Kids love Minecraft. They love mining for ore, they love collaborating with friends, they love creating Minecraft worlds. How do we take advantage of that intense interest for the purpose of deeper learning in the classroom? Minecraft Global Mentor Stephen Elford, an educator in Australia, joins Tch Talks to discuss student engagement and how that engagement facilitates exciting learning opportunities with Minecraft.

Minecraft Education Edition

Minecraft Starter Kit

Love the conversation with Stephen and raring to go? Check out Stephen's companion resource to help you get started.

National Board for Professional Learning Standards President and CEO Peggy Brookins discusses her path as an educational leader. Her storied career as an educator includes many national leadership positions and accolades. Tch Laureate Crystal Morey interviews Brookins about her work, her leadership, and her inspirations.

EdCamp co-founder and Director of Learning at Slack, Kristen Swanson talks about leadership as part of the Women Leaders in Education series. Tch Laureate Crystal Morey interviews Kristen, a self-described curriculum nerd. We are all leaders, Kristen says, as she describes her path as an educator and pioneer in collaborative learning.

Linda Darling-Hammond is a leading light in the progressive educational movement. She sits down with Tch Laureate Crystal Morey to discuss pressing issues such as the teacher shortage, addressing inequity, and the critical role women play as leaders in the field. Tune into this first episode of our series, Women Leaders in Education.

What do you love about teaching? And how can you let the world know? Join Gary Abud, co-founder of #LoveTeaching, as he discusses why he helped start this annual outpouring of positivity.

Sara Kadjer, professor of English Education at the University of Georgia, discusses her distinguished career, from middle school teacher to higher ed faculty. A pioneer in digital literacies and new media education, Sara talks about the greater complexities of the world today and the important role teachers play in helping young people navigate those complexities. Through it all, Sara is inspired by the joy of working with children and witnessing their learning. "Real innovation is not in response to anyone's edict."@skadjer

Meenoo Rami has taught high school English in Philadelphia, written the book Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching, and is now the Education Manager for Minecraft, the wildly popular virtual building game. Sarah Brown Wessling talks with Meenoo about her work in education over the years, with a special emphasis on being new to the profession.

In Part Two of our series on Social & Emotional Learning (SEL), R. Keeth Matheny shares his experience as a high school teacher with a dedicated freshman course for SEL (see Infusing Social and Emotional Learning in the Classroom for an advisory angle). How do you get started? What resources are available? And, in an ideal world, what should all students receive as far as SEL curriculum? These are just a few of the questions he answers in this episode.

In this Tch Talk Series "Sarah and Friends," Tch Laureate Sarah Brown Wessling catches up with Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year Shawn Sheehan to hear his advice to his first-year teacher self.

Creating a classroom that includes social and emotional learning can start tomorrow. Join Minnesota 2013 Teacher of the Year Megan Hall as she shares tips and strategies for getting started.