This episode of The Bridge with Andy Knueven is all about love, purpose, and the power of community. Andy shares how his journey from special education teacher to global community leader for Minecraft Education was never about chasing titles—it was about following connection and impact. Through stories of Flipgrid’s ripple effect, classroom memories, and his ongoing mission to advocate for teachers, Andy reminds us that teaching doesn’t end when you leave the classroom. The heart of the episode is that love—genuine care for students, colleagues, and community—is the secret sauce that keeps education vibrant and human.
I'll try to keep this short but I'm an educator through and through but also a husband, dad, coach, empathizer, optimist, wanting to be a good deed doer. For work, I've had quite a unique journey from the classroom in middle school special education, 5th grade math and science in a middle school, tech coach K-12, while also helping be a social media manager for Flipgrid while also juggling a wide range of side jobs and hustles.
I transitioned out of the school corporation to work for Flipgrid as a Community Engagement Manager and Global Training and Professional Development. Adding Microsoft Math Solver as another product I supported later on. When Flip(grid) sunset, worked as a Canva Learning Consultant for Canva Education, but now I'm with Minecraft as the Minecraft Education Community Program Manager.
I always love to share my growth mindset and name pronunciation because Knueven is pronounced, can-even, like ""you can even say it"" or as I told my students as a growth mindset and used as a hashtag sharing the work we did and what I had created using #YouKnuevenLearn. We're always able to work hard and continue to learn, even when it's tough.
đź”— Andy on X/Twitter
đź”— Andy on Instagram
đź”— Andy on LinkedIn
đź”— Andy on Tiktok
đź”— Andy on Threads
đź”— Andy on Bluesky
đź”— Andy on YouTube
💻 Andy’s Website
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So yeah, this is the bridge. Thanks for being with us, Andy.
Andy Knueven: I appreciate Cate. This is such a passionate place. I mean one for educators
Yeah. Going from. Middle school special education to fifth grade I taught, you know, but in my local school, fifth grade is in the middle school. And so I, I never left, I never left middle school. And so it's a lot of fun of fifth grade through eighth grade, and then I coached.
But, you know, that's where my, my love of you assistive technology to be able to support students, you know, at all abilities and levels and, needs, but also. To find that accessibility, you know, feature within any tool. And so that's where that my passion kind of started from. And then using that in the classroom, then being a tech coach.
And of course things have evolved and lots of different connections and bridging into, a variety of different roles outside of the, the traditional classroom in school. So, no, this is great. Thank you.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I love it. yeah, can we talk a minute about assistive tech and special and your time in special ed? So I also am a middle, I never left middle school either except year. My first year teaching was, at a high school in New York City. it was intense. Very much Michelle Pfeiffer in dangerous Minds very much
Andy Knueven: Kick your feet up and just, I.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): There are no victims in this classroom, right? and then middle school and didn't leave for nine years or 10 total in the classroom. never special ed. And I actually, I teach teacher candidates now and I have a lot of teacher candidates that my, classes that are pursuing special ed certificates, which makes me so happy. So tell me about how you landed there.
Andy Knueven: I goodness. I, I mean family, friends growing up and really it's. It's just a space that I not to say, felt called to, to, to know that when you're, you're teaching to one year, you're teaching to all, in that, that idea. And I, I don't know. My, my background was a dual major in special ed and El Ed, so, you know, Special Ed K-12, El Ed K-6, and, yeah, I, I, I.
It wasn't like a, oh, you know, this is the only thing there, but it just was a space that I love to see that. Of course, we all like to see that aha moment, but also to know that, you know, students, it's not necessarily like special. Like, like things, it is just, they just need that, you know, that extra guidance or that assistive tool or device or idea, that just makes it click.
And, with technology, of course now, it, it, it opens so many doors and seeing so many things have it built into it makes that really exciting. But it's always one of those pieces of when I see something and, and I remember being in, in the middle school. You know, go into a conference and seeing something that's like, oh, this would be great for that class, or this works.
