Alicia Hughes has over 20 years of experience in the world of education. She began her journey as a Middle School Social Studies teacher in Charleston, South Carolina. After leaving the profession for a few years to raise her children, she returned as a High School Social Studies teacher in the virtual education space and from there assumed leadership roles--first as a teacher manager, then Assistant Principal, followed by Principal and ended her 14-year career at the school as the Executive Director. In 2024, she began a consulting business, Sparking Up Leadership, with the mission of helping virtual schools improve culture, best practices, and performance metrics.   Alicia enjoys presenting and has had the opportunity to share at various national conferences such as DLAC, Blue Ribbon Schools, SREB, Remote K12, and Innovative School Summit. She recently gave her first TEDx Talk on Building Relationships in a Virtual World and has a book on leadership best practices set to be released in the Summer of 2024.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Alicia Hughes alicia@sparkingupleadership.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-victoria-hughes/   The Virtual Spark https://sparkingupleadership.com/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Jason Gulya is an English professor and Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Council at Berkeley College in New York. He is also an AI consultant and Keynote speaker. A prolific content creator and social media influencer, Jason is vocal about the use of AI in education. He has earned a significant following through his practical and balanced advice. He is both an advocate and a skeptic and we love his honesty and down to earth, on the ground teacher perspective.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Jason Gulya https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-gulya/   The AI Adventure – Newsletter on Substack https://higherai.substack.com/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Maia Wiest studied at the Music University of Berlin where she wrote 2 Music Theatre Shows and managed their production. One of them was produced with artists in and from Havanna, Cuba. After this she relocated to Hong Kong and built her own piano academy for kids using her music learning method. During that time Maia also took on the job at a music publisher to create products (music gift sets) for them to sell internationally. This opened a new path where she worked for companies coming up with product ideas and manage the production in China. Eventually Maia worked in Spain developing products and sourcing and producing in China. The product collections she developed were some of the best sellers in the history of the publishing house with many repeat orders over the years. This job brought her to China (Shanghai) where she eventually opened up her kids music academy “Little M” serving local and international families with piano classes and early music education. After the great success with their own music learning method, she decided to turn this teaching style into a serious of games in an app called pianini. Maia returned to Germany and founded pianini Edutainment. They now have 2 apps, one for piano learning and one for music theory.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Maia Wiest https://www.linkedin.com/in/maia-wiest/   Pianini https://www.linkedin.com/company/pianini-edutainment/   Mukitoo App https://www.mukitoo.app/en/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Ben Edmonds is an inventor and entrepreneur with a 20 year career in product design and innovation. Ben is now teaching kids design engineering and problem solving through what he describes as his greatest ever invention – the #InventorClub, which offers both in person workshops and online programs for kids 7 – 16 years old.   The premise of the inventors club is simple – give kids a problem and let them solve it. They provide a variety of materials and tools and then supervise them as they come up with creative solutions.   Ben recently quit Dyson, where he worked in new product innovation for 10 years, to focus on his own business. He is getting ready to launch a line of flat packed furniture and his inventors club for kids continues to grow.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Ben Edmonds https://www.linkedin.com/in/innovationben/   InventorClub https://innovationben.com/teaching/inventor-club/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Nolan Bushnell, the “Father of Video Games”, created the Pong game and founded Atari. An electrical engineer by trade, he was inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame and was named one of Newsweek’s “50 Men Who Changed America”. He has started more than 20 companies, including the Chuck E Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater franchise, and is also known for hiring Steve Jobs.   Dr Leah Hanes PhD is the CEO of Two Bit Circus Foundation and co-author of “Shaping the Future of Education – The ExoDexa manifesto” with Nolan. Two Bit Circus Foundation creates learning experiences to inspire entrepreneurship, encourage young inventors, and instill environmental stewardship.  Beginning her career in Toronto, Leah produced and hosted an award-winning television series profiling woman in non-traditional roles. This led her to Los Angeles, where she appeared on-camera conducting interviews and hosting a variety of programs covering environmental issues, business and politics. She eventually segued into other areas of the entertainment industry, notably as the President of a boutique talent agency representing Academy Award-winning cinematographers, editors and production designers.