Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience

Checking in with a curriculum manager from the UK (Coventry College) is another great learning experience for me! Shoubna Naika-Taylor does a little bit of everything from esports to media and more. Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko. If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe to the channel, and cl...

Join STEM Specialist for Region 1 ESC in Texas (the REAL South Texas), Sylvia Escobar and I as we have a little too much fun talking all things STEM, representation in tech spaces, AI, and more! Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko. If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe to the channel, and click...

With holiday season in full swing, we've got quite a few edtech conferences on the horizon! During this quick conversation with Victoria Thompson from Microsoft, we connect on what she's presenting this year and what excites her most about being at conferences.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko. If you...

There's no doubt that the idea of school safety has evolved a lot in the past few decades. Today, we connect with John McDonald, an expert and trusted advisor in the space, on his experiences and what we can be doing today to drive a more meaningful view of school safety in education. From cameras to caring, access control to asking questions, there's so much we can do to make our schools safer pl...

Data can be such a powerful tool in education. Today, we bring back Dr. Emily Bell, CIO of Fulton County Schools, as our first THREE-peat guest on the show. As Emily so nicely puts in in our closing, "You need to inspect what you expect." She takes us through a little bit of the impressive dashboard that puts important school data not only at the hands of school and district employees, but the gen...

You've probably heard of Scratch, the block-based coding language used and remixed by students and adults all over the world as a great introduction to the world of coding and programming. Today, we dive into a conversation with Elaine Atherton, the Scratch Foundation's Director for their Scratch Education Collaborative. Take a few minutes and learn with me about the Foundation's focus on communit...

We hear a lot of talk about student leadership and student agency in the education space. Today, we highlight two students who have been leading the way through the Chief Science Officers program. They started by being members of the organization and are now leading outreach projects that seek to keep students connected and help them transition from high school to college and career!   Thanks...

While many folks talk about the importance of educating ALL students for success, that is actually very difficult in practice. Today, we talk with Dr. Laura Hess from St. Vrain Valley Schools in Colorado about assistive technology and how it has the power to level the playing field for our students, allowing them to focus on the learning.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus...

With so many amazing programs going on across college campuses, it can be difficult to decide where to shine a light. But when you hear about the esports trifecta, the decision becomes clear! Today, we talk with Dr. BerNadette Lawson-Williams from Johnson C. Smith University, an HBCU in Charlotte that is changing the face of learning at their institution with esports and gaming.   Thanks for...

With "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" being such a common refrain in our lives, it's important that we re-examine many parts of our education ecosystem through a new lens. Today, I talk with Amanda Latasha Armstrong from New Mexico State University and New America about her research on the representation of social group in U.S. educational materials and why it matters. Check it out and click on...

While esports (and the gaming industry as a whole) might have a reputation for being negative, there are some leaders out there who are pushing hard to change the narrative and build programs that create impact for our students. Sergio Brack, Director of Esports at University of Maryland, is one of those leaders. We chat about how big schools might change the game (pun intended), why it's importan...

An increasingly common journey for scholar gamers is to participate in esports in college and/or high school, and then take their knowledge and experience back to the virtual playing field as a coach. Anna Patterson played Overwatch competitively at Florida Southern College and is now leading the next round of players through the game.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on...

Cat Flynn is the Director of Learning Science at Southern New Hampshire University and she is paving the way for immersive experiences with impact. Also presenting at the Games For Change Festival, her project to help teach students about the brain by taking a virtual walk inside could be the next phase for VR in schools.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech a...

Nothing in education exists in a vacuum. When we talk about equity, we can't separate that from the daily work of educators. Today, Dr. Sawsan Jaber shares about her journey as an English teacher and equity advocate working with the scholar activists in her classroom.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko....

Dr. Darnel Degand has a background in media and advertising and now brings his love of education and media together to teach future teachers about the folding together of video games, comics, and pedagogy.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko. If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe to the chann...

Dr. Paul Darvasi has been using video games, including titles like Grand Theft Auto to teach some unlikely but incredibly vital skills. Join us as we talk about using games in the classroom, building skills all our students need, and applying lessons learned from video games to our lives.    Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience,...

Scholastic and collegiate esports are growing at a tremendous pace and while Fresno Unified School District was an early adopter in the K-12 space, everyone has some room to grow. To build a more comprehensive and supportive program for their students, Julie Mavrogeorge is looking to infuse more mentorship and fellowship into their program.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Foc...

Today, I talk with Sean Wybrant, an incredible educator and the 2017 Colorado Educator of the Year. We discuss the why behind teaching our students with the latest and greatest tech, and why it's vital that we incorporate this bleeding edge tech into our classrooms.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko. If...

Today, I talk with Kristina Ishmael, the acting Director of the Office of EdTech and the U.S. Department of Education. We discuss the different roles and responsibilities of the department, the amazing resources that the provide for schools, as well as some new ways in which they are engaging with their audience.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW Education's Focus on EDU: EdTech and The Ed...

While some have high hopes for it to revolutionize education, virtual reality (VR) has had some struggles over the years being adopted into mainstream education circles. Today, I talk with Anurupa Ganguly, CEO and Founder of Prisms VR, about what has held VR back from being part of the core curriculum and how to get it across the finish line so it can finally live up to its big expectations. &nbsp...

Esports has been taking the world by storm and education is a big part of the sustained success of the ecosystem. At Full Sail University, they've built a successful program based on student input and the shifting workforce landscape that we are preparing our students for. Sari Kitelyn takes us on her journey at Full Sail and what esports has meant to them as they evolve their programs.   Tha...

While it has always been important to support educators in their difficult work, teachers need a cheerleader now more than ever. Knikole Taylor, an education leader from Texas, seeks to help teachers in any way she can on her journey.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW's Focus on K-12: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko, Education Strategist. If you enjoyed the sh...

While design thinking is a great way to garner engagement and buy-in to the problem-solving process, it's also an incredibly powerful tool for reshaping the thinking in your organization or school. Dr. Sabba Quidwai discusses the power of design thinking when it is used with intention and becomes part of our organizational culture in education and beyond.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW'...

With the ubiquity of the internet and digital tools in our lives, the rights of our students have grown over the years to include access to the resources they need to be successful. Digital equity is at the forefront of that conversation for districts all across the United States. For Indianapolis Public Schools and their Executive Director of Strategy and Integration, Ashley Cowger, supporting th...

Esports in the world of education can take many different forms. Today, Tom Dore and I connect on some of the amazing advances the British Esports Association and other organizations are making in the academic side of esports in education.   Thanks for joining us today on CDW's Focus on K-12: EdTech and The Education Experience, hosted by Doug Konopelko, National Esports Manager for CDW. If y...