November 27, 2025 • 48 mins
Inside the UK’s Big Adobe Express Movement ft. Sean McLaughlin | My EdTech Life 345
In this conversation, I sit down with Sean McLaughlin, Adobe for Education’s UK Community & Partnerships Lead, to explore how Adobe Express, guided creativity, and purposeful AI are reshaping teaching and learning across the UK.
From live lessons with Dom & Merit, to outreach programs with Manchester United Football Club, to powerful creative workflows that build student confidence, Sean shares what’s possible when teachers have the right tools — and the right community.
If you’ve ever wondered how Adobe Express works in real classrooms, why UK educators are embracing scaffolded creative tools, or how community-driven EdTech grows globally, this episode brings you front-row insight.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
02:57 Adobe Express and Its Impact on Education
05:51 Community Building and Engagement in EdTech
08:55 Guided Learning Activities and Student Engagement
11:50 Overcoming Misconceptions About Adobe Express
15:06 The Role of Community in Educator Empowerment
17:51 Live Lessons and Real-World Applications
27:29 Meeting Teachers Where They Are
29:58 12 Days of Creativity
32:50 Amplifying Creativity in Education
36:47 Creating Yee-Haw Moments
40:34 Connecting with the Community
Sean's Shared Links:
Adobe Express UK Education Links
12 days of creativity | Adobe for Education
Europe ACE Community
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Thank you, EduAide, Yellowdig, and Peel Back Education for supporting these conversations.
Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (00:11):
Hello, everybody, and welcome to
another great episode of My EdTech Life.
Thank you so much for joiningus on this wonderful day.
And wherever it is that you'rejoining us from around the
world, thank you as always forall of your support.
We appreciate all the likes,the shares, the follows.
Thank you so much for engagingand sharing our content and for
the amazing feedback.
(00:31):
We really appreciate it.
As you know, we do what we dofor you, but we wouldn't be able
to do this if it weren't forour amazing sponsors.
So I definitely want to givethem a big shout out.
So want to give a big shout outto Book Creator, Eduate, Yellow
Dig, and Peelback Education.
Thank you so much for believingin our mission to bring these
(00:52):
amazing conversations into ourspace so we can continue to grow
together professionally andpersonally as educators.
And today I am really excitedbecause I have a distant friend
that is joining us today.
And by distant, we mean oh,just a little hop and a skip
over a little pond.
(01:13):
But I would love to welcome tothe show Sean McLaughlin.
Sean, how are you doing today?
Sean McLauglin (01:20):
Yeah, hi, how uh Fonz and well, yeah, I'm across
the pond.
Have you ever had anyone onfrom the UK?
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (01:27):
Yeah, I've had actually, I think I've had
uh a couple of people.
I'm sure you're familiar withAvid.
I'm sure maybe uh Darren alsoand Darren and Ben, they've been
on the show too as well.
Yeah, and John and uh John Nealalso, he's been on the show.
So yeah.
Oh, yes.
Sean McLauglin (01:46):
Some awesome ed tank people there, yeah, and
some real real leaders.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (01:50):
Hey, but today I get the honor and
privilege of finally connectingwith you.
I mean, I know you and I uh onLinkedIn have followed each
other for a very, very longtime.
And I know that our at leastour podcasting paths have not
crossed, but thank you so muchfor reaching out, and I'm
excited that we can make thisconversation and schedule it,
you know.
And so I'm excited to dive inand talk about all the great
(02:14):
work that you are doing in theUK and all the great work that
you're doing with the Adobe forEducation team as well.
So let's go ahead and dive in.
But Sean, before we get intothat, for our audience members
that are hearing this episodeand have not connected with you
yet or are not familiar withyour work just yet, can you give
(02:35):
us a little introduction andwhat your context is within the
education space?
Sean McLauglin (02:39):
Yeah, so I'm currently at Adobe for Express
education in the UK, and I'mleading on the UK community and
partnerships.
So, and yes, I'm I'm out thereconnecting with schools,
creating content to engage theirlearners, but also yeah, trying
to draw in aligned brandpartners.
(03:00):
You you align with the greatwork we're already doing.
Uh, and yeah, so yeah, I'm I'mI'm here, I'm here for it, and
and I'm absolutely loving it.
Excellent.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (03:10):
Well, I'm excited about that.
And so let's talk about alittle bit about this.
You know, now I know here uhyou know, a lot of educators, we
are huge fans of course AdobeExpress and uh anything that is
Adobe for education.
And so I want to ask you, youknow, how recent has the you
know your work there in the UK,is this something that just came
(03:30):
up recently?
Is this something that you knowhas been going on for a while
and now you know we've got ateam and now you're ready to hit
the ground and you're go youknow visiting schools and
bringing that creativity to theclassroom?
Sean McLauglin (03:43):
No, to be honest, I mean I've only been in
this role since September.
I've been studying um studyinga degree in education actually,
and and yeah, I wanted to giveyou a big shout out for your
recent studies and yourdoctorate, you you achieved
amazing, and you've been such aninspiration, and yeah, and all
the different tools you wereusing as well.
(04:04):
But yeah, no, I I connectedwith Adobe back in the Spark
days, and that's probably whereI see you and Claudio and other
folk like that, and um, and alsothe globe, sort of the global
team, really, and and a lot ofthe global team from say
Flipgrid and other places, andand and yeah, we've got some
great people now in the globalteam, like Anne and then Joey,
(04:26):
haven't we?
And yeah, so in the UK, it'sjust been ticking along, really.
We're huge in some of our othernations, so Wales, Ireland, and
Scotland.
So people like Meredith, youknow, Meredith in Wales and um
Dom Trainer, he's kind of like amean.
So yeah, we've just been kindof like ticking over, really.
(04:46):
And just recently, um, yeah,Jen reached out to a few of us
in in the UK, a few of us wholead in the ed tech space, and
we've just gone, Adobe is anamazing tool.
Adobe Express is an amazingtool, it's scaffolded, it guides
learners, it brings creativityin your classroom.
The community is just anawe-inspiring space.
(05:10):
Everyone's a leader, you know,it doesn't matter who you are,
you're a leader, and yeah, sowe've just gone wild.
And and Jen, Jennifer King, ourlead the other day, said one of
the feedbacks she got at aconference the other day was,
your team, you're everywhere.
What's what's going on?
And and that was our goal.
Um, yeah, to put us family backon the map.
(05:31):
And I've done that really inpart with the help of the global
team, because I was thinkingback to the days of when you
know we were on flip, flipcalls, and you know, this
screenshot with all the faces,and I thought that you know, in
those days, people showed up,you know, they showed up and
they were part of, and and yeah,I've really tried to replicate
that in in in a bit in here inthe UK, and it seems to be seems
(05:56):
to be working.
So the goal is parachute, allthat positivity on the UK, and
it and it's yeah, it's fixing.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (06:03):
That's great, and you know, that's so
great to hear because you know,it I think that uh Adobe and
what they have created withAdobe Express, and as far back
as I knew when it was likeSpark, and then just kind of
like building up and building upthis great platform, has done
(06:23):
such an amazing job at reallyputting together something that
is can really be your one-stopshop creative tool for the
classroom, for students, forteachers.
And I mean, you can really finda little bit of everything in
there that can be done.
And that I think is somethingthat is very important.
(06:45):
And I'm sure that now in theUK, obviously the work that
you're doing along with yourteam and like you said, really
being everywhere, I think, andbringing that awareness, I think
that that is huge becauseoftentimes it's you don't know
what you don't know, and thenuntil somebody puts it in front
of you, and then you see, like,oh my gosh, is it really that
(07:06):
easy?
And I have always been of themindset that it when I go and
train educators, I want them tobe, you know, I say, like, I
want you to express your owncreativity.
Like, I want you to be thestudent and go through this and
enjoy it and you know, takeownership of this first because
(07:27):
the way that you feel when youare creating something, we want
the students to feel that wayand that impact of being able to
bring something from nothing orat least from a thought and
bring it on onto a digital uhcanvas that can be edited in
many ways.
And I think for educators, Ithink that's something that is
(07:48):
huge.
So tell me a little bit more.
Like, I know you're located,you said in the south of the UK.
So I want to know, like, rightnow, where is it that you are
currently doing the work andthat you're expanding and you
know, making sure that AdobeExpress is something that it
people are being aware or madeaware of?
Sean McLauglin (08:37):
Yeah, so we've really uh grown the I mean, just
we just got in the UK now 26ACE innovators, so yeah, all
yeah, nearly signed up, andwe've got um photon case studies
in schools, and yeah, we'rewe're presenting those case
studies.
We're started to show up atevents like we're at the Schools
(08:58):
and Academy show the other day.
Uh Shelley McConville was atover actually.
It was really awesome toconnect with her and and do some
exciting stuff at the show.
Um, where else am I showing up?
Um, we did an amazing event theother week at um Manchester
United Football Club for theiroutreach team.
And all football clubs in theUK have like an outreach team
(09:20):
and they go into schools underprivileged schools.
So we took like 300 year six,and I'm not sure what that's
saying in the UK, year six toseven, digital school leader get
females, gals through this uhthrough the guided activity of
design your own um what is itdesign your own um like trainer?
(09:40):
So yeah, and so yeah, weactually were doing tables of
six at a time, and and even in acrowded room, that the fact
that that was so scaffolded andguided, we were just taking them
all through it, and and thenyeah, that that was incredible.
And then I'm trying to bring insay partnerships.
So I'm trying to work with uhthe BBC, I've been connecting
(10:01):
with them because they they hostum live lessons.
I've been connecting with Tess.
Some of the folk in the UKmight have heard text, it was
times higher education, and thenit became Tess, and it was huge
in the UK, and then also tryingto bring in just all different
voices, like I'm working with UKMotorsport, and they have a
diversity program in STEM, andthey're trying to get more women
(10:25):
and divide divide diversevoices into UK Motorsport and
Premier League.
Yeah, it's huge, it's just somany exciting things going on,
and yeah, and even more insightexciting is there's a real
connectivity with the globalteam around this as well, really
sort of chatting within sort ofinternal channels about what's
(10:45):
working, and and a lot of ourteam are going over to San Jose
in a few weeks.
I was due, but they've slimmedslimmed the team down.
Wow, yeah.
Yeah, so it's just incredible,really exciting time to be part
of.
And I think tracking back onwhat you were saying around
getting out of there and and andevangelism, I mean, that's a
(11:06):
fab thing.