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Nolan Bushnell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Bushnell   Dr Leah Hanes https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-hanes-ph-d-6792995/   ExoDexa https://exodexa.com/   “Shaping the Future of Education: The ExoDexa Manifesto” https://www.amazon.com/Future-Education-ExoDexa-Manifesto/dp/B0B1W3JC9J   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Paul Darvasi, PhD, is a game developer, educator, speaker, and writer who works at the intersection of games, culture, and learning. He is the CEO and co-founder of Gold Bug Interactive, the Executive Director of the Serious Play Conference, and is a founding member of the PlayLab at the University of Toronto, where he lectures on social media and education, and games and learning. He is a passionate advocate of serious games, digital games for learning, media and digital literacy, design thinking, experiential learning, virtual simulations, and locative experiences. His experiments with game design have included large-scale ARGs, activating institutional archives, interrogating online surveillance, addressing climate change issues, and supporting humanitarian activity. Paul writes for a variety of publications about progressive and innovative education models, and his research explores how commercial video games can be leveraged for teaching and learning.    He wrote a widely circulated white paper for UNESCO about how digital games can support peace education and conflict resolution, and helped global youth develop games to prevent violent extremism in the Digital Games for Peace initiative run by UNCCT, UNESCO, and UNAOC. Paul is a frequently invited keynote speaker and panelist, who has lectured and presented at conferences and universities around the world. He has shared his expertise with the US Department of Education, UNESCO, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Epic Games, US presidential libraries, foundry10, Consumers International, iThrive, and Connected Camps, among others. His work has been featured on PBS, NPR, CBC, the Huffington Post, Polygon, Killscreen, Gamasutra, Sterne, Endgadget, Edsurge, Edutopia, and MindShift.    The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Paul Darvasi PhD https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-darvasi-ph-d-431688126/   Serious Play Conference https://seriousplayconf.com/ paul@seriousplayconf.com   The Play Lab OISE | University of Toronto paul.darvasi@utoronto.ca   Gold Bug Interactive https://www.goldbuginteractive.com/   Twine https://twinery.org/   “A Theory of Fun” by Ralph Koster https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Game-Design-Raph-Koster/dp/1449363210   “Situational Game Design” by Brian Upton https://www.routledge.com/Situational-Game-Design/Upton/p/book/9781138031814   “Video Games and Learning: Teaching and Participatory Culture in the Digital Age” by Kurt Squire https://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Learning-Participatory-Education-Connections/dp/0807751987   “What Video Games have to Teach us about Learning and Literacy” by James Paul Gee https://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Learning-Literacy-Second/dp/1403984530   Gone Home https://gonehome.com/   What Remains of Edith Finch https://edithfinch.com/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Barbara Tsui is a mother of two boys, aged 11 and 16. She studied many different ways to raise her children before the first boy was born, but most of the ways didn't work as planned, so she thought she was a mother who failed, until she found the Montessori teaching and learning approach.  She enrolled her children and then she pursued Montessori teacher training and practicum in Beijing and Singapore beginning 2009. She founded Rainbow Tree Children Education in 2016, which has provided parent workshops to over 500 parents and they offer playgroups to 0-6 years old children. Barbara has also conducted teacher training for kindergartens in HK and assisted in teacher training in China. She believes that when we nurture children with love, respect and trust, the children will blossom beyond adults' expectations.   Qualifications: AMS 0-3 Infant and Toddler teacher credentialCMI 3-6 Early Childhood teacher credentialPikler Institute certificates: “Respectful Care and the Relationship with Adult”, “The Autonomous Play Activities”, “Free Motor Movement”, “In Peace with Oneself – In peace with Others, the beginning of social learning”Non-violent Communication and mindfulness trainer.   In this episode we take a close look at the Montessori principles and how their use in schools has slowly expanded over the past nearly 100 years. An education disruption happening in slow motion. Does an idea have to be new to be innovative? I think that when we look at an old idea in a new context or with new perspective it can be very innovative.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Rainbow Tree Children Education https://rainbowtreehk.com/   AMI – Association Montessori Internationale https://montessori-nw.org/about-montessori-education   Jeff Bezos philanthropic support for new Montessori schools https://www.livingmontessori.com/jeff-bezos-philanthropic-support-for-new-montessori-schools/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

