Digital Learning Today

On this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, I sit down with Microsoft Product Manager, Matt McGinnis to learn about Microsoft School Data Sync, the powerful free application that allows school districts to sync their student data directly from their Student Information System. If you are an IT Director or a Director of Technology, this is certainly the perfect show for you.

During the show, Matt walks us through a typical school situation where School Data Sync is being used to create a seamless path from a SIS through a new application called Intune for Education so that teachers can have accurate class rosters, up to date OneNote Class Notebooks, and a dynamic and student-centered learning environment using the new Microsoft Classroom.

• http://www.microsoft.com/education
• http://sds.microsoft.com
• https://aka.ms/sdsconfirmation
• https://aka.ms/sdsconfirmation

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers and services. Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, Microsoft Office office suite, and Internet Explorer web browser. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox game consoles and the Microsoft Surface tablet lineup. It is the world’s largest software maker measured by revenues. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies.

The MIE Spotlight Series is a cobranded educational podcast produced in collaboration between the TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network and Microsoft Education. Hosted by Jeff Bradbury, the MIE Spotlight series focuses on innovative thinking and teaching that incorporates cutting edge technology being deployed in classrooms. For more information on the Microsoft Innovative Educator program, please visit: http://education.microsoft.com

• Website: http://www.TeacherCast.net/MIESpotlight
• iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/MIEAudio
• YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/MIEVideo

On today's episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, I welcome educator Dan Rezac from Tynker.com on to discuss STEM Education and how Tynker is offering educators a FREE professional development opportunity called the Blue Ribbon Educator Program.

If you are an educator interested in learning more about STEM education and are either currently working with students in a Computer Science program, or interested in starting a coding based program, the Blue Ribbon Educator Program is perfect for you. To apply check out their website today!

Applications will close April 20th, 2017. You will be asked to:

• Create a 1-minute video PSA with the theme “It's time to go beyond.” How do we make coding in schools an everyday literacy and practice?
• Be available for Premium Training on Friday, May 12th from 11 am – 3:30 pm ET. This online training, presented by coding masters, is designed to hone your skills as an advanced coding teacher.

• Website: https://www.tynker.com
• Blue Ribbon Educator Program: https://www.tynker.com/school/blue-ribbon/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gotynker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoTynker
• YouTube: Subscribe Today!
• #BeyondTheHour

On today's podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elementary Principal and ASCD Author Jennifer Schwanke to discuss her new book called “You're the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders.”

I met Jennifer Schwanke on a recent ASCD book chat and was completely amazed at how similar the story of a new administrator can be to the story of a new Tech Coach. In most situations, you may be the only one in your position in a building, you have to keep your confidence with little opportunity to lean others for support, and you have to remember that no matter what happens during the day, it is the relationships you forge that will ultimately create a successful and long-lasting career.

One of the things that amazed me about my conversation with Jennifer Schwanke was the constant reminder that, quite often, leadership is pointed out by others. Jen is not the first guest on the show who told me she had little to no ambitions to be an educational leader and instead it was only through a mentor that she found her calling to “the big desk.” Recently, Jennifer Schwanke wrote a rather interesting post about the fact that in order to be an administrator you might first need to have a little bit of brain surgery.

Now that you’re a principal, you’ve lost half your brain!

Click To Tweet

Jen Schwanke began her career as a language arts educator eighteen years ago. She has worked at both the elementary and secondary level as a teacher and administrator. A graduate instructor in educational leadership, she has written frequently for literacy and educational publications and presents at literacy and leadership conferences. She is the author of the book, You're The Principal: Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders.

• Twitter @jenschwanke
• Blog: jenschwanke.com

• Learn more on ASCD.org
• Table of Contents
• Chapter 1
• Online Study Guide

• What is it about being a school leader that people find most challenging? The most enjoyable?
• What are some inherent character traits important for school leaders? What are some traits that can be learned with time and practice?

• What is the importance of staying connected professionally?
• Where can a principal turn if he or she is struggling?
• What are ways a principal can stay fresh, avoid burnout, and be successful over the course of a career?
• How can you make sure you build a strong school community, and successfully make connections with the larger community outside your school's walls?