I I love ed tech, but whensomeone said to me, I think it
was Alyssa from Book Creator,yeah, Our Friend Forbes, and she
goes, You've got a free toolfor you can evangelize, and and
that is great, isn't it?
Adobe Express is free foreducation, so I can just shout
out about how good it is.
And then another thing is it'sjust with all the AI and the AI,
(11:29):
I feel like it's a bit of abubble.
And it's like, what's thepurpose?
You know, what's the meaningbehind all this?
And so yeah, I really see thatwithin those guided activities
and the and the anime character,you know, AI with purpose,
using it for purpose to givestudents voice and choice.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (11:46):
So you know, one of the things that you
hit on right there is I Iabsolutely love what you said
there, at least using the newesttechnology that is out there,
obviously talking aboutgenerative AI, but using it
thoughtfully and using it in away that is very useful uh and
purposeful, I think that that issomething that is great because
oftentimes that we know thatthere are so many platforms that
(12:11):
are out there that areoffering, you know, at least
some sort of either a bot oroffering some sort of um just a
generative process.
But sometimes it just kind offeels a little disconnected from
what it is that you're doing atthat given time.
But I think with building withpurpose is something that is
great, and that's something thatfor sure I have seen Adobe do
(12:33):
through Adobe Express.
Now, I just wanted to kind ofgo back a little bit when you
went uh through the outreachteam and you were doing that
activity, and you mentionedsomething that I really like,
you know, even with through thelearning activity that the
guided learning, it is stillscaffolded.
So I want to ask you, you know,for those teachers that are
listening and teachers that arelistening in the UK, you know,
(12:56):
and you gave that example, canyou go a little bit more in
detail as far as the learningactivity, maybe what you saw as
far as I because I can imaginegoing in there and you have
people at all different levels,at least either with technology
or even just with design, but tobe able to do something like
this and then come up with aproduct, how exciting was that?
(13:18):
And then just to be able to seekind of like those light bulb
moments.
So tell me a little bit abouthow that was.
Sean McLauglin (13:25):
Yeah, and and and and actually, it was just so
easy.
So, you know, like with ed techand even sort of with the the
AI, I mean, like there's allthese great tools, but in my
experience as a coach, as atrainer, just getting teachers
to use all of ed tech alone,sort of stuff, you know, is it's
a it's a challenge and and itdefinitely takes coaching.
But so yeah, all these years,you know, these school girls got
(13:48):
down and just quite simplyopened up Adobe Express, and on
the side of the guiding activityis some video instructions with
some words as well.
And then, you know, it oncethey got warmed up, some of them
were just flying, you know,creating things, really going
with the ideas.
Some of them just needed somehints from their they had their
their football coaches with themand myself, and just giving
(14:11):
them a bit of encouragement, andthen and then they were just
going through it.
And some of them were you know,just creating things, just
going elsewhere and starting touse the gen AI and and different
things.
So yeah, so it was just amazingto see and and yeah, really
enforced how just simple, youknow, as a teacher, if you you
(14:32):
know, if you want to use some edtech and you you want just your
student, just give it to yourstudents, and and and so this
sort of ties into thescaffolding and and child play.
Because I used to be a forestschool teacher, and so we used
to just say, give the studentsum, you know, knives to whi
whittle away at a piece of wood.
(14:52):
You know, that's pretty, youknow, pretty uh could be a
tricky sort of thing to do, butwe used to scaffold them, say,
right, you know, make sure youdo it away from your body.
And I already see that withinthe you know that that guided
activity.
It's just got a few that theprompts that's already there,
they just adjust it a littlebit, watch the videos, and you
know, they've really got thatscaffold, but then their
(15:15):
creativity can shine, theirimagination can can shine.
And yeah, it's really wonderfulto see, actually.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (15:21):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, I think that
that's also uh just a greattool, even just for the teacher
themselves, Sean.
And I don't know, you wouldagree.
I mean, you being in theclassroom and and working with
teachers alongside them, I thinkoftentimes they just feel very
overwhelmed, obviously, with theamount of platforms that are
out there that maybe they theyare already using because some
(15:42):
of them may be using uscontent-specific platforms for
math, for their reading, for youknow, science, social studies.
And then sometimes they mayfeel like, oh great.
Another thing, but I think thatone of the things that I know I
loved is you know, when we hadour uh ace, um our ACE
(16:03):
conference here in our district.
We actually we we uh had somepeople come in from our
district, and then Adobesponsored the event, and it was
just fantastic.
Was the fact that teachers wereable to use those guided
activities also as well to learnthe process.
And I think that's somethingthat's fantastic that I think is
maybe sometimes overlooked andmaybe underutilized, but that is
(16:27):
such a great tool for a teacheror somebody that might not feel
comfortable to look at, and thevideos aren't that long.
And so what I like is thatafter you're done looking at
that and watching it and thencreating your own thing, you
build that confidence, and nowyou're able to present it to the
students confidently becauseyou've already gone through it.
(16:48):
And it kind of reminds me ofwhen I was in the classroom, and
obviously we didn't have anawesome platform like that.
But you know, the the my firstclass of the morning, we would
kind of go through our lesson,and then my students would say,
Oh, check this out.
Look at what I found here, Mr.
Mendoza.
And then in my second class,I'd say, Well, okay, guys, let
me show you a little somethinghere.
And then by the end of the day,I felt like the expert, but it
(17:10):
was because I learned all frommy students.
(17:57):
So, you know, but it built upthat confidence not only in
myself, but also in sharing thetools with the students.
And I think that's somethingthat is great, that you can go
in there, not maybe not saying,Hey, I'm not a digital designer.
I am no way, shape or form,have any kind of graphics uh
design uh, you know, studies atall, but you can go in there and
(18:18):
in a matter of minutes you cancreate something.
And I think that that'ssomething that is huge,
especially being able toimplement that into the
curriculum.
Sean McLauglin (18:27):
Yeah, 100%.
I mean, the the platform'scurrently set up like that,
isn't it?
I mean, you you've got itslightly different in in the US.
You've got create, teach, edit.
I think we're just create andedit at the moment, but both of
those are just little tiles, noexperience needed, just click on
create or click on, you know,edit, and without any design
(18:48):
skills or experience, you canjust go get going.
And yeah, I that you're talkingabout the learn tab and or even
the learned and the guidingactivity.
Yeah, 100%.
If I've ever got a demo fordemo, we have some in there
practice, you know, having acouple of days of the guided
activities, and also I canremember with my onboarding, I
went through the learn tab tobecome an ace leader, and yeah,
(19:09):
it was literally just one videowith one of the parable
managers, and and you the nextthing you know, I'm in the Doby
Ace Leader community.
Now, in the UK, and me andNicole, my colleague, have been
talking about sort of the wordlead, they're like, Am I a
leader?
But yeah, we just want peopleto sort of say, Yeah, you are,
you're you've you're gettinginvolved, you it doesn't there's
no prerequisites, you're aleader, you're you're creating
(19:32):
in your classrooms, and yeah,once you sort of then get into
that community, you startlearning and sharing and and
growing really.
So, yeah.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (19:42):
So let's talk a little bit about that
because I think that that is ahuge component too, as well,
which is community, andcommunity by far, you know, is a
great way for educators as wellto not only feel like they're
part of something, but also thatthey feel heard, they are
around like-minded individuals.
And I think that Adobe has oneof the best learning communities
(20:04):
that is out there, too, aswell.
And and again, I I may soundbiased, but it is my experience.
This is me just telling you andbeing honest that this has
probably been one of the bestcommunities that I have been
able to be a part of because,like Sean mentioned, you really
do feel like a leader.
Yes, there, I mean, everybodyfeels like a leader.
(20:27):
There, nobody feels like, ohman, I can't do that, or I can't
do that.
Honestly, like everybody feelslike you're empowered that you
can do it, and everybody comesat it through a different lens.
And I think one of the thingsthat Adobe has done very well is
obviously to listen to theeducators, especially the
innovators that are out theresharing, you know, the teachers
(20:49):
that are out there in theclassrooms and being able to
take that feedback and be ableto see how this product has
changed and it will continue tochange to adapt to the needs.
But let's talk about that asfar as community, because I know
that this is something throughyou, through partnerships that
you're building, but you know,this is something that is
growing also in the UK.
So, what are some of thethings?
(21:11):
Uh, you know, you know, I knowyou mentioned some of the
events, but what other thingsmight you all be doing to
continue to grow the communitythere in the UK?
Sean McLauglin (21:19):
Yeah, so I mean, firstly, like Fonz.
I know you're you're a big fanof the community, and I've
staying you on the socials anddifferent things, and yeah, and
um and and also folks, funds isis been in the the ed techs all
the circles.
So yeah, hearing you sort ofreflect on how you honestly feel
about sort of that the Adobecommunity is is is wonderful to
(21:41):
hear.
And yeah, I definitely feel thesame.
And yeah, we're kind of we wantto kind of replicate a bit what
some of the US so in the UScurrently it seems like they go
out a lot to events, host eventsfor US teachers.
Now, in in the UK, teachers arestill happy to show up just
virtually, you know, at the endof the school day, kids running
around, just sort of yeah, getinvolved.
(22:02):
But we always know, you know,shout them up, shout them out,
pray praise them, lift them up,encourage them, mentor them
even, you know, on the sidewe're mentoring people, just
building them up.
And and that kind of comes fromsay some of our experiences of
being in the ed tech world andjust you know being really drawn
by say companies say, but yeah,we we're now on the other side,
(22:23):
and we're like, yeah, we wantto mentor and help people and
support them.
And then, yeah, we're alsoplanning some in-person events.
So I know Don and my colleagueRuth were up in in Edinburgh,
and they put on a huge event theother day, and they had all the
teachers in and just givingthem loads of food and getting
and and swag and just yeah,hearing from them and learning
(22:45):
from them.
And the same, we had an eventpartner with Apple the other day
at Battersea, where Apple'sheadquarter headquarters.
So, yeah, just we're just doingall the things and and trying
to yeah, really just build oncommunity, and and then we're
also thinking of having some inperson in Adobe uh uh Old
Street, London.
(23:06):
Now that is an awesome office.
We did our Q4 on site, it wasmy first time there, and yeah,
it was a really, really such anencouraging place to be.
So, yeah, we've got all theplans, but it's all around
community, uh community first.
