Once Upon a Tech

Have you ever met a scientist whose life goals include embracing their inner child and sharing all of their knowledge for free? You’re about to! Pen-Yuan Hsing is an ecologist, a marine biologist, and a passionate advocate for open source resources. He’s also curious, creative, and a delight to talk to! Learn all about Pen, his ongoing projects, and the way he wants to change the world on today’s Voices at Mozfest episode. Find resources here.

Large conferences like Mozfest can be intimidating for anyone (🙋🏻‍♀️), but hosting a session for the first time during a gap year when you’re trying to figure out what you want to do with your life? That’s next level! But for today’s Voices at MozFest podcast guest, Muskan Fatima, it was a breeze. Muskan joined us from Islamabad to talk about her surprising Mozfest experience, the amazing connections she’s made, and - of course! - how she wants to change the world. Don’t miss it! Find resources here.

CodeVA is an organization focused on student and adult computer science education, advocacy, professional development for educators, and more. It’s a huge grassroots effort, and it takes a powerful team to guide a movement so big. We were lucky enough to speak with an integral member of that team: Kristin Hott, CodeVA’s incredible Engagement Strategist! We spoke with Kristin about CodeVA’s focus, their recent growth, and their exciting vision for the future of computer science education in the beautiful state of Virginia. Kristin’s enthusiasm is contagious - we bet that you’ll end this session just as excited about CodeVA’s efforts as we did! Find resources here.

What should computer science education look like in K-12? Nick Grzeda and his team have a vision and are making it a reality in Loudoun County Public Schools! Their CS education pipeline includes support for elementary and middle school teachers through coaching and integrated curriculum and connecting CS with experiential learning opportunities for high school students. Plus they are generously sharing their resources and experiences with anyone who is looking to start their own CS education pipeline! Find resources here.

What is the Women’s Maker Program at UVA? We spoke to Fang Yi, Educational Technologist at the UVA Library, and student leader Izzy McReynolds about the work they’re doing to create a haven for makers, tinkerers, and tech explorers. We also get a behind-the-scenes peek at the Girls Maker Camp and how they hope this experience will help educate middle school girls about gender equality issues in STEM, increase their interest and confidence in learning STEM, and bridge their experience gap in makerspace technologies that are widely used in STEM subjects. Find resources here.

What do philosophy and the metaverse have in common? How do we share knowledge and connect with each other in this ever-evolving virtual space? We spoke with Stella Anne Teoh Ming Hui right on the heels of her Youth & Futures Mozfest session, “Rethinking the Digital Space (Metaverse) through a Non-Digital Means: Philosophy”, to find out! This fascinating Voices at Mozfest interview is sure to push the boundaries of how you think about digital spaces. Find resources here.

Web Monetization vs. web monetization? What’s the deal? In this Voices at Mozfest session, we sat down with Tani Olhanoski, CEO and co-founder of Mysilio, about how she’s working to make the internet more fun, safe, and creative for all. We bet that her passion will get you up and moving, too! Find resources here.

This episode is part of a special Voices at MozFest series.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into a report on the state of CS in preservice education programs and a special issue from ACM highlighting a variety of research on CT in preK-5 with Anne Leftwich. She is a Professor and Interim Chair of Instructional Systems Technology within the School of Education and an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science and the Barbara B. Jacobs Chair in Education and Technology at Indiana University – Bloomington. Find resources here.

We were feeling a little starstruck during our interview with one of the 2018 European Digital Girls of the Year, Aoibheann and her mom Iseult! In this episode, they give us a sneak preview of the Youth & Futures space at MozFest which is happening this year online, March 7-10. There’s really something for everyone to enjoy and learn from, so don’t miss this amazing opportunity to join a global community with a mission to build a better, healthier internet! Find resources here.

This episode is part of a special Voices at MozFest series.

It’s almost Valentine's Day, which means it’s the perfect time for a LOVE story! Our wonderful guest for this episode, educator Bea Leiderman, and her love for Scratch & computer science education are sure to make you swoon. Grab some chocolates and enjoy the romance! Find resources here.