306: The Power of Purposeful Play with Dr. Kristen Craft
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Release Date: 10/16/2023
The Questions Students Are Asking About AI: and the Mindsets that help Answer Them
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Tricia and Jeff talk about what AI literacy actually looks like in K-12 — past the policy memos, past the vendor pitches, past the "ban it or adopt it" debate that keeps stalling schools out. They were very excited to receive questions from a student, and they used those as the structure for this conversation. The conversation uses the Shifting Schools as a loose map: Balance, Adaptability, Knowledge-sharing, Empathy. A mindset-first approach for leaders who want to think clearly instead of react fast. What Jeff and Tricia get into: How to explain AI to a 10-year-old without...
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Great gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
This week Jeff and Tricia share their five top gifts to celebrate the special educator in your life. They take you through why these five gifts celebrate creativity, learning, wellness, and show personal recognition during Teacher Appreciation Week. Featured on the show: WoofPack SketchBox PlantWave Back To The Roots Waking Up App
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What we learn when we listen to students
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What happens when you stop talking about students and start talking with them? In this episode, Jeff Utecht sits down with high schoolers and asks a question most adults skip: what do you actually need from school right now? Not what teachers think they need. Not what the policy documents say. What the students themselves would name if someone gave them the mic. What they share is honest, specific, and worth slowing down for. Some of it will confirm what you already suspected. Some of it will catch you off guard. All of it is a reminder that the people closest to the experience of learning...
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The Business of You with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
This week Jeff talks with Nick and Marnie about why we want to help students stop waiting for permission and start building a bridge to a career on your their own terms. In this episode, Jeff Utecht is joined by Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, authors of The Business of You, a book that reframes career growth, personal branding, and leadership through a simple but demanding idea: you are already running a business, and that business is you. Using the story of Sydney, a young professional trying to stand out in a crowded job market, Marnie and Nick explore what it means to move from passive...
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Sara Amini: The Stories We Carry and the Friends Who See Them
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What can a graphic novel teach educators about belonging, friendship, and the inner lives of young people? Sara Amini is an actor and author whose semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel Mixed Feelings started as a collection of essays before finding its real form. In this conversation, she and Tricia dig into why the graphic novel gave her a sharper way to tell a story about not fitting neatly into any one category, and what that means for the kids (and adults) who read it. They talk about humor as a way into hard topics like racism, xenophobia, puberty, and loneliness. Sara...
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Why Friendship Is Serious Business for Kids and Adults
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Alyson Gerber joins Tricia Friedman to talk about The Liar Society, why friendship is serious business, and what mystery stories can teach young readers and adults about belonging, trust, competition, and connection. In this conversation, Alyson shares why friendship sits at the center of her work, how middle grade fiction can help readers think more deeply about loneliness and identity, and why the best friends are the ones who cheer for your growth. They also go behind the scenes of writing a mystery series. Alyson explains how she outlines her novels, why she uses the Save the Cat beat...
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Living at the edge of emerging technology
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What happens when we stop asking AI to do everything faster and start asking how it might help us understand people better? In this episode, Jeff sits down with Andy Sitison, CTO of , for a conversation about empathetic AI, story collection, and why trust may be the real differentiator in the next phase of technology. Andy shares how his work uses AI not just as a productivity tool, but as a way to surface patterns in human experience by gathering and analyzing stories from real people. Together, they explore what gets lost when efficiency becomes the main goal, why intent matters so much in...
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Human Still Required: out now!
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Jeff Utecht is back with a brand new book for schools looking to understand what to prioritize in the era of AI. Human Still Required is available for purchase, and you can get chapter one free: Learn all about it in this special bonus episode.
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Billy Ray on Writing Hope in Dark Times, and Building Future Worlds
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What does it take to write a story that faces darkness without surrendering to it? In this episode, Tricia speaks with acclaimed screenwriter Billy Ray about his move into YA fiction with Burn the Water, a future-set story shaped by Shakespeare, political urgency, and a deep belief in young people’s capacity to lead us forward. Their conversation explores community, imagination, hope, and the discipline of creating when the world feels bleak. Billy also offers a sharp look at his writing process, including what changed when he moved from screenwriting to novel writing, and why he sees...
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Why Kids Need Stories About Belonging and Friendship Right Now | Jasmine Warga
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What can a cheetah and a rescue dog teach us about trust, friendship, and belonging? In this episode, Tricia Friedman sits down with bestselling author Jasmine Warga to talk about her newest book and the powerful themes at its heart: vulnerability, unlikely friendships, and the courage it takes to let someone truly see you. Inspired by a real program in zoos where rescue dogs are paired with anxious cheetahs, Warga’s story explores how connection can help both animals—and humans—feel less alone. Through the voices of a cheetah and a dog, the book opens up conversations about anxiety,...
info_outlineIn this episode Dr. Craft shatters misconceptions and reveals the power of gaming for building social-emotional skills. How can educators effectively integrate gaming into their SEL programs?