I think when I signed up forthis, one of the things I was
discussing with um the team, youknow, that I would definitely
(23:30):
I'm I'm not the hero of thestory, that the you know, the
people I'm gonna be supportingare the heroes, and yeah, I
really want to shout them outand praise them.
So yeah, that's kind of howwe're rolling.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (23:40):
Oh, I love it.
I love it, and that's greatthat just to be out there.
Now, I want to ask you, becauseI know you said, you know, this
is kind of something that isgaining traction and gaining,
you know, a lot of steam witheducators out there.
Uh just out of curiosity, whatwhat has been maybe I guess the
either a misconception or amisunderstanding that has been
(24:01):
overcome once we've been able toput in or put Adobe Express in
front of them, you know, didthey have just just, I don't
know, uh maybe what was theirthoughts about Adobe prior?
I know when I first would hearAdobe, I would always just
focus.
Well, that's Photoshop, andthat's that's really, you know,
uh that's very difficult to do.
(24:23):
So maybe I'm just thinking assomebody that maybe is using it
for the first time and maybe alittle hesitant, well, is that
something that you know was wasovercome, you know, once you put
Adobe Express in front of themand they saw how easy it was?
Sean McLauglin (24:39):
Yeah, well, basically, I don't think so.
Currently, we have got millionsof accounts being created in
Adobe Express, and I thinkprobably Adobe Spark, and um,
yes, and so in England itself.
So my role's been sort of like,yes, saying, Look, you've
already you've already kind ofsigned up, and I think the sign
(25:01):
up at the time was sort of topdown, so you needed the IT guy
to do it probably duringlockdown.
He was really like, you know,and I said, Yeah, so it's top
down and he spread it all out.
And then what happened in myexperience in in schools was
once once no one needed to usethese tools anymore back in
school, they're like, Oh, what'sthe Dave Express or what you
(25:23):
know, whatever tool?
And so, yeah, my experience hasbeen, yeah, people are like,
Oh, yeah, Dave Express, and Ihad some meetings with partners
who were down, they were like,Oh, Dave Express, I know Adobe,
but yeah, so it's been a sort ofuh just raising awareness
again, really, of yeah, theAdobe Express and all that that
it can be done, and and just andme and my colleague Kevin,
(25:44):
who's sort of the the other halfof me, he concentrates on sort
of the technical side, which isstill technical, getting the
schools on boarded, the wholeschool all safely.
Um and um, yes, and we're we'retalking about doing something
called the art of possible, soto really sort of directing
teachers what's impossible inAdobe Express, and also we want,
(26:08):
and this is more Kevin andshe's channeled to Kevin, he was
saying, I want students to say,sir, or myth, you know, we want
to use Adobe Express because weuse it to do this, we use it to
create this, and yeah, so thatthat's kind of where where we're
heading, and um yeah, let mejust pause a second because I
had a thought on well thought onthat on the art across and the
(26:31):
the top-down.
Um yeah, and also a really fabthing the other day.
Now, have you come across thelive lessons with Don and
Meredith?
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (26:40):
Oh my gosh, you know, the live lessons are
fantastic.
That's something like that Ilook forward to when I can get
to them because they they do afantastic job during doing
those.
Sean McLauglin (26:51):
Yeah, and I I was actually in a class when a
live lesson happened.
So me, Jennifer King, is ourlead, um, a couple of really the
big sort of VIPs from the theUS were over, Therese and um I
want to say Katie were over, andwe were in this class, and it
(27:11):
I've got to admit it was apretty privileged school.
It was called St.
Pirons, it's a really niceschool, but very privileged.
We all had one-to-one devices,they all have like a MacBook
studio.
But we're in this um livelesson, and and Dom and Meredith
had come on, and and it wasamazing to watch the these
years, you know, six digitalleaders, all gals, just sort of
(27:33):
getting involved with thislesson.
It was a it was to do with GuyForks, and they're finding the
way, and then I thought what wasgreat was Dom kind of done his
bit on the um the the browser,and then it just then gave him
time while Meredith done the thepart on the Apple or the um
yeah, the iPad device, and justwatched them catch up, but then
(27:54):
yeah, same as before.
You got them some of themdeviating a bit, and instead of
just using a uh backgroundimage, they're using the AI to
create one.
Yeah, it was really fabulous.
And then the the hot totalhighlight was um Jet and he's
got on YouTube and said to Domand Merri to give St.
(28:15):
Pyrons out and it did, it cameup on the screen, you know,
shout out to St.
Pyrons.
It was really wonderful, and soyeah, we've got some really
purposeful.
I mean, if you're a teacher andand live lessons as they'll be
like, you know, you haven't gota plan, or you just get you
know, go to a live lesson, it'sso exciting.
(28:35):
You know, the kids really gonnaengage the kids, and then also
within that, they've alsocreated um a few ebooks, and
they they are they arenation-focused.
We've got an Scotland one, anIreland one, a an England one,
and 45 lessons.
You know, so I think thoseparts for me have been
absolutely awesome.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (28:56):
Yeah, and you know, I think that that is
something that going back tothat community, and but it's
just the the thoughtfulness ofreally thinking, you know what,
if teachers cannot be where I'mat, let me go and meet teachers
where they are.
And I think that the livelessons are fantastic.
(29:16):
And like you said, listen, likethis is something that maybe
you might make a little bit oftime during your day, you know,
because it would be worth it.
To me, it's more, and I want tolet teachers know, again, this
is just from from myobservation, my own experience,
investing that bit of time in alive lesson can definitely save
(29:37):
you a lot more time throughoutthe year, throughout your
semester, throughout yourquarter, because what the
students will learn during thattime, hands-on, can easily,
easily be implemented within notonly your subject matter, but
other subjects as well.
So it's definitely somethingthat is worth signing up for,
(29:57):
getting your students right infront of a wonderful expert, you
know, and the Adobe team isfantastic.
And not only will they learn,but I promise you, you as a
teacher are gonna get thosenuggets that you can sprinkle
onto what you are already doing.
Great.
So Sean is definitely spot onuh as far as the life lessons
are concerned, because they willdefinitely be a game changer.
(30:20):
But again, I would suggest,like Sean said, if you don't
have a plan for that day, or atleast plan for that little time,
I promise you it's worth theinvestment or the return on
instruction is definitely goingto be high for sure.
Sean McLauglin (30:34):
Yeah, and do please I reiterate that, do
reach out to me because I waseven in a the School of Academy
show the other day, and andthere's a math teacher, an
English teacher, and they weresaying how you know they use a
debut across curriculums.
So yeah, please do reach outfor me.
And I'm I'm sure I actuallymight share some case studies
with you, uh funds to share withthe yeah, share with the
(30:57):
participants.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (30:58):
Yeah, that'd be fantastic.
Anything that you can share,we'll definitely link it in the
show notes, Sean, with your infoand everything.
That way, if any of our awesomeUK listeners, and we do get a
lot of UK listeners that arelistening to the pod and want to
connect with you, they candefinitely do so and connect.
So, Sean, as as We we go onhere through our conversation.
I want to ask you, you know, Iknow that uh obviously, you
(31:20):
know, we've got our our winterbreak that is coming, we've got
some winter activities.
Anything that you can sharethat Adobe is doing as far as
you know, maybe uh like uh 12days of Christmas or little
events or any creativity thingthat's happening there in the
UK.
Anything that y'all gotplanned?
Sean McLauglin (31:37):
Oh Hung Sam, well, can I just say it's really
dark here?
It's like is we're from only 330 p.m.
in the UK, but it's just reallydark cold, and yeah.
So we're starting the 12 daysof creativity, and I had a
really fun and also with ourpartners, medical school, and I
had really fun uh medical AI,sorry, really fun last night
(31:58):
with Ember, Ember Trout fromtheir community team, and we're
we're doing a sort of a fewdifferent demos, and um, yeah,
and and my bandwidth was dying,you know, each round the demo.
And I've clicked on the thesnowman image in someone's dock,
and it opened up the uglysweater if it's a dog, and I was
(32:20):
like, right, I was planning todo a talking snowman, I'm just
gonna have to go with thetalking dog now.
And boy, did it come out likean ugly sweater, you know.
And I just used the animecharacter, I used the right
within, I generated the image,and right within the image I
just clicked audio, and then youcan clicked anime character,
and I just put some uhtransparent background on and
(32:42):
some lips on it, and uh yeah,and it had a talking dog, but
yes, so then no, it's official.
The 12 days of creativity waslaunched on the 24th of
November, so it's alreadystarted.
But obviously, I know overthere in the US a lot of you on
Thanksgiving this week.
Um fall on Thursday, yeah.
Um, so yeah, I did a reallythoughtful post and I tried to
(33:05):
sort of thank some folk in itbecause I may be um
Thanksgiving, but I also wantedto try and sort of make it more
inclusive and just say, youknow, whatever you're doing, you
know, ha happy Christmas.
I hope you have a great newyear, really.
And yeah, so that's been reallyexciting and my first time
actually doing it.
And I did hear last year, itwas you know, it's just really,
(33:26):
really successful and reallyfun, and and yeah, and tons of
people got involved.
And within there, and this Iknow me and you have been around
in the ed tech scene for awhile, Fons.
And do you remember the oneword with all the and yeah, we
used to create the one word?
Well, did we used to was it inwithin a day but you created it,
(33:47):
and then you stuck it.
I'm way clear, I can't quiteremember, but just remember that
one word or flip even.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (33:53):
Yeah, and yeah, yeah, I I would I would
like I would always use do myone word back in the day, like
it was like Spark, and then ofcourse, once uh you know uh
Adobe Express came out, I wouldjust do my one word there, and
then obviously we would uploadit.
I know many people had variousplatforms that you can upload,
and I think that that'ssomething that is great too.
That you know, as far as goingback to community, just just
(34:14):
amplifying creativity andfinding tools where even us as
adults can create.
And like I said, going back tolike that that inner child, I
guess, where maybe I I was nevergood at drawing, but Adobe
Express gives me an opportunityto at least bring my creation to
life.
And and yes, maybe I didn'thand draw it, but it was it's
(34:37):
something that came from mythought process, and I think
that that's one thing that Ilove.
But anyway, going back to theone word and doing those things,
um, I think that that'ssomething that's huge, you know,
with community that people willalways participate.
And I love that uh the teamalso will always showcase and
(34:57):
share and retweet and reshareand everything, and they're just
so full of gratitude becausethey are really teacher focused,
and I think that's somethingthat is fantastic that I love,
and you know, just connectingwith other like-minded educators
to be able to do those things,so it's I love it, it's
wonderful.