That would be, that, that difference maker, differentiator for that project. And, you know, sending those onto the, to teachers and saying, Hey, you know, have you seen this or have you tried this? And so I was always about, you know. That, that pilot program or trying something out and you ran out of your three month subscription or whatever the, the, the small access that you have and, but then you know what is worth it and what's not, and yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I tell, I would tell people all the time, don't try it before you buy
Andy Knueven: Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Because there's, some amazing solutions out there, but you may find that there's one that is, is the right fit. And, so is that how you came across your time at Microsoft and then Canva, you worked at Canva
Andy Knueven: A, a little bit. Yeah. So,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): it like
Andy Knueven: it's, it's bridged Yeah. From the classroom. And really the, the time at Microsoft started with social media. and that's the beauty of it, of just connecting and
celebrating each other. And so I. For many years I taught, and then I coached, and then I, I was posting things, you know, of course from my own personal account and sharing what we're doing in the classroom, but then with Flipgrid, that, hopefully you've heard of, but, it, you know, that was just a, a really great, community and space that I, of course, fell in love with.
Still love, you know, there's that community there. But for. Sharing ideas. And I will say that it was a, an afternoon I got a message, from Joey Tolson, who's part of the team, and, you know, a, a great person I look up to admire. But he had messaged me on the side. I was like, Hey, you know, do you have time to talk sometime?
And so that opened up the door of saying, Hey, you know, we have this. And of course now after the, the fact of it, but it was like, we have this special group that, you know, they help run our social media after, you know, the workday is done essentially in their office. And so I was part of this, a special group that we were like the night shift, the special like group that, like I, I taught all day and then I worked at night and, so
Cate Tolnai (she/her): gosh.
Andy Knueven: for many years.
I, like I said, I, I taught and then I was on social, and that was that community engagement and you know, just seeing the awesome things that people around the world are doing.
Giving that, that front line of support and success, giving them guidance or direction, connecting them with, Hey, you know, have you seen what Ann's doing?
Or have you seen this, what Jen's doing? And and to be able to make those connections was really special. But, that then evolved into a few years later when, an opportunity opened up to say, Hey, you know, we've got this. like, you know, full position on our team and are you, you know, interested? Is
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Andy, that is the
Andy Knueven: And, and so I, I, I, I still feel like it's a dream and I mean, I'm always, you know, there's always the, that, you know, the dream out there of like, oh, you know, what's, what is that next thing kind of thing. But it is the, you, when opportunity knocks you, you open the door. And so that was really what opened it up was of course.
Being you. I mean sharing and that I, I mean, I think of like, all right, where did this start from? And it's openly sharing and supporting and helping. And it's not like a,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Totally
Andy Knueven: only posting stuff because I'm getting paid for, or I'm only gonna promote something at a conference if I get like that. That was what was made it so special of, and seeing people that make.
That bridge between the classroom and companies of, they're doing it because they believe in it. They believe in, you know, what the product is, but also what the outcome. It's not, you know, the product, but it's like, what, what do you get out of it and the, the impact of it. And so just sharing those kinds of moments open that, that.
Natural, like, Hey, you know, there's something here. And so that's what then started me with community engagement with them and then doing, global training and PD and, yeah. So that, that's where that, that started from within Flipgrid that evolved to flip and then the mass solver and, I mean, you, you brought up Canva and of course that that evolved after the, the sunset of flip, you know, a couple years ago and, or I guess just a little over a year and a half ago, you know, almost,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right?
Andy Knueven: It's actually, as I look at the date here in October, I mean, it was. I mean, flip went offline about a year ago this last week. So, but yeah, so I mean to say like I needed to find something else. I've, my wife, she teaches, we actually met teaching together.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I love
Andy Knueven: and so yeah, she, she taught special ed in the middle school and then, she transitioned of teaching fourth grade and now is a STEM teacher at the elementary.
But that's where we met, was teaching together. And, so we have two kids in school, but it's a, like, of course I need a. Provide. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So that's where the, the, the work evolved to Canva education and being a, a trainer for them. And yeah, so a little bit of a, at Microsoft went to Canva doing trainings for them and onboarding training.
And then now with Minecraft, and again, another opportunity, knocked and they're like, Hey, you know. We have this community position for our education community, and I of course love Minecraft. Use it in my classroom. And it was one of those professional goals when I discovered my school district had it.
And it was like before I really like dive into learn, how can I effectively use this in my classroom? Do we have access? And when I found out that we had thousands of licenses that my school hadn't toggled that. Enablement and it was like a, this, this is like, yeah, a jackpot moment. And it was like bef and I, I found that out at iste, you know, many summers ago.
