No Such Thing: Education in the Digital Age

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 Minecraft

Minecraft: 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=20200512000954
• https://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-garrett
• https://iste.org/blog/minecraft-education-is-a-game-and-a-learning-tool
• https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/blog/five-social-benefits-of-introducing-minecraft-to-your-school
• https://codakid.com/is-minecraft-educational/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/books/01terkel.html

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After growing up with severe anxiety and firsthand experiencing the lack of mental health resources in schools, Tessa (she/her) founded Upstream Education to ensure teachers have the tools to help their students manage anxiety and foster well-being. She received a B.S. in Social Entrepreneurship from the Watson Institute at Lynn University. Tessa also holds a 200 hour yoga teacher certificate from Strala Yoga. In 2016, Tessa won the Denver Public Schools Imaginarium Innovation Lab's Design Challenge for her idea to create a program of bite-sized, Tier 1 Mental Health tools for high school students. The following year, her first book, I Am Tessa, was published by One Idea Press. She often speaks on the topics of adolescent mental health, social entrepreneurship, and teacher professional development for organizations including Teach For America, Denver Public Schools, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, and the University of Notre Dame. In 2021, Tessa delivered her first TEDx talk called “The Power of 5 Minutes for Youth Mental Health.” Tessa is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and 2024 HopeLab Young Innovator in Behavioral Health awardee. In her spare time, Tessa loves to explore Colorado with her husband. She lives in Boulder.

About Upstream equips students with the ability to "name and tame" their stress. We start with the science of stress, specifically how our brains and bodies are biologically predisposed to respond to stress through the fight, flight, or freeze response. After students can "name" their stress, Upstream gives them a variety of concrete tools to "tame" that stress. Our tools are rooted in the practices of mindfulness, positive psychology, and positive self-talk.

Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/su/su7304a6.htm

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2024/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-alters-brain-activity-in-children-with-anxiety

https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2022/03/24/research-update-childrens-anxiety-and-depression-on-the-rise/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9894765/

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/anxiety-depression-children.html

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKB7GZ0KAwo

https://www.coursehero.com/file/194915685/RA-Final-Rough-Draft/

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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-malkin
• https://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.htm
• https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Carnegie-Learning-Reviews-E111117.htm
• https://www.comparably.com/companies/carnegie-learning/questions
• https://www.comparably.com/companies/carnegie-learning/questions/2102911/what-s-the-interview-process-like-at-carnegie-learning
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/barrymalkin_longlivelearning-activity-7042261812364410880-5tq3

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Read the report: AI in Professional Learning: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges for Educators

Brendon Krall is a Research Project Manager at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, where he assists the Research Partnership for Professional Learning (RPPL). Prior to joining Annenberg, Brendon worked as a research assistant for Dr. Stephen Raudenbush, at the Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab, and at the World Bank's Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) group primarily focusing on program evaluation for education-related projects. In addition to his research experience, Brendon is a 2018 Teach For America corps member, where he worked as an 8th-grade English teacher and community organizer in Houston, TX. Specifically, Brendon supported community organizing initiatives that advocated for improved school services for immigrant students and families and created an educator resource guide that school staff could use to better support this subpopulation. As a first-generation college graduate, Brendon knows the powerful role that education has in shaping an individual's personal and professional trajectory and has committed himself to creating more equitable and efficient education systems so all students have the possibility to reach their fullest potential.

Krista Morales's career in education began as an undergraduate interning for Education Secretary John King and the U.S. Senate's Committee on Education. She then taught 7th and 9th grade ELA in Fall River, MA and continued teaching high school English in the South Bronx. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Loyola Marymount University; an Ed.M in Teaching and Curriculum from Boston University; and an M.A. in Education Policy and Social Analysis from Columbia's Teachers College.

Links:

• https://annenberg.brown.edu/rppl/ai-professional-learning-navigating-opportunities-and-challenges-educators
• https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/AI%20in%20Professional%20Learning.pdf
• http://rpplpartnership.org/insights-hub/
• https://annenberg.brown.edu/rppl/ai-professional-learning-landscape-analysis
• https://rpplpartnership.org/insights-hub/
• https://x.com/rpplpartnership
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rpplpartnership_ai-tools-are-already-making-their-way-into-activity-7217244560391831552-beJF
• https://twitter.com/rodjnaquin/status/1813260695254806974

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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 Folks

A timely companion to the New York Times bestseller For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too

Progressive white educators on the challenges and reimaginings of anti-racist education, cultural responsiveness, and sustained liberatory learning practices

Designed 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/

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Dan White believes that good gameplay and good learning are complementary rather than oppositional forces. An alumnus of Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dan earned an M.S. in Education Technology under seminal learning game scholars Drs. Kurt Squire and James Paul Gee. Prior to founding Filament, Dan worked as a teacher, an instructional designer, and a game developer. Dan’s passions include learning games, sustainability, mindfulness, and modernizing institutional education.

Founded in 2005, Filament Games is a full-service digital studio that specializes in learning game development on a for-hire basis. We’ve completed over 400 projects since our founding and have worked with some of the biggest names in education – folks like Amazon, Scholastic, Smithsonian, Oculus, National Geographic, PBS, Television Ontario (TVO), McGraw-Hill, and even the US Department of Education.

Links:

1. https://www.filamentgames.com/
2. https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/more-excellent-edtech-stem-and-game-based-learning-podcasts/
3. https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/the-power-of-educational-games-with-dan-white-podcast/
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UNSPJEXAkc
5. https://www.thepocketlab.com/podcast/dan-white
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Emjt3fNpY
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaNqXxNr9Y&ab_channel=RoboCo

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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-flanagan
• https://x.com/mkflanaganjr
• https://archive.org/details/per_christian-science-monitor_1932-02-13_24_67/page/n9/mode/2up?q=%22mastery+learning%22

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Louisa Rosenheck is a thought leader in the ed tech field, with a passion for game-based learning and playful pedagogies. She works to promote deeper learning through designing playful experiences, developing creative ways to assess learning, and building capacity in other organizations to implement innovative digital learning and curriculum in their own contexts. She is a co-author of the book Resonant Games and teaches a graduate course on ed tech design at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent over a decade doing research on digital games and creative learning at MIT, and is now the Director of Learning Design for the Kahoot! Group.

As we delve deeper into the conversation with Louisa Rosenheck, we'll explore practical strategies outlined by the collaborators for incorporating accessibility into learning design, the challenges faced by educators and technology providers, and the potential impact of inclusive design on the future of education.

Links:

1. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kahoot-unveils-white-paper-on-the-critical-role-of-inclusive-learning-design-in-game-based-learning-302099735.html
2. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kahoot-has-a-strong-positive-impact-on-students-learning-outcomes-shows-new-research-302087878.html
3. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kahoot_inclusive-design-in-game-based-learning-activity-7181327797796192257-PZ0C
4. https://kahoot.com/blog/2024/03/26/inclusive-learning-design/
5. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/50729/978-3-030-80658-3.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1
6. https://kahoot.com/blog/2024/03/26/inclusive-learning-design/

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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=en

https://www.unesco.org/en/higher-education

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