• Writing process questions:
• When and why did you start thinking about writing a book? How did you go about learning about the process?
• What were some challenges you faced throughout the process?
• What suggestions might you have for someone considering a book idea?

As I move more into educational leadership myself, I am interested in learning more from those who have already taken the plunge and had the lobotomy surgery themselves. Please feel free to reach out and invite yourself on the podcast. I would love to share your story.

In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, I sit down with California educator and SMART Exemplary Educator Denesa Menge to discuss how she has created a fully immersive and interactive learning environment for her students, with the help of SMART Technologies.

One of the most important things you can do with your students is to provide them an engaging, interactive learning environment. When students are active, they become attentive learners. By using tools such as SMART Interactive Boards along with SMART Amp software, students can become immersed in a different type of learning.

Danesa Menge is a seventh and eighth-grade English language arts teacher at Oakdale Junior High School. She is passionate about learning and technology and shares that love with her students and fellow colleagues across the globe. Danesa holds a Master’s of Science in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. She is a SMART Exemplary Educator, a Google Certified Innovator, NovoAmbassador, and Flipped Learning international Ambassador. Teaching is not her job, it’s her passion. Getting better it, that is her job.

• Twitter:Twitter.com/Jepson
• Website:edtechmenge.blogspot.com
• YouTube:Youtube.com/user/finesse026

Learn how @SMART_TECH can be used in your classroom to create an interactive learning experience for your students.

Click To Tweet

Connect students and their devices to a workspace with all your lesson content

SMART amp brings the whole class, groups of students or individuals together in a shared space to work on projects, add multimedia content and instant message. This is all done using student devices and while tracking contributions from each student, so educators have insight into who is contributing what.

Why SMART AMP?

• Students work together in the collaborative workspace.
• Contribute to the workspace from anywhere, at any time.
• Provides the same experience on tablets, laptops and interactive displays.
• Take over the workspace at any time to demonstrate and describe work to students.
• Import SMART Notebook lessons, view them in full screen, export pages and write over them.
• Import your Google Classroom class lists directly. They update automatically.

• Website:https://www.smartamp.com/
• Twitter:https://twitter.com/smart_tech
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SMARTClassrooms
• SMART Professional Development: https://training.smarttech.com/

** TeacherCast would like to thank SMART Technologies for sponsoring this podcast **

Is your school district looking to make a change in it's Learning Management System, or Student Information System? Are you tired of getting recommendations based only on reading twitter and edtech blogs?

In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, I sit down with Michael Winters and Molly Levitt from EdSurge to discuss their new service called EdSurge Concierge. Recently released and made available to school districts across the country, EdSurge Concierge allows School Districts a simple and personal, 1:1 consultation to speak with one of their technology integration experts to help you find exactly the application you need and put you in contact with that company to help you and your team provide the best learning environment for your students.

According to EdSurge.com:

• EdSurge Concierge is a free service that helps schools find the right technology to support their learning goals. Concierge reduces the time needed to find a solution that fits every school's unique challenges.

• Michael Winters has served as EdSurge's manager of the Edtech Index for the past 2.5 years. In that capacity, he helps teachers sort through the world of edtech tools to find the tech that works for them. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia (go Hoos!)
• Molly Levitt is EdSurge's Community Manager, connecting educators around the US and sharing the great work that they're doing. She is a former elementary teacher, edtech startup founder and a graduate of Boston College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

EdSurge is one of my favorite places to learn about edtech trends and news. With over 90,000 followers on Twitter, it absolutely should be on your “must follow” list.

• Website: www.EdSurge.com
• Twitter: @EdSurge

Recorded in 2017

Welcome to the TeacherCast Podcast. In this episode, Jeff sits down with the Executive Director of CSNYC, Michael Preston and Superintendent Jason Eitner to discuss why students of all ages should have a Computer Science infused curriculum.