Sean McLauglin (35:15):
Yeah, a hundred percent, and and yeah,
definitely global.
I mean, I can think of someamazing people over there,
Tania, Tanya Gonzalez andClaudia, and some just really
incredible Nikki, Nikki, ohNikki.
Oh, I can't believe I can'tremember the second name now.
You've you've definitelyinterviewed Nikki over there in
(35:39):
the US, but yeah, that oh.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (35:43):
I can't yeah, I'm trying to think,
Nikki.
I I know it sounds familiar,and I was like, it's on the tip
of my tongue, but I can'tremember the last name.
Sean McLauglin (35:50):
But yeah, it's a writ and Mel, you know, Mel
over in um Oh, yes, Mel.
Yeah, she's incredible.
Yeah, I connected with heragain, and she's like, When are
you coming to Africa?
Yeah, so yeah.
We've sort of got a leader inEurope now, and so yeah, who
knows where that goes.
(36:11):
Yeah, we're hoping a bit bitmore, bring draw people in, but
yeah, tons of things going on,yeah, and tons of ways to get
involved, and I think for me,again, just getting back with
those partners.
So I did a a Wake Clear webinarand that shared community.
It was fab.
I'd put on my old Wake Lear uhum ambassador t-shirt, my ace
(36:34):
badge, and just you know,sharing my tool within their
tool was just so excited.
And I've also done with BookBook Creator, that was really
fun with bought Faber Forbes andand and we were creating live,
you know, live on the on the flyin the show, creating a book
based on um Alyssa coming to theUK.
(36:55):
She had like a retreat at BookCreate Book Creator here in
Bristol.
And I met uh her and hercolleague Johnny at the National
Portrait Gallery in in Londonin Trafalgar Square.
And we were going, what are wegonna do for this webinar?
And I started telling themabout this book, uh Katie Goes
to London, and by James Mayhew,and uh James Mayhew, I think,
(37:19):
don't quite too much.
And um, yeah, the lions inTrafalgar Square.
Can you picture those?
The lions in Trafog Square, thehuge lion statues.
Yes, and yeah, one of thestories is she just jumps on
this lion and they they go on anadventure.
So you're like, right, that'sit.
We just went on a liveadventure in Book Creator and a
baby just during the session,and look course, those two are
(37:42):
so exciting, you know.
They're real globalcollaborators, they're real, got
a half students.
I mean, that that Yeeha withAlyssa or his friends is, you
know, and there's so many of usout there, isn't there, that you
know, have this heart for justwanting to not only encourage
teachers but also give to them,and Alyssa always says this, and
(38:04):
I'm gonna quote her a bit.
She always says, I love it,Sean, because you'll you'll sort
of enable teachers to givestudents a yeah, but I think,
yeah, I think that's my mission,yeah.
Because it used to be just toget teachers to use tech, but
actually in my experience, thatyou know, that can be difficult
at times.
But if I could just have uh theodd breakthrough that then will
(38:26):
give the students a yeah, I'mnot even sort of those creative
moments, there's moments wheretheir imagination shines, where
they share their voice.
Yeah, that's I'm all I'm herefor that, that's for sure.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (38:37):
I love it, I love it.
But you know what, Sean?
Also, you're not just creatingYeeha moments for educators, but
I mean, through your work andpartnerships, I mean, take for
example, the team, you know,sitting there and they're
building their trainers orcreating their trainers, those
are Yiha moments there too, aswell.
And so not only are you able towork, you know, with teachers
(38:57):
and students within theclassrooms doing that, but also
outside the classrooms and stillamplifying creativity.
So that is something that Ilove that you get to do.
You're you're in both worldsand you're just creating amazing
moments and amplifying, youknow, people's creativity in
every way, shape, or form.
(39:17):
So that's fantastic, Sean.
So thank you for for the workthat you're doing, my friend.
I really appreciate it.
And uh, you know, again, beingable to grow the team and being
here on the show too as well,and finally connecting and
having a great conversation andjust hearing the excitement in
your voice and and hearing allabout the great and wonderful
things that you're doing in theUK is something fantastic.
(39:39):
So for our UK audience that'slistening, please make sure you
connect with Sean because highenergy, he will make sure and
connect with you, he will makesure that you get to use Adobe
Express and that you cancontinue to have those farmer
fob yeehaw moments for sure.
Sean McLauglin (39:57):
Yeah, hashtag family with always, yeah.
Perfect.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (40:01):
Now, Sean, how might our listeners, and I
know we're gonna link that inthe show notes, but what would
be the easiest way for ourlisteners that are in your area
to be able to connect with youand maybe, you know, just yeah,
uh say, like, hey, maybe wemight be interested in in an
event or you know, or or wheremight there be some events that
maybe they might be able toattend?
(40:23):
So uh how would they be able toconnect with you?
Sean McLauglin (40:26):
Yeah, we have a UK Express link, so it's got all
the things on there, the livelessons, the how to become an
ace leader, um how as ourresources, the ebooks, the U
cable.
So but definitely sharing that.
Um personally, I think thequickest place to connect with
me would be on LinkedIn.
(40:47):
I'm I'm pretty active on there,and yeah, just connect with me
and message me out.
And I'm and one of my strengthsis just sort of connecting and
getting really back quickly withpeople.
So yeah, that that you'll findme easily there.
And yeah, but I'd definitely besharing all the resources.
And yeah, we'd love you to ifyou know if you if you want to
(41:08):
get to know at every space orparticularly if you're using,
we'd just love to get you in tothe community and and see what
you're doing and and help yougrow and help others grow.
Yeah, we'd love that.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (41:20):
Excellent.
Well, Sean, we will definitelymake sure to link all that info.
So please make sure you send meany links and uh you know at
all that we can share, and thenthat way our wonderful UK
community can connect with youand get those resources too as
well.
But thank you so much, Sean,for being here with me today on
this wonderful morning for meand a very dark and cold
(41:43):
afternoon for you in the UK.
But thank you so much for uhjust connecting and again, just
really uh hearing about yourhearing your energy, your
excitement, and all thewonderful things that are
happening.
I wish you and the rest of theteam the best.
And of course, as we go intothe holiday season, in uh, you
know, I wish you a happyholidays, you and your family
(42:06):
and yours.
And thank you all.
And for our listeners here,thank you so much as always.
Oh, oh, but wait, wait, wait, Iforgot.
And Sean, I forgot to send youthose last three questions.
Uh, however, you know, it's alittle speed round question.
So I don't know if you do watchthe show, but here we go.
So I'm gonna put you on thespot here because I forgot to
(42:27):
send those in, but here we go.
So as we know, every superherohas a pain point and a weakness.
So for Superman, thatkryptonite was something that
weakened him and was a painpoint.
So I want to ask you, Sean,maybe in the current state of
education, what would you saywould be your current edu
(42:48):
kryptonite?
Sean McLauglin (42:57):
Education is really a difficult place at the
moment, I think.
And um, and just seeing all youknow the pressures you know
teachers are under in the UK,and and I'd studied out during
my studies, and uh and it'sreally economy driven.
And I think so.
My pain point is there's somany people out there with such
(43:19):
good intentions to you know wantto just shape education for the
bet, for the students to changethe system.
But yeah, I think it's a realkryptonite, you know, it's just
so you know, it's such the norm.
It's just gonna be so hard toeven chip a little bit off it.
So I think it's a it's a areally um uh you know on the on
(43:40):
the huge on the big biggerscale, I think for me, that that
you know, change in educationand and I think so yeah, that
for me.
There you go.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (43:50):
Good answer, good answer.
All right, question number twoif you could have a billboard
with anything on it, what wouldit be and why?
Sean McLauglin (44:00):
Billboard, oh my goodness Well, I'm just gonna
go for I'm the father, and thereason being, only reason being
is because I just thought of myfive six year old, now
six-year-old no girl the otherday, uh, and and I've for
(44:22):
Father's Day she bought me theDarveda t shirt that we've only
just heard of that.
To give my family, and yeah,thanks for sort of wishing us a
happy holidays, but just to givemy wonderful family, my wife
and my daughter a shout out.
I think yeah, I just get when Ihaven't got a t-shirt and I'm
(44:43):
the father, I just yeah, have mykill my family, I'm the father.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (44:49):
I love it, I love it.
Great, great answer.
All right, and the lastquestion is if you could trade
places with one person for aday, who would that be and why?
Sean McLauglin (45:01):
Oh crumbs.
I think I'm gonna say you fons,and I'm gonna say, yeah, like I
I yeah, your I mean yourexperience and all the things
you've seen and and yourknowledge, and yeah, you yeah,
it'd be a bit of a busman'sholiday, I think, because I
think we've got we're kindledspirits, but yeah, you've
(45:23):
definitely all the conversationsyou had, all you know, I know
you base your doctorate on allthe different conversations that
I think you, and I think I'dlike to carry yeah, it'd be a
busman's holiday because we'vegot the same similar spirit, but
yeah, I'll just get to handmore knowledge, say.
There you go.
Well, thank you so much.
Yeah, no, just on that, yeah, Iwanted to mention that, yeah.
(45:46):
And I think because my researchwas qualitative as well when I
was doing research on AI, and Ijust it was just so so helpful
just having these conversationsand learning from others through
conversations.
So, yeah.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (46:00):
Yeah, and and I think that that's
something that's great that Ifeel that you and I have in the
sense that we just lovestorytelling and we just love to
listen to other people.
And I think that's why, youknow, I've done this show for
the longest time because there'sjust something so great to be
able to listen to somebody'sexperience, and and it just went
naturally with my research onthe qualitative study aspect of
(46:22):
it, you know, to be able to dothe dissertation on that.
So yeah, you know, but I thinkthat that's why I think we you
and I get along would get alongso well and we would have
countless hours of conversationthat would be nonstop.
I so hopefully one day, my dearfriend, we get to meet in real
life and we can definitely havethose conversations too, as
well.
And uh that way we can justshare some great stories and
(46:45):
great experiences with oneanother.
So, Sean, thank you so muchagain for being an amazing
guest, uh just an amazingperson.
And you know, again, continuedsuccess on the amazing work that
you're doing in the UK with therest of the team.
I wish you all the best.
And again, to our audiencemembers, thank you as always for
all of your support.
