K-12 conversations about building collaboration for successful technology integration.
0:00 Intro2:52 Conversation with Tisha6:20 Wakelet7:40 20 years in EdTech11:15 Aversion to tech, substitution mode14:50 Importance of empathy19:30 Coaching role21:05 Building relationships25:45 PLN and community31:35 Connecting with TishaTisha Poncio: Twitter | Instagram | Email | LinkedIn | WakeletTierra Leustig: LinkedInTackling Tech: Website | TwitterDyknow: Website | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram
0:00 Intro3:50 Conversation with Scott5:55 Education without limits, boundaries, or walls7:16 Liberation and justice10:05 Ungraded writing12:05 Diversifying reading lists18:00 #TheBookChat on Twitter23:20 Tech in non-technical classrooms29:06 Connecting with ScottScott Bayer: Twitter | Blog #TheBookChat on TwitterTierra Leustig: LinkedInTackling Tech: Website | TwitterDyknow: Website | YouTube
0:00 Intro3:33 Conversation with Robert6:42 Skills of a leader9:27 Talk to administration11:16 Leadership coaching16:02 Analysis, Preparation, Reflection21:20 “Taking the Leap"25:51 Transition to in-person learning29:20 Connecting with RobertRobert Breyer: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | RBLeads | Guiding Principals FB GroupBook: Taking the Leap - Aspiring School LeadersTierra Leustig: LinkedInTackling Tech: Website | TwitterDyknow: Website | YouTube
0:00 Intro 3:48 Conversation with Kim 4:56 Chromebooks 6:45 One-to-one learning 8:30 Teacher to Tech Support/Virtual Learning Specialist 11:44 Going back into the classroom 17:38 Problem solving and trouble shooting 21:08 Teacher's attitudes towards technology 25:00 Google Classroom and G-Suite 27:09 Connecting with Kim Kim Mattina: Twitter | Email | Website "Teaching with Google Jamboard"Tierra Leustig: LinkedInTackling Tech: Website | TwitterDyknow: Website | YouTube
0:00 Intro3:22 Conversation with Eric6:55 One to one device programs9:20 Districts preparedness for pandemic11:30 Discipline within technology and education17:50 Why 10% of teachers quit25:00 Advice on tech integration30:30 Connecting with Eric Eric Griffith: Twitter | LinkedIn | EmailPathways Training Center | The State of TechTierra Leustig: LinkedInTackling Tech: Website | TwitterDyknow: Website | YouTube
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra interviews Brian Seymour, Director of Instructional Technology for the Pickerington Local School District in Ohio. Brian recently wrote an article on EdSurge titled “Trust the Process, How to Choose and Use EdTech that Actually Works” about the lesson he learned after his district bought a $50,000 Ed Tech product that they couldn’t use. Brian explains the process they implement now to narrow down and purchase worthy programs that help students learn and stay engaged.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra interviews Rita Wirtz, a reading specialist, blogger, former Principal and teacher, keynote speaker, and author of “Reading Champions! Teaching Reading Made Easy!” Rita shares her idea of a utopian school and says there is a chance for a fresh start in education as students return to a physical classroom. Pushing the idea of “catching up” after falling behind last year won’t benefit students or teachers.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews the hosts of The Three Caffeinated Coaches podcast— Georgina Dean, Shannon Moore, and Becky Colling. These three educators and coaches from around the world decided to launch a podcast that is a part discussion and part book study to connect, inspire, and celebrate educators. They discuss the importance of growing a PLN and advise educators going back into an in-person or hybrid classroom.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Porsha Dudley, an Elementary Principal in Houston, Texas. Portia shares her journey stepping up to a leadership position in education, taking initiative, building relationships, and making everyone at her school feel appreciated.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Julie Daniel Davis about the future of education and voice learning. Julie is an adjunct professor at UT Chattanooga, a Canvas Consultant, an Alexa Champion, and was an educator for over 20 years. Julie explains the 5 P’s of the future of education— personalization, programable, participatory, predictive, and privacy.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Todd Nesloney about leadership and his newest book, When Kids Lead. Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) and is a former Teacher and Principal. Todd believes everyone has leadership qualities, regardless of age, gender, background, or being an extravert or introvert.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig and EdTech Specialist, Seth Fewell, reflect on the year anniversary of schools’ immediate switch to remote learning. Seth is a passionate #ChangeMaker; he wants technology in the new normal to lesson teacher’s workload and empower students to learn more. They also discuss the MIE Expert Program, PLNs, and Microsoft schools.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Debbie Tananbom, a Tech Coach, former educator, and author. Debbie comes on the show to promote her book coming out in April, Transform: Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky and to share how she grew her PLN.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Kathi Kersznowski, TechIntegration Expert, Educator, Keynote Speaker, and Co-Author of Sail The 7Cs. Kathi connected with the Dkyknow team through Twitter right at the time her school was looking for a way to keep students on task during remote learning.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig interviews Jennifer Appel, an instructional coach, educator of 22 years, author, speaker, coach, co-host the Award-Winning Culture podcast with her husband Hans Appel, and the Chief Heart Officer for the Teach Better team. Jennifer shares strategies on maintaining a positive school culture and teaching SEL in a remote setting.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra Leustig announces the panelists for DyKnow’s first digital event of 2021, EdTech Roundtable: Tools and Tactics for Student Engagement. This virtual event is free and will be live on February 19th, 12-1 PM EST. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance for professional development credit.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, Tierra interviews DyKnow’s Marketing Intern, Maggie O’Scanaill. Maggie shares what she’s learned running DyKnow’s social media accounts, the importance of PLN’s, the rise of digital events, and the trends she sees in education technology discussions. Maggie is excited to host the EdTech Roundtable digital event on February 19th.
