Ep. 17 | ISTELive23 Review Panel

Welcome to the Growth Over Grades Podcast where we talk about education ideas and topics that matter most to our SpacesEDU Educator Community.

At the beginning of each episode, I like to feature an amazing member in our community, and today as we record the Growth Over Grades Season 1 Finale, I want to thank each guest who has come on this season: Dene Gainey, Dr. Sarah Thomas, Todd Scholls, Natalie Vardabasso, Stephanie Morgan-Harris, Dr. Marialice Curran, Eugenia Tamez, Allison Curry, Claire Romzek, Tim Cavey, Tom Schimmer, Jed Dearybury, Jamilla Fort, Barabara Bray, Nicole Biscotti, Katie McNamara, Dr. Alec Couros, Adam Mokelke, Dr. Randall Sampson, and Michele Jones. You all have taught me so much about building community, creating assessment that matters to our students, and striving for purpose in education.

Meet The Panel

This extraordinary panel of guests have all attended ISTE multiple times. In fact, Dr. John Wick has attended the most with 14 ISTES! Not only do I consider each guest a personal friend, but each of them are constantly creating ripples of change, putting in the work, and changing education on a larger scale.

Dr. Sarah Thomas is the founder/CEO of EduMatch, She also just released her book, Sarahdateechur’s Guide to Podcasting. She is a Regional Tech Coordinator, author, and speaker. It was ISTE in 2017 where she was featured in an Ignite Session and coined the phrase Professional Learning Family or #PLF. Dr. Thomas has created one of the largest educational communities that reaches educators internationally, called EduMatch. The impact that Dr. Thomas has had in our educator community is a legacy that will last beyond a lifetime.

S1: E2: Building Community with Dr. Sarah Thomas

Dr. Henry Turner is a high school principal, author, and keynote speaker. He and leader, Kathy Lopes, co-wrote Change The Narrative: How to Foster An Antiracist Cutlure in Your School. He advocates for change to support all students, especially those who have been historically marginalized and those in the LGBTQIA+ Community. He makes sure every student feels welcome in the school community that he serves in. Dr. Turner advocates for students and teachers and is no stranger to pushback. But that does not stop him, and his community supports him because his work is genuine and has grown young leaders who advocate for each other. Dr. Turner is most proud of the work that his students lead which honors diversity, equity, and inclusion in action.

Tara Desiderio an elementary school principal and a leader and speaker in education. She is also co-moderator #CultureEd and #EducationNeverDies. She is dedicated to helping educators and students embrace a love of learning and happiness. Tara is incredibly talented and creative and brings educators together for a stronger community. She has the ability to speak life into all those around her. Desiderio has the uncanny ability to share resources that will build up students and teachers and does this regularly through her social platforms.

Dr. Michael Harvey live-streamed with us from New Zealand! He is a physics teacher and author of multiple books. He is active in educator communities and is very supportive of his network. His expertise and knowledge are vast, a true renaissance man! He’s a leader in the AR/VR and AI realms of education. If you do a Google search, you might find some of his educational songs that he shares with his students. Dr. Harvey never shies away from sharing truths when he knows it will build up the education system and help his peers.

Sean Arnold has worked in the New York City Public Schools for 18 years. He is a Computer Science Director and an ISTE Featured Voice. Recently, he made the list for 30 K–12 IT Influencers to Follow in 2023. Sean is a supporter of every learner and always willing to do his part in breaking down walls that keep students from reaching their potential. He strives to make learning purposeful and fun, and he has expertise in gamifying education. Sean regularly presents to help ensure other educators reach every student. His work as a Special Education teacher also gives him more insight.

Hedreich Nichols is an educator, edtech specialist as well as a consultant, and CEO of #SmallBites. She has several books out right now for educators and students, including Finding Your Blindspots: 8 Principles for Overcoming Implicit Bias in Teaching. She was an ISTE Featured Speaker this year. She is also extremely musically talented, a Grammy-Nominated Singer! Nichols has the ability to draw everyone in with her sincerity and then show truth that resonates and spurs change, “one small bite at a time.” She is highly sought after to speak.

Dr. John Wick is a K-8 principal in southern California. He’s also a speaker and author. He stays up on the latest virtual reality trends and helps educators use them for teaching. He has helped turn his current school around and is a dynamic champion for students and teachers. Dr. Wick advocates being a whole person. He’s multi-talented as an educator, researcher, artist, and actor. Dr. Wick is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. In fact, he shared how he loved helping first time ISTE attendees find their way through the overwhelm of the conference.

Important ISTE Takeaways

Meeting our PLN in person was probably the best takeaway for all of us! In fact, it was the first time Dr. Sarah Thomas and Hedreich Nichols had met face-to-face and it was an emotional meeting. It was my first time meeting Dr. Michael Harvey in person, and I was blown away when he showed up to one of my sessions.

When we work with people virtually, and then finally meet face-to-face, it always feels like we’ve known each other all along. It was no different at ISTE. Tara Desiderio shared about her networking experience, and we all agreed it was powerful.

Another important takeaway that Hedreich Nichols shared, which resonated deeply with everyone on the panel, was the affinity meetings. Not only the meetings, but she shared that ISTE made supporting Black and Brown educators a true focus, not just an option in an obscure place. She said it was healing for her.

Dr. Sarah Thomas shared how important it was to see representation on the main stage in a debut event called Our Voice Amplified from the Our Voice Alliance.

This picture is courtesy of the Black Professionals in Edtech Affinity Space Collection.

Sean Arnold hopes the affinity groups keep growing and expanding to battle against isolation of certain groups in the edtech space. He also enjoyed being able to amplify other educators, who are new to ISTE and whose platforms are just beginning though their messages and expertise would benefit many other educators. Dr. Michael Harvey also felt it was important to show up and support those in his professional learning network.

Community Member and ISTE attendee, Melisa Hayes, shared how she wished there were meetups for grade level and subject areas.

Photo courtesy of Hedreich Nichols.

Dr. John Wick summed his takeaways as, “...networking, community, and just being with people who want to make change happen.”

5 Tips to Help You Thrive At ISTE

Gearing Up For The Next School Year

As we closed out our conversation, the responsibility that to guide our students in a positive direction, regarding technology, weighs heavily on each of us.

Tara Desiderio reminded us that while our students have access to all kinds of technology, they don’t always have the maturity to use it well. She suggested a new book from Shannon Miller called Sonia’s Digital World. A book that we can use for our elementary students to help guide them, and it uses student ISTE standards.

ISTE Standards and SpacesEDU: A Winning Combination for 21st-Century Teaching

Dr. Michael Harvey reminded us to be accountable to our own learning about using AI. As popular as artificial intelligence is right now, the responsibility for us to use it well and help our students do the same is important. He stressed accountability in this area.

Dr. Henry Turner shared, “Science fiction is now science fact….” But he stressed even more importantly that in the face of all these advancements, teaching our students how to care about one another is still top priority. It’s a responsibility that belongs to each of us in our various roles.

Sean Arnold shared that our panel conversation reminded him to make sure we know how to advocate for our students and teachers in this political climate. He also shared that our students need to be involved in the solutions to the realities we are all facing.

This conversation, including those who were tuning in and sharing, was such a great way to close out Season One of our Growth Over Grades Podcast. Technology at its best strengthens how we reach and teach our students. Those on this panel, and those who tuned in, are all committed to this. Please take the time to listen to all the episodes of this first season and let us know what you think!