Show Notes:

In episode 67, I interviewed Jorge Valenzuela (@JorgeDoesPBL), author of multiple books including the recent ISTE publication, “Rev Up Robotics”, a consultant with Lifelong Learning Defined, LLC, and a member of the Teach Better Speakers Network. We discussed how to “rev up” instruction including backward design, project-based learning, and STEM instruction.

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About Jorge Valenzuela

Jorge Valenzuela has years of experience in education as a classroom and online teacher, a curriculum specialist, and now an educational coach and consultant. Currently, Jorge is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University, and the lead coach at Lifelong Learning Defined (LLD). Through LLD — he provides engaging professional development (PD) and coaches assistant superintendents, directors, principals, and teachers. Additionally, he provides PD on behalf of the Teach Better Team and PBLWorks.

Through modeling direct instruction in tandem with evidence-based strategies and educational protocols, Jorge provides sessions for educators that are inspirational, actionable, and fun. These sessions aim to redesign entire schools and classrooms by empowering educators to understand and implement federal policy, the needs of the workforce, and sound teaching practice through project-based learning, computational thinking and computer science integration, STEM education, and equity-based restorative practices.

Jorge is also both a published researcher and author and an avid blogger with his work featured by USA Today, Mediaplanet USA, Edutopia, ISTE, eSchool News, Tech and Learning, PBLWorks, and on Medium. He is also an advocate for educational technology and effective teacher preparation and is a recipient of both ISTE’s Computer Science Excellence Award and STEM Excellence Award. He has also earned the Lynn Barrier Engineering Leadership Award for his contributions to STEM education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and was recently appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Virginia STEM Education Commission.