As you know, and if you noticehere, I mean, this is just
(47:07):
genuine conversation that wewould just love to always bring
out week in and week out toevery single one of you so you
can get to know these amazingand wonderful educators that are
out there, that are helping,that want what's best for
teachers, want what's best forstudents, and overall have a
great heart, just like Sean andthe rest of all our episodes
(47:27):
that we've had.
So please make sure you visitour website at myedtech.life
where you can check out thisamazing episode and the other
345 episodes that I promise youyou'll find some little
knowledge nuggets there that youcan take from and sprinkle to
what you are already doinggreat.
And again, all of this wouldn'tbe possible without our
sponsors.
So a big shout out to BookCreator, Edu8, Yellow Dig, and
(47:51):
Peelback Education.
Thank you so much for all ofyour support.
And until next time, myfriends, don't forget, stay
techyle.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to
another great episode of My EdTech Life.
Thank you so much for joiningus on this wonderful day.
And wherever it is that you'rejoining us from around the
world, thank you as always forall of your support.
We appreciate all the likes,the shares, the follows.
Thank you so much for engagingand sharing our content and for
the amazing feedback.
(00:31):
We really appreciate it.
As you know, we do what we dofor you, but we wouldn't be able
to do this if it weren't forour amazing sponsors.
So I definitely want to givethem a big shout out.
So want to give a big shout outto Book Creator, Eduate, Yellow
Dig, and Peelback Education.
Thank you so much for believingin our mission to bring these
(00:52):
amazing conversations into ourspace so we can continue to grow
together professionally andpersonally as educators.
And today I am really excitedbecause I have a distant friend
that is joining us today.
And by distant, we mean oh,just a little hop and a skip
over a little pond.
(01:13):
But I would love to welcome tothe show Sean McLaughlin.
Sean, how are you doing today?
Sean McLauglin (01:20):
Yeah, hi, how uh Fonz and well, yeah, I'm across
the pond.
Have you ever had anyone onfrom the UK?
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (01:27):
Yeah, I've had actually, I think I've had
uh a couple of people.
I'm sure you're familiar withAvid.
I'm sure maybe uh Darren alsoand Darren and Ben, they've been
on the show too as well.
Yeah, and John and uh John Nealalso, he's been on the show.
So yeah.
Oh, yes.
Sean McLauglin (01:46):
Some awesome ed tank people there, yeah, and
some real real leaders.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (01:50):
Hey, but today I get the honor and
privilege of finally connectingwith you.
I mean, I know you and I uh onLinkedIn have followed each
other for a very, very longtime.
And I know that our at leastour podcasting paths have not
crossed, but thank you so muchfor reaching out, and I'm
excited that we can make thisconversation and schedule it,
you know.
And so I'm excited to dive inand talk about all the great
(02:14):
work that you are doing in theUK and all the great work that
you're doing with the Adobe forEducation team as well.
So let's go ahead and dive in.
But Sean, before we get intothat, for our audience members
that are hearing this episodeand have not connected with you
yet or are not familiar withyour work just yet, can you give
(02:35):
us a little introduction andwhat your context is within the
education space?
Sean McLauglin (02:39):
Yeah, so I'm currently at Adobe for Express
education in the UK, and I'mleading on the UK community and
partnerships.
So, and yes, I'm I'm out thereconnecting with schools,
creating content to engage theirlearners, but also yeah, trying
to draw in aligned brandpartners.
(03:00):
You you align with the greatwork we're already doing.
Uh, and yeah, so yeah, I'm I'mI'm here, I'm here for it, and
and I'm absolutely loving it.
Excellent.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (03:10):
Well, I'm excited about that.
And so let's talk about alittle bit about this.
You know, now I know here uhyou know, a lot of educators, we
are huge fans of course AdobeExpress and uh anything that is
Adobe for education.
And so I want to ask you, youknow, how recent has the you
know your work there in the UK,is this something that just came
(03:30):
up recently?
Is this something that you knowhas been going on for a while
and now you know we've got ateam and now you're ready to hit
the ground and you're go youknow visiting schools and
bringing that creativity to theclassroom?
Sean McLauglin (03:43):
No, to be honest, I mean I've only been in
this role since September.
I've been studying um studyinga degree in education actually,
and and yeah, I wanted to giveyou a big shout out for your
recent studies and yourdoctorate, you you achieved
amazing, and you've been such aninspiration, and yeah, and all
the different tools you wereusing as well.
(04:04):
But yeah, no, I I connectedwith Adobe back in the Spark
days, and that's probably whereI see you and Claudio and other
folk like that, and um, and alsothe globe, sort of the global
team, really, and and a lot ofthe global team from say
Flipgrid and other places, andand and yeah, we've got some
great people now in the globalteam, like Anne and then Joey,
(04:26):
haven't we?
And yeah, so in the UK, it'sjust been ticking along, really.
We're huge in some of our othernations, so Wales, Ireland, and
Scotland.
So people like Meredith, youknow, Meredith in Wales and um
Dom Trainer, he's kind of like amean.
So yeah, we've just been kindof like ticking over, really.
(04:46):
And just recently, um, yeah,Jen reached out to a few of us
in in the UK, a few of us wholead in the ed tech space, and
we've just gone, Adobe is anamazing tool.
Adobe Express is an amazingtool, it's scaffolded, it guides
learners, it brings creativityin your classroom.
The community is just anawe-inspiring space.
(05:10):
Everyone's a leader, you know,it doesn't matter who you are,
you're a leader, and yeah, sowe've just gone wild.
And and Jen, Jennifer King, ourlead the other day, said one of
the feedbacks she got at aconference the other day was,
your team, you're everywhere.
What's what's going on?
And and that was our goal.
Um, yeah, to put us family backon the map.
(05:31):
And I've done that really inpart with the help of the global
team, because I was thinkingback to the days of when you
know we were on flip, flipcalls, and you know, this
screenshot with all the faces,and I thought that you know, in
those days, people showed up,you know, they showed up and
they were part of, and and yeah,I've really tried to replicate
that in in in a bit in here inthe UK, and it seems to be seems
(05:56):
to be working.
So the goal is parachute, allthat positivity on the UK, and
it and it's yeah, it's fixing.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (06:03):
That's great, and you know, that's so
great to hear because you know,it I think that uh Adobe and
what they have created withAdobe Express, and as far back
as I knew when it was likeSpark, and then just kind of
like building up and building upthis great platform, has done
(06:23):
such an amazing job at reallyputting together something that
is can really be your one-stopshop creative tool for the
classroom, for students, forteachers.
And I mean, you can really finda little bit of everything in
there that can be done.
And that I think is somethingthat is very important.
(06:45):
And I'm sure that now in theUK, obviously the work that
you're doing along with yourteam and like you said, really
being everywhere, I think, andbringing that awareness, I think
that that is huge becauseoftentimes it's you don't know
what you don't know, and thenuntil somebody puts it in front
of you, and then you see, like,oh my gosh, is it really that
(07:06):
easy?
And I have always been of themindset that it when I go and
train educators, I want them tobe, you know, I say, like, I
want you to express your owncreativity.
Like, I want you to be thestudent and go through this and
enjoy it and you know, takeownership of this first because
(07:27):
the way that you feel when youare creating something, we want
the students to feel that wayand that impact of being able to
bring something from nothing orat least from a thought and
bring it on onto a digital uhcanvas that can be edited in
many ways.
And I think for educators, Ithink that's something that is
(07:48):
huge.
So tell me a little bit more.
Like, I know you're located,you said in the south of the UK.
So I want to know, like, rightnow, where is it that you are
currently doing the work andthat you're expanding and you
know, making sure that AdobeExpress is something that it
people are being aware or madeaware of?
Sean McLauglin (08:37):
Yeah, so we've really uh grown the I mean, just
we just got in the UK now 26ACE innovators, so yeah, all
yeah, nearly signed up, andwe've got um photon case studies
in schools, and yeah, we'rewe're presenting those case
studies.
We're started to show up atevents like we're at the Schools
(08:58):
and Academy show the other day.
Uh Shelley McConville was atover actually.
It was really awesome toconnect with her and and do some
exciting stuff at the show.
Um, where else am I showing up?
Um, we did an amazing event theother week at um Manchester
United Football Club for theiroutreach team.
And all football clubs in theUK have like an outreach team
(09:20):
and they go into schools underprivileged schools.
So we took like 300 year six,and I'm not sure what that's
saying in the UK, year six toseven, digital school leader get
females, gals through this uhthrough the guided activity of
design your own um what is itdesign your own um like trainer?
(09:40):
So yeah, and so yeah, weactually were doing tables of
six at a time, and and even in acrowded room, that the fact
that that was so scaffolded andguided, we were just taking them
all through it, and and thenyeah, that that was incredible.
And then I'm trying to bring insay partnerships.
So I'm trying to work with uhthe BBC, I've been connecting
(10:01):
with them because they they hostum live lessons.
I've been connecting with Tess.
Some of the folk in the UKmight have heard text, it was
times higher education, and thenit became Tess, and it was huge
in the UK, and then also tryingto bring in just all different
voices, like I'm working with UKMotorsport, and they have a
diversity program in STEM, andthey're trying to get more women
(10:25):
and divide divide diversevoices into UK Motorsport and
Premier League.
Yeah, it's huge, it's just somany exciting things going on,
and yeah, and even more insightexciting is there's a real
connectivity with the globalteam around this as well, really
sort of chatting within sort ofinternal channels about what's
(10:45):
working, and and a lot of ourteam are going over to San Jose
in a few weeks.
I was due, but they've slimmedslimmed the team down.
Wow, yeah.
Yeah, so it's just incredible,really exciting time to be part
of.
And I think tracking back onwhat you were saying around
getting out of there and and andevangelism, I mean, that's a
(11:06):
fab thing.
I I love ed tech, but whensomeone said to me, I think it
was Alyssa from Book Creator,yeah, Our Friend Forbes, and she
goes, You've got a free toolfor you can evangelize, and and
that is great, isn't it?
Adobe Express is free foreducation, so I can just shout
out about how good it is.
And then another thing is it'sjust with all the AI and the AI,
(11:29):
I feel like it's a bit of abubble.
And it's like, what's thepurpose?
You know, what's the meaningbehind all this?