On this episode of Tackling Tech, powered by DyKnow, Tierra interviews Ryan Sagare, cofounder of School Rubric, a non-profit that amplifies the voices of educators, parents, and administrators. Previously, Ryan worked abroad as an international educator and later as the Coordinator of Distanced Learning at the University of Texas. Ryan shares his gratitude for teachers, his opinion on the future of distanced learning, and some of the differences between International schools and US schools.
On this episode on Tackling Tech, powered by DyKnow, Tierra interviews Adam Welcome, an Elementary Principal, speaker, consultant, author, and former teacher and Director of Innovation. Adam shares how students and teachers can utilize podcasting in the classroom. When in comes to integrating technology in the classroom, Adam wants educators to stop talking and start doing.
In the first episode of 2021, Tierra Leustig, the new host of Tackling Tech, reflects on Dyknow’s accomplishments and victories in 2020. Dyknow grew as a company, expanded its online presence, and hosted eight Digital Events. It was a long and challenging year, but there are many reasons to be excited for 2021.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath interviews Melisa Hayes, a 2nd grade Teacher in Ohio. Melisa has been teaching remotely since her school started an online academy in response to the pandemic. She shares the creative ways she engages her young students over Zoom, the tools she uses, and how her PLN on Twitter has boosted her confidence as a teacher.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Hans Appel. Hans is a Middle School Counselor, educator, speaker, podcaster, writer, Director of Culture at Teach Better Team, and co-creator of Award Winning Culture. Unfortunately from personal experience, Hans knows that school is for some students their only safe space. He is passionate about creating a safe and caring school culture.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Mandy Froehlich. Mandy is a consultant, author, and former Director of Technology and Integration. Mandy is championing for teachers' mental health and says that addressing teacher burnout is more important than integrating new technology during this difficult time.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Debra Jacoby, a Computer Science and Instructional Technologist at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale. Debra doles out tips and tricks on keeping both the “zoomies” and “roomies” engaged in a hybrid classroom.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Katie Bond, the Digital Learning Specialist for Martin County Schools. Katie explains how her district is simultaneously teaching classes with some students in-person and some students remote. Katie advises that teachers let go of some control during these challenging times and give their students more of a voice and choice.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with LaQuisha Hall, the 2018 Baltimore City Schools Teacher of the Year, Founder of Queendom T.E.A. and the SheRose Awards, among many other accomplishments. LaQuisha advocates for student voices and Social Emotional Learning and suggests that the first step is opening up to your students as a human being with a past and not just an authority figure.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with his first international guest, Misha Feigenson, co-founder of Thinking Cap Innovations. After having kids, Misha developed a curiosity in app development, white noise, and voice-learning. He is passionate about screen-free, touch-free progressive learning, especially as a way of teaching math and language.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks to Noah Geisel, an educator, EdTech Coach, trainer, speaker, and expert in Digital Badge Credentials. Brett and Noah discuss equity, access, opportunity and human-centered design.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks to Derek McCoy, author and Middle School Principal in North Carolina. Derek is a leader of change and encourages educators to remember what’s most important during these challenging times- the wellbeing of students.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath invites back Sean Coffron, Instructional Technology Training Specialist, back to talk about digital citizenship, classroom management, and closing the digital divide. Sean shares his predictions about the upcoming school year and the future of digital education.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, Brett McGrath invites back his teammate, Tierra Leustig, the Dyknow Marketing Manager. Tierra shares her behind-the-scenes experience organizing the Progressive Learning Conference and recaps what she learned from the presenters.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Holly Clark. Holly is an education thought leader, international speaker, best-selling author, and student advocate with 20+ years as an educator and administrator. Her published three books are The Google Infused Classroom, The Microsoft Infused Classroom and The Chromebook Infused Classroom. She shares her advice on assessing students in a digital age.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Middle School Principal, Evan Robb. Evan is a Ted Talk speaker, author, and progressive thinker. He shares how he cultivates a school environment that is encouraging of risk taking and how they are making the shift from emergency to intentional remote learning.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Jorge Valenzuela, educational coach, curriculum specialist, and author of Rev Up Robotics. Jorge teaches workshops on Project-Based Learning, Computer Science, and STEM. He is hosting the Friday session of Progressive Learning Conference, Sept-21-25.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath speaks with Dr. John Spencer, a current college professor, former middle school teacher, and author. John teaches workshops on creating Creative Classrooms, PBL, and Design Thinking. His quest is to transform schools into bastions of creativity and wonder.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with Darrin Peppard, a Superintendent in Colorado. His book, “Road to Awesome,” is about becoming a school leader who focuses on student’s triumphs, instead of focusing on discipline and what students are doing wrong. Unlike most leaders, Darrin despises strategic plans; rather, he likes to create a vision that everyone in the school can get on board with.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with Ari Flewelling, an educational technology specialist and certified educator, trainer, and innovator. Communication and transparency are key going into this unique school year. Teachers have stepped up to the plate, proved their professionalism, and adapted quickly with the help of professional development and the right technology tools.
