The Spark

It started with a spark, as most things do. A spark can ignite a wildfire; similarly, inspiration can fuel passion, reshaping your life and the lives it touches. For me, it was like this—sparks catching fire again and again. Bursts of creativity scattered across my floor like embers: sticky notes, napkins, and scraps of paper, each filled with half-written ideas, poems, and songs. Millions of half-baked thoughts that rarely saw the light of day beyond the initial passion. This went on for years.

As a child, teachers called it laziness and “unfilled potential” but in reality, it was shaped by a unique mix of factors including ADHD (then called ADD 1), anxiety, and trauma impacting my ability to learn and engage. We often overlook how much our environment, brain wiring, and support system shape our learning and build the scaffolding for growth. The truth is, our surroundings and personal histories proudly influence how we perceive the world and operate within it(Armstrong, 2010) (Diamond, 2013). Eventually I made it through the chaos that is our education system as a 30 year old undergrad, then on to a masters, and now I am working on a doctorate with the purpose to advocate for and design education that places students back at the center where they belong.

Turns out, all those years of scrappy, self-constructed learning and DIY sensibility had a name: EduPunk.

Education is in crisis. Doom-scrolling through my interest spaces feels like watching the same corrosion on repeat. Change is coming—big, transformative change—ready to upend education across the board for adults and youth alike. But here’s the thing: instead of spiraling, I’m choosing to meet it head-on with a positive force, pulling from my experiences as a learner, a human, and someone who’s never really fit the mold. Long story short (too late): SOUND OFF, EDUPUNKS! What makes you an EduPunk? How are you reclaiming your education and making it your own? Let’s hear it in the comments!

What Is an EduPunk?

EduPunk is a philosophy that embraces DIY education, learner autonomy, and a resistance to corporatized learning (Groom, 2008). Most EduPunks would agree with the following core values: 

• DIY Ethos: Building materials and graphics from scratch using free tools whenever possible. Education becomes hands-on and personal.

• Student-Centered Approach: Empowering students to take control of their learning gives them agency over their lives (Deci & Ryan, 2000). It’s more than receiving information; it’s about making learning their own.

• Open Education Resources (OERs): This is essential for EduPunk’s mission (and world domination joking not joking)—sharing open information, breaking down barriers, and creating pathways for all learners.

• Rejection of Monetization: Creating learning materials and activities with subject matter experts rather than relying on corporate publishers and using free, inclusive tools to keep education accessible.

• Research and Development: Flexibility, experimentation, and problem-solving are central to EduPunk and essential for meaningful innovation in education (2).

  
  

The term 'EduPunk' was first coined by Jim Groom, an instructional technologist at the University of Mary Washington, describing a philosophy that challenges traditional education and empowers learners to control their own learning paths (Groom, J., & Lamb, B. 2014). The movement was further championed by Anya Kamenetz (Kamenetz, 2010) and Audry Watters (Watters, 2015), who raised important questions about the role of ed tech in reshaping education on a global and national scale in the mid-aughts. 

Yes, that is correct, the very same college that I graduated from. Fun fact, the reason that I am an Instructional Designer is because EduPunk Jim Groom designed two courses that I had the privilege to take—“Digital Whitman” and “Digital History”—this experience sparked a lifelong passion. I doubt that he would EVER remember me, and I can neither confirm or deny that I have written a couple of fangirl emails expressing my admiration and gratitude to him over the years. Jim is EduPunk 1.0, the OG. Also, if you are reading this…thank you sir, from the bottom of my spiky, black heart.

My Journey as an EduPunk

So, why am I an EduPunk? I am an EduPunk because I built my education brick by brick, cobbling it together while working to pay my bills and the expenses it takes to live in what we pretend to call a society. I am an EduPunk because I believe that open and accessible education is the ONLY way forward. I am an EduPunk because I am always resourceful - repurposing, remixing, rethinking, and creating something from nothing. 

Punks have always been at the forefront of activism, challenging norms and creating direct action for change. Now, EduPunks are bringing that spirit into education. Imagine a world where learners reclaim their education, shaping their journeys with guidance from experts who share knowledge openly. Imagine EduPunks SHOWING UP to provide accessible resources and opportunities for everyone.

