Once Upon a Tech

Have you seen a little green cassette taking over your social media feed recently? That's a Synth-a-Sette, one of the delightful inventions from MikroKits. The stars aligned (and electric fields combined) for our interview with MikroKit inventor David Levi. Hear from David himself about falling in love with electronics, life as an inventor and entrepreneur, what it's like to see your hard work go viral, and his vision of circuit creation for all! Find resources here.

Camilo Viera is a computer science equity superhero. He's providing evidence-based professional learning opportunities to educators in Columbia and beyond - and now, through the Global Center for Equitable CS Education, his work is more impactful than ever. Want to take your first steps into CS education? Camilo has three suggestions for you. Hear those suggestions - and more of Camilo's inspiring story - on today's episode. Find resources here.

What if you had the opportunity to create a new STEM field? To influence the way future leaders approach and facilitate a growing skillset and field? That's a lot of pressure - and today's guest, Brian Wright, is thriving under that pressure. Listen to learn about Brian's work building the Data Science School at the University of Virginia, putting together the liberal art degree for the data age! Find resources here.

Sometimes an organization is just so interesting, you need two episodes to get all the juicy details. Today, we reconnect with CodeVA and chat with Jessica Lawson, CS Ready Schools program specialist, and Kristin Hott, Engagement Strategist, about their CS Ready Schools initiative and so many other ways they are empowering students and teachers through computer science education! Listen to find out how YOU can get this incredible support for incorporating CS into your school for FREE. Find resources here.

The goal of this blog and podcast series is to bring CS education research into the K-8 classroom. In this episode, I take a deep dive into exploring elementary students' understanding of computer science and computational thinking concepts with Feiya Luo and Wei Yan. Feiya is an Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology at the University of Alabama and Wei is a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Florida, majoring in Educational Technology. Find resources here.

What is it like to teach alongside your former mentor? In this episode we interview Kakim Fung and his former student and now teacher colleague, Harold Aquino-Guzman. Kakim is a computer science, mathematics, English, and history teacher at George Wythe High School. He is on a mission: to give every student in the Richmond City Public Schools the opportunity to earn an associate degree while in high school. Harold is a former student of Kakim's who struggled academically in middle school, but with Kakim's guidance, went on to earn over 100 college credits during his high school career. He graduated high school in 2021 and earned his bachelor's degree in math in 2022. These two make an incredible pair - you won't want to miss this story! Find resources here.

How's your summer going? Join us for a catch-up episode where we share our updates and reflect on our amazing experience at the Computer Science Teachers' Association Conference. Plus, the MOTHER of all announcements from Sarah ;) Listen and let us know - how are you spending your sunny August afternoons? Find resources here.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into the paper, Breaking the Code: Confronting Racism in Computer Science through Community, Criticality, and Citizenship with Aman Yadav. He is a Professor in the College of Education and the College of Natural Science at Michigan State University. Aman's teaching and research focuses on computational thinking, computer science education, and problem-based learning. Find resources here.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into the paper, Dynamics of emotion, problem solving, and identity: Portraits of three girl coders with Maggie Dahn. She is an Associate Project Scientist at the University of California, Irvine working with the Connected Learning Lab and Creativity Labs. Maggie has a background in visual arts and engages in design research to study how people learn in different contexts and the affordances of art making for the development of voice and identity and issues of access and equity. Find resources here.

What happens when a mechanical engineer craves more play and curiosity in her day? She starts exploring ways to combine math, engineering, art, creativity, and play in a space and format that makes everyone feel welcome and included! On today's episode of Once Upon a Tech, we speak to the amazing Khushbu Kshirsagar about her experience with the Mozfest Zine Fair and her awesome work in Brooklyn, New York. Find resources here.

Have you ever met a scientist whose life goals include embracing their inner child and sharing all of their knowledge for free? You're about to! Pen-Yuan Hsing is an ecologist, a marine biologist, and a passionate advocate for open source resources. He's also curious, creative, and a delight to talk to! Learn all about Pen, his ongoing projects, and the way he wants to change the world on today's Voices at Mozfest episode. Find resources here.

Large conferences like Mozfest can be intimidating for anyone (

CodeVA is an organization focused on student and adult computer science education, advocacy, professional development for educators, and more. It's a huge grassroots effort, and it takes a powerful team to guide a movement so big. We were lucky enough to speak with an integral member of that team: Kristin Hott, CodeVA's incredible Engagement Strategist! We spoke with Kristin about CodeVA's focus, their recent growth, and their exciting vision for the future of computer science education in the beautiful state of Virginia. Kristin's enthusiasm is contagious - we bet that you'll end this session just as excited about CodeVA's efforts as we did! Find resources here.

