In this episode of Game ON!, host Adam Bellow chats with Jesse Lubinsky, Education Evangelist at Adobe, about his journey from tech consultant to educator to edtech leader. Jesse shares insights on the power of creativity in education, the impact of technology on learning, and how gaming can transform the classroom experience. He dives into the importance of finding joy in work, taking risks, and building strong connections. Plus, they explore AI’s role in creativity and how educators can empower students with innovative, accessible tools.

In this episode of GAME ON, host Adam Bellow chats with Ann Brucker, Director of Games at Breakout EDU, about her journey from 4th/5th grade teacher to game developer. Ann talks about creating Breakout+ educational point-and-click adventure games. She shares about the challenges, triumphs (1M game plays and counting!), and lessons learned along the way. She also offers advice on embracing adventure, learning from failure, and staying curious.

In this episode of GAME ON, host Adam Bellow speaks with innovative educator Dan Ryder about his journey in education, the evolution of customized learning, and the importance of creativity and design thinking in the classroom. They discuss the impact Dan’s teachers have had on his life and the role of games in learning. Dan shares valuable advice for both new and seasoned teachers, emphasizing the need to lean into joy and create engaging experiences for students.

In this episode of GAME ON, host Adam Bellow sits down with Jed Dearybury, an Educator, Author, Illustrator, and PLAYOLOGIST! They discuss favorite childhood games and drawing inspiration from Peter H. Reynolds, the beloved author and illustrator of “The Dot”. Jed talks about the power of play in his own life, overcoming obstacles and finding his true self, and the joy of sharing fun with others. Jed’s passion for teaching and his desire to equip, encourage, and empower others using creativity, laughter, and hands-on fun shines through in this conversation.

About Jed Dearbury

Jed Dearybury began his education career in 2001. During his 13 year early childhood classroom tenure, Jed received numerous awards. He was featured in GQ Magazine as Male Leader of the Year, met President Obama as the South Carolina honoree of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, and was named as a top 5 finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year because of his passion, love, and success in education. In 2016, he was also named the first ever Milken Fellow for the state of South Carolina. Since leaving the 2nd grade classroom in 2015 he has been leading professional development across the country, as well as training the next generation of educators through his work and teaching in Higher Ed. His courses include Children’s Literature, Creativity and Play for Early Childhood, Fine Arts in the Elementary Classroom, and Arts for Educational Advance. In August 2019, he started his own education consulting business, mrdearybury.com LLC, where he is the Director of Creativity. He published his first book, The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages in June of 2020. His second book, Courageous Classroom, written with Dr. Janet Taylor was released in July 2021. Book number three, The Playful Life: The Power of Play in Our Everyday, released in October 2022. His mission: Equip, Encourage, Empower, and Engage the teaching profession using creativity, laughter, and hands-on fun!

In this episode of GAME ON, Host Adam Bellow interviews Jennifer Gonzalez, the brilliant mind behind Cult of Pedagogy. Jennifer, a former middle school English teacher, has transformed the educational landscape with her influential online platform. She shares her remarkable journey from the classroom to creating a vital resource for educators, highlighting the importance of building a supportive, growth-minded teaching community. Tune in to hear her inspiring story and practical advice for teachers!

In this episode of GAME ON, host Adam Bellow interviews Al Lowe, who is a pioneer in the PC gaming space. Al Lowe created numerous games that were beloved by many including the educational classic, Donald Duck's Playground, as well as the Leisure Suit Larry game series, amongst others. Al began his career in education and has had a unique and amazing journey to learning new things and finding success along the way.

In this episode of GAME ON, Adam Bellow interviews Dr. Kari Stubbs, who has had a diverse career in education - transitioning from classroom teaching to general ed tech and ultimately to special education. Dr. Stubbs shares her passion for supporting neurodiverse children, particularly those with autism, and offers valuable advice for educators looking to make a difference in the field.

In this episode of GAME ON, Adam Bellow interviews NYTimes Best Selling author and illustrator, Peter Reynolds! Peter discusses all things creativity and explores the 20-year legacy of his masterpiece, "The Dot" as it now is celebrating the 15th International Dot Doy celebration as well as a new musical that is touring the nation!

In this episode of GAME ON, Adam Bellow interviews Gary Winnick. Gary is an artist and one of the true pioneers of the Point+Click adventure game genre who brought the Lucasarts game Maniac Mansion to life. Gary has had a long career creating artwork for comics and a catalog of computer and video games. Adam’s favorite computer game growing up was Maniac Mansion and he grew up playing games like them. These have served as an inspiration for the upcoming Breakout+ Games that will be coming to Breakout EDU later this year.

In this episode of GAME ON, Adam Bellow interviews Matthew Farber, an expert in gaming and educational games. The two discuss the importance of play and his work on social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies in games. Farber describes his Gaming SEL Lab, which studies and develops curriculum around games that enhance SEL skills such as empathy, compassion, and perspective-taking. He also discusses his favorite childhood games, including board games, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and Commodore 64 computer games, as well as his recent gaming experiences with Life is Strange 2 and Before Your Eyes, a game in which players relive and redo moments in their life every time they blink. Farber explains that his path to studying games and learning began with the educational game iCivics, which he used as a social studies teacher, and led to his interest in project-based learning and writing for Edutopia.