In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast I interview an amazing Canadian Educator name Brian Aspinall about his brand new book titled Block Breaker: Building Knowledge and Amplifying Student Voice One Block at a Time! Brian and I have a wonderful conversation that I know you will love and benefit. Enjoy!
Brian Aspinall is an educator and best selling author and is considered one of the brightest STEM innovators in Canadian education. His book, Code Breaker – 15+ Ways to Get Started With Coding, continues to top the charts in STEM Education with a focus on rethinking assessment and evaluation. Recently he was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence for his work with coding and computational thinking. His enthusiasm, thought leadership, and approach to building capacity within STEM education has made him a sought after speaker throughout North America and has earned him the honour of being selected as Canada’s first Minecraft, Micro:BiT, and Makey Makey Ambassadors! Order Brian's newest book, Block Breaker, here!
Mentioned in this podcast:
Planbook.com, our sponsor, is a great way to design your lessons!
Lisa Johnson has a new book out, Creatively Productive, and... she mentioned my book in her's! How awesome! Grab a copy of Lisa's new book; she will be on the show again soon.
The Future Focused Podcast: It's my other podcast focused on leveling-up your leadership and living a dynamic life. I will also be documenting the release of my new book, Unthink Before Bedabout anxiety and mindfulness.
I have added a feature so you can leave me a question with your voice about this podcast, or any other podcast or blog, or about education in general. Leave your name, where you are from and your question. It is quick and easy from any device. Record a question or comment here!It's just one click! Thank you.
Brian's book Code Breaker: Increase Creativity, Remix Assessment and Develop a Classroom of Coder Ninja's.
Brian's newest book is titled Block Breaker: Building Knowledge and Amplifying Student Voice One Block at a Time!
Brian's next purchase is going to be a drone. Here is one that I have my eye on: DJI Mavic Pro. This is the one I recommend and plan to purchase.
One of Brian's favorite books is: Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas by Seymour Papert.
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In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Apple Distinguished Educator, Ben Mountz about his work using apple's Everyone Can Create Curriculum, his journey of relocating from Pennsylvania to Hawaii, what it means to be an Apple Distinguished Educator and more! I know you will enjoy this interview with Ben. He is one of the most creative educators I've ever met. His kindness and care for others has no limitations.
Ben is a Physics, Robotics, and Digital Storytelling instructor at Hanalani Schools in Mililani, HI.After teaching for 13 years in southeastern Pennsylvania, in 2016 he and his wife Jess realized their dream of relocating to Hawaii and continuing their teaching careers there. The rich environment allows Ben to pursue his love of creating images and media, as well as exploring the natural wonders of Hawaii through hiking, swimming, and surfing.
As an Apple Distinguished Educator, his most recent passion has been in using the various facets of Apple’s Everyone Can Create curriculum in his Digital Storytelling courses to help students find their creative voice.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Everyone Can Create Curriculum:A collection of project guides that that bring creative expression to every subject. Ben and I talk about this at length. What a fantastic resource! It is awesome and free.
• The Apple Distinguished Educator Program: Apple created the Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) program to recognize K–12 and higher-education pioneers who are using Apple technology to transform teaching and learning. These are the educators who are looking to change the world. They are active leaders from around the world helping other educators rethink what’s possible with iPad and Mac to make learning deeply personal for every student.
• The most influential books Ben chose to share are the Bible and Resonate by Nancy Durante. If you are a creator, a speaker, and educator, or really anyone trying to "create" better, you need to read and apply Resonate.
• Ben's favorite apps are Keynoteand Procreate. Both are amazing tools for creation, design, art, and more.