This episode is an insightful conversation with Laurie Forcier, recorded shortly after she attended the Bett Conference in London. Laurie is a thought leader in EdTech with over 25 years of experience in education. She shares insights from the conference and her personal take on current trends and the impact of AI on the future of education.   Currently an ISTE Consultant, Laurie Forcier, also works with EDT Partners and Educate Ventures Research. She holds a Master in Higher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she worked for 10 years. Laurie also worked for Pearson for almost 7 years, and was the Director, Global Thought Leadership, focusing on the future of education, skills and work, and how technology, including AI, can augment learning and teaching. Laurie was also the Chief Global Content Officer for Learnit, a 70k-strong education leader’s network focused on change.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Laurie Forcier https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurieforcier/   ISTE https://iste.org/   Bett https://www.bettshow.com/   4 Biggest EdTech Trends in 2024 https://www.bettshow.com/bett-articles/4-biggest-edtech-trends-2024   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Vince Siu is the Founder and CEO of Press Start Academy, a Hong Kong-based education start-up that designs award-winning educational games and game-based academic curricula for ages 6 and above. He enjoys thinking about gamification, 21st-century skills, design thinking, and generative AI and the future of education, and has spoken and conducted workshops for 1,000+ educators and school leaders in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and the United States. For his work in education, Vince has been recognized as an Asia-Pacific Leader by the Obama Foundation, a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and a Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow by Tatler Asia. The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links: Vince Siu https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentsiu/   Press Start Academy https://www.pressstartacademy.com/en/   Obama Foundation – Asia Pacific Leaders 2022 https://www.obama.org/programs/leaders/asia-pacific/2022/vincent-siu/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Colleen Kelley, Ph.D. is the Creator and Founder of Kids’ Chemical Solutions (www.kidschemicalsolutions.com) which is a comic-book based curriculum for students of all ages. Dr. Kelley has demonstrated the ability to teach 4th grade students college level chemistry using storytelling through her comic books. Colleen’s achievements are so impressive and innovative that a documentary done about her work received an Emmy. I’ve linked the video below. Please watch it. It is incredibly inspiring. There is a significant challenge with many aspiring medical school students not being able to continue to medical school because they can’t pass the required undergraduate chemistry course. In this podcast episode, Colleen describes her efforts to address this issue and how she has developed her characters and stories over about 25 years of teaching chemistry at the University of Arizona. The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links: Colleen Kelley Ph.D. https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-kelley-ph-d-049aa91ab/   Kid’s Chemical Solutions https://kidschemicalsolutions.com/   Emmy winning documentary about Kid’s Chemical Solutions comic books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDmkJzcm4Pc&ab_channel=AZPM   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education. This is a special episode to kick off Season Two. I’m joined by a panel of 4 members of the faculty from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to talk about the Hybrid Immersive Virtual Environment (HiVE) that they built on campus. It is a revolutionary and ground breaking innovation in education and they share some amazing stories of how this full-sized classroom, converted into a completely immersive virtual environment with X-Reality, can be used to created engaging and unique learning experiences. This episode is so impactful that is also being published through the Startup Grind global community and the video of the panel discussion will be available on YouTube under their channel.   Links: Shara Lee https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/hti/people/academic-staff/dr-lee-shara-wy/   Dr Kai Pan Mark https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/edc/about-edc/people/dr-kai-pan-mark/   Dr Jack K. H. Chung https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/ic/people/engineering-staff/bcs_jackychung/   Dr Rodney Chu https://www.polyu.edu.hk/apss/people/academic-staff/dr-chu-wai-chi-rodney/   HiVE Introduction Video https://youtu.be/xG27bKIfTZA   CAVE – Cave Automatic Virtual Environment https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/CAVE-Cave-Automatic-Virtual-Environment   PolyU Team’s Immersive Learning Project wins silver at the QS Reimagine Education Awards https://www.polyu.edu.hk/publications/excelximpact/en/issue/202401/education/polyu-team-s-immersive-learning-project-wins-silver-at-qs-reimagine-education-awards   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Welcome to Season Two of the Education Innovators Podcast. I’m Eric Byron and it is my privilege to be able to share stories from some of the most inspiring innovators in education from around the globe. I’m based in Hong Kong, but the show is International. In season one, we had guests from Asia, North America, and Europe and listeners from over 20 countries. I took a little break during the last couple of months to regroup and line up dynamic guests for Season Two and I believe I have an incredible line up. The season starts with an wonderful panel discussion with a team from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University talking about their Hybrid Immersive Virtual Environment or HiVE that I had the opportunity to experience in person. This is an awesome example of both high-tech innovation and, more importantly, cross discipline, cross department collaboration that is enabling unique learning experiences for students on the campus. I’ve also got an episode coming with Dr Colleen Kelley, whose work creating comic books that teach chemistry is so impressive a PBS documentary about it won an Emmy. Really, an Emmy! There’s so much more great content coming in this season, like my conversations with Laurie Fortier, a consultant with ISTE, and Vincent Siu, Founder of Press Start Academy. Yes, there will be some emphasis on serious games or games for learning, but we will also cover other areas of exciting innovations in education. I hope you will subscribe and share and I look forward to meeting more of you online or in person as we work together to bring education into the 21st century. I’m Eric Byron. Thanks for listening to the Education Innovators Podcast and thanks to all those education innovators out there. You are making a difference!   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