And so before I even left like, Philadelphia, when is where it was, but I emailed my CTOI emailed building administrators and I was like, this is now my professional goal. Like I want to find a way to make this. A success in our classrooms because of so many learning potential and abilities there. And so
Cate Tolnai (she/her): much.
Andy Knueven: and that's the thing is it's, it's about what can we do
and what can we teach and the, I mean, there's no ceiling to it, and that that's what makes it so exciting.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Totally. and so you're doing community engagement, is that right? At Minecraft
Andy Knueven: So, yeah, so yeah, so community, so our global community all around the world. and so we have our Minecraft Teachers Lounge, which is a Facebook group, and then we have our ambassadors. there's a little over 12,000, in our, global community and the teachers lounge where we have events and connections and support within our ambassadors help lead and, you know, share their voice and giving ideas.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): cool.
Andy Knueven: so I, yeah, so that's my jam is. Just being that person, connecting, advocating for teachers and students with, you know, their needs in the classroom with Minecraft education, but then relaying that back to engineers and developers and creators and with the main, you know, Minecraft team. And so that, that's, yeah.
Empowering, advocating for, for teachers is, is what it's about. Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): that's an amazing job. Like really just listening to you say, I think about so many educators that are trying to figure out if. Classroom teaching is what they wanna do in education. And I think it's, I think it's tricky because we get into education and it's it's already decided for you that you wanna be a teacher, you wanna be in, you're going to be in the classroom.
And yet there's so many opportunities like that you've uncovered. Just by sharing and, advocating. And, I, wonder like in your position being connected to so many teachers are, do people ask you like, how did you do this? do you think there's an, a hunger in, educators to, to have options like this?
what? do you get asked that question a lot?
Andy Knueven: Some, I, I mean, it's one of those, some people don't. I mean, I, I love, I mean, I love teaching. Like I,
teaches, I mean, it's one of those that like, I go to her class and it's still that exciting moment and, you know, when I can.
but the idea of going to a classroom or even, I, I, I think of like my, my daughter, she's in dance and so I'm at the, the dance studio and I'm working out, you know, at a, a table there and.
Another girl, I have no idea, but she walks up or she, she walks up to a nearby table, sits down, she has like a math homework page, and she has her, you know, her watch. And I, I, I won't say like these, my, my phone and my watch will activate, but be like, Hey, what is the greatest common factor between eight and 12?
And her watch throws back the answer and. She's like writing it, and then she's looking at it, and I was like, do you need help? And so like, she's like, yeah. She's like, I don't, I don't, I don't know what the, yeah. Like, I don't know what this is. And so I was like, all right. You know, find out, you know, what are these, you know, what are the, the multiples and of the factors?
And so, I mean, we broke down. You know, it, it was really cool. But it's one of that's like, I'm never not gonna be a teacher. So when people ask like, what do you, what do you do? It's like, well, I'm a teacher, but like, there's more to it than.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah,
Andy Knueven: Me in a job and like deep down teaching is still who I am. Like I, I, I love it.
I still. Have those moments of like, oh, like this day in history, I, I scroll back on my pictures and I think like, oh, like that was such a cool project. Like, you know, if I were to do it again, like this would be how I, you know, not to be like an old country song, but like, I wish I knew then what I knew now.
and yeah, and, you know, I would approach things differently, but at the same time, there's so much more like there and the resources that are, are possible. So, I, I mean, some people have asked of like, how'd you get to, what do I do? And it's a, I mean, I I will say like, it's, it's a hustle. There's, it's definitely more than what people of course see, like what's on screen or whatever gets posted and like, there's a lot more going on.
I mean, there's a, a grind and a hustle to it. but at the same time, it, it. I, I love what I do and I, my, you know, the people I've worked with in the past have been phenomenal. But, it, it's still that, like I said in what you just commented, I mean, it's advocating for teachers and like making it as impactful as possible.
yeah,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): What do you think is, if you had to say like the secret sauce of building community
Andy Knueven: that's like.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): doing it for a while? I know it's a big question.
Maybe what's your secret
Andy Knueven: my,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): 'cause you've been
Andy Knueven: it, it's, it's a hard, and I will say like, it's a hard thing because you can't measure it and it's the constant, like, but love, like love, love and, and, passion and joy, like,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I had Manny on the,
Andy Knueven: yeah. Oh, Manny. Yes. Yes.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): whole thing was how do you measure love? And I'm like, you're
Andy Knueven: Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): you, how.
