About Us
To defy normal, we make room for a cycle of discovery to have unparalleled impact on reviving the learning spirit. Learning is at every where and in every time the learner is.
Welcome to Dark Classroom,
Dark Classroom believes every body and and every mind learns at the intersections of our uniqueness. As a Dark Classroom educator, you make “classrooms” out of “anywhere and anytime our bodies, minds, and spirits are.”
We enter mentorships in education initiatives that bring joy back to learning. As pirates, we break free from the constraints of over-standardization in academia, offering innovative learning experiences for learners wherever and whenever they are. Our time, training, and tools hold the makerspaces to build your own learning experiences efficiently with education-science to back you up, or to build a learning object repository and solution for you. In shared-space, product-based studios and community, discussions are driven by and cater to the immediate needs of teacher-as-learner. Through a blend of microlearning, educational technology, and mutual mentorship, we empower nontraditional educators to thrive by applying transformative knowledge.
Our Mission
“Dark Classroom is committed to reviving our inherently joyful nature as learners. We create a thriving community of educators who trust themselves as learners, cultivate curiosity, and activate their skills as mentors. We strive to make evidence-based education science accessible and practical. Through mindful integrity and a commitment to continuous improvement, we defy normalcy, challenge complacency, and celebrate the spirit of learning. We leverage both natural and technological resources ethically, fostering growth and well-being for the greater good. We are dedicated to shaping a future where education is inclusive and accessible, where classrooms are optional and joy is the cornerstone of every educational interaction.“
Our Vision and Values
“Education is the joyful, inclusive community collaborating and celebrating our intrinsic and unique learner-natures.”
- We Defy Normal
- We Revive a Learning Spirit
- We Embrace Mistakes as Opportunities for Growth
- We Do the Right Thing
- We Adapt to the Present to Shape the Future
- We Share Space with Glorious Diversity
My name is Stacy Greathouse,
a.k.a. Dr. Pyrate
I may have a PhD in pirates, pedagogy (the science and art of teaching and learning), and children’s literature, but I use it to defy Normal.
The irony? Normal, Illinois is the home of Illinois State University, my alma mater.
My role and research as a pirate and pedagogue, as an advocate for neurodiversity, and a true believer in learner’s body-as-ultimate-teacher is to help educators thrive outside and beyond the normal system. No one needs a doctorate to get the skills it takes to educate. Every embodied experience is education.
Everything I learned about education has come from…
'Normal' Education: Schooling
- Illinois State University
- PhD Pirates, Pedagogy, Children’s Literature
- Carnegie Mellon University
- MA Literary and Cultural Theory
- Eckerd College
- BA Literature, Human Development, and Classical Humanities
Functional Education: Career
- Sonoran University of Health Sciences
- Instructional Designer
- Texas Woman’s University
Instructional Designer
Adjunct Faculty
- Illinois State University
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Instructional Assistant Professor
- Grand Canyon University
- Curriculum Developer
- Adjunct Faculty
- Subject Matter Expert
- Private Industry Council, Milwaukee Career Center
- Career Counselor
- New Horizons Computer Learning Center
- Corporate Trainer: Computers and Applications
Florida Atlantic University
Textbook Copy Editor
Transcriptionist
Carnegie Mellon University
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Manuscript Copy Editor
Transcriptionist
- Metritech
- Scorer (Nationwide Standardized Tests)
- Blooming Grove Academy
- Teacher (3 – 6yrs)
- Reynoldsburg Parks & Recreation
- Summer Playground Supervisor (5 – 14 yrs)
- Summer Playground Supervisor (5 – 14 yrs)
Piratical Education: Instructor
K-12 teacher
Higher Ed instructor
- Texts and Contexts: Pirates in Children’s Literature
- First Year Experience
- Academic Writing
- Literature for Middle Grades
- Library Resources for Children
- Introduction to Communications
- English Grammar
- English 101
- English 102
Corporate and Teacher Trainer
Community Education
EdTech Trainer
Service Education: Volunteer
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Professional Education: Lifelong Learning
Speaker
Writer
Researcher
Certifications
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ensure accessible learning experiences?
By progress, trial and error, continual research, and growth-mindset.
What are the makerspace expectation and time commitments?
pre-work requires engaging content in the online classroom; attending live makerspace events for content review, live builds, and participant-driven conversation and review; authentic applications: produce items and submit for and provide peer mentorship.
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Are there pre-requisites to makerspaces?
Most makerspaces don’t require pre-requisites. Makerspace descriptions will let you know of requisite or suggested pre-requisite knowledge and available makerspaces. Contact Dark Classroom for an academic advisors’ meeting to develop a functional program of study for your needs. Discounts available for packaged makerspaces.
How do Studios work?
These come-as-you-are events are simply spaces to build your learning objects and educational experiences alongside others who are doing theirs. We are a community of accountability: During 3 hours sessions, we start by setting an intention, getting down to work, touching base, and doing it all over again.
We are not reviewing one another’s work, but merely existing in the creative zone together. There is no fee, but donations are appreciated.
Refund policy
Makerspaces
1-on-1 Mentorship
Who owns the content?
All makerspaces are the property of Dark Classroom.
All learning objects and creations made and displayed within makerspaces, studios,salons, galleries and other Dark Classroom-hosted spaces are the sole property of the maker to copyright and deploy as they wish.
Makers may submit their objects to be evaluated and displayed in galleries and repositories with full attribution while also maintaining full ownership.
Inquiries
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Copyright
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Contact Us
Defy Normal. Teach to learn.