Today, Maria talks with Matt Neil, a passionate teacher, mentor and coach. Matt obtained his Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Teacher Education and his Master in Education and Online Teaching. He has taught high school students US and World History, and today, he teaches Civics and Government, Foundations of Citizenship, Leadership and many more online lessons.

Matt piloted and successfully launched Google Apps For Education throughout his high school to both teachers and students to improve instruction and learning through effective use of technology. When COVID-19 forced schools in Indiana Pennsylvania to close, Matt, who has been recognized as a District Technology Innovator every year since 2016, quickly started collaborating with and supporting his fellow teachers to move all their lessons online.

Together they discuss the new learnings that teachers and educators can build upon when they go back to their classrooms to face a new reality. They also dive into the essential skills that students need to develop to become active citizens and to share their voice with the world.

Tune in to listen and learn from an inspiring teacher who is committed to building meaningful relationships in the classroom and online by teaching students and training teachers.

Today, Maria talks with Anette Carlisle, a passionate education advocate and podcaster, working to improve education, reduce poverty, and help communities create the future they aspire to and deserve.

An evolutionary biologist, Anette works on system-level change, often focused on slow change over time. A reluctant politician, she also ran for the Texas House in 2006, and the Texas State Board of Education in 2012. Today, she is involved with numerous organizations at the state and national level and a large part of her efforts centers around legislation and policy.

Together they discuss Anette's journey and how she has been building diverse teams and improving public education in her community of Amarillo, Texas. A member of the Amarillo Board of Trustees for 19 years, she now serves on the board of Amarillo College which has garnered national attention based on its poverty reduction efforts that grew out of the work of Panhandle Twenty/20, founded and led by Anette for 12 years with an emphasis on improving educational attainment and reducing poverty.

Tune in to listen and learn from a leader who is committed to improving public education, alleviating poverty, growing women leaders and building diverse teams to drive community change. You can listen to her informative podcast “Anette on Education” and find more about her work at www.anettecarlisle.com.

Today, Maria talks with Stephanie Moore, Assistant Professor of Instructional Design & Technology in the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Stephanie presently teaches instructional design, performance improvement, online learning, and ethics of educational technology.

They discuss how to create an engaging online learning experience beyond merely teaching a lesson online to enable student-to-student collaboration and foster self-organizing skills.

Stephanie, who also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computing in Higher Education, explains how assessments can be used as an instructional tool for classroom development as well as to monitor deep learning and complete skills gap analysis.

Tune in to listen and learn from an inspiring leader in educational technology, instructional design and online learning.

Stefanie Faye Frank is back on Impact Learning to discuss how our brains are affected by high-stress situations like COVID19 and how we can learn to self-regulate so we can avoid getting stuck in negative thinking. Stefanie shares with us several tools we can use to prime our brain at the start of our day and every time panic strikes us.

As a neuroscience researcher and clinician focused on brainwaves, heart rhythms and micro-movements that influence our ability to self-regulate and build healthy relationships, Stefanie helps her clients understand mindset neuroscience and develop agency so that they can navigate through uncertainty and overcome obstacles with courage.

Tune in to listen to yet one more fascinating conversation with Stefanie about neuroscience and our brains!

Today, Maria talks with Nikki James, a learning scientist and a researcher at Practera focused on the design and development of education technology to support experiential learning.

Nikki’s journey into learning science and education technology did not follow a traditional path. She traversed outdoor education in China, humanitarian aid and development in Tanzania and higher education lecturing in Australia! Throughout her travels, she realized that she was afforded these opportunities because of her access to quality education. She knew that the next step in her journey was to use technology to increase access to quality education for everyone.

Nikki has been designing and delivering experiential learning programs since 2002 within higher education institutions from both the faculty and program manager perspective. She shares with us how Practera, an experiential learning platform helps educators, employers and students achieve better outcomes from experiential learning collaborations. These programs aim to help students develop 21st Century skills and prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution. 

Tune in to learn from an inspiring learning scientist and educational technology researcher focused on the design and implementation of experiential learning programs.

Today, Maria talks with Esteban Etcheverry, who is the co-founder and CEO of Aulasneo, an EdTech startup that provides world-class e-learning solutions. It is based on the Open EdX® platform, developed by Harvard and MIT to deliver enriching online learning experiences.

At Aulasneo, they provide a modern and flexible e-learning platform where educational institutions can deliver online courses that include videos, documents, video conferences and automated evaluations. They also create a virtual campus for companies or organizations by providing a platform to manage online training for employees.

During his 20+ years of professional experience in multinational corporations, Esteban has been involved in the development and implementation of infrastructure technology projects. He has held a variety of roles in operations, accounting and finance.

Together they discuss his passion for arts, technology, and online learning. Esteban started exploring arts early in his childhood before he decided to study technology.

Tune in to learn about eLearning from an inspiring artist and EdTech entrepreneur!

This week, as children in most countries are staying home, we are reposting Maria's discussion with Sharon Hancock, who has been a homeschool teacher and parent for over fifteen years.

While schools will re-open and life will eventually get back to normal, right now, parents and educators have an opportunity to design a more flexible and personalized learning journey for students at home.

We hope this conversation will offer parents and educators new insights to help them guide their children to navigate their new reality as they continue to learn at home.

The heart of homeschooling is not about the academics and the books; it's the intangibles that influence and mold the children, the things that enable them to grow, mature, and succeed, dream big, overcome obstacles, and explore their broader interests.

Today, Maria talks with Brandi Heather, the co-founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of AMPED2PLAY.

Brandi has spent her entire career building solutions that meet the physical, cognitive and social needs of every person. She is an inspirational, world-class educator and speaker who utilizes the power of play to help organizations navigate diversity, inclusion, communication, change management and self-care.

Why is Brandi teaching children and adults how to play?

Play is when we are most open to taking risks when we feel our most capable and confident. In these moments, we are in a state of self-discovery and expression. We are learning, reaching, and attaining new experiences, skills, and abilities. Being immersed in creative change is necessary in order to understand adaptation, and the ability to cope in any environment.

Tune in for a lively conversation between two women passionate about playing and learning!

Today, Maria talks with Mark Otter, the Chief Executive Officer of Participate. Before joining the Participate team in 2008, Mark gained experience and expertise as a global educator teaching secondary math and science in public schools in Nova Scotia, North Carolina, Virginia, and London, England.

At Participate, they build global education programs that prepare students for success in an interconnected world. They support educators and school leaders to develop globally competent citizens through international education programs and resources. Students with cultural awareness, creative thinking and problem-solving skills will be lifelong learners equipped to thrive in an increasingly global marketplace.

Mark and Maria discuss how communities of practice enable educators to learn, develop skills and guide their students’ learning as they collectively work on a shared purpose. Whether you are a student, an educator or a parent, you will love listening to the conversation with Mark, who believes that every student deserves an amazing teacher!

Today, Maria talks with Travis Wilson, who has had extensive experience in leadership and organization development, executive coaching, and learning program management. She first met Travis as a coach during The Marketing Seminar, an online workshop designed by Seth Godin.

Travis has a very diverse professional career journey through academia, corporate, private sector and online learning and has worked with college students and senior-level professionals.

Together, they unpack his learning and development journey as they dive into the decisions that have shaped him into the educator and coach that he is today. Whether you are a student or a professional, their conversation will teach you how to develop essential skills for the future of work and continue to repurpose them throughout your career.