What should computer science education look like in K-12? Nick Grzeda and his team have a vision and are making it a reality in Loudoun County Public Schools! Their CS education pipeline includes support for elementary and middle school teachers through coaching and integrated curriculum and connecting CS with experiential learning opportunities for high school students. Plus they are generously sharing their resources and experiences with anyone who is looking to start their own CS education pipeline! Find resources here.

What is the Women's Maker Program at UVA? We spoke to Fang Yi, Educational Technologist at the UVA Library, and student leader Izzy McReynolds about the work they're doing to create a haven for makers, tinkerers, and tech explorers. We also get a behind-the-scenes peek at the Girls Maker Camp and how they hope this experience will help educate middle school girls about gender equality issues in STEM, increase their interest and confidence in learning STEM, and bridge their experience gap in makerspace technologies that are widely used in STEM subjects. Find resources here.

What do philosophy and the metaverse have in common? How do we share knowledge and connect with each other in this ever-evolving virtual space? We spoke with Stella Anne Teoh Ming Hui right on the heels of her Youth & Futures Mozfest session, “Rethinking the Digital Space (Metaverse) through a Non-Digital Means: Philosophy”, to find out! This fascinating Voices at Mozfest interview is sure to push the boundaries of how you think about digital spaces. Find resources here.  This episode is part of a special Voices at MozFest series. 

Web Monetization vs. web monetization? What's the deal? In this Voices at Mozfest session, we sat down with Tani Olhanoski, CEO and co-founder of Mysilio, about how she's working to make the internet more fun, safe, and creative for all. We bet that her passion will get you up and moving, too! Find resources here.   This episode is part of a special Voices at MozFest series.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into a report on the state of CS in preservice education programs and a special issue from ACM highlighting a variety of research on CT in preK-5 with Anne Leftwich. She is a Professor and Interim Chair of Instructional Systems Technology within the School of Education and an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science and the Barbara B. Jacobs Chair in Education and Technology at Indiana University – Bloomington. Find resources here.

We were feeling a little starstruck during our interview with one of the 2018 European Digital Girls of the Year, Aoibheann and her mom Iseult! In this episode, they give us a sneak preview of the Youth & Futures space at MozFest which is happening this year online, March 7-10. There's really something for everyone to enjoy and learn from, so don't miss this amazing opportunity to join a global community with a mission to build a better, healthier internet! Find resources here. This episode is part of a special Voices at MozFest series.

It's almost Valentine's Day, which means it's the perfect time for a LOVE story! Our wonderful guest for this episode, educator Bea Leiderman, and her love for Scratch & computer science education are sure to make you swoon. Grab some chocolates and enjoy the romance! Find resources here.

It's almost 2022! Time to reflect on 2021, Once Upon a Tech Style… with guessing games, challenges, and a good old fashioned lightning round :) Thanks for listening this year, and for being a part of our community at the intersection of technology and literacy. We're so glad you're here!  PS: We want to know - if you had to choose one word to describe YOUR 2021, what would it be?? Find resources here.

What does the executive director of a nonprofit organization do? How does a nonprofit organization grow and change to meet the evolving needs of a community? What does it feel like to be at the helm of a community nonprofit organization navigating a global pandemic? We went all in with the BIG questions for our interview with Kala Somerville, Executive Director of beloved Charlottesville nonprofit C4K. And even though there were no softballs in the mix, Kala hit it out of the park! Don't miss this interview's sneak peek behind the curtain at how organizations like C4K operate and work to make the world a better place. Find resources here.

The goal of this blog and podcast series is to bring CS education research into the K-8 classroom. In this episode, I take a deep dive into two papers: Designing an Assessment for Introductory Programming Concepts in Middle School Computer Science (2020) and Assessing Algorithmic & Computational Thinking in K-12: Lessons from a Middle School Classroom (2017) with Shuchi Grover. She is a learning scientist and computer science and STEM education researcher. Shuchi's research is primarily centered on computational thinking, CS education, and STEM learning in the PK-14 years with a focus on the design of curriculum, assessments, tools, and environments. Find resources here.

The goal of this blog and podcast series is to bring CS education research into the K-8 classroom. In this episode, I take a deep dive into two papers: Tapestry Workshops: Helping High School Teachers Grow and Diversify Computing and Lessons Learned from Providing Hundreds of Hours of Diversity Training with Luther Tychonievich. He is an Associate Professor of CS at the University of Virginia. I first met Luther when he got involved with the CS Institute in 2019, helping us bring the equitable CS teaching strategies he talks about in this episode to K-8 teachers. Find resources here.