Getting Uncomfortable

You thought this would just be about edtech, huh? But getting right to the heart of it means getting uncomfortable—it’s time to get itchy! One of my daily mantras is, “I am experiencing discomfort, NOT danger.” It’s not always easy to tell the difference, especially if you’ve never faced real danger—I hope you never do! That’s why metacognition—the awareness of your own thought processes—is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. Understanding how you learn takes reflection, challenging assumptions, and asking yourself the hard questions. That’s growth work.

Now What?

Inspired by the thinkers who came before us, we need to take these lessons and look forward, asking new questions about meaningful, positive implementations of technology in education spaces. How can we harness tools like AI for good while building an ethical, digitally literate world? As larger corporations are looking to exploit and monetize course materials, EduPunks  must develop free, accessible, and adaptable resources, training, and innovations that serve everyone. The goal is to create that spark—igniting curiosity and empowering educators and learners alike to reclaim their education, grow, and build a better future. It is in this spirt that I have built The Rebel Learning Lab. I have started by aggregating tons of free to use resources that meet all sorts if learning, teaching, and design needs. There is even a place to add your own resource to build our community and knowledge base even further! I AM CALLING ALL EDUPUNKS TO THE TABLE! Rise up and use the tools that we have to save our part of the world!

EduPunk Rising!

RADICAL MINDS LEARN LOUD

Let’s start the conversation: 

What makes you an EduPunk? Was there a moment when you reclaimed your education and made it truly your own.

References

Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2013). The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 425. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425

Armstrong, T. (2010). The power of neurodiversity: Unleashing the advantages of your differently wired brain. Da Capo Press.

Basch, C. E. (2011). Breakfast and the achievement gap among urban minority youth. Journal of School Health, 81(10), 635–640. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00638.x

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64(1), 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Duncombe, S. (2008). Notes from underground: Zines and the politics of alternative culture. Microcosm Publishing.

Eriksson, P. S., Perfilieva, E., Björk-Eriksson, T., Alborn, A. M., Nordborg, C., Peterson, D. A., & Gage, F. H. (1998). Neurogenesis in the adult human hippocampus. Nature Medicine, 4(11), 1313-1317.

Galaburda, A. M., LoTurco, J., Ramus, F., Fitch, R. H., & Rosen, G. D. (2006). From genes to behavior in developmental dyslexia. Nature Neuroscience, 9(10), 1213-1217.

Groom, J. (2008). The glass bees. bavatuesdays. https://bavatuesdays.com/the-glass-bees/

Groom, J., & Lamb, B. (2014). Reclaiming innovation. EDUCAUSE Review, 49(3), 38-46.

Heritage Foundation. (2023). Mandate for leadership: The conservative promise. Heritage Foundation. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

Heynen, N. (2010). Cooking up non-violent civil-disobedient direct action for the hungry: 'Food Not Bombs' and the resurgence of radical democracy in the US. Urban Studies, 47(6), 1225-1240. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098009360223

Hoyland, A., Dye, L., & Lawton, C. L. (2009). A systematic review of the effect of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutrition Research Reviews, 22(2), 220-243. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422409990175

Kamenetz, A. (2010). DIY U: Edupunks, edupreneurs, and the coming transformation of higher education. Chelsea Green Publishing.

McKay, G. (1998). DIY culture: Party and protest in nineties Britain. Verso.

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT language model review: Grammar and clarity review without content modification. Retrieved from [your access method, e.g., OpenAI platform].

Purkis, J. (2004). Punk rock and the politics of place. In J. Purkis & J. Bowen (Eds.), Changing anarchism: Anarchist theory and practice in a global age (pp. 176-194). Manchester University Press.

Watters, A. (2015). Ed-tech’s Cassandra. Hack Education. Retrieved from http://hackeducation.com/2015/01/01/cassandra

Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64-70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2

Endnotes

(1) In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association first introduced the term Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in the DSM-III, recognizing attention difficulties with or without hyperactivity. By 1987, in the DSM-III-R, ADD was renamed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to better capture symptoms related to both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity (American Psychiatric Association, 1980; 1987; OpenAI, personal communication, November 12, 2024)

(2)For example, a large institution once asked me to build not only the learning modules but the entire learning management system (LMS) they’d live in—on zero resources. “With constraint comes genius,” they told me. Nightmare scenario, right? Surprisingly, no! Research made it possible. I spent months looking into free, secure LMS options and trialing e-learning tools. Networking with peers inside and outside my institution revealed available resources that let me do voiceovers and repurpose unused footage. It’s my own version of “think local, act global.”