This is a special episode, another solo edition, where instead of having a guest I’ve taken some time to reflect on what I’ve learned since I started the podcast about 3 months ago. There are many lessons learned through the conversations I’ve recorded and shared through this podcast. Today I’m going to focus on 5 specific areas that I think are most important and reflect the purpose of doing the podcast. My big take aways from season 1:   What it takes to innovate in educationWhy we need to innovate in educationWho are the people driving innovation in educationWhy change happens so slowly in educationWhat brings us hope that innovation in education will accelerate   Links:   Fight Song by Rachel Platten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc&t=203s&ab_channel=SoftRockLegends   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Clayton Whittle holds a Ph.D. in Learning Design from Penn State University, demonstrating a deep understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of learning. His research has a particular emphasis on serious games design and interactive learning for persuasive messaging. He is committed to environmental education, climate action, and outdoor learning. His passion is not just a personal interest but a driving force in shaping educational strategies for a sustainable future.   Clayton has 10 years in classroom teaching experiences supplemented with invaluable time as a learning design consultant. His interest in games and learning began with exploring games as ethical analysis devices in 2010. He continued his work at Dankook University, where he designed and developed DELRE, a digital role-playing game that replaced the textbook for introductory language classes.   The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Clayton Whittle https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonwhittle/   “Empowering Voices with Gamified Climate Action” https://youtu.be/QO-zcwfvtKE   Valheim Early Access Launch Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mHRJ1KFe20&t=88s&ab_channel=CoffeeStainStudios   What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee https://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Learning-Literacy-Second/dp/1403984530   Sasha Barab – Transformational Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPty548FCQU&t=147s&ab_channel=AmericanEducationalResearchAssociation   Video Games and Learning: Teaching and Participatory Culture in the Digital Age by Kurt Squire https://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Learning-Participatory-Education-Connections/dp/0807751987   Imagine Earth – Game by Serious Bros https://www.imagineearth.info/   “Manifest” by Andrew Bird   International Game Developers Association – Climate - Special Interest Group https://igda.org/sigs/climate/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

Edmund Lim is the Vice President involved in Strategic Partnerships at ClassIn.  He was previously the Asia Pacific Executive Director of University Partnerships at ThriveDX, a global cyber education company. Edmund was a Senior Vice President of a Singapore company involved in the establishment and management of international schools in Asia. He has also provided consultancy for international schools, EdTech companies, overseas ministries of education and organisations such as the World Bank. Edmund has experience as a group academic director of 5 international school campuses in Thailand. He also worked as the education director in one of the world’s largest aquariums. He was a former principal and vice-principal in primary and secondary schools in Singapore. In addition to conducting professional development courses for educators, he has taught in the National Institute of Education, the Gifted Education Programme and various schools. He is a founding council member and former treasurer of the World Association of Lesson Studies. In this episode we explore the evolution of Singapore’s highly successful public education system over the last several decades and Edmund, who has been right there in the trenches, shares incredible insights into the wisdom and commitment shown by the government to promote innovation in education. The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Links:   Edmund Lim https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-lim-wk-192b41a9/   ClassIn https://www.classin.com/   Singapore’s EdTech Master Plan https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg/educational-technology-journey/edtech-masterplan   We Wish You a Merry Christmas Instrumental https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdXR_igALU&ab_channel=PuddingTV-NurseryRhymes   Jingle Bell Rock Instrumental Jazz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hhl5XT11c&ab_channel=genyinalamp   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   This episode features John Hii, who joined me on stage at the EDUtech Asia 2023 conference in Singapore for our panel discussion on learning in the metaverse.   