It feels like a different world even since I presented this as part of a panel at ISTE (International Society of Technology Educators) back in December. And it seems like 100 years ago when the idea for this conversation first percolated within my brain. It was originally an idea that filtered into my head more than a year ago. It was before any thoughts of a pandemic social distancing, or attempted coups. It was in an incredibly imperfect world, but the vast tragedies of the world seemed solvable to me then-if only we could move past the fear, animosity, division, and hatred. And it seems lik ..read more

Challenges The past year has been filled with so many challenges. We lost many friends and colleagues in NYC and there were challenges with inequitable and meaningful learning, especially for our students with disabilities. But I had the idea of creating a challenge that was fun. Out of that came my idea for Reimagine your world which was a series of STEM Challenges for students in my district that would be engaging while also having the students feel like they were having an impact on their world at a time when it seemed like little mattered. So I fashioned an exciting summer adventure await ..read more

I put this story together as part of the introduction to our first virtual NYC Microsoft Meetup of the year where we brought together educators from across the city (and country) to have fun, build connections, and share knowledge. I hoped to encourage the teachers, especially in my district, who I know had been struggling with so many terrible external forces that I won’t dive into here (see Teacher’s Letter to America). Suffice to say, we needed a break and I wanted to help make that happen. The best complements I received about the evening (which I have to thank so many teacher friends for ..read more

It seems you can’t go anywhere on the internet these days without encountering the term ‘cancel culture’. And the conversation seems to be reaching a fever pitch. Within the last month there have been notable op-eds covering the topic with the New York Times decrying a free speech problem and the Telegraph aligning itself with a notable fantasy author. And if somehow you missed all of that, you probably saw how talk of cancellation came up in the wake of a recent slap incident at an awards show which I will not at all discuss here (because what more could be said that hasn’t already been). Eve ..read more

There are dozens of different Wordle variations (that I’ve shared here below) that have sought to capitalize on the game’s popularity. Millions play the game daily. There are Star Wars versions and Harry Potter versions, food versions, Taylor Swift versions, and some that are not safe for work. You can play 2 at once, or 4, or 8, or 250. One of my favorites is a music version called Heardle since I’m a music aficionado with a keen ear for songs. But it’s really just Name That Tune repackaged. In fact, there’s nothing all that innovative about the original Wordle either, so what makes it so app ..read more

The Challenges It’s hard to find any semblance of normalcy especially in the world of education. Is it worth having a conference at a time such as now? Or is it more important than ever for educators to gather together in person to connect and learn? I think even as we look for solutions, it’s crucial to recognize the challenges we’re facing. So before I dive into what the experience of my first TCEA (Texas Computer Educators Association) Convention was like and what the answers to those questions may be, I think it’s worth noting the environment it takes place in first and what has teachers o ..read more

This post was originally created in collaboration with the Flocabulary team as a post on their site’s blog. Our emotions have long been intertwined with music. I’m sure you have songs that are innately connected to meaningful moments in your life. There is a soundtrack to your breakups and auditory connections from your saddest losses to your greatest victories. And then there are the songs that you just can’t help but dance to as they pump you full of energy. That is why, when remote or in-person, I have made sure to take dance breaks with my students and even bust out our own songs about how ..read more

Let’s begin with the fact that I don’t really like social media. That seems like an easy thing to say since no one is thinking Mark Zuckerberg is a particularly lovable fellow. Yes, there are the issues of privacy and the sort of nastiness from mostly anonymous figures and the occasional bot. For me though it’s just the nature of sharing as I tend to be more private, and I am definitely inclined towards the brevity that makes for good social media posting (this blog should serve as an example to that). I also still don’t really get Instagram and though I’ve been know to enjoy TikTok, I’m not n ..read more

This past year has been both eye-opening and made want to close my eyes and hibernate until all the tragedy subsides (P.S. that will never entirely happen). It’s been hard. In different moments I have been leading tens of thousands of teachers forward through training and advocacy and in other moments I’ve been trying to do socially-distanced diaper changes in head-to-toe protective gear with Kindergartners with autism. New York City has been the center of tragedy through much of the pandemic, and my district was the epicenter in schools. We have lost 50+ staff members in my district alone (pa ..read more

Struggling With Thankfulness For a multitude of of reasons both personal and professional I have been struggling to find reasons to be thankful. I have felt at times betrayed and disrespected by administrators at my work while simultaneously feeling beloved by many of the educators, families, and students I now work with directly. I have felt overwhelmed by what has been asked of me and the number of teachers and families reaching out for support while simultaneously feeling inadequate in helping them and desperately wishing I could do more. I see the news about elections and anger and people ..read more