CSNYC is a nonprofit founded in 2013 to ensure that all of New York City’s 1.1 million public school students have access to a high-quality computer science (CS) education that puts them on a pathway to college and career success. To build thriving ecosystems for CS education in NYC and nationwide, CSNYC develops programming across four key areas: community development, teacher pipelines, industry engagement, and research. Together, work in these areas supports our partnership with the City of New York in Computer Science for All (CS4All): a 10-year initiative to bring CS to all 1,700 NYC public schools.

Early access to high-quality opportunities to study CS is critical to breaking down gender, racial and social barriers in the tech sector and related fields. Until recently, CS education was available to only a small number of NYC students, primarily enrolled in selective high schools. In 2012, the NYC Department of Education, with support from CSNYC founder and tech investor Fred Wilson, launched the Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE), the city’s first CS-themed public high school available to all students regardless of academic background. A year later, it was followed by the opening of its sister school, the Bronx Academy of Software Engineering (BASE), and the launch of the Software Engineering Program (SEP), which provides middle and high schools with a multi-year sequence of CS courses. These efforts were tied to the city’s large-scale strategy to encourage the growth of new industries and new jobs, and to ensure that education, both in K12 and at the college/university level, would properly prepare individuals for these new opportunities.

CSNYC was formally launched in 2013 to provide funding and guidance to these initiatives and to support a portfolio of CS education programs managed by other organizations. These programs build capacity in schools by training teachers from other subject areas to teach CS and by recruiting volunteer software engineers to teach in classrooms. In its first three years, CSNYC supported programs reached 150 public schools and 12,000 students citywide—a demonstration that CS was possible for all students if their teachers were provided with high-quality professional development, curriculum, and support.

With Mayor de Blasio’s announcement of the 10-year CS4All initiative in 2015, CSNYC’s mission of reaching every student in the NYC public schools is being realized. CSNYC supports CS4All through fundraising and by providing guidance and oversight to the initiative, and by building the ecosystem necessary to ensure the ongoing success of K12 CS education in NYC and beyond.

• CS Education Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/CSNYC-Education-Meetup/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/csnyc
• Medium: http://medium.com/@csnyc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csnycorg
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7A-Y36bLzb61-digpEiAA

Michael Preston ([email protected]) is the Executive Director of CSNYC, the New York City Foundation for Computer Science Education. CSNYC works to increase access to computer science in NYC public schools and is the city’s partner in the 10-year Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative. Prior to joining CSNYC, he designed and led digital learning initiatives at the NYC Department of Education including programs in middle and high school computer science, personalized learning, and digital literacy. At Columbia University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, he led software development projects and research studies on multimedia analysis tools. He has taught courses in psychology and research methods at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology. He received a B.A. from Harvard University

Welcome to the TeacherCast Podcast. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Microsoft Innovative Educator Steve Isaacs, and Minecraft Education Manager Neal Manegold to discuss how Minecraft Education Education is shifting the way our students are learning in classrooms around the world.

Minecraft: Education Edition is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination.

• Minecraft
• Minecraft Education
• Minecraft Educator Community
• Minecraft Mentors
• Minecraft Mentor Application
• 101 Ideas for Minecraft Learners (Videos)
• How to Survive your First Night of Minecraft (Video)
• Hour of Code
• HOC: Minecraft Edition
• Minecraft Twitter Chat
• #MinecraftEdu WEEKLY TWITTER CHAT: Tuesdays, 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST
• Steve's Blog
• gamesandlearning1.blogspot.com
• Twitter Links
• Minecraft Twitter
• Neal's Twitter

Neal Manegold is the Senior Manager for Minecraft Education, having previously worked at an educational technology start-up focused on personalized math instruction and real-time authentic assessment. Previously, Neal worked as an Educator and Math Coordinator in California and Washington State and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Neal grew up in Los Angeles and lives outside Seattle with his wife and two children, both of whom teach him something new about Minecraft every day.

Steve Isaacs teaches Video Game Design and Development at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ. In addition, he developed and teaches an online version of the Video Game Design and Development course for the VHS Collaborative.

Steve is a strong proponent of student choice and student voice. It is his mission to provide students with opportunities to pursue and nurture their passion.

