Adam Welcome’s Bio
Adam Welcome is a former teacher, principal and district level leader. In that time, he was named Principal of the Year for his region in California as well as a 20 to Watch for the National School Board Association.
He is passionate about technology integration and a huge advocate for social media and connecting with other educators globally.
He is the co-founder of Kids Deserve It, the author of four books, and a keynote speaker with more than 400 appearances.
Adam’s Books:
Kids Deserve It, Run Like a Pirate, Empower Our Girls, and Teachers Deserve It
Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness is Adam Welcome.
Adam starts with the fact that technology is ubiquitous and every profession from a mechanic to a medical doctor uses it. That’s why it’s so important to learn by using technology tools in school.
He tells listeners that technology use in schools has to be effective because it’s typically not effective in the home.
He says that school leaders need to rethink how they run their school and the types of technological advancements that are available to students at least every 3-5 years because of the way that technology changes and evolves.
Adam says that he hasn’t been totally impressed with the use of AI tools in schools yet, and we should stay tuned to more effective uses of it.
He talks about a more student-centered approach being the future, and that the adults need to learn to get out of the way, especially with technology because the kids already know how to use tools that the teachers haven’t yet mastered.
Adam tells a story about how his daughter used a technology tool in a way that he would never have thought to tell her to do.
He says that technology use in the classroom has potential to be the ultimate differentiation strategy because every student can work at their own pace using platforms and learning tools.
Although he’s an advocate for CTE, he thinks that CTE has a branding problem and that kids need more opportunities to explore careers that they might not know about.
Adam mentions a number of new pathways that students can take in their postsecondary journey.
He talks about LinkedIn as a place for students to learn about jobs, but he’s referring to the need for college and career exploration in schools.
When it comes to college and career readiness, he recommends Inc. Magazine and Fast Company Magazine as resources that he uses to stay informed.
Adam’s final message to all educators, especially those who say that they don’t have time is: “What can you get rid of that is not relevant anymore?”
If you want to learn about a technology platform that solves a ton of the problems that Adam talks about in the show, book a demo with MaiaLearning.com.
Book a time to discuss college and career readiness with the host of the show, Dr. T.J. Vari.
