It started with a laugh—and ended with me completely locked out of my phone. But what I thought was a tech hiccup turned into something deeper: a full reset of how I think about my digital life.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• What happens when your phone starts from zero

• Why I didn’t miss some of the apps I thought I “needed”

• The difference between digital convenience and digital clutter
  

• How intentional tech choices help us breathe and focus
  

Whether you’re overwhelmed by screen time, buried in notifications, or just feeling “digitally tired,” this story might be the reset you didn’t know you needed.

🎧 Let’s reboot with purpose. Let’s keep tinkering.

I’m pulling back the curtain on what it really looks like to evolve—from educator to creative, from workshop planner to content producer, and everything in between.

This episode captures a moment of growth and clarity as I navigate events, digital transitions, and the surprising ways transferable skills show up when you least expect them.

I talk about:

• How being an educator prepared me for more than just the classroom

• Why embracing the “in-between” moments matters

• The power of showing up, even when you're unsure

• And how walking into new spaces can spark unexpected momentum
  

Whether you’re pivoting your career, exploring your creative side, or just figuring it all out, this one’s for you.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Quick Tinker Podcast!

This episode is pulled straight from my YouTube channel, and it's all about something we often skip past in gaming: the setup phase.

Using Death Stranding as a case study, I break down how the act of configuring a game—menus, settings, audio, brightness—isn’t just about preference. It’s about media literacy, accessibility, and player agency before we even press start.

As an educator with Tinker Tech Edu, I draw parallels between prepping for a game and preparing a classroom to read a novel. From themes and tech adjustments to how students (and gamers) take ownership of their experience, this episode connects digital gameplay to deep learning principles.

🎮 In This Episode, You'll Hear About:

🎓 The philosophy: Why setting up a game is like setting up a novel

🧠 Media literacy & agency: How menus = choices = ownership

🛠️ Accessibility: Comparing game settings to reading tools

🕹️ A lightning-fast 60-second "shoutcast" walkthrough of my Death Stranding setup

🧩 Guiding Questions (Perfect for Classrooms or Game Clubs):

The First Thing You Do: Do you start a new game immediately—or adjust settings first? How is that like starting a book or movie?

Agency & Ownership: What's one setting you always change to make the game truly yours?

Creator vs. Player: Are we “co-directing” the experience by changing settings? What’s the balance between user choice and creator intent?

Accessibility Across Media: How do gaming accessibility tools (subtitles, remapping, etc.) compare to things like audiobooks or large print?

🎧 Originally recorded for YouTube—now brought to the pod. Let’s press start. Let’s learn. Let’s keep tinkering.

🔗 Follow the Tinker Tech Edu Journey:

🟣 linqapp.com/edtechtinker

🌐 Website: bit.ly/attestreamstudy

Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe to follow the entire Death Stranding learning series.