This past weekend I attended the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) virtual conference as a speaker and participant, along with 500+ other smart and fascinating folks. NAMLE is the place to be if you work in the field of media literacy pedagogy, and I was so pleased I got to attend my first …
Thirteen years ago I was a new educator at Global Kids in New York City. I was co-leading an ambitious virtual summer camp called “I Dig Zambia” in collaboration with the Field Museum of Chicago. Along with all the challenges of putting on a science camp with 20+ students in two locations, I had been …
“Hi, my name is Maya. I go to school in the Richmond and I love badminton!” The “North Star” of our education department is to “elevate diverse youth voices.” As a diverse team, we operationalize this goal through a number of different strategies. My job as the manager of online learning is focused on supporting …
Today I was reflecting on all the different causes and issues I have devoted my career to over the past three decades or so. On the one hand, they seem pretty disparate and distinct. On the other hand, I can see the links that connect them to each other, and how one organically led to …
I’m so honored that the work of my professional learning team at KQED is featured by the California Department of Education on their website as go-to resources for media literacy education for the state! Specifically, they include our PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification and our KQED Teach online courses as key tools to help teachers to bring …
The South by Southwest Education Conference and Festival (or as it’s known SXSW EDU) is one of the premiere national events focused on innovation in learning. I’ve heard about this legendary gathering for years, but never had the opportunity to attend. My team at KQED has put forward three killer sessions that we want to …
In my social media feed, I saw a recommendation that I watch the documentary Pressure Cooker, now streaming on Amazon Prime. The film tells the stories of three inner-city Black teens entering a prestigious culinary arts competition in Philadelphia, and their tough but loving teacher Wilma Stephenson. Here’s the trailer for the film. First off, …
This blog post by Maarten van Doorn on education really hit home for me today. van Doorn writes about how the educational system has made learning into a specific set of rote actions designed to pass a specific test, in order to get to the “next level” of your education, and eventually your career. He …
I finished up my first week at KQED, as the new Online Learning Manager for KQED Teach. It’s been a really fantastic start. My team has been incredibly welcoming and helpful, getting me oriented to our work and processes, taking me out to lunches and coffees, and answering my many, many questions. I spent my …
I came across this powerful conversation with Esra’a Al Shafei, a young activist, blogger, and entrepreneur from Bahrain. In 2017, she talked about her work in the Middle East fighting for democracy and the rights of oppressed minorities and LGBTQ individuals during a plenary session at the Digital Media and Learning conference. Such a powerful and …