Once Upon a Tech

Are transparency, inclusivity, adaptability, collaboration, and community important to you? If so, you might be ready to work in the open! But what does “open” really mean, and what does it mean to work in the open as a teacher, an administrator, technologist...or really anyone? We talk with Laura Hilliger, an Open Org ambassador, about characteristics of open organizations, and how she’s looking to help them change the world. Find resources here.

Episode 1 in the Bringing CS Education Research into K-8 Classrooms series. This series is all about taking a deeper dive into current K-8 CS education research, so in this first episode Kim Wilkens, EdD student, and her advisor Dr. Jennifer Chiu, Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Virginia, take a look at the anatomy of a research paper. Find resources here.

We caught up with Tricia Howell, Recruitment & Retention Coordinator at C4K, to learn how they use the power of teens and mentors learning shoulder to shoulder to create a space where community and opportunity can flourish. C4K has been serving the Charlottesville community for 20+ years! Learn more about their amazing programing, and how you can get involved! (We can confirm: It is 👍💯) Find resources here.

Summer is almost here! Sarah & Kim catch up on their most recent adventures, and share some big news about what’s coming up next. Plus info about cool new opportunities to connect! Find resources here.

March is Women’s History Month! We are celebrating with ALL THINGS women: intersectional feminism, International Women’s Day, and tons of resources for diving in and getting your women’s history on. Plus, a love letter to MozFest, our favorite (and very feminist) conference; and Ms. Fitz rants about why women’s history is NOT just for girls. Who run the world? Listen and find out! Find resources here.

When we first started the podcast, we always intended to highlight the books that we love and that make us think. You have heard us sprinkling references to them throughout different episodes, but the big moment is finally here: We’re happy to share our first BOOK EPISODE!  Insert Ms. Fitz’s happy dance here. Hopefully, this is the first of many. As we acknowledge and celebrate Black History Month, we are highlighting two books: Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran and Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Have you read either of these titles? What books are inspiring you this month? Find resources here.

We are thrilled to have Cami back on the podcast along with her mom, Lisa. Cami is in her final year as a CS major at Virginia Tech. Lisa is an epidemiologist looking to transition into data science. Along the way, she’s become a COVID-19 epidemiologist. Learn how this dynamic mother/daughter duo inspire each other and we’re sure they will inspire you too! Find resources here.

We speak with Jack Dozier, founder of Books for VA, about his dedication to service and bettering his community, and how his passion for literacy and computer science are helping him to make a difference. As usual, this young person will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful about the future - don’t miss this episode! Find resources here.

From English major to Executive Director at Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE), Karen shares her EdTech journey and her love of making! Learn about how you can and why you should get involved with VSTE. Find resources here.

Thank you dear listeners for helping us through an unpredictable, unprecedented and most challenging year. In this episode, we share reflections from 2020 as well as some of our hopes and dreams for the new year. We look forward to hearing from you in 2021! Find resources here.