Welcome back to GotTechED the Podcast.  We’re going to take a break from our regular podcast schedule to address the issues regarding race and police violence in the United States. Over the last couple weeks Guise and I have taken a pause from creating content to do some reflecting on recent events.  We are sickened by the path that America has taken and the devastating loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many many others that, tragically, are too numerous to name.  This podcast supports all people in their fight for systemic change towards equality, justice and a better America.

Segment 1: 

Nick introduces.  We hope your silence on the issues has been mistaken for inaction or lack of caring.

1. We wanted to make sure that our message was clear and correct.
2. We are a tech podcast, but mostly we are educators.  As educators we feel that we play a critical role in helping to shape the world and the recent racial issues are 

Nick and I both have put a pause on our creation of content to make time to reflect on how we can take action in the movement to make systemic change in America.  As a podcast, we must improve and be more intentional to showcase the works of all genders, races, and backgrounds.  Through reflection and research, we have identified that it is a mistake to think that being a good person and treating others fairly is an actionable step to improve the inequalities of America.  We have identified that words and social media presence is not enough.  Since our content hiatus, we have taken some actionable steps and we challenge everyone to take some too.  Here are some actionable steps that are a part of our plan:

1. We need to educate ourselves on our political leaders so we can vote for people who stand by principals of equality and believe that #blacklivesmatter 
2. We need to write to our government to ask them to be better and learn from reoccurring mistakes.
3. We need to continue or start conversations with our schools about race, gender, privilege, and equality.  
4. We need to protest and show up with our voice
5. We need to support black, small businesses owners

Resources:

1. I Don’t Need ‘Love’ Texts From My White Friends
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/opinion/whites-anti-blackness-protests.html
3. Breonna Taylor
4. https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/1268900750354198534
5. Support Black Small Business Owners
6. BLK & Bold (coffee)
7. All-American
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mtUGFp-9Os  
9. @DenaSimmons TedTalk
10. https://www.ted.com/talks/dena_simmons_how_students_of_color_confront_impostor_syndrome?language=en 
11. Equality race to the finish: 
12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyl4EJhq47A
13. This is the teaching tolerance resource
14. https://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/TT%20Difficult%20Conversations%20web.pdf

Music Credits:

• The Degs: Shotgun http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Degs/
• @bensounds https://www.bensound.com/

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• Guise on Twitter @guisegotteched
• Nick on Twitter @nickgotteched
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Need a Presenter?

As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, GotTechED is best known for sessions on:

• 1:1 Chromebook Integration
• EdTech Throwdown
• TargetED Learning
• Gamification (Badge Systems)
• Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
• Google apps and extensions
• Personalized learning and Choice Boards
• Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
• Digital content creation
• Student Podcasting
• Screencasting
• Flipped Classroom
• Student-Centered Learning