Coffee With A Geek Podcast

After seeing some of Meg's thought provoking Instagram posts I felt compelled to reach out for a chat. Meg is a dynamic young teacher who has an understanding of education far beyond her years. In this interview I ask her about her thoughts on education and her updated career paths.A little about Meg in her own words: "Hi, I'm Meg! I'm a former U.S. history teacher whose career has taken a few unexpected turns. After earning my bachelor's degree in Secondary Education/ History, I taught 11th-grade U.S. History for two years while also serving as an assistant volleyball coach. During that time, I earned my master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, but as I continued to grow personally and professionally, I realized it was time to leave the classroom and explore a new direction.Since then, I've worked in property management and higher education while building creative side hustles creating educational resources, sharing on social media, and babysitting. At 27, I don't have every step of my career figured out and I'm okay with that. What has stayed consistent is my love of learning, my passion for education, my commitment to my health and the people I care about, and my confidence that I can and will adapt to whatever challenge or change comes next. I'm still navigating my path, and I've learned to embrace the discomfort that comes with growth because that's often where the best learning happens."How to connect with Meg:Instagram: @megengagedlearning

Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional.This week I interview Joie Laykoff from Fusion Academy. A little bit about Joie in her own words: Passionate about revolutionizing education, Joie is the Senior Director of Teaching and Learning at Fusion Education Group (FEG), which provides highly personalized education across 80 campuses and an online program. With her background in Special Education and her goal to create accessible learning environments, she leads a team dedicated to advancing Fusion’s approach to personalization and the holistic instructional model. Joie holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Special Education, and a mild-to-moderate disabilities credential. She is committed to fostering meaningful student engagement and educator development through a comprehensive, whole-student approach.How to Connect with Joie: Laykoff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joie-laykoff-a059bb97/https://www.fusionacademy.com/

Tola has an extensive background in both private and public sector financial institutions. He has decided to bring this financial knowledge into education where he can guide students to make future focused financial decisions to empower their future. A little about Tola in his own words: "Tola Atewologun is an educator who has taught in a wide range of high school settings, including independent, public, Title I, urban, and suburban schools. His teaching focuses on social studies, economics, government, and financial literacy, with an emphasis on helping students connect classroom ideas to real-world decisions. Before becoming an educator, Tola worked as a public-sector financial analyst for organizations including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Reserve Bank. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Seattle Times, and other media outlets."

Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional.Like many guests I came across Dr. Dickenson's work through Youtube and Instagram. She has a wide body of work within the edtech community. She's an author, content creator, and college lel educator. Her thoughts on education and the explosion of A.I. are forward thinking and innovative.A little about Patricia in her own words: Dr. Patricia Dickenson is a professor of teacher education, curriculum author, and instructional design expert with over two decades of experience in K–12 education. Her work focuses on math instruction, professional learning design, and using technology and AI to create engaging, equitable learning experiences for teachers and students. She’s the author of multiple books, a frequent national speaker, and the creator of professional learning content used across the country.How to connect with her:

@teachwithDrD  Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/@TeachwithDrD

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-dickenson/

I'm old enough to remember the joy of having a full set of encyclopedias to enjoy and look up information. Of course those types of resources are a thing of the past and were replaced by online Encyclopedias, search engines, and now A.I.Within this new landscape, Jan van der Crabben has created a valuable Web Encyclopedia. that has the trusted information you would expect in a new easy to navigate platform. I wanted to learn about this tool and Jan's ideas for the future.A little about Jan in his own words: "Jan is the Founder & CEO of World History Encyclopedia. After having studied Journalism and War Studies in London, he became a Game Designer working on historical strategy games. During his research, he found that the internet was missing a history website that was free to use, reliable and reviewed, and suitable for the general public. Ancient History Encyclopedia was born from this idea in 2009, which later becameWorld History Encyclopedia, the world’s most-read history publication.Ways to connect with Jan: worldhistory.org@whencyclopedia

I've come across Rae's ideas and work primarily through Instagram. She offers teachers great ideas to improve their teaching, .learning and mindset. A little about Rae in her own words: Rae Hughart is an educator, author, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Teachers Deserve It (TDI), a platform dedicated to empowering teachers with efficient, effective, and sustainable teaching practices. With a background in education and leadership, Rae is passionate about supporting educators in reclaiming their time, fostering creativity, and stepping into leadership roles. She is also a speaker, podcast host, and advocate for teacher wellness and retention, working to create a future where educators thrive personally and professionally.How to connect with Rae:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rae-hughart/Social Media:  @RaeHughart How to follow Rae's Work:https://teachersdeserveit.com/

I recently had a wonderful conversation with musician and innovator Patrick Boylan.  Patrick is developing a new music learning app called, MuseFlow.  Our conversation steered into a variety of themes from the importance of music education and learning engagement.

