Coffee with a Geek

So honored to have friend and colleague Mary Howard join me for a conversation about teaching, education, and Artificial Intelligence. Also don't forget to check out her new book, Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Your Teacher Life. A little about Mary in her own words: Mary is a Nationally Board Certified 6th grade ELA and Science teacher from Grand Island, New York has found success using digital tools that not only make learning fun for her students, but encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and create a life-long passion for learning. Whether the digital experience is related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or promotes literacy, Mary believes passionately in the potential that technology has for reaching and engaging ALL learners. In pursuit of this passion, Mary has spent the past 18 years presenting at dozens of technology conferences across New York State and has become a globally recognized speaker on the topics of augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom. Mary shares her strategies through her blog, yoursmarticles.com. She has published numerous educational technology articles and has provided webinars on Virtual Environments, Virtual Reality, 3D Design, QR codes and engagement strategies. Mary’s accolades include recognition as the 2018 International Society for Technology in Education’s Virtual Pioneer of the Year and a Silver Presidential Volunteer Service award. She was a New York State Teacher of the year finalist for 2018 and 2020 and is a New York State Master Teacher. Mary recently authored the book, Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Your Teacher Life: The ChatGPT Guide for Educators. When Mary isn’t elbows deep in her technology initiatives, she is a mother of 3 boys and devotes her free time to refereeing youth hockey and volunteering within the hockey community. She is an avid runner, Adirondack 46er and recently cycled across New York State on the Erie Canal. How to connect with Mary: Twitter: @mrshoward118 Instagram: Using_Your_Smarticles TikTok: MaryHoward118 Blog: Yoursmarticles.com

So grateful to have social media guru Jordan Villanueva join me for a conversation about how to use the power of technology to promote ideas and empower opportunities. She is a true wealth of insight and knowledge about creating quick videos to express both big ideas and useful tips. Make sure you check her out on all of her social media platforms. You'll thank me! Such an inspiring innovator! Connect with Jordan Villanueva @jordanuevamedia (instagram) @jordanueva (Tiktok)

I came across Cristen in one of the Adobe courses about Creativity. Cristen offered a lot of great tips and ideas on how to embed creativity into your lessons and projects. I reached out via Twitter and she responded right away and was gracious enough to chat with me about creativity, her experiences in education, and her ideas for improving pedagogy. She has an incredible breadth of experiences as a learner and teacher. A little about Cristen in her own words: Cristen holds a B.A in Political Science with a minor in World Religions from Boston University, a M.A. from New York University in Secondary Social Studies Education, and dual certification in Social Studies and Exceptional Student Education. She was born and raised in New York and has been a full-time teacher since 2007. After teaching for eight years in the New York City public school system in the Bronx, she moved with her family to South Florida and where she teaches Social Science and Social Entrepreneurship courses at a private school in Palm Beach County. She has extensive training in curriculum design and instruction and has worked with many teachers in professional development throughout her career. Ways to connect: Twitter (@CrisMagaletti) I’m an Adobe Education Leader (AEL) and an Adobe Master Teacher. As a part of this community, I have been a contributor to many lessons on their edex.adobe.com platform. Blog contributor to GoGuardian: ​​https://www.goguardian.com/blog/how-out-of-the-box-thinking-fuels-student-creativity https://www.goguardian.com/blog/5-tips-for-designing-a-student-centered-learning-environment

Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional. I'm so honored to have Silky Vyas as my first guest of the 2022 year. I've been following Silky for a long time on Twitter and she shares fantastic ideas and resources. Her background is incredibly extensive so it was a real challenge to keep my interview under 30 minutes. However, she has a great way of crystallizing big topics into more manageable parts. An asset for any teacher. A little about Silky in her own words: Silky Vyas is presently the EY and PYP ICT Coach and Head of Information Services at Shen Wai International School, Shenzhen. She is one of the board members of SENIA (Special Education Network and Inclusion Association) Shenzhen Chapter. She is an ISTE Certified Educator and has more than thirteen years of teaching experience in International Baccalaureate schools, she collaborates with teachers to integrate technology and information fluency skills into the IB curriculum She coaches the classroom and specialist teachers to use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences for all students and empower them as independent learners. She is passionate about new technology tools for making teaching and learning compelling, relevant, and with rigor. She is also keen on exploring the uses of immersive and assistive technology tools that are meaningful, engaging, and interactive.

Stevie is a really dynamic 5th grade teacher who puts podcasting to work with her students to create magical learning! I had a great conversation with her about her favorite cup of coffee, her podcasting work, and even her bucket list. A little about Stevie in her own words: Stevie Frank just finished her 12th year of teaching. She’s currently teaching 5th grade Humanities at Zionsville West Middle School. She’s department chair and one of the equity coaches for her school. Her passions include news literacy with critical thinking, social justice, and podcasting! Ways to Connect with Stevie: Twitter: @StevieFrank23 Resources Discussed: WeVideo Garage Band iMovie Microsoft Photos

This month's guest is the ever inspirational JaVonda Tucker. I started following her on Twitter and have really enjoyed reading her thoughtful comments and successful school strategies! With her contagious optimism and vision I feel she is a school leader to watch! I will ask her about her educational journey, her thoughts on leading through a pandemic, and her future goals and ideas. A little about JaVonda in her own words: JaVonda Tucker is from Chesterfield County, Virginia. She is a graduate of Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Grand Canyon University. JaVonda holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Administration and Supervision. Currently, she is a middle school assistant principal with Dinwiddie County Public Schools. She is the proud mom of a son. How to follow JaVonda: Twitter: @JaVondaTucker

When: April 13th, 2021 Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional. I had a great opportunity to chat with Technology Coordinator, Jonathan Redeker from Goshen Central Schools. A little about Jonathan in his own words: "Helping educators learn and grow is a passion which drives me to think differently, lead boldly, and grow continually. The fast-paced, ever changing age of acceleration of our modern culture effects our young people in tremendous ways and I am inspired to help teachers and leaders reach students in new ways. I consider myself an "educational disruptor" through my focus on using instructional technology, rethinking pedagogy, and implementing effective leadership strategies. I believe that educational technologies, STEAM initiatives, and cross-curricular lessons can change the world and build empathetic young people. Join me in moving from "best practices" to "next practices." Ways to connect: Twitter @jonredeker https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-redeker-26a65534/ https://sites.google.com/view/jonathanredeker/home

In time of trouble and strife, seek comforts and inspiration in the arts. I had a great conversation with artist, educator, and author, Tim Needles. I connected with Tim through ISTE's STEAM PLN and was amazed at his work and innovative ideas. A little bit out Tim in his own words: Tim Needles is an artist, educator and author of STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum. He teaches art/media at Smithtown School District, is a TEDx Talk speaker, and his work has been featured on NPR, in the New York Times, Columbus Museum of Art, Norman Rockwell Museum, Alexandria Museum of Art, Katonah Museum of Art, and Cape Cod Museum of Art. He’s the recipient of ISTE’s Technology in Action Award and Creativity Award, NAEA’s AET Outstanding Teaching Award, and The Rauschenberg Power of Art Award. He’s a National Geographic Certified Teacher, PBS Digital Innovator, an ISTE Arts & Technology and STEM PLN leader, NAEA ArtEdTech interest Group leader, and Adobe Creative Educator and Education Leader Emeritus. He’s active on social media at @timneedles. @TimNeedles on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tiktok