses.
- Edith Ackermann – learning theorist (3)
- Ayah Bdeir – CEO of littleBits
- Leah Buechley – artist, scientist, engineer (2)
- David Cavallo – Fab Foundation
- Emmet Cohen – pianist
- Zaccai Curtis – pianist, music producer
- Eleanor Duckworth – science educator
- Mark Frauenfelder – founder of BoingBoing and Make Magazine
- Lella Gandini – authority on the Reggio Emilia Approach (2)
- Howard Gardner – MacArthur Genius educator, philosopher, author, scholar, father of multiple intelligences theory
- Neil Gershenfeld – FabLab movement pioneer and MIT professor
- Nikole Hannah-Jones – NY Times award-winning journalist and MacArthur Genius
- Barry Harris – NEA Jazz Master
- Jimmy Heath – NEA Jazz Master (2)
- Lillian Katz – early childhood expert
- Alfie Kohn – author and education researcher (3)
- Kari Kola – Finnish light artist
- Jonathan Kozol – civil rights leader and author
- Sherry Lassiter – Director and CEO of the MIT-based Fab Foundation (2)
- David Loader – extraordinary school principal
- James Loewen – historian and best-selling author (2)
- Brian Lynch – trumpeter, composer, educator
- Tod Machover – Composer and Director of MIT Media Lab’s Opera of the Future Research Group
- Peter Martin – Pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and Internet entrepreneur
- Deborah Meier – MacArthur Genius Award recipient and school administrator (4)
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer (8)
- Casey Neistat – filmmaker
- Pete Nelson – treehouse designer and TV host
- Cam Perron – teenage authority on Negro League baseball history
- Derrick Pitts – astrophysicist
- Jie Qi – inventor of Circuit Stickers
- Carla Rinaldi – Educator from Reggio Emilia, Italy (2)
- Charlie Rosen – composer, orchestrator, player of 70 instruments, Tony/Obie/Grammy winner. Leader of the 8-Bit Big Band.
- Eric Rosenbaum – coinventor of the Makey Makey and member of the MIT Scratch Team (4)
- Mitchel Resnick – Director of the MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group (3)
- Peter H. Reynolds – artist and author (2)
- Kate Schuster – Researcher, educator, curator, and activist
- Cynthia Solomon – Mother of Educational Computing and co-designer of the Logo programming language
- Gareth Stockdale – lead designer of the BBC micro:bit and CEO of the micro:bit Educational Foundation
- John Stetson – Master bricoleur and at-risk educator
- Super Awesome Sylvia
- Robert Tinker – scientist & curriculum developer
- Tricia Tunstall – Musician, educator, El Sistema expert
- Daniel Lynn Watt – Scientist, member of the original Logo research group at MIT, author of one of the most popular computer programming books ever written for teachers, progressive educator
- Molly Lynn Watt – Teacher, administrator, author, speaker, progressive educator
- Melissa Walker – Grammy-winning musician, educator, philanthropist, founder of JazzHouse Kids
- Stephen Wolfram – Mathematician, MacArthur Genius, and computer scientist (2)
2024 Guest Speakers
- Tricia Tunstall: Musician, educator, El Sistema expert
- Melissa Walker: Grammy-winning musician, educator, philanthropist, founder of JazzHouse Kids
- Stephen Wolfram – Mathematician, computer scientist, MacArthur Genius
2023 Guest Speakers
- Gareth Stockdale: lead designer of the BBC micro:bit and CEO of the micro:bit Educational Foundation
- Charlie Rosen: composer, orchestrator, player of 70 instruments, Tony/Obie/Grammy winner. Leader of the 8-Bit Big Band.
- Cynthia Solomon: Mother of Educational Computing and co-designer of the Logo programming language
- Daniel Lynn Watt: Scientist, member of the original Logo research group at MIT, author of one of the most popular computer programming books ever written for teachers, progressive educator.
- Molly Lynn Watt: Teacher, administrator, author, speaker, progressive educator.
- John Stetson: Master bricoleur and at-risk educator
- Howard Gardner: MacArthur Genius educator, philosopher, author, scholar, father of multiple intelligences theory. Professor Gardner will lead a virtual fireside chat, exclusively for CMK participants.
2022 Guest Speakers
- Alfie Kohn – Popular education author and speaker
- Kate Schuster – Researcher, educator, curator, and activist
- Peter Martin – Pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and Internet entrepreneur
2019 Guest Speakers
- Kari Kola – Light artist
- Sherry Lassiter & David Cavallo – Fab Foundation
- Nikole Hannah-Jones – MacArthur Genius, decorated journalist, and activist
2018 Guest Speakers
- James Loewen – Bestselling historian
- Carla Rinaldi – President of the Reggio Children Foundation
- Jie Qi – MIT Media Lab postdoc and CEO of Chibitronics
- Eric Rosenbaum – MIT Media Lab postdoc and co-inventor of the Makey Makey
- Brian Lynch – Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and professor
- Zaccai Curtis – Pianist
2017 Guest Speakers
- Ayah Bdeir – CEO of littleBits
- Deborah Meier – MacArthur Genius and veteran educator
- Neil Gershenfeld – Maker movement pioneer and MIT professor
2016 Guest Speakers
- Carla Rinaldi – President of Reggio Children
- Stephen Wolfram – Mathematician and computer scientist
- Mitchel Resnick – Creator of Scratch
- Edith Ackermann – learning theorist
2015 Guest Speakers
- Jimmy Heath – NEA Jazz Master
- Barry Harris – NEA Jazz Master
- Deborah Meier – MacArthur Genius Award recipient and school administrator
- David Loader OAM – extraordinary school principal
- Edith Ackermann – learning theorist
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2014 Guest Speakers
- Cam Perron – teenage authority on Negro League baseball history
- Pete Nelson – treehouse designer and TV host
- Mitchel Resnick – Creator of Scratch
- Edith Ackermann – learning theorist
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2013 Guest Speakers
- Eleanor Duckworth – science educator
- Tod Machover – Composer and Director of MIT Media Lab’s Opera of the Future Research Group
- Jimmy Heath – NEA Jazz Master
- Emmet Cohen – pianist
- Deborah Meier – – MacArthur Genius Award recipient and school administrator
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2012 Guest Speakers
- Casey Neistat – filmmaker
- Mark Frauenfelder – founder of BoingBoing and Make Magazine
- Lillian Katz – early childhood and project-based learning expert
- Super Awesome Sylvia
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2011 Guest Speakers
- Derrick Pitts – astrophysicist
- Jonathan Kozol – civil rights leader and author
- Lella Gandini – North American Reggio Emilia Approach Liaison
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2010 Guest Speakers
- James Loewen – historian and best-selling author
- Deborah Meier – MacArthur Genius Award recipient and school administrator
- Alfie Kohn – author and education researcher
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2009 Guest Speakers
- Lella Gandini – North American Reggio Emilia Approach Liaison
- Deborah Meier – MacArthur Genius Award recipient and school administrator
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
2008 Guest Speakers
- Bob Tinker – science educator and edtech pioneer
- Peter H. Reynolds – artist and author
- Alfie Kohn – author and education researcher
- Marvin Minsky – artificial intelligence pioneer
Note: numbers in ( ) indicate multiple years of CMK participation.