A little about Patrick in his own words:  Patrick Boylan is a skilled multi-instrumentalist with a deep passion for self-education. Despite eight years of traditional piano lessons, Patrick found the repetitive nature of practicing the same pieces uninspiring. Like many music students, he struggled with the conventional approach. However, when his teacher retired, Patrick began exploring his parents' sheet music on his own, selecting phrases he enjoyed and improvising around them. This self-directed experimentation not only reignited his interest in music but also led him to uncover the foundational elements of musical theater.Today, Patrick can sight-read virtually any musical theater composition. His experience with traditional music education, combined with his innovative spirit, inspired him to co-found MuseFlow, a cutting-edge music edtech startup often referred to as "The Duolingo of Music Education." MuseFlow revolutionizes music learning by emphasizing the development of bite-sized skills through sight-reading—enabling students to read and play music at first sight—rather than relying on repetitive practice. This approach makes learning more engaging, effective, and rewarding compared to traditional methods. The platform adapts to each student's progress by adjusting the tempo and complexity of the music, ensuring that they remain challenged but not overwhelmed. MuseFlow’s unique method involves students playing levels designed to teach specific skills, such as new notes, rhythms, or time signatures. The system generates novel music pieces tailored to the student's ability, focusing initially on the new concept in isolation, and gradually integrating it with their existing knowledge. Students continue practicing until they achieve a 95% accuracy rate over four consecutive phrases, at which point they have mastered the new skill. Patrick has been featured on podcasts such as Mystery Team Inc.'s "The Biggest Thing In The Universe," where he shares his insights on the future of learning, edtech, and underappreciated Sondheim musicals. He is passionate about educating audiences on self-teaching sight-reading and guiding parents and teachers on how to leverage MuseFlow to help students achieve a flow state, enabling them to master a new instrument with greater accuracy and enjoyment."

Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional.For the first interview of 2025 I invited Mary Beth Hertz to discuss her teaching, her book, and her latest projects.A little about Mary Beth in her own words: Mary Beth Hertz has taught young people in Philadelphia since 2003 and has been at the forefront of educational technology. She is the author of Digital and Media Literacy in the Classroom: Practical Classroom Applications, and the Executive Director of Walkabout Education, an organization dedicated to building experiential learning schools.To connect with Mary Beth:http://marybethhertz.meBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mbteach.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marybethhertz/

In this important interview I wanted to touch base with Dr. Weiner to get his research based observations regarding Marijuana in specifically when it comes to teenagers.

A little bit about Aaron in his own words. "Dr. Aaron Weiner is a board-certified Psychologist and addiction specialist, and speaks nationally on the topics of addiction, behavioral health, and the impact of drug policy on public health. His perspective is informed by his years of experience growing and directing addiction service lines for hospitals and healthcare systems, the current state of medical and psychological research, and his own observations in private practice. Dr. Weiner is a past president of the Society of Addiction Psychology, and his opinions have been featured in numerous outlets including Newsweek, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, Psychology Today, and The New York Times. He is currently on the Public Policy Committee for the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a member of the Science Advisory Board for the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions."

I had a great opportunity to interview the dynamic Priten Shah.  Priten's new book, AI and the Future of Education is timely and fascinating. 

I really enjoyed learning about Priten's background, insights, and thoughts on education.  A little about Priten in his own words:  "Priten Shah is an education entrepreneur and the author of *AI & The Future of Education: Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence* (Jossey-Bass, 2023). He is the founder of Pedagogy.Cloud, an educational consulting firm that supports educators in K-12 schools, higher education, and the nonprofit sector adapt to the increasing capabilities of AI. Priten is also the founder of the civic-focused nonprofit United 4 Social Change. He has a B.A. in philosophy and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University.