And so yeah, I really see thatwithin those guided activities
and the and the anime character,you know, AI with purpose,
using it for purpose to givestudents voice and choice.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (11:46):
So you know, one of the things that you
hit on right there is I Iabsolutely love what you said
there, at least using the newesttechnology that is out there,
obviously talking aboutgenerative AI, but using it
thoughtfully and using it in away that is very useful uh and
purposeful, I think that that issomething that is great because
oftentimes that we know thatthere are so many platforms that
(12:11):
are out there that areoffering, you know, at least
some sort of either a bot oroffering some sort of um just a
generative process.
But sometimes it just kind offeels a little disconnected from
what it is that you're doing atthat given time.
But I think with building withpurpose is something that is
great, and that's something thatfor sure I have seen Adobe do
(12:33):
through Adobe Express.
Now, I just wanted to kind ofgo back a little bit when you
went uh through the outreachteam and you were doing that
activity, and you mentionedsomething that I really like,
you know, even with through thelearning activity that the
guided learning, it is stillscaffolded.
So I want to ask you, you know,for those teachers that are
listening and teachers that arelistening in the UK, you know,
(12:56):
and you gave that example, canyou go a little bit more in
detail as far as the learningactivity, maybe what you saw as
far as I because I can imaginegoing in there and you have
people at all different levels,at least either with technology
or even just with design, but tobe able to do something like
this and then come up with aproduct, how exciting was that?
(13:18):
And then just to be able to seekind of like those light bulb
moments.
So tell me a little bit abouthow that was.
Sean McLauglin (13:25):
Yeah, and and and and actually, it was just so
easy.
So, you know, like with ed techand even sort of with the the
AI, I mean, like there's allthese great tools, but in my
experience as a coach, as atrainer, just getting teachers
to use all of ed tech alone,sort of stuff, you know, is it's
a it's a challenge and and itdefinitely takes coaching.
But so yeah, all these years,you know, these school girls got
(13:48):
down and just quite simplyopened up Adobe Express, and on
the side of the guiding activityis some video instructions with
some words as well.
And then, you know, it oncethey got warmed up, some of them
were just flying, you know,creating things, really going
with the ideas.
Some of them just needed somehints from their they had their
their football coaches with themand myself, and just giving
(14:11):
them a bit of encouragement, andthen and then they were just
going through it.
And some of them were you know,just creating things, just
going elsewhere and starting touse the gen AI and and different
things.
So yeah, so it was just amazingto see and and yeah, really
enforced how just simple, youknow, as a teacher, if you you
(14:32):
know, if you want to use some edtech and you you want just your
student, just give it to yourstudents, and and and so this
sort of ties into thescaffolding and and child play.
Because I used to be a forestschool teacher, and so we used
to just say, give the studentsum, you know, knives to whi
whittle away at a piece of wood.
(14:52):
You know, that's pretty, youknow, pretty uh could be a
tricky sort of thing to do, butwe used to scaffold them, say,
right, you know, make sure youdo it away from your body.
And I already see that withinthe you know that that guided
activity.
It's just got a few that theprompts that's already there,
they just adjust it a littlebit, watch the videos, and you
know, they've really got thatscaffold, but then their
(15:15):
creativity can shine, theirimagination can can shine.
And yeah, it's really wonderfulto see, actually.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (15:21):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, I think that
that's also uh just a greattool, even just for the teacher
themselves, Sean.
And I don't know, you wouldagree.
I mean, you being in theclassroom and and working with
teachers alongside them, I thinkoftentimes they just feel very
overwhelmed, obviously, with theamount of platforms that are
out there that maybe they theyare already using because some
(15:42):
of them may be using uscontent-specific platforms for
math, for their reading, for youknow, science, social studies.
And then sometimes they mayfeel like, oh great.
Another thing, but I think thatone of the things that I know I
loved is you know, when we hadour uh ace, um our ACE
(16:03):
conference here in our district.
We actually we we uh had somepeople come in from our
district, and then Adobesponsored the event, and it was
just fantastic.
Was the fact that teachers wereable to use those guided
activities also as well to learnthe process.
And I think that's somethingthat's fantastic that I think is
maybe sometimes overlooked andmaybe underutilized, but that is
(16:27):
such a great tool for a teacheror somebody that might not feel
comfortable to look at, and thevideos aren't that long.
And so what I like is thatafter you're done looking at
that and watching it and thencreating your own thing, you
build that confidence, and nowyou're able to present it to the
students confidently becauseyou've already gone through it.
(16:48):
And it kind of reminds me ofwhen I was in the classroom, and
obviously we didn't have anawesome platform like that.
But you know, the the my firstclass of the morning, we would
kind of go through our lesson,and then my students would say,
Oh, check this out.
Look at what I found here, Mr.
Mendoza.
And then in my second class,I'd say, Well, okay, guys, let
me show you a little somethinghere.
And then by the end of the day,I felt like the expert, but it
(17:10):
was because I learned all frommy students.
(17:57):
So, you know, but it built upthat confidence not only in
myself, but also in sharing thetools with the students.
And I think that's somethingthat is great, that you can go
in there, not maybe not saying,Hey, I'm not a digital designer.
I am no way, shape or form,have any kind of graphics uh
design uh, you know, studies atall, but you can go in there and
(18:18):
in a matter of minutes you cancreate something.
And I think that that'ssomething that is huge,
especially being able toimplement that into the
curriculum.
Sean McLauglin (18:27):
Yeah, 100%.
I mean, the the platform'scurrently set up like that,
isn't it?
I mean, you you've got itslightly different in in the US.
You've got create, teach, edit.
I think we're just create andedit at the moment, but both of
those are just little tiles, noexperience needed, just click on
create or click on, you know,edit, and without any design
(18:48):
skills or experience, you canjust go get going.
And yeah, I that you're talkingabout the learn tab and or even
the learned and the guidingactivity.
Yeah, 100%.
If I've ever got a demo fordemo, we have some in there
practice, you know, having acouple of days of the guided
activities, and also I canremember with my onboarding, I
went through the learn tab tobecome an ace leader, and yeah,
(19:09):
it was literally just one videowith one of the parable
managers, and and you the nextthing you know, I'm in the Doby
Ace Leader community.
Now, in the UK, and me andNicole, my colleague, have been
talking about sort of the wordlead, they're like, Am I a
leader?
But yeah, we just want peopleto sort of say, Yeah, you are,
you're you've you're gettinginvolved, you it doesn't there's
no prerequisites, you're aleader, you're you're creating
(19:32):
in your classrooms, and yeah,once you sort of then get into
that community, you startlearning and sharing and and
growing really.
So, yeah.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (19:42):
So let's talk a little bit about that
because I think that that is ahuge component too, as well,
which is community, andcommunity by far, you know, is a
great way for educators as wellto not only feel like they're
part of something, but also thatthey feel heard, they are
around like-minded individuals.
And I think that Adobe has oneof the best learning communities
(20:04):
that is out there, too, aswell.
And and again, I I may soundbiased, but it is my experience.
This is me just telling you andbeing honest that this has
probably been one of the bestcommunities that I have been
able to be a part of because,like Sean mentioned, you really
do feel like a leader.
Yes, there, I mean, everybodyfeels like a leader.
(20:27):
There, nobody feels like, ohman, I can't do that, or I can't
do that.
Honestly, like everybody feelslike you're empowered that you
can do it, and everybody comesat it through a different lens.
And I think one of the thingsthat Adobe has done very well is
obviously to listen to theeducators, especially the
innovators that are out theresharing, you know, the teachers
(20:49):
that are out there in theclassrooms and being able to
take that feedback and be ableto see how this product has
changed and it will continue tochange to adapt to the needs.
But let's talk about that asfar as community, because I know
that this is something throughyou, through partnerships that
you're building, but you know,this is something that is
growing also in the UK.
So, what are some of thethings?
(21:11):
Uh, you know, you know, I knowyou mentioned some of the
events, but what other thingsmight you all be doing to
continue to grow the communitythere in the UK?
Sean McLauglin (21:19):
Yeah, so I mean, firstly, like Fonz.
I know you're you're a big fanof the community, and I've
staying you on the socials anddifferent things, and yeah, and
um and and also folks, funds isis been in the the ed techs all
the circles.
So yeah, hearing you sort ofreflect on how you honestly feel
about sort of that the Adobecommunity is is is wonderful to
(21:41):
hear.
And yeah, I definitely feel thesame.
And yeah, we're kind of we wantto kind of replicate a bit what
some of the US so in the UScurrently it seems like they go
out a lot to events, host eventsfor US teachers.
Now, in in the UK, teachers arestill happy to show up just
virtually, you know, at the endof the school day, kids running
around, just sort of yeah, getinvolved.
(22:02):
But we always know, you know,shout them up, shout them out,
pray praise them, lift them up,encourage them, mentor them
even, you know, on the sidewe're mentoring people, just
building them up.
And and that kind of comes fromsay some of our experiences of
being in the ed tech world andjust you know being really drawn
by say companies say, but yeah,we we're now on the other side,
(22:23):
and we're like, yeah, we wantto mentor and help people and
support them.
And then, yeah, we're alsoplanning some in-person events.
So I know Don and my colleagueRuth were up in in Edinburgh,
and they put on a huge event theother day, and they had all the
teachers in and just givingthem loads of food and getting
and and swag and just yeah,hearing from them and learning
(22:45):
from them.
And the same, we had an eventpartner with Apple the other day
at Battersea, where Apple'sheadquarter headquarters.
So, yeah, just we're just doingall the things and and trying
to yeah, really just build oncommunity, and and then we're
also thinking of having some inperson in Adobe uh uh Old
Street, London.
(23:06):
Now that is an awesome office.
We did our Q4 on site, it wasmy first time there, and yeah,
it was a really, really such anencouraging place to be.
So, yeah, we've got all theplans, but it's all around
community, uh community first.
I think when I signed up forthis, one of the things I was
discussing with um the team, youknow, that I would definitely
(23:30):
I'm I'm not the hero of thestory, that the you know, the
people I'm gonna be supportingare the heroes, and yeah, I
really want to shout them outand praise them.
So yeah, that's kind of howwe're rolling.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (23:40):
Oh, I love it.
I love it, and that's greatthat just to be out there.
Now, I want to ask you, becauseI know you said, you know, this
is kind of something that isgaining traction and gaining,
you know, a lot of steam witheducators out there.
Uh just out of curiosity, whatwhat has been maybe I guess the
either a misconception or amisunderstanding that has been
(24:01):
overcome once we've been able toput in or put Adobe Express in
front of them, you know, didthey have just just, I don't
know, uh maybe what was theirthoughts about Adobe prior?
