On this week's episode we interview Michael Cohen, the Tech Rabbi. Michael is both a designer and an educator, as well as the author of the recent book Educated by Design, which outlines methods for bringing design thinking and creativity into the classroom - Michael is a big fan of creativity.  Our conversation started from the recognition that the promise of technology in education has not always been the reality for students on the ground, but moved to consider the ways in which the democratization of education is being propelled by the students and teachers make real use of tech in the classroom. Nathan, Raven, and Sam debate the question: Has the impact of technology been slower in education than on other sectors of society? Join us and reddit, twitter, or instagram to continue the conversation!

For more information about our guest, visit his website at www.thetechrabbi.com - you can also follow Michael on twitter: @TheTechRabbi.  To learn how to help support the podcast, visit our website at www.learningmachinepodcast.com 

Teachers are bring tech into the classroom more than every before, but if those tech tools aren't designed for the reality and context of all students - can they really be effective? 

On this week's episode we speak with Professor Martin Oliver, Pro-Director for Academic Development at the University College of London’s Institute of Education. During our conversation, Martin explained that choosing effective tech tools for learning is less about choosing the most cutting edge options, and more about optimizing technology choices to the real context of students’ lives. That, in the trade off between efficiency and equity, equity considerations often lead to the most effective outcomes.

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What is it about a simple undo button that fills young students with confidence? How can technology support diverse methods of assessment and create space for everyone to have a voice?

On this week's episode we discuss Flipgrid and the impact of technology on equity in education with Ann Kozma.  Ann loves to encourage others to “push all the buttons” as they use Flipgrid to empower learners of all ages to share their voices and respect the diverse voices of others. She has spent 20+ years dedicated to transforming education as a 1st grade classroom teacher, as a K-8 Innovation & Instructional Support Teacher on Special Assignment in Southern California, and now as an Educator Innovation Lead on Team Flipgrid at Microsoft. Ann is passionate about helping others share, celebrate and showcase authentic voices in the classroom and beyond. Connect with her on social at @annkozma723.