Over Coffee®is on holiday hiatus. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes of 2022!

“Dream big,” says State College of Florida Coding Academy Director Deshjuana Bagley.

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That’s exactly what Desh, as she prefers to be called, has done–and what she continues to teach students to do.

In addition to her work with SCF, Desh is the founder and CEO of Tampa-based TechPlayZone. As a mom who wanted to create a better future, not just for her own sons but for the next generation of innovators, Desh guides students to become creators, rather than simply consumers, in the metaverse.

And she has a special event coming up.

SCF Coding Academy is currently preparing for their Winter Break “Super Cyber Camp”! Geared towards students, grades 2 through 7, this promises to be a lot of fun as the young participants program in Minecraft.

They’ll also learn the principles of cybersecurity in the best possible way: in VR scenarios where they’re having fun problem solving! (Here’s the link for more information.)

In this interview recorded in Spring, 2022, Desh shared her story, her creative journey with Tech Playzone and her vision for the future.

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Desh first became engaged in computer science and robotics;

• The story of TechPlayzone;

• Desh’s memories of the early days of her unique program;

• What she’s doing to engage students in creating with technology, versus the traditional approach in which schools teach tech;

• How teachers can get around the “intimidation factor” and make technology work in their curricula;

• What can work best for educators in arts disciplines;

• Some of the digital resources that can be most helpful in the arts;

• A closer look at the classes offered at State College of Florida’s Coding Academy (these are available online!);

• Another technology program which allowed her students to create their own virtual worlds;

• Desh’s vision for the future of TechPlayzone, and an exciting upcoming project;

• Her favorite resources for artists who’d like to start creating in XR;

• Desh’s advice to arts students, in preparing for the new jobs which will result from current advances in robotics.