I know when I first would hearAdobe, I would always just
focus.
Well, that's Photoshop, andthat's that's really, you know,
uh that's very difficult to do.
(24:23):
So maybe I'm just thinking assomebody that maybe is using it
for the first time and maybe alittle hesitant, well, is that
something that you know was wasovercome, you know, once you put
Adobe Express in front of themand they saw how easy it was?
Sean McLauglin (24:39):
Yeah, well, basically, I don't think so.
Currently, we have got millionsof accounts being created in
Adobe Express, and I thinkprobably Adobe Spark, and um,
yes, and so in England itself.
So my role's been sort of like,yes, saying, Look, you've
already you've already kind ofsigned up, and I think the sign
(25:01):
up at the time was sort of topdown, so you needed the IT guy
to do it probably duringlockdown.
He was really like, you know,and I said, Yeah, so it's top
down and he spread it all out.
And then what happened in myexperience in in schools was
once once no one needed to usethese tools anymore back in
school, they're like, Oh, what'sthe Dave Express or what you
(25:23):
know, whatever tool?
And so, yeah, my experience hasbeen, yeah, people are like,
Oh, yeah, Dave Express, and Ihad some meetings with partners
who were down, they were like,Oh, Dave Express, I know Adobe,
but yeah, so it's been a sort ofuh just raising awareness
again, really, of yeah, theAdobe Express and all that that
it can be done, and and just andme and my colleague Kevin,
(25:44):
who's sort of the the other halfof me, he concentrates on sort
of the technical side, which isstill technical, getting the
schools on boarded, the wholeschool all safely.
Um and um, yes, and we're we'retalking about doing something
called the art of possible, soto really sort of directing
teachers what's impossible inAdobe Express, and also we want,
(26:08):
and this is more Kevin andshe's channeled to Kevin, he was
saying, I want students to say,sir, or myth, you know, we want
to use Adobe Express because weuse it to do this, we use it to
create this, and yeah, so thatthat's kind of where where we're
heading, and um yeah, let mejust pause a second because I
had a thought on well thought onthat on the art across and the
(26:31):
the top-down.
Um yeah, and also a really fabthing the other day.
Now, have you come across thelive lessons with Don and
Meredith?
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (26:40):
Oh my gosh, you know, the live lessons are
fantastic.
That's something like that Ilook forward to when I can get
to them because they they do afantastic job during doing
those.
Sean McLauglin (26:51):
Yeah, and I I was actually in a class when a
live lesson happened.
So me, Jennifer King, is ourlead, um, a couple of really the
big sort of VIPs from the theUS were over, Therese and um I
want to say Katie were over, andwe were in this class, and it
(27:11):
I've got to admit it was apretty privileged school.
It was called St.
Pirons, it's a really niceschool, but very privileged.
We all had one-to-one devices,they all have like a MacBook
studio.
But we're in this um livelesson, and and Dom and Meredith
had come on, and and it wasamazing to watch the these
years, you know, six digitalleaders, all gals, just sort of
(27:33):
getting involved with thislesson.
It was a it was to do with GuyForks, and they're finding the
way, and then I thought what wasgreat was Dom kind of done his
bit on the um the the browser,and then it just then gave him
time while Meredith done the thepart on the Apple or the um
yeah, the iPad device, and justwatched them catch up, but then
(27:54):
yeah, same as before.
You got them some of themdeviating a bit, and instead of
just using a uh backgroundimage, they're using the AI to
create one.
Yeah, it was really fabulous.
And then the the hot totalhighlight was um Jet and he's
got on YouTube and said to Domand Merri to give St.
(28:15):
Pyrons out and it did, it cameup on the screen, you know,
shout out to St.
Pyrons.
It was really wonderful, and soyeah, we've got some really
purposeful.
I mean, if you're a teacher andand live lessons as they'll be
like, you know, you haven't gota plan, or you just get you
know, go to a live lesson, it'sso exciting.
(28:35):
You know, the kids really gonnaengage the kids, and then also
within that, they've alsocreated um a few ebooks, and
they they are they arenation-focused.
We've got an Scotland one, anIreland one, a an England one,
and 45 lessons.
You know, so I think thoseparts for me have been
absolutely awesome.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (28:56):
Yeah, and you know, I think that that is
something that going back tothat community, and but it's
just the the thoughtfulness ofreally thinking, you know what,
if teachers cannot be where I'mat, let me go and meet teachers
where they are.
And I think that the livelessons are fantastic.
(29:16):
And like you said, listen, likethis is something that maybe
you might make a little bit oftime during your day, you know,
because it would be worth it.
To me, it's more, and I want tolet teachers know, again, this
is just from from myobservation, my own experience,
investing that bit of time in alive lesson can definitely save
(29:37):
you a lot more time throughoutthe year, throughout your
semester, throughout yourquarter, because what the
students will learn during thattime, hands-on, can easily,
easily be implemented within notonly your subject matter, but
other subjects as well.
So it's definitely somethingthat is worth signing up for,
(29:57):
getting your students right infront of a wonderful expert, you
know, and the Adobe team isfantastic.
And not only will they learn,but I promise you, you as a
teacher are gonna get thosenuggets that you can sprinkle
onto what you are already doing.
Great.
So Sean is definitely spot onuh as far as the life lessons
are concerned, because they willdefinitely be a game changer.
(30:20):
But again, I would suggest,like Sean said, if you don't
have a plan for that day, or atleast plan for that little time,
I promise you it's worth theinvestment or the return on
instruction is definitely goingto be high for sure.
Sean McLauglin (30:34):
Yeah, and do please I reiterate that, do
reach out to me because I waseven in a the School of Academy
show the other day, and andthere's a math teacher, an
English teacher, and they weresaying how you know they use a
debut across curriculums.
So yeah, please do reach outfor me.
And I'm I'm sure I actuallymight share some case studies
with you, uh funds to share withthe yeah, share with the
(30:57):
participants.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (30:58):
Yeah, that'd be fantastic.
Anything that you can share,we'll definitely link it in the
show notes, Sean, with your infoand everything.
That way, if any of our awesomeUK listeners, and we do get a
lot of UK listeners that arelistening to the pod and want to
connect with you, they candefinitely do so and connect.
So, Sean, as as We we go onhere through our conversation.
I want to ask you, you know, Iknow that uh obviously, you
(31:20):
know, we've got our our winterbreak that is coming, we've got
some winter activities.
Anything that you can sharethat Adobe is doing as far as
you know, maybe uh like uh 12days of Christmas or little
events or any creativity thingthat's happening there in the
UK.
Anything that y'all gotplanned?
Sean McLauglin (31:37):
Oh Hung Sam, well, can I just say it's really
dark here?
It's like is we're from only 330 p.m.
in the UK, but it's just reallydark cold, and yeah.
So we're starting the 12 daysof creativity, and I had a
really fun and also with ourpartners, medical school, and I
had really fun uh medical AI,sorry, really fun last night
(31:58):
with Ember, Ember Trout fromtheir community team, and we're
we're doing a sort of a fewdifferent demos, and um, yeah,
and and my bandwidth was dying,you know, each round the demo.
And I've clicked on the thesnowman image in someone's dock,
and it opened up the uglysweater if it's a dog, and I was
(32:20):
like, right, I was planning todo a talking snowman, I'm just
gonna have to go with thetalking dog now.
And boy, did it come out likean ugly sweater, you know.
And I just used the animecharacter, I used the right
within, I generated the image,and right within the image I
just clicked audio, and then youcan clicked anime character,
and I just put some uhtransparent background on and
(32:42):
some lips on it, and uh yeah,and it had a talking dog, but
yes, so then no, it's official.
The 12 days of creativity waslaunched on the 24th of
November, so it's alreadystarted.
But obviously, I know overthere in the US a lot of you on
Thanksgiving this week.
Um fall on Thursday, yeah.
Um, so yeah, I did a reallythoughtful post and I tried to
(33:05):
sort of thank some folk in itbecause I may be um
Thanksgiving, but I also wantedto try and sort of make it more
inclusive and just say, youknow, whatever you're doing, you
know, ha happy Christmas.
I hope you have a great newyear, really.
And yeah, so that's been reallyexciting and my first time
actually doing it.
And I did hear last year, itwas you know, it's just really,
(33:26):
really successful and reallyfun, and and yeah, and tons of
people got involved.
And within there, and this Iknow me and you have been around
in the ed tech scene for awhile, Fons.
And do you remember the oneword with all the and yeah, we
used to create the one word?
Well, did we used to was it inwithin a day but you created it,
(33:47):
and then you stuck it.
I'm way clear, I can't quiteremember, but just remember that
one word or flip even.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (33:53):
Yeah, and yeah, yeah, I I would I would
like I would always use do myone word back in the day, like
it was like Spark, and then ofcourse, once uh you know uh
Adobe Express came out, I wouldjust do my one word there, and
then obviously we would uploadit.
I know many people had variousplatforms that you can upload,
and I think that that'ssomething that is great too.
That you know, as far as goingback to community, just just
(34:14):
amplifying creativity andfinding tools where even us as
adults can create.
And like I said, going back tolike that that inner child, I
guess, where maybe I I was nevergood at drawing, but Adobe
Express gives me an opportunityto at least bring my creation to
life.
And and yes, maybe I didn'thand draw it, but it was it's
(34:37):
something that came from mythought process, and I think
that that's one thing that Ilove.
But anyway, going back to theone word and doing those things,
um, I think that that'ssomething that's huge, you know,
with community that people willalways participate.
And I love that uh the teamalso will always showcase and
(34:57):
share and retweet and reshareand everything, and they're just
so full of gratitude becausethey are really teacher focused,
and I think that's somethingthat is fantastic that I love,
and you know, just connectingwith other like-minded educators
to be able to do those things,so it's I love it, it's
wonderful.
Sean McLauglin (35:15):
Yeah, a hundred percent, and and yeah,
definitely global.
I mean, I can think of someamazing people over there,
Tania, Tanya Gonzalez andClaudia, and some just really
incredible Nikki, Nikki, ohNikki.
Oh, I can't believe I can'tremember the second name now.
You've you've definitelyinterviewed Nikki over there in
(35:39):
the US, but yeah, that oh.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (35:43):
I can't yeah, I'm trying to think,
Nikki.
I I know it sounds familiar,and I was like, it's on the tip
of my tongue, but I can'tremember the last name.
Sean McLauglin (35:50):
But yeah, it's a writ and Mel, you know, Mel
over in um Oh, yes, Mel.