This week's podcast guest is: A. teacher, technology enthusiast, and reader B. student, problem solver, and creative thinker C. maker, a developer, and a lifelong learner D. All of the above The answer is… D! We're so excited to introduce you to Eric Bredder, a PhD student at the UVA School of Education. Eric is a passionate educator who loves teaching - and because of that, he's determined to change the system. From expanding the definition of literacy to giving tips for stubborn 3D printers, we asked Eric about it all! Find resources here.

The goal of this blog and podcast series is to bring CS education research into the K-8 classroom. In this episode, I take a deep dive into two papers: Robot Diaries: Broadening Participation in the Computer Science Pipeline through Social Technical Exploration and Designing the Finch: Creating a Robot Aligned to Computer Science Concepts with Tom Lauwers. He is the founder and CEO of Birdbrain Technologies. Find resources here.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into two papers: Middle school girls' envisioned future in computing and Bricklayer: Elementary Students Learn Math through Programming and Art with Michelle Friend. She is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska Omaha. I first met Michelle through the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) where she is a founding and current board member. Find resources here.

October 11 is International Day of the Girl and what better way to celebrate than to share our interview with Isabel Humphreys, a junior in high school, who loves books & computer science. She is helping bridge the gender gap in STEM by mentoring young women to help them see a place for themselves in STEM. Isabel started her journey into computer science in elementary school and a note for all you parents and educators out there, encouragement is key. In high school, she challenges herself to speak up & set a tone for inclusivity in her majority-male classes. Isabel is also one of the most passionate and accomplished readers Ms. Fitz has ever taught! Find resources here.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into two papers: TIPP&SEE: A Learning Strategy to Guide Students through Use–>Modify Scratch Activities and Supporting Diverse Learners in K-8 Computational Thinking with TIPP&SEE with Jean Salac. Jean is a Computer Science PhD candidate and NSF Graduate Fellow at the University of Chicago's CANON Lab working with Professor Diana Franklin. She has a passion for CS instruction that is accessible and effective for people from under-served communities, making computing accessible for everyone and closing the digital divide. Find resources here.

The goal of this blog and podcast series is to bring CS education research into the K-8 classroom. In this episode, I take a deep dive into the paper Measuring the effect of continuous professional development on elementary teachers' self-efficacy to teach coding and computational thinking with one it's authors Jared O'Leary. Jared is the Director of Education and Research at BootUp. BootUp is a non-profit that provides professional development (PD) to K-8 educators at a district level. They take a continuous PD approach which means their goal is to work with teachers several times throughout the year, over a 2-3 year span. Find resources here.

Are transparency, inclusivity, adaptability, collaboration, and community important to you? If so, you might be ready to work in the open! But what does “open” really mean, and what does it mean to work in the open as a teacher, an administrator, technologist...or really anyone? We talk with Laura Hilliger, an Open Org ambassador, about characteristics of open organizations, and how she's looking to help them change the world. Find resources here.

Episode 1 in the Bringing CS Education Research into the K-8 Classroom series. This series is all about taking a deeper dive into current K-8 CS education research, so in this first episode Kim Wilkens, EdD student, and her advisor Dr. Jennifer Chiu, Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Virginia, take a look at the anatomy of a research paper. Find resources here.

We caught up with Tricia Howell, Recruitment & Retention Coordinator at C4K, to learn how they use the power of teens and mentors learning shoulder to shoulder to create a space where community and opportunity can flourish. C4K has been serving the Charlottesville community for 20+ years! Learn more about their amazing programing, and how you can get involved! (We can confirm: It is

Summer is almost here! Sarah & Kim catch up on their most recent adventures, and share some big news about what’s coming up next. Plus info about cool new opportunities to connect! Find resources here.

March is Women’s History Month! We are celebrating with ALL THINGS women: intersectional feminism, International Women’s Day, and tons of resources for diving in and getting your women’s history on. Plus, a love letter to MozFest, our favorite (and very feminist) conference; and Ms. Fitz rants about why women’s history is NOT just for girls. Who run the world? Listen and find out! Find resources here.

When we first started the podcast, we always intended to highlight the books that we love and that make us think. You have heard us sprinkling references to them throughout different episodes, but the big moment is finally here: We’re happy to share our first BOOK EPISODE!  Insert Ms. Fitz’s happy dance here. Hopefully, this is the first of many. As we acknowledge and celebrate Black History Month, we are highlighting two books: Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran and Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Have you read either of these titles? What books are inspiring you this month? Find resources here.

