Chances are, at some point in your Georgian career, you've had the pleasure of connecting with either Matt or Steve (or both!) when you've run into a Blackboard issue.  To say that they are experts would not do enough to capture exactly what they do and how valuable their work and knowledge is to us.  The only logical way to describe these two is as Blackboard Ninjas.  Matt and Steve stopped by to chat with us about all of the wonderful ways they offer support to faculty, about what's new and exciting about our learning management system, and they both shared a few nuggets of information around "things you should know" about Bb that could make your work life SO much easier.  This episode is a "must listen" to ensure you are saving yourself time, and making the most of the features of our LMS.

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with the incredible Rob Theriault about all things Virtual Reality at Georgian.  Kelly was blown away by Rob's passion for these initiatives, and Kim had a lightbulb moment when considering the impact of adrenaline on our ability to make decisions in emergencies (VR can help our students experience this through simulation!).  Rob has piloted projects in many of the medical fields at the college (nursing, paramedics, veterinary tech, and more, but he has also extended VR into many other program areas at the college, including fine arts, the trades, and indigenous studies.  The possibilities appear endless, and with Rob at the helm, we're certain that VR is, and will continue to be, an important part of the Georgian student experience.

Sheona Morrison is a go-getter!  Not only is a superstar athlete (proudly representing the University of Toronto on their soccer team for all four years of her undergraduate experience), but she brings that same fierceness and passion to her role managing Student Leadership and Transition Programs here at the College.  Sheona brings a fresh and exciting energy and new perspective to the podcast, shining light on the work that our students do to enhance the Georgian experience, and sharing information about how faculty can support and be a part of student-driven initiatives across all Georgian campuses.  Buckle up for this one, it's full of so much information and energy it'll have you jumping out of your seat!

This week we sat down with MaryLynn West-Moynes, who was as just as fun and easy to talk to as she was passionate about the Georgian community and team!  MaryLynn chatted with us about what "fills her cup", what brought her to the world of education, and to Georgian specifically, and she also takes a deep and meaningful dive into discussing the near and more distant future goals of the college and our community.  MaryLynn is so thoughtful and sincere in both her plans and her actions, and she isn't afraid to tackle topics like Covid protocols, vaccinations, the soon-to-be-revealed strategic plan, and what it's like to be a female college president in a field still statistically dominated by men.  We thoroughly enjoyed our chat, and left feeling confident, excited, and committed to a bright future at Georgian.  You don't want to miss this one! :)

Jarrod is a good guy, like a really good guy.  He's humble, he's kind, he works incredibly hard, he is so skilled and intelligent, and he's a great friend to CTL (and we're sure SO many more) at Georgian.  Jarrod stops by to talk about his commitment to PD, what inspires him about teaching (hint - Greg Rogrido shout out that you don't want to miss!), he talks about teaching that doesn't feel like teaching, advice his offers his students as they prepare to enter the field, and more.  You don't want to miss this one with the awesome Jarrod Otterman!

It was a bright and sunny Thursday morning the day we sat down to chat with Kevin Weaver, and the sun wasn't the only thing warming our hearts that morning.  Kevin was an absolute joy to chat with and listen to.  In this episode Kevin shares a whole load of important information about digital innovation, new learning modalities, micro credentials, current and future plans for Georgian, and more.  But what got us so excited, and really and truly "filled our cups" during our chat was the tangible passion and excitement that you can feel when Kevin talks about Georgian, his work within and outside of it, and of course, when he talks about the Leafs.  You do not want to miss this episode.  Really.  It's full of important information about Georgian, but also just presents such a refreshing and exciting look at the college, the faculty, staff, and students within it, and the incredibly future that Kevin, the Senior Leadership Team, and the whole Georgian community are working so hard towards.  You do not want to miss this one! :)

It's been a year (and a half!)....gosh has it ever been a year (and a half).  Many of us have found ourselves experiencing cognitive overload, emotional overload, and just general life overload.  This can leave us feeling like work is a lot, in some cases, too much.  And sometimes, it's hard to find joy in things that feel like really hard work.  However, it's important to remember that many of us also got into this career because we love teaching, we love learning, and if we're lucky enough, we love our jobs and what we do.  Our goal today is to pause, reflect, and remind ourselves what we love about our work and our jobs and how we can do more of that and find more joy, or find joy again in our work.  This episode presents some tips and ideas around finding ways to love your job.  Please join us for this important episode that we hope will help all of us feel energized, excited, and prepared for the upcoming fall term.

We adore Erin.  She is kind, thoughtful, authentic, talented, and so giving (in her life, in her work, and everywhere!).  We thoroughly enjoyed our chat with Erin and are already looking forward to having her back on the podcast again.  Erin shared information about Speech and Language learning at Georgian and the Harmonize for Speech, Hearing, and Language Clinic, which is a student-led community clinic for folks in Simcoe County and beyond.  Erin's passion for her students and all that they do is admirable and tangible.  We hope you enjoy this heart-warming chat with Erin Gilchrist.

We laughed, we reminisced, we laughed some more, we chatted, and somewhere in there the hilarious and fun Gail Hussey shared some of her amazing knowledge and experience regarding library services, life at Georgian, and more.  Gail is a firecracker, and we had a blast chatting and goofing around with her!  We hope you enjoy this lively chat with Gail! :)

Kelly Duggan joins us this week to chat about bravery in our teaching, work, and lives, about what digital innovation means to us and our students here at Georgian, about a passion for life and travel, and so much more.  This was an incredibly inspiring interview, and we hope that you'll enjoy listening to Kelly D as much as we enjoyed chatting with her.