John Hii is a lecturer in Multimedia Design & XR Consultant, Swinburne University (Sarawak Campus), Malaysia. He actively participates in developing XR content and collaborates with educators and industry professionals. John is a distinguished influencer for Microsoft, leading the development of Mixed Reality content for Hololens. He also provides training for Google (GEG) and Apple technologies (Apple Certified). John holds a Mbot certification as a Professional Technologist and is a mentor for FutureLab, SDEC, and Forest Interactive Foundation.   John is a Committee Member of the Game Development Council of Malaysia, which reports to the Academic Development Management Division of the Ministry of Education.   Links:   John Hii https://www.linkedin.com/in/ts-john-hii-7a9654118/   Swinburne University http://www.swinburne.edu.my/   Soul of Borneo: the Music of Uyau Morris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7RfV4KZU0&ab_channel=NathanMyers   Sabah Traditional Music https://youtu.be/LrWF3YPJXJU   Don’t Cast Me Away by ATOM EAST https://youtu.be/HOjiSTmBPWM   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a normally a conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   This episode is compilation of soundbites from conversations Eric had with attendees at the EDUtech Asia conference in Singapore November 8 & 9, 2023.  Eric was there to moderate a panel on learning in the metaverse.  He setup his microphones in the exhibitor hall and stopped random people on the floor to ask them what they had seen at the conference that caught their attention and was potentially a game changer. With over 9,000 attendees and over 250 speakers, the perspectives were diverse and yet, also touched on some very common themes.   Links: EDUtech_Asia Conference https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/edutech-asia/index.stm   EdTech Month Hong Kong https://www.edtechmonth.hk   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Ivy Shi is an instructional designer and an e-learning expert, championing digital learning transformation and the integration of AI in work and learning environments. She holds a Master's degree in IT in Education. Ivy taught e-learning strategies and management at the University of Hong Kong. She currently hosts the Edtech HK community and spearheads the AI Experience in educational conferences. She is also the founder of Learnmonade, an e-learning service provider that serves international corporations, including Li & Fung, a Hong Kong-based supply chain and logistics company with over $10b USD annual revenue and The GAP, clothing and accessories retailer.   In this episode, which is the second part of my 2-part conversation with Ivy Shi, we get practical. I want to know how you can develop relevant and useful L&D content fast and cheap and Ivy has answers.   Links:   Ivy Shi https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivyshi1/   Learnmonade: https://learnmonade.com/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   Ivy Shi is an instructional designer and an e-learning expert, championing digital learning transformation and the integration of AI in work and learning environments. She holds a Master's degree in IT in Education. Ivy taught e-learning strategies and management at the University of Hong Kong. She currently hosts the Edtech HK community and spearheads the AI Experience in educational conferences. She is also the founder of Learnmonade, an e-learning service provider that serves international corporations, including Li & Fung, a Hong Kong-based supply chain and logistics company with over $10b USD annual revenue and The GAP, clothing and accessories retailer.   Our conversation is candid and casual, as we talk about how Ivy became such an expert in Instructional Design and e-learning. Ivy has a wealth of experience and wisdom she is willing to share, including practical advice to improve the effectiveness of corporate learning and development programs and content.   Links: Ivy Shi https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivyshi1/   Learnmonade: https://learnmonade.com/   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com

The Education Innovators Podcast is a weekly conversation between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.   This is part 2 of a 2-part conversation with Serena Sacks-Mandel who is the Global Chief Technology Officer for Education at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, she was the Chief Information Officer at two unique, technically advanced large public-school districts where she enabled student centric teaching and learning which resulted in significant improvements in student outcomes.  Prior to pivoting to Education, Serena led technology innovation teams at IBM, Walt Disney World, and Harcourt, Inc and provided management consulting support for many other organizations. Ms. Sacks-Mandel has won numerous state, national, and global awards for her leadership, vision, technical excellence, and her commitment to supporting women in technology.   Links:   Serena Sacks-Mandel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-sacks-mandel/   Microsoft Education https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education   Microsoft Learn https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/   Serena referenced the following 2 startups as examples of excellence in using AI to improve student outcomes: LessonLoop - Real time learner engagement analytics and professional learning software to improve instruction and student learning   Nuture – Next-generation feedback and assessment   The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742   This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron. You can contact Eric at eric@edinnovationpod.com