We are thrilled to have Cami back on the podcast along with her mom, Lisa. Cami is in her final year as a CS major at Virginia Tech. Lisa is an epidemiologist looking to transition into data science. Along the way, she’s become a COVID-19 epidemiologist. Learn how this dynamic mother/daughter duo inspire each other and we’re sure they will inspire you too! Find resources here.

We speak with Jack Dozier, founder of Books for VA, about his dedication to service and bettering his community, and how his passion for literacy and computer science are helping him to make a difference. As usual, this young person will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful about the future - don’t miss this episode! Find resources here.

From English major to Executive Director at Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE), Karen shares her EdTech journey and her love of making! Learn about how you can and why you should get involved with VSTE. Find resources here.

Thank you dear listeners for helping us through an unpredictable, unprecedented and most challenging year. In this episode, we share reflections from 2020 as well as some of our hopes and dreams for the new year. We look forward to hearing from you in 2021! Find resources here.

Have you ever seen a need in your community and wished you could do something to make a difference? Merci Best did - so she took her impressive scientific background, her amazing creativity, and her family of brilliant partners and brought that dream to life. This week, we’re hearing from Ms. Best about STEAMKITX - the company she founded to provide creative, engaging, hands-on and personally designed STEAM activities to the kids that need them most. Not impressive enough? She’s building STEAMKITX while earning a graduate degree and studying Alzheimer’s disease - so these STEAM activities are coming from a cutting edge scientist! Learn all about STEAMKITX (and how you can get some of these activities to your learner just in time for the winter holidays) on this week’s episode. Find resources here.

Techno girl, TedEd innovator, VSTE keynote speaker, Lego Master Educator, nonprofit board member… whatever you want to call her, Kimberly Lane Clark is awesome. From e-sports to Hour of Code and everything in between, Kim shares all about her amazing range of projects, advocacy, and what drives her in her many roles day to day. You won’t want to miss this episode! Find resources here.

Misinformation, disinformation, fake news - whatever you call it, it’s wreaking havoc on our country right now. Sarah and Kim join forces with Seli from FTP to share our best tips for spotting fake and biased news. Find resources here.

How are teachers learning and growing while pandemic teaching? This week, we spoke with Shannon Montague, Director of Professional Development at the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. Shannon is the master of tech tools and PD, she shared her favorite resources and best advice for becoming a better educator no matter the circumstances. Plus, a bonus question - What do you think the “new normal” for education will look like on the other side of the pandemic? We’d love to hear from you. Find resources here.

With a one of a kind election happening this week, we were excited to talk with Merry and Seli, founders of FTP (F*ck the Press) blog and podcast. Just 19 years old, they have a passion for politics and for breaking down the news to help young people navigate our current political and media systems. In this episode, they offer master class level advice for dealing with misinformation and news fatigue. So, if you need a break from the news or ideas for how to deal with information overload, don't miss this episode! Find resources here.

Kim is getting into a groove as an EdD student at the School of Education at UVA. She is working on some next steps with Tech-Girls and caught up with some inspiring women in tech (and hopefully future guests). Sarah is making friends at her new school. She also reflects on banned books weeks - why it exists, what it means and why we should all care about it. Be sure to check out all the resources here.

We had such a fun time learning and laughing with Jean! She is the CEO of an innovative edtech and video game startup with a deep passion for democratizing storytelling in games, plus she’s a standup comedian, international speaker, professional coach, and avid pie maker! She also recently launched a podcast - Games, Grit & Gratitude: Real Talk. Find resources here.

We talk with Chic Thompson, founder of WagiLabs and Kayla Canario, K-12 Education Project Manager at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education about brainstorming, design thinking, playing games, integrating STEM, Kidpreneurs and being the buffalo! Find resource here.

We first met Melissa Phillips as a middle school math teacher and now she’s a data scientist. Learn how bringing students to a math competition inspired her new journey! We also revisit imposter syndrome and some things we have learned to do to deal with it. Find resources here.

Sarah and Kim are both on new adventures this fall! Kim is now a full-time Ed.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction at the UVA Curry School of Education. Sarah is in a new position at a new school as the Distance Learning Coordinator or as she refers to it, a Professional Optimist. Find resources here.

We talk with student organizers about their experience with Bio-Med Tech-Girls. Noelle is a Junior at St. Anne's-Belfield School and a participant for 2 years. She is now the Tech-Girls intern helping out with the program. Sruthi is a 4th year studying biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia and helped design some of the content. Bio-Med Tech-Girls is a collaboration between the UVA Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), St. Anne's-Belfield School and Charlottesville Women in Tech. This year 23 young women from all over the U.S. joined a week filled with guest speakers, hands-on activities and a design challenge focused on the Go Viral Project developed by Dr. Jeff Saucerman and Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler from UVA BME. Find resources here.