Hello everyone! Covid has made sure we are all intimately familiar with how to set up Zooms, use Google services, and operate the various learning management systems our districts have purchased. Many of us have been forced to learn how to reach students digitally, and some of us were prepared for this sudden shift to the digital world. Whether you are happy using tech, have become proficient during the last several months, or are a tech geek and are just excited that everyone is finally (somewhat forced) to listen to you, one fact is certain... tech is here to stay! It is on us to be educated in what is available now, and what will be available in the future. To help us navigate this landscape, I have brought on Jesse Lubinsky, co-author of Reality Bytes and The Esports Education Playbook. Jesse is currently the Chief Learning Officer for Ready Learner One LLC. He is an education technologist, teacher, and former school administrator based out of Westchester County in New York. Prior to entering the learning space, he was a technology consultant for Fortune 500 companies specializing in network engineering and software development projects. In this episode, we set the landscape for what tech is doing today, and where it could be going. We ask if paper will be around in the next few year, and what roles should phone play...if any, in the class. We also touch on why professional development around tech is always kind of bad (my words). All of this and more! In part two we discuss VR and Esports, so make sure to subscribe so you do not miss it!     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher’s Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You’ve likely heard the adage, ‘Everyone makes mistakes.’ But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we’ve made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others’ mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.