No Such Thing: Education in the Digital Age

Roderic Crooks is an associate professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. His research examines how the use of digital technology by public institutions contributes to the minoritization of working-class communities of color. His current project explores how community organizers in working-class communities of color use data for activist projects, even as they dispute the proliferation of data-intensive technologies in education, law enforcement, financial services, and other vital sites of public life. He has published extensively in HCI, STS, and social science venues on topics including political theories of online participation, equity of access to information and media technologies, and document theory. He is the author Access Is Capture: How Edtech Reproduces Racial Inequality, published in 2024 by the University of California Press (https://www.ucpress.edu/books/access-is-capture/paper). Access is Capture Racially and economically segregated schools across the United States have hosted many interventions from commercial digital education technology (edtech) companies who promise their products will rectify the failures of public education. Edtech's benefits are not only trumpeted by industry promoters and evangelists but also vigorously pursued by experts, educators, students, and teachers. Why, then, has edtech yet to make good on its promises? In Access Is Capture, Roderic N. Crooks investigates how edtech functions in Los Angeles public schools that exclusively serve Latinx and Black communities. These so-called urban schools are sites of intense, ongoing technological transformation, where the tantalizing possibilities of access to computing meet the realities of structural inequality. Crooks shows how data-intensive edtech delivers value to privileged individuals and commercial organizations but never to the communities that hope to share in the benefits. He persuasively argues that data-drivenness ultimately enjoins the public to participate in a racial project marked by the extraction of capital from minoritized communities to enrich the tech sector.Links:Amazon listing for Access Is CaptureUniversity of California Press page for Access Is CaptureAuthor's personal websiteTalks and events from Civics of Technology featuring Roderic N. CrooksArticle co-authored by Crooks discussing intersectional themes in feminist formations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Edwards, PhD (ABD), MAT, is a queer person and career educator who has served in almost every role in preK-12th grade school communities. After getting started as a special education paraprofessional in an Autism classroom in Saint Paul Public Schools, he served as a special education teacher, middle/high school classroom teacher, special education coordinator, Dean of Students, and Assistant Head of School. From 2015-2018, Dave made the jump to higher education as lead instructor for the nontraditional teacher licensure program in Emotional Behavior Disorders at the University of MN Twin Cities.He was an undergraduate and graduate professor in the teacher preparation program at Hamline University from 2018 to 2020 before devoting his efforts full-time to Gender Inclusive Schools. Dave is the proud parent to a transgender daughter, and his family's experience with the discrimination she experienced in kindergarten directly informs his vocation of helping school communities create safe learning environments.Dave serves on the board of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition and his family is heavily involved with Transforming Families MN.Gender Inclusive Schools provides parent and educator training to proactively create safe learning environments for LGBTQ+ young people. We specialize in facilitating full-staff professional development sessions on a variety of equity topics, providing small group consultations, collaborating on support for individual students, and school-board policy development.During the 2023/2024 school year, Gender Inclusive Schools supported educators in over 75 different school communities across the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia.https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/gender-inclusive-school/https://www.graduateprogram.org/2024/10/making-your-classroom-more-gender-inclusive/https://www.genderinclusiveschools.orghttps://www.mapresearch.org/news/policy-spotlight-conversion-therapy-bans-releasehttps://www.notion4teachers.com/blog/fostering-gender-inclusivity-educator-strategieshttps://www.highereddive.com/news/trump-executive-order-diversity-equity-inclusion-colleges/738052/https://www.genderinclusiveschools.org/educator-pd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laylah Bulman (she/her)Laylah Bulman is a passionate advocate for immersive, inclusive game-based learning for all students. As Executive Producer for Minecraft: Education Edition, she leads strategy and content for computer science, cybersecurity and esports, producing leading learning experiences for students around the world, such as Minecraft’s Hour of Code. Laylah spearheaded the creation of Minecraft Esports and Microsoft Esports Teacher Academy, building a community of thousands of credentialled esports educators across the globe. Prior to joining Microsoft, Laylah was enterprise director for LEGO Education and helped lead the North America Scholastic Esports Federation, where she was responsible for international expansion through partnerships with the US Department of State and global Minecraft-based challenges. Laylah hails from Miami, USA, where she was a STEM educator and school administrator for 16 years. As a parent and teacher of children with ASD, she promotes STEM+CS through a lens of equity and inclusion. She is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and graduate of the University of Virginia.About MinecraftMinecraft: Education Edition is a groundbreaking educational platform that transforms traditional learning into an engaging, interactive experience. Designed specifically for classroom environments, it leverages the beloved Minecraft game to foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking among students. With over 600 pre-planned lessons across various subjects, educators can seamlessly integrate STEM concepts and digital citizenship into their curricula. The platform allows students to embark on virtual field trips, conduct science experiments, and even learn coding—all while working together in a safe and controlled environment. By combining play with education, Minecraft: Education Edition not only captivates students' imaginations but also equips them with essential skills for the future, making learning both fun and impactful.Citations:Links:https://www.edtechreview.in/trends-insights/trends/how-teachers-used-minecraft-for-education-during-covid-19/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200512000954https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/ksjqnr/the_benefits_of_minecraft_in_schools/https://www.codemonkey.com/blog/what-is-minecraft-education/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/minecraft-learning-tool-insights-from-year-under-covid-19-garretthttps://iste.org/blog/minecraft-education-is-a-game-and-a-learning-toolhttps://education.minecraft.net/en-us/blog/five-social-benefits-of-introducing-minecraft-to-your-schoolhttps://codakid.com/is-minecraft-educational/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/books/01terkel.