Andy Knueven: A a And that is the thing of, and I, I mean, any company, any corporate, you know, kind of place, I mean, it's all there. I mean, there's a lot of numbers out there. but at the same time, just like in schools, they look at, you know, metrics and numbers. But we all know our students are more than numbers.
We know they're more than a test score, just like any performance indicator, is more than. A number. I mean, it, it, there's numbers involved, but like, love and appreciation and I mean, I mean, we could rattle off quotes of, you know, of inspiration, of, you know, people that do, people who feel appreciated do more than what's expected.
And, I mean, I, like I talked about with. You know, Joey, you know, messaging and saying, Hey, you know, we see what you're doing. Like we want you to do that. But for us, but it's like pouring out that love of like, Hey, you know, there's a connection here. There's an idea that somebody else had and I want to, you know, share that with you and relay and make these connections and, I mean, I, I think of my teammates. I mean, responding to fan mail is like, like that's love. And I mean, that's energy. It's time. But that makes a difference. And they are phenomenal people, to recognize how important that is. and so to say like, what's the secret sauce? I mean, like I said, love, love and passion and joy and,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right?
Andy Knueven: yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): really genuinely, Interesting. I think, you know what strikes me, and I've been so lucky because, on the bridge we have, I've have an episode with Anne. I have an episode with Jess. I have an episode with, dne. I have an episode like
Andy Knueven: They're all my people. Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I know, And now you, and, what I, what strikes me about. flip community, as it was and as it is. 'cause I don't really feel like it's gone away. I just
Andy Knueven: I dunno.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): really different, but,
Andy Knueven: Well, I, I, I think it's a ripple effect. Like, I mean, it's
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Andy Knueven: you, you talked about, I mean those are, I, I love every one of those people you just named and,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I
Andy Knueven: it, that, that community, and that's the beauty of it, is community doesn't have. Barrier. I mean, borders in that sense of like, friendship doesn't stop at a brand.
and it doesn't stop. Like no matter where we all started from and globally, like it's more than just like the team. And that's, that's the important thing to say, like, and Jess Jne, like, I mean, myself of, and Scott, I mean, I could rattle off, you know, the people, but it's, we're, it's more than, it's never about the.
The team, the, the Flipgrid team. It's, it's always about the people and how each of us, and I mean like us as a, a, a, a community, not the the main brand team, but like how we all have rippled outward into other spaces and into whether you are at the same building. That you were teaching at five years ago or 10 years ago, you're making an impact in another place, and that ripple effect follows you.
And it, it continues to go outward. So, yeah, I, it's maybe not the same name, but we're all, like, we're, we're, we're still ourselves, but just making new ripples outward and impacting others. And I mean, that's the beauty of the community idea of, you know. Just, yeah. Empowering each other to see their potential and know that they can make a difference wherever they are.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Exactly, and, to truly embrace all. And that's the, that's what strikes me about that has found time, a chapter of their life with that flip community. It's it, about. So much about belonging and representation and, celebrating and just, I am struck by, how inclusive that community is and how I really feel like, like in my time, similar to you.
I spent. a chapter myself doing, like doing like a grassroots movement called Connected tl, connected Teacher Leader. And we were running Twitter chats weekly. And we were do, we were on Voxer constantly and we were, it was that chapter where if we were connecting, it was there and it was like 20 13, 14, 15, it was incredible.
I was doing this with a few other people, but it was out of love. Nobody was paying us to do this. nobody was, there was no like ulterior motive. Just like survival and then seeing that like I, what I needed is what so many other people needed. And we were helping each other, we were each other's bat phones.
Like it was incredible. And then that similarly turned into a position at Q for me as Director of member Engagement, where they basically hired me to do, to engage all teachers in California, which was incredible as well. And, it like your story reminds me. Makes me think of wow. think, because I was doing that out of, that's where this opportunity and came from and continues to come from.
And I think, what's really unique about what's happening right now with community based on, like all of us that had started 10, 12 years ago and now we're here. It's like we all started from like our hearts and now we've Committed to doing this work at a solution level and like what happens, But we're still like the same people that just did it 'cause we loved it. So it's just interesting, as I think about your journey and I think about the others, like how you've had worn and this app, but it's been you the whole time. And, I think that's inspiring and I hope that. I hope that educators hear that and go and Remi remember their, what they uniquely bring. You know that it's not about the school they work at, it's not about that they're teaching this year. It's about the, all the ripples that they've done over the years and that all matters.
