Through curiosity and creativity, Angelo Fernando teaches the human side of technology.
In an age where technology evolves faster than attention spans, Angelo Fernando stands out as an educator who knows that communication lies at the heart of every digital tool. At Benjamin Franklin High School in Queen Creek, Arizona, he teaches computers, technology, and sponsors a Writers’ Club and a Robotics Club — not simply as technical subjects, but as platforms for his students to express ideas, solve problems creatively, and connect with others.
Before entering the classroom, Angelo built a career as a freelance writer covering technology, media, marketing, and business. His storyteller’s instinct now guides his teaching, helping students see how ideas take shape through writing, design, and emerging media.
His 2013 book, Chat Republic: How Social Media Drives Us to Be Human 1.0 in a Web 2.0 World, explores how social media shapes human behavior and communication, reflecting on the promise and pitfalls of digital connection.
In this conversation, Angelo shares how his background in communication shapes his teaching philosophy, how he empowers students to find their voice through technology, and why the most powerful lessons in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) often circle back to human connection.
Shaping Engagement through Story and Communication
Angelo knows that great teaching begins with capturing attention and inspiring curiosity. Drawing on his background in journalism and media, he shapes engagement in the classroom by using story and communication as tools, turning technology and STEM lessons into experiences that resonate, connect, and spark creativity in his students.
Starry Blue Brilliance: How did your early experiences in communication and journalism influence the way you teach technology today?
Angelo Fernando: Who knew! Communication and teaching are closer blood relations than I thought! I hadn’t the foggiest that I would get into education some 30 plus years ago. (I should have known–my dad was a teacher.) Communication was once about content, but also about audience engagement. Today, a large part of my day is devoted to keeping students engaged. Not ‘lecturing,’ but getting students excited about the material. Journalists I used to hang out with in Sri Lanka taught me that what’s important is the ‘story.’
SBB: When you think about your own teachers or mentors, what lessons from them still guide your approach in the classroom?
AF: I work among some pros in the field. As a computer teacher, my class falls within the English Department. These teachers’ work with classical and modern literature, writing, and Socratic discussions rubs off on my teaching style. Then there are music, theater, dance teachers, and sports coaches. I get to cherry pick their best techniques as we have mandatory classroom observations throughout the year.
Curiosity and Creativity at the Core of Tech Education
For Angelo, technology is never just about tools—it’s about expression, discovery, and storytelling. By simplifying complex concepts and showing the human side of tech, he helps students see the “why” behind the “how,” empowering them to think critically, create meaningfully, and communicate effectively in a digital world.
SBB: If you could summarize your teaching philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
AF: This quote from Everett Garrison speaks to me as a technology teacher: “A teacher is a compass that activates magnets of curiosity.”
SBB: How do you encourage curiosity and creativity when teaching technical subjects?
AF: People assume that ‘technical subjects’ are synonymous with nerdy, jargon-rich topics. I try to reduce tech to simple, everyday things. I have a 1950s typewriter in my class (students love to work on that). It helps them understand keyboards and computers better when they see where all this modern tech came from. Isn’t it funny how the icon for ‘save’ in some apps is a floppy disk? Or the ‘shift’ key we use on a keyboard was actually a way to up-shift the key on a typewriter to create a capital letter.
SBB: What does “teaching the human side of technology” look like in your classroom?
AF: I try to demonstrate that all technology should be tools to serve us, not the other way around. They are in the age group that need to know why social media was a ruse to steal data. Nearly every week there is evidence for this. We are a school where phones are not allowed during the day. They see how this helps them connect and communicate so much better minus the devices. (Oh, the irony of this–my class is a computer lab!).
SBB: You work with both junior high and high school students. How do you adapt your communication style to reach different age groups and learning levels?
AF: Students in my five junior high classes come with newer skills and digital experiences each year. However, there are lots of basics many have missed out on. Presentations are more than sticking pictures and sentences in a PowerPoint, so I show them why we need white space, fonts with ‘personality,’ and to communicate a ‘story.’ My other pet topic is that ‘search’ is not research; I show them how to get away from the copy-paste bad habits, and be original thinkers, and designers.
For my high school class–it’s a media elective–I try to tap into their creativity and teach them how to use their worldview and tech skills to produce news shows, mini documentaries, and video podcasts. My goal is to make them enjoy being digital storytellers. We show our daily 2-3-minute news show at our daily assembly.
SBB: How do you help students bridge traditional and digital forms of communication like writing, presenting, and creating?
AF: You probably allude to the analog/digital divide some of us grew up with, and it still exists: Handwritten papers and online documents, public speaking vs. slide presentations.
First, we use too many acronyms in the tech space. I like demystifying them. QR stands for something simple in a ‘QR code.’ GPS and PDF and URLs… oh my. So much to unpack! In the past four years, I have shown them how to create their own podcasts. They are discovering the power of the spoken word.
Exploring the Human Side of Technology and Social Media
Beyond the classroom, Angelo publishes a Substack, and his podcast, Wide Angle, in which he examines how technology and social media shape human behavior and communication. Drawing on his experiences as a writer and the insights from his book Chat Republic, he reflects on the promise and pitfalls of digital connection, emphasizing that understanding people is as important as understanding the tools they use.
SBB: Chat Republic explores how social media drives us to be “Human 1.0 in a Web 2.0 world.” What inspired you to write it?
AF: I was optimistic. I believed then that peer-to-peer communication would get us out of the dominance of big media, propaganda, and bias. It was good for the first few years, but the corporations overran us. Social media turned anti-social media, and the promise that ‘everyone could be a reporter’ began ridiculous ‘influencers.’ Yes, I am disillusioned now that we ruined the Human 1.0 dream.
Angelo Fernando’s work reminds us that technology education is ultimately about people, not machines. Whether guiding students through robotics, digital storytelling, or media projects, he shows that curiosity, creativity, and communication are the keys to meaningful learning. By placing the human side of technology at the center of his classroom, Angelo empowers students to think critically, express themselves, and connect authentically—skills that will serve them long beyond the screen.
Through his teaching, writing, and thought leadership, Angelo demonstrates that even in a rapidly evolving digital world, the most powerful innovations begin with understanding, engagement, and the art of communication.
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