ShiftEd Podcast #27: In Conversation with Robert Martellacci

Welcome to ShiftED, the podcast where we embark on a journey through the ever-evolving landscape of education technology. On this episode, we have the privilege of navigating the EdTech frontier and beyond with our esteemed guest, Robert Martellacci, CEO of MindShare Learning and C21 Canada. As a seasoned expert in the intersection of education and technology, Robert shares his insights on the transformative power of EdTech, exploring its current trends, challenges, and future possibilities. Join us as we delve into the dynamic world of educational innovation, discovering how technology is reshaping the way we learn and teach.

World renowned author, psychologist and ventriloquist Susan Linn joined ShiftED podcasts to talk about screen-time’s effects on our youngest learners. We discussed the impacts that marketing has on our children and how to curb kids away from screens and back into creative play. An eye opening conversation for everyone interested in the health and well-being of our future generations.

Scott DeJong is a PhD student in Communication studies at Concordia University examining serious play, web literacy and digital cultures. I recently caught up with Scott to discuss the difference between gamification and game-based learning, the power of gaming in education, social justice games and how to get started with making classrooms more engaging through playing games. Not only does Scott make awesome games for students, but his games help expose online disinformation and social justice issues, a highly relevant topic for todays’ student population. Checkout the games we discussed. Here are some of the games I mentioned: Prodigy: https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/ Ululab Math Makers: https://ululab.com/math-makers/ Cat Park: https://catpark.game/ Articles about Media Literacy Games: My Top 5 List: https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offic... Thinking about media literacy differently: https://theconversation.com/video-gam... Scott's Game: Lizards and Lies: lizardsandlies.ca/ Additional links: Gamerella (Happening in November) - http://gamerella.ca/

Educational strategist Ron Canuel joined ShiftED podcasts for an intriguing conversation on technology integration into school systems. Ron’s 44 year perspective is rich in experiences, practices and strategies to better engage students throughout their learning journey. With insight into many edtech initiatives, Ron’s words ring true today as much as they did 40 years ago; technology as a tool for learning is imperative for all. His emphasis on courage to make innovative changes in the face of barriers is a reminder that without courage change is much harder in the educational system, as Ron reminds us... "Remember that change NEVER EVER HAPPENS WITHOUT COURAGE!! I paid a personal and professional price for doing what was right for children and teachers. There is no REAL educational leadership program that doesn’t emphasize COURAGE!! Sorry but it has to be said."

On the latest instalment of ShiftED Podcasts we had the great fortune to talk with Eric Rosenbaum, director from the Scratch Lab. A Lifelong Kindergarten alumni, Eric has been with Scratch from the get go, developing creative tools for learning. Not only is Eric a lifelong tinkerer, he worked with Jay Silver on perhaps one of the most inventive tools in education today, the Makey Makey. As Eric joyfully explained, Makey Makey + Scratch is like peanut butter and jelly! It’s a great conversation about Eric’s creative journey, with a look to the future of creative computing. Be sure to read Eric’s latest blog post on Inside Scratch Lab: AI Image Generation, and check out the Scratch block “Face Sensing” a glimpse into A.I. for all our learners. https://medium.com/scratchteam-blog/inside-scratch-lab-ai-image-generation-179f11bd921a https://lab.scratch.mit.edu/face/

Lance Eaton, a writer, educator, instructional designer, educational and social media consultant in Providence, Rhode Island. Lance joined ShiftED to discuss A.I. as a tipping point in education. We hope you enjoy our conversation about education and the future with A.I. Checkout his blog https://www.lanceeaton.com

Teachers and artists talk about their experiences leading the spoken word poetry process with students. It’s an inspiring discussion that covers tips and techniques for “teaching” spoken word poetry, but also emphasizes the benefits of fostering creative expression in schools. Spoken Word Round Table Show Notes Episode features the voices of: Deanna Smith Jason Selman Liana Cusmano Resources LEARN blog posts about spoken word and slam poetry in schools, including links to resources The Kids will be Alright: Slam Poetry meets English Language Arts https://blogs.learnquebec.ca/2020/02/the-kids-will-be-alright-slam-poetry-meets-english-language-arts/ 2nd Annual Quebec Youth Slam https://blogs.learnquebec.ca/2022/05/2nd-annual-quebec-youth-slam/ Resources and Organizations that support Spoken Word in schools Poetry in Voice (lesson plans and poet in class) Artistsinspire Grant (covers cost of artist workshops) Throw Poetry Collective How to Bring Spoken Word Poetry into the Classroom Creating Spoken Word Poetry (Literacy Today) Theme Music - Hip Jazz Music: https://www.bensound.com License code: 1HSJE7DLQD4OK7KJ

I throughly enjoyed talking with one of my mentors, author, educator, maker, programmer, musician Gary Stager. I have been following Gary for well over two decades, so it is such a treat to talk with him again and be able to ask him anything. We chatted about tennis, music, integration of technology, his early memories of programming logo. Plus all the amazing educators he brings to his summer conference Constructing Modern Knowledge, webinars he's hosted, and the abundance of workshops he has brought to the world. If you are looking for some life changing professional development over the summer and a wail of a good time go to CMK 2023. It will inspire change in your practice regardless of the age or subject you teach. CMK 2023 https://constructingmodernknowledge.com Gary's publishing house https://cmkpress.com Gary's Blog https://stager.tv

Digital Moments Our Approach: We are catalyzing change makers through immersive and engaging experiences where young people can learn digital skills such as coding, algorithm and data literacy, and artificial intelligence to have a social impact. https://digitalmoment.org https://kidscodejeunesse.org Check them out!

At this year's installation of the LCEEQ provincial conference we had the great pleasure of listening to Chief Innovation Evangelist, and Future of Education Strategist Dwyane Matthews. His talk was so compelling and dare I say timely, where he asked a poignant yet simple question, "Are we preparing students for 2019 or 2030? " Many recent points of inflection have been propelling this questions, be it; the pandemic, new reaches with A.I., and our quickly changing job market, climate change are forcing us to ask this question more and more. Do our students in our classes today have the capacity to adapt to a vastly unknown future? Do our students have the skills to navigate a fluidly changing landscape? In this podcast we explore these ideas, it's fascinating to say the least! Enjoy. https://www.dwaynematthews.life