Andy Knueven: Yeah, there's always, I mean, every teacher I'm sure has a folder, and this is a prime time of the year to go back to that folder or that box and you have your student notes and or like the.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): here.
Andy Knueven: I,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): is in here.
Andy Knueven: yeah. And, and, but that's, those are those pieces of, like, to have that message, like I was at the, I was at the hardware store, you know, in town here.
And, the cashier, I mean, she's an old student of mine and like she is like, you know, I, you know, I just wanted to let you know, like it really meant a lot. Like I was going through some tough times and like, that was a rough year and you know, your class just was. Like inclusive and accepting and, it, it just is like, that means a lot.
Like, it, it takes a lot of work and energy to like pour your heart and like be there no matter what is going on personally or, you know, outward and you know what's going on in the school or whatever else is going on in the world. And you show up for your kids and just like we show up for. Our colleagues, our teammates, I mean for each other all around the world.
But to have a kid that remembers you and. I mean, that was, I mean, oh my gosh, about, eight, nine years ago that I had her. And, but for her to remember and, to say that, but then another kid that I was at, my son's at a practice and another kid, he's like, you know, Mr. K? And I was like, yeah. I mean, we all kind of grew up and I mean, it took a moment where.
When I see them every day when they're 10, and then later on when they're 18, I mean, they've grown to.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Andy Knueven: men and women and to, he was like, you know, Mr. K, he's like, you know, do you remember, because I always ended every semester with wrapping up the semester where kids wrote original song rhymes or raps about what we did in class.
And, so it, it, it was like, a fun way to one, I mean, every classroom is, has that moment of like, what do I do? Like we've turned in all of our devices, we've, you know, like what do we do? But you can still. Sing, you can still have fun and be creative and make those connections, but we always perform them.
And then the kids could either like, work in groups and I always said like, you can go solo, you can go, you know, in a, a, a duo, a trio, a barbershop quartet, or a, if you want a children's choir, you could go for it, but whatever you do, you know, go platinum. Have that mic drop moment. And, but he, anyways, but he was like, do you remember rapping in math class?
And he's like. We still pull up the recording every once in a while. Like he and his friends were part of my class, but they're still in class together and he is like, we still watch those, you know, from time to time. And it just was like so cool of to to know that like they like those, they may not remember the Pythagorean Ethereum or they may not like remember all these like finite details, but they know how we.
Made them feel they know how each other enjoyed class and wanted to be there. and yeah, it's those special moments, but like having that folder to go back and look at and know like you, you make a difference is, is huge.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep. I think that's the perfect way to wrap the episode and I would. I have a VHS actually of some of my high school students, performing commercials 'cause for persuasive writing, and I recorded it on an old, like video camera
Andy Knueven: Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. The, the VHS You have that? Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my god. I gotta unearth it. I need to find a VA
Andy Knueven: You have to get the cables to be able to plug in. Yeah, I say that's the next, you're gonna have to find a whole bunch of converters and.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): thank you so much. We'll have all of your contact info. And you know what I'm thinking too, like you mentioned ambassadors and if, is there like, is there information for people that would be like interested in doing Minecraft? Being in a Minecraft ambassador? is there, is that a link you could share that we could put in the show notes?
Is that a thing?
Andy Knueven: And so that's our global Minecraft teachers lounge group on Facebook. But I mean, that's the first place to get started and.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): amazing.
Andy Knueven: Then from there we have, you know, trainings and additional kind of supports that you can watch on demand async. But
Cate Tolnai (she/her): cool.
Andy Knueven: that, that's to get started. And then we like our ambassador program, of course, going through those additional steps.
But,
we have, yeah, that's the thing is get connected and,
exactly.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Just start there. Just get connected. I love it. thank you Andy, for your
Andy Knueven: Thank you, Cate. Oh my,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): and your love. I know, I feel so lucky to have had this time with you and like now when I get to see you at the next conference, I'll give you a big hug
Andy Knueven: I can't wait. Yes, I would say wherever that will be. Whenever, yeah. And multiples ahead of, you know, throughout wherever they are. But, I look forward to those, real life connections that,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I know
Andy Knueven: as real, so
Cate Tolnai (she/her): totally. Oh, awesome. Thank you.
Andy Knueven: Thank you.