Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
Edtech lumberjack
What do you like most about your job?
Education has been around for as long as humans have been around in some way or another and we’re at this turning point where AI and the emerging technologies that support education are making it available for everyone at any point. Whether they’re a traditional student or whether they’re 80 years old and they want to learn something new – it’s available. And it’s available from any institution anywhere in the world.
I’m going to be doing a certificate in AI from Oxford in January, so I’m out there talking about it every day, but I still want to learn more, and I can. So, I think the fact that anybody has that ability is pretty exciting and I would say it’s the most transformative time in the history of education since the printing press and the tablet. We should look at AI and technology in education that same kind of way. I think it’s a super exciting time and I get really excited talking about it.
Best work trip?
I’m really lucky because I get to go to places like Barcelona, Manilla and Chile. We had this conference a few years ago here in Barcelona and it’s still one of my all-time favourites because the food is amazing, the chance to go out and see the architecture is amazing, so I would put it high on the list, if not top of the list.
Worst work trip?
There’s one that I went on in Latin America that involved some cancelled flights and derailed travel plans. Getting stuck in small airports in Brazil is not my favourite, particularly as I don’t speak Portuguese. I speak passable Spanish but not Portuguese, so that was a bit of a struggle. But it had more to do with weather and airlines than it had to with our customers because I always love visiting our customers.
If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?
I would be fluent in Spanish because I think English is one of those where you can get by in a lot of the world, but the centres of the world where you can’t get by with English, usually know Spanish. I’m on a long streak on my language-learning app, trying to get better at Spanish, but it’s hard to do when you’re not fully immersed in it, which is why I always love when I have longer trips to Latin America because all of a sudden you’re thinking in Spanish and trying to get to that point.
Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?
Martin Bean is one of my favourites. I’m lucky because I’ve become good friends with him and every time I interact with him I think he makes me smarter. I would put him at the top of the list.
Best international ed conference and why
Bett conferences are very good, they’re very focussed on regionals. And it’s a little self-serving but our events are amazing… I love that we have our InstructureCon in the States and then we’ve got the regional Canvas connects where we can really extend that community globally.
Worst conference food/beverage experience
I don’t know if I’ve had a really terrible experience. Some of the food in Manilla is delicious and I love Filippino food but the hotel we stayed in last year… some of the food was a little bit on the verge.
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
Melissa, who’s our chief academic officer, and I host a podcast called EduCast3000. I know I sound self-serving but what’s great is that it’s not just she and I talking but we pull in experts from across the globe. So, the people that inspire us and make us smarter, we pull them in, and it’s almost like a network because then you go to their podcasts and see what’s out there and there’s so much.
Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.
I run our AI advisory council, which is a group of colleges and universities from across the globe, and it’s literally just getting their feedback on everything from what they’re experimenting with, their early AI models, to what features they’d be interested in and how they’re teaching AI literacy. It’s so interesting because I think we’re just kind of scratching the surface on what we can do with AI and personalised learning. There’s so much possibility out there and as we start looking at ways to customise content it’ll get really, really exciting.
To sit on the precipice with these people who are incredibly smart and are leading the charge is amazing. Everyone from University of Michigan, Oxford, RMIT in Australia, Tech de Monterrey in Mexico – they’re really pushing the boundaries and just being able to sit with them and learn from what they’re doing is incredible.
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