Community building and connecting with other educators is one of Steve’s passions. He is proud to be the co-founder of #EdTechBridge, a Twitter chat, and community working to build collaborative relationships with EdTech stakeholders to create better EdTech for our students. The chat meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm EST.

On a personal note, Steve has been married for 21 years (consecutively, to the same person 🙂 ) and has two beautiful daughters. When Steve has ‘free’ time, he loves to bike, hike, swim, snorkel, and ski, and play video games.

Please follow Steve’s blog to find out more about his pursuits http://gamesandlearning1.blogspot.com and explore his showcase of student work at http://www.pinterest.com/stevei2071

Steve can be found on twitter as @mr_isaacs and is one of the Minecraft Mentors. You can set up a time to chat with Steve through the Minecraft Mentor community site http://education.miecrosoft.com/minecraftmentors.

On November 29 and 30, educators from across the planet will be participating in the annual Skypeathon. Brought to you by Microsoft Education, the Skypeathon is a fantastic way of bringing together not only classrooms, but it's a great opportunity to invite industry experts into your class to share their passions about their professions.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with New Jersey educator and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Steve Isaacs and TEDx Speaker and Middle School Educator Marialice Curran and discuss how the Skypeathon has impacted their classrooms.

If your class is looking to engage with amazing educators, I would highly recommend reaching out to Steve and Marialice. Steve not only is a fellow New Jersey Educator, he is one of just a handful of teachers worldwide who are MineCraft Education Experts willing to work with you and your students and share his passions for brick building. Follow Steve online at @Mr_Isaacs

Passionate about Digital Citizenship and Student Voice, I had the pleasure of meeting Marialice and her son and they are VERY inspiring. Follow Marialice on Twitter @MBFXC

Dr. Marialice B.F.X. Curran is the founder and CEO of the Digital Citizenship Institute. As a mother and a connected educator, she has served as an associate professor, middle school teacher, principal and library media specialist. As a pioneer in digital citizenship, she developed and created the first 3-credit digital citizenship course for teachers in the United States. She co-founded the digital citizenship chat on Twitter (2011) and the Digital Citizenship Summit (2015). She chairs the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) digital citizenship PLN and is a researcher, keynote, and TEDxYouth speaker.

Dr. Curran is committed to promoting social good through the use of social media and technology. She believes in a community-driven approach to educating and empowering digital citizens to solve problems in local, global and digital communities. Her mission is to turn negatives into positives and help to transform participants into designers, creative thinkers, global collaborators, problem solvers and justice-oriented digital citizens.

Find out more at the Digital Citizenship Institute and follow Marialice on Twitter at @mbfxc and @digcitinstitute.

Steve Isaacs teaches Video Game Design and Development at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ. In addition, he developed and teaches an online version of the Video Game Design and Development course for the VHS Collaborative.

Steve is a strong proponent of student choice and student voice. It is his mission to provide students with opportunities to pursue and nurture their passion.

Community building and connecting with other educators is one of Steve's passions. He is proud to be the co-founder of #EdTechBridge, a Twitter chat, and community working to build collaborative relationships with EdTech stakeholders to create better EdTech for our students. The chat meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm EST.

On a personal note, Steve has been married for 21 years (consecutively, to the same person 🙂 ) and has two beautiful daughters. When Steve has ‘free' time, he loves to bike, hike, swim, snorkel, and ski, and play video games.

Please follow Steve's blog to find out more about his pursuits http://gamesandlearning1.blogspot.com and explore his showcase of student work at http://www.pinterest.com/stevei2071

Steve can be found on twitter as @mr_isaacs and is one of the Minecraft Mentors. You can set up a time to chat with Steve through the Minecraft Mentor community site http://education.miecrosoft.com/minecraftmentors.

It is very easy to participate in this years Skypeathon

1. Visit the Microsoft Educator Community and signup for a FREE account
2. Connect with another educator or industry professional and invite them into your classroom

For more information, please check out this SWAY:

Search Engine Optimization is a skill that we all should be thinking about when we teach our students about Digital Citizenship. When we teach our students to comment on each other's Google docs, we are really setting our students up to improve their search rank. In this episode, learn all about SEO and how we can set our students and our websites up for a global audience.