Are You Ready To Unlock the Power of Gaming?
The power of gaming can be harnessed to forge strong peer connections among students. By instilling the elements of gaming in social-emotional learning, students can be encouraged to reflect on their emotions and reactions in gaming scenarios, apply insights to real-life contexts, and foster belonging within their peer groups. Thus, far from being a mere recreational activity, gaming can be a potent tool for facilitating improved student well-being and social-emotional growth.
Learn more about our amazing guest:
Dr. Kristen Craft has served as a teacher, principal, and district administrator in public education for the past 27 years. A champion of students, Dr. Craft is currently the Scholastic Esports Specialist for Generation Esports. She helps normalize esports in education by supporting schools and districts to create a scholastic esports pipeline.
Mentoring educational leaders, teaching aspiring principals at the university level, presenting at multiple conferences, and connecting with leaders across the country, Kristen knows the impact leaders can have on a school or district. The culmination of her time in administration at both levels represents a lifetime of love spent in the greatest profession.
She is the Gaming Concepts Podcast host and has been featured in several ed leadership podcasts and publications.
Kristen was named the 2021 Kansas Principal of the Year.
Twitter - @KristenEsports @GamingConceptsU @JoinGenEsports @HSELesports
LinkedIn - KristenEsports, Generation Esports
Links explored in this episode
LGBTQ Students Finding Hope in Declining Mental Health via Esports in Schools
https://www.gamingconcepts.gg/
Huge thanks to our amazing Sponsor for this episode!
For highlights from this conversation:
00:06:52 - Gaming as a Tool for Connection and Belonging
Dr. Craft explains how gaming at school provides an opportunity for students to find their peer group, build friendships across different social circles, and strengthen connections, ultimately promoting a sense of belonging.
00:09:31 - Rethinking Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Dr. Craft reflects on traditional approaches to SEL and suggests that incorporating gaming into SEL programs can make them more authentic and relevant to students. By addressing real-life challenges and experiences in gaming, students can develop skills like anger management and empathy.
00:11:08 - Using Gaming to Teach Emotional Regulation
Dr. Craft shares an example of using gaming to teach emotional regulation. By discussing instances of toxic behavior and anger in gaming, students can learn how to manage their emotions and react appropriately, not only within gaming but also in other aspects of life.
00:15:34 - The Stigma of Video Games
The guest discusses the common misconception and stigma surrounding video games, particularly among parents. She shares her own experience and emphasizes the need to normalize esports in schools.
00:17:21 - Esports and Marginalized Populations
The guest highlights the positive impact of esports on marginalized populations, specifically LGBTQ+ students. She mentions a study that showed significant growth in self-esteem among students who had mental health moments integrated into their gaming concepts curriculum.
00:18:13 - Rapid Transformation with Esports
The guest discusses the transformative effects of implementing esports in schools. She shares the results of a study where students showed tremendous gains in self-esteem within just ten weeks. Esports provides a sense of community and inclusivity for students who may feel marginalized.
00:22:12 - Leadership Skills and Career Opportunities
The guest emphasizes that esports develops leadership skills and opens up career opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. She mentions the diverse range of professions related to gaming, such as chiropractors, accountants, and lawyers. Esports prepares students for the future and helps them become successful adults.
00:25:50 - Getting Started with Esports
The guest encourages educators to reach out for support in getting started with esports. She assures that starting is not as difficult as it may seem and that they can provide guidance and solutions for challenges related to attendance, grades, student engagement, and mental health.
00:30:25 - Combatting Pushback
Dr. Craft discusses the importance of being prepared to combat pushback when championing initiatives for students, such as Esports. Leaders in education may face resistance, but pushing past it can make a tremendous difference in the lives of students.
00:31:16 - Creating a Welcoming Culture
Dr. Craft emphasizes that adding initiatives like Esports can create an inclusive and welcoming culture in schools. It is essential for educational leaders to see and fight for all students, rather than discounting or shaming them.
00:31:52 - The Role of Educational Leaders
Dr. Craft reminds leaders that their focus should be on the students, not themselves. Turning a blind eye to the needs of students is not who educational leaders should be. They should actively advocate for and support all students.
00:32:15 - Ending on a Powerful Note
Tricia thanks Dr. Craft for sharing her expertise and passion. The conversation serves as a reminder that it is ultimately about the kids and their well-being. Dr. Kraft's insights provide inspiration for educational leaders to prioritize the needs of students.