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barry F. Malkin is the Chief Executive Officer of Carnegie Learning. An active operator, investor, and advisor to the educational services sector for over 25 years, Barry took on the role of CEO in 2015. Prior to Carnegie Learning, he was Head of Corporate Development and Strategy at Apollo Education Group, leading corporate development and strategy for one of the world’s largest educational services companies.Carnegie Learning is the world’s leading edtech company using research and AI to dramatically improve learning outcomes for students. A pioneer in K-12 education for 26+ years, we provide award-winning math, literacy, world languages, professional learning, and high-dosage tutoring solutions to more than 5.5 million students and educators in all 50 states and Canada. Born out of Carnegie Mellon University, our company continues to conduct research with more than $90M in grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and U.S. Department of Education, among others.Links:https://www.carnegielearning.com/blog/interview-with-ceo-barry-malkin/https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-03-28-living-breathing-and-eating-math-an-interview-with-carnegie-learning-s-barry-malkinhttps://marketscale.com/industries/education-technology/to-improve-student-outcomes-teach-the-why-behind-every-subject/https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Carnegie-Learning-EI_IE111117.11,28.htmhttps://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Carnegie-Learning-Reviews-E111117.htmhttps://www.comparably.com/companies/carnegie-learning/questionshttps://www.comparably.com/companies/carnegie-learning/questions/2102911/what-s-the-interview-process-like-at-carnegie-learninghttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/barrymalkin_longlivelearning-activity-7042261812364410880-5tq3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Chris Emdin (he/him)Dr. Christopher Emdin is the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is also the  Director of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship At the STEAM DREAM and Ideal Lab.Sam Seidel (he/him)Sam Seidel has taught in a variety of settings, from first grade to community college, and directed youth programs for young people affected by incarceration. He now works with several networks of innovative schools, speaks nationally about education issues, and writes for the Husslington Post and other publications.About From White FolksA timely companion to the New York Times bestseller For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all TooProgressive white educators on the challenges and reimaginings of anti-racist education, cultural responsiveness, and sustained liberatory learning practicesDesigned for educators by educators, From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood is the white teachers’ guide to effective multicultural, anti-racist pedagogy.Over 20 educators are featured in this book, representing different types of schools, different geographies, different durations of experience in the classroom, and different depths of experience in interrogating their whiteness. Throughout the text, nationally renowned educators and coeditors Dr. Christopher Emdin and sam seidel offer feedback and perspective on how to incorporate the practices and wrestle with the ideas outlined by the contributors.Links:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739166/from-white-folks-who-teach-in-the-hood-by-christopher-emdin/https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/237679/for-white-folks-who-teach-in-the-hood-and-the-rest-of-yall-too-by-christopher-emdin/9780807028025/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Flanagan is the CEO of the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), a growing group of high schools creating a digital high school transcript that opens up opportunity for each and every student — from all backgrounds, locations, and types of schools — to have their unique strengths, abilities, interests, and histories fostered, understood, and celebrated.Mike oversaw the design and development of Mastery Transcript software products, connecting with members and advisors to manage the MTC product roadmap till May, 2021. He is an experienced education technology executive, most recently having served as CEO of the Services Division at the National Association of Independent Schools, where he led a complete redesign and relaunch of their School and Student Services financial aid platforms.Links:https://mastery.org/mtc-team/https://growbeyondgrades.org/blog/episode-48-flanaganhttps://x.com/mkflanaganjrhttps://archive.org/details/per_christian-science-monitor_1932-02-13_24_67/page/n9/mode/2up?q=%22mastery+learning%22 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shai Reshef is the President of University of the People (UoPeople). Reshef has over 25 years of experience in the international education market. Reshef has been widely recognized for his work with UoPeople, including being awarded the 2023 Yidan Prize for Educational Development, referred to as the Nobel Prize for Education; an honorary doctorate from the Open University, named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business; awarded an Ashoka fellowship; joined UN-GAID as a High-level Adviser; granted an RSA Fellowship; selected by The Huffington Post as the Ultimate Game Changer in Education; nominated as one of Wired Magazine’s 50 People Changing the World; and selected as a Top Global Thinker by Foreign Policy Magazine.UoPeople is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, online university. Dedicated to opening access to higher education globally, UoPeople helps high school graduates overcome financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints keeping them from college studies. UNESCO estimates that by the year 2025, there will be nearly 100 million young people unable to find seats in traditional universities. UoPeople believes that access to higher education is a basic right which promotes world peace and global economic development; and it is committed to providing those young people a quality higher education – tuition-free.Links:https://www.uopeople.edu/about/leadership-team/shai-reshef/https://www.ted.com/talks/shai_reshef_an_ultra_low_cost_college_degree?language=enhttps://www.unesco.org/en/higher-education Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.