Ardor Media Factory is the ultimate multi-national backlink building company. We help businesses achieve utmost success in their respective niches. By using the most innovative methods of marketing online, we offer a wide range of services with awesome results including search engine optimization, search engine ranking, and link building. We also produce high-quality content for business websites through informative articles. Moreover, we offer free services such as keyword research and web analysis.

We dedicate ourselves in simply giving you the best content marketing results for your business niche. We provide solutions to your problems efficiently in the shortest amount of time possible. As a client-friendly company, we also strive to give you the best customer service you could ever experience. We evaluate your problem, develop an effective solution, and deliver the perfect end results.

• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/coolestguyinseo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArdorMediaFactory
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ardorseocom/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coolestguyinseo

Kris Reid started Ardor out of necessity. Living in Russia and not speaking the language, he had to find a way to make some money. As a way to bring in some cash, he decided to employ himself and started his entrepreneurial journey. As the Founder and CEO, he is dedicated to turning out a quality product for his clients and creating an exciting and nurturing work environment for his employees. His office in the Philippines employs more than 40 locals, and provides them with invaluable training and education. Kris is a philanthropist and an inventor who constantly has his finger on the pulse of his customers so he can adapt the business to meet the changing demands of the ever-evolving marketplace.

Welcome to the TeacherCast Podcast. In this episode, Jeff sits down with speaker, author, and “Serial Innovator” John Kao, founder of EdgeMakers.com. In this episode, John and Jeff discuss how creativity can be fostered in every child by developing a strong interest and love for Music Education.

Join Jeff and John on September 24th for “Hack the Classroom” Presented by Microsoft Education LIVE from 8-10AM PST. For more information: TeacherCast.net/HackTheClassroom

• Hack the Classroom
• www.johnkao.com
• www.edgemakers.com
• @johnkao
• https://www.facebook.com/John.Kao2/

Dubbed “Mr. Creativity” and a “Serial Innovator” by The Economist, John Kao is a thought leader, practitioner and activist, who has played a leading role in the fields of innovation and business creativity for over 30 years. His knowledge is eclectic and blends the perspectives of musician, facilitator extraordinaire, former Harvard Business School professor, Harvard-trained psychiatrist, best-selling author, serial entrepreneur, and Tony-nominated producer of film and stage. Recently, Yamaha Music Corporation named him their first “innovation artist.”

John has spent much of his career developing compelling learning experiences for innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. As a Harvard Business School professor from 1982-96, John created acclaimed MBA and executive courses on innovation and entrepreneurship. He ran an executive program on innovation at Stanford University’s Bowman house for three years and also served as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Innovation at the US Naval Postgraduate School.

For the past three years, John has focused his innovation pedagogy on young people. He is founder and CEO of EdgeMakers, whose mission is to empower young people worldwide to become highly effective innovators “ahead of schedule.”

John was an early proponent of what he calls “large scale innovation,” or innovation at societal scale. And for those that seek to develop innovation capacity, he counsels them to invest in innovation learning. He has been advisor to the governments of Finland, Singapore, Abu Dhabi among others, as well as to a variety of US government agencies. For three years, he served on a White House/Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation Policy Dialogue led by Dr. John Holdren and Minister Wan Gang. His advisory work has lead him to interact directly with world leaders including Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

John chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovation Council and has served as an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative. His work has received coverage in such media as the New York Times, The Economist, CNN, and The Colbert Report.  As a self-described innovation activist, John is a trusted advisor to leaders of companies, startups and nations who are on the hot seat to deliver meaningful innovation strategies and action agendas.

He is author of the best-selling Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity, which describes what leaders can learn from jazz, as well as Innovation Nation, which documents America’s growing innovation challenge.  His education includes BA and MD degrees from Yale, a residency at the McLean division of Massachusetts General Hospital and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In the summer of 1969, John apprenticed to rock legend Frank Zappa. In his spare time, he plays jazz piano.