On this solo episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath shares the top five takeaways he’s learned while interviewing K-12 educators and professionals. As a marketer at Dyknow, it’s crucial to understand how schools will adopt more progressive learning styles. Brett also reflects on his own K-12 experience and the teacher that made the biggest impression.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with Dr. Marcia Tate, bestselling author of “Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites 20 Instructional Strategies to Engage the Brain.” These brain-based strategies include drawing, discussion, movement, and storytelling, and are backed by extensive research and science and encourages social emotional learning.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with Miguel Guhlin, Director of Professional Development at TCEA in Texas. Miguel explains some of the many challenges facing Texas school districts this year. Miguel sees this emergency shift to remote learning as an opportunity for educators to find their voice and embrace technology. In this challenging time, everyone needs to stick together, adapt, and move forward together.
In this compilation episode, eleven previous guests in education are featured describing the challenges they faced when the world was turned upside down in March and students were told to stay home. They share how well prepared their districts were for this unprecedented turn in events and their advice for engaging with students online.
In this special compilation episode, ten guests from the last four months are featured with their advice to K-12 educators and tech coaches during the unprecedented time of COVID-19. They also share what they believe will be the future of remote learning. Brett shares his biggest takeaways from these interviews.
This week Brett talks to Tara Martin, an educator, admin, coach, speaker, author, and founder of BookSnaps. Tara explains what being “R.E.A.L.” means and how to be REAL while using technology during remote learning. She wrote a book called “Cannonball In,” about her philosophy in life.
This week Brett talks to Jake Miller an EdTech enthusiast, host of the #EduDuctTape Podcast, Tech Integration Coach, former STEM teacher, influencer, speaker, and presenter from Ohio. Jake shares the his observations during remote learning and the lessons he’s learned while educating educators to use technology in the classroom.
This week Brett talks with Bruce Reicher, a middle school teacher who teaches television production, coding, and G Suite in New Jersey. Bruce and two other tech teachers co-wrote a book with ideas for teaching media production available in August. Bruce shares tips on building a PLN (professional development network) and his background in sports broadcasting.
This week Brett talks to Kyle Niemis, the co-creator ClassroomQ and an Edtech Coach and former Science teacher at South Brunswick School District in New Jersey. Kyle is passionate about flipped learning, a method of teaching where students can learn at their own pace watching videos.
Stephanie Howell, the IT coordinator for Pickerington School District in Ohio, shares her experience training teachers during remote learning. Her district has 21 models of what next year could look like and is preparing this summer for all possibilities. Stephanie turned to her international Personal Learning Network for guidance when COVID derailed the school year.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, Brett McGrath speaks to Josh Bridges. Josh is a STEM teacher, the IT coordinator for his district, and a parent in Michigan. He believes this crisis is the chance for all teachers to embrace blended learning and utilize technology to improve education.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, Brett McGrath speaks to Pearl Arredondo, Principal and one of the founders of the San Fernando Institute for Applied Media, a successful pilot middle school in LA. In 2013, Pearl gave a Ted Talk about her difficult upbringing and passion for teaching. In this conversation, Pearl shares her thoughts on Reform Education, reaching students in difficult situations, the present challenges of remote learning, and using technology to educate.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, Brett McGrath speaks to Rachelle Dene Poth, a Spanish and STEAM teacher in PA who is also an attorney with a Masters degree in Instructional Technology in additional to being an author, podcaster, and blogger. She shares the changes she’s observed in the rapid transition to online learning. Rachelle encourages teachers to take risks and embrace digital tools, because this unfortunate situation can be an opportunity for innovation in education.
On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, Brett McGrath speaks to Chris Woods, a high school math teacher in Michigan, STEM advocate, and host of the Daily STEM Podcast. Chris creates valuable resources for parents, teachers, and students. He is excellent at engaging students in fun and meaningful ways, even while teaching remotely.
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