Yeah, she's incredible.
Yeah, I connected with heragain, and she's like, When are
you coming to Africa?
Yeah, so yeah.
We've sort of got a leader inEurope now, and so yeah, who
knows where that goes.
(36:11):
Yeah, we're hoping a bit bitmore, bring draw people in, but
yeah, tons of things going on,yeah, and tons of ways to get
involved, and I think for me,again, just getting back with
those partners.
So I did a a Wake Clear webinarand that shared community.
It was fab.
I'd put on my old Wake Lear uhum ambassador t-shirt, my ace
(36:34):
badge, and just you know,sharing my tool within their
tool was just so excited.
And I've also done with BookBook Creator, that was really
fun with bought Faber Forbes andand and we were creating live,
you know, live on the on the flyin the show, creating a book
based on um Alyssa coming to theUK.
(36:55):
She had like a retreat at BookCreate Book Creator here in
Bristol.
And I met uh her and hercolleague Johnny at the National
Portrait Gallery in in Londonin Trafalgar Square.
And we were going, what are wegonna do for this webinar?
And I started telling themabout this book, uh Katie Goes
to London, and by James Mayhew,and uh James Mayhew, I think,
(37:19):
don't quite too much.
And um, yeah, the lions inTrafalgar Square.
Can you picture those?
The lions in Trafog Square, thehuge lion statues.
Yes, and yeah, one of thestories is she just jumps on
this lion and they they go on anadventure.
So you're like, right, that'sit.
We just went on a liveadventure in Book Creator and a
baby just during the session,and look course, those two are
(37:42):
so exciting, you know.
They're real globalcollaborators, they're real, got
a half students.
I mean, that that Yeeha withAlyssa or his friends is, you
know, and there's so many of usout there, isn't there, that you
know, have this heart for justwanting to not only encourage
teachers but also give to them,and Alyssa always says this, and
(38:04):
I'm gonna quote her a bit.
She always says, I love it,Sean, because you'll you'll sort
of enable teachers to givestudents a yeah, but I think,
yeah, I think that's my mission,yeah.
Because it used to be just toget teachers to use tech, but
actually in my experience, thatyou know, that can be difficult
at times.
But if I could just have uh theodd breakthrough that then will
(38:26):
give the students a yeah, I'mnot even sort of those creative
moments, there's moments wheretheir imagination shines, where
they share their voice.
Yeah, that's I'm all I'm herefor that, that's for sure.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (38:37):
I love it, I love it.
But you know what, Sean?
Also, you're not just creatingYeeha moments for educators, but
I mean, through your work andpartnerships, I mean, take for
example, the team, you know,sitting there and they're
building their trainers orcreating their trainers, those
are Yiha moments there too, aswell.
And so not only are you able towork, you know, with teachers
(38:57):
and students within theclassrooms doing that, but also
outside the classrooms and stillamplifying creativity.
So that is something that Ilove that you get to do.
You're you're in both worldsand you're just creating amazing
moments and amplifying, youknow, people's creativity in
every way, shape, or form.
(39:17):
So that's fantastic, Sean.
So thank you for for the workthat you're doing, my friend.
I really appreciate it.
And uh, you know, again, beingable to grow the team and being
here on the show too as well,and finally connecting and
having a great conversation andjust hearing the excitement in
your voice and and hearing allabout the great and wonderful
things that you're doing in theUK is something fantastic.
(39:39):
So for our UK audience that'slistening, please make sure you
connect with Sean because highenergy, he will make sure and
connect with you, he will makesure that you get to use Adobe
Express and that you cancontinue to have those farmer
fob yeehaw moments for sure.
Sean McLauglin (39:57):
Yeah, hashtag family with always, yeah.
Perfect.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (40:01):
Now, Sean, how might our listeners, and I
know we're gonna link that inthe show notes, but what would
be the easiest way for ourlisteners that are in your area
to be able to connect with youand maybe, you know, just yeah,
uh say, like, hey, maybe wemight be interested in in an
event or you know, or or wheremight there be some events that
maybe they might be able toattend?
(40:23):
So uh how would they be able toconnect with you?
Sean McLauglin (40:26):
Yeah, we have a UK Express link, so it's got all
the things on there, the livelessons, the how to become an
ace leader, um how as ourresources, the ebooks, the U
cable.
So but definitely sharing that.
Um personally, I think thequickest place to connect with
me would be on LinkedIn.
(40:47):
I'm I'm pretty active on there,and yeah, just connect with me
and message me out.
And I'm and one of my strengthsis just sort of connecting and
getting really back quickly withpeople.
So yeah, that that you'll findme easily there.
And yeah, but I'd definitely besharing all the resources.
And yeah, we'd love you to ifyou know if you if you want to
(41:08):
get to know at every space orparticularly if you're using,
we'd just love to get you in tothe community and and see what
you're doing and and help yougrow and help others grow.
Yeah, we'd love that.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (41:20):
Excellent.
Well, Sean, we will definitelymake sure to link all that info.
So please make sure you send meany links and uh you know at
all that we can share, and thenthat way our wonderful UK
community can connect with youand get those resources too as
well.
But thank you so much, Sean,for being here with me today on
this wonderful morning for meand a very dark and cold
(41:43):
afternoon for you in the UK.
But thank you so much for uhjust connecting and again, just
really uh hearing about yourhearing your energy, your
excitement, and all thewonderful things that are
happening.
I wish you and the rest of theteam the best.
And of course, as we go intothe holiday season, in uh, you
know, I wish you a happyholidays, you and your family
(42:06):
and yours.
And thank you all.
And for our listeners here,thank you so much as always.
Oh, oh, but wait, wait, wait, Iforgot.
And Sean, I forgot to send youthose last three questions.
Uh, however, you know, it's alittle speed round question.
So I don't know if you do watchthe show, but here we go.
So I'm gonna put you on thespot here because I forgot to
(42:27):
send those in, but here we go.
So as we know, every superherohas a pain point and a weakness.
So for Superman, thatkryptonite was something that
weakened him and was a painpoint.
So I want to ask you, Sean,maybe in the current state of
education, what would you saywould be your current edu
(42:48):
kryptonite?
Sean McLauglin (42:57):
Education is really a difficult place at the
moment, I think.
And um, and just seeing all youknow the pressures you know
teachers are under in the UK,and and I'd studied out during
my studies, and uh and it'sreally economy driven.
And I think so.
My pain point is there's somany people out there with such
(43:19):
good intentions to you know wantto just shape education for the
bet, for the students to changethe system.
But yeah, I think it's a realkryptonite, you know, it's just
so you know, it's such the norm.
It's just gonna be so hard toeven chip a little bit off it.
So I think it's a it's a areally um uh you know on the on
(43:40):
the huge on the big biggerscale, I think for me, that that
you know, change in educationand and I think so yeah, that
for me.
There you go.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (43:50):
Good answer, good answer.
All right, question number twoif you could have a billboard
with anything on it, what wouldit be and why?
Sean McLauglin (44:00):
Billboard, oh my goodness Well, I'm just gonna
go for I'm the father, and thereason being, only reason being
is because I just thought of myfive six year old, now
six-year-old no girl the otherday, uh, and and I've for
(44:22):
Father's Day she bought me theDarveda t shirt that we've only
just heard of that.
To give my family, and yeah,thanks for sort of wishing us a
happy holidays, but just to givemy wonderful family, my wife
and my daughter a shout out.
I think yeah, I just get when Ihaven't got a t-shirt and I'm
(44:43):
the father, I just yeah, have mykill my family, I'm the father.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (44:49):
I love it, I love it.
Great, great answer.
All right, and the lastquestion is if you could trade
places with one person for aday, who would that be and why?
Sean McLauglin (45:01):
Oh crumbs.
I think I'm gonna say you fons,and I'm gonna say, yeah, like I
I yeah, your I mean yourexperience and all the things
you've seen and and yourknowledge, and yeah, you yeah,
it'd be a bit of a busman'sholiday, I think, because I
think we've got we're kindledspirits, but yeah, you've
(45:23):
definitely all the conversationsyou had, all you know, I know
you base your doctorate on allthe different conversations that
I think you, and I think I'dlike to carry yeah, it'd be a
busman's holiday because we'vegot the same similar spirit, but
yeah, I'll just get to handmore knowledge, say.
There you go.
Well, thank you so much.
Yeah, no, just on that, yeah, Iwanted to mention that, yeah.
(45:46):
And I think because my researchwas qualitative as well when I
was doing research on AI, and Ijust it was just so so helpful
just having these conversationsand learning from others through
conversations.
So, yeah.
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza (46:00):
Yeah, and and I think that that's
something that's great that Ifeel that you and I have in the
sense that we just lovestorytelling and we just love to
listen to other people.
And I think that's why, youknow, I've done this show for
the longest time because there'sjust something so great to be
able to listen to somebody'sexperience, and and it just went
naturally with my research onthe qualitative study aspect of
(46:22):
it, you know, to be able to dothe dissertation on that.
So yeah, you know, but I thinkthat that's why I think we you
and I get along would get alongso well and we would have
countless hours of conversationthat would be nonstop.
I so hopefully one day, my dearfriend, we get to meet in real
life and we can definitely havethose conversations too, as
well.
And uh that way we can justshare some great stories and
(46:45):
great experiences with oneanother.
So, Sean, thank you so muchagain for being an amazing
guest, uh just an amazingperson.
And you know, again, continuedsuccess on the amazing work that
you're doing in the UK with therest of the team.
I wish you all the best.
And again, to our audiencemembers, thank you as always for
all of your support.
As you know, and if you noticehere, I mean, this is just
(47:07):
genuine conversation that wewould just love to always bring
out week in and week out toevery single one of you so you
can get to know these amazingand wonderful educators that are
out there, that are helping,that want what's best for
teachers, want what's best forstudents, and overall have a
great heart, just like Sean andthe rest of all our episodes
(47:27):
that we've had.
So please make sure you visitour website at myedtech.life
where you can check out thisamazing episode and the other
345 episodes that I promise youyou'll find some little
knowledge nuggets there that youcan take from and sprinkle to
what you are already doinggreat.
And again, all of this wouldn'tbe possible without our
sponsors.
So a big shout out to BookCreator, Edu8, Yellow Dig, and
(47:51):
Peelback Education.
Thank you so much for all ofyour support.
And until next time, myfriends, don't forget, stay
techyle.
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