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Shannon: yellow everybody, and welcome into a fantastic winter episode of Putin's podcast.
Pops, you are in for something special Today we are here with Benjamin Alba, the CEO and founder of Viscu.
And if that wasn't awesome enough, we have John, who is the CIO and founder of Viscu.
Gentlemen, welcome into the pop.
Benjamin: Thank you so much, Shannon.
We are thrilled to be here with you today.
John: Thank you, Shannon for having us.
Shannon: Absolutely, the honor is all mine.
So let's we got some titles we're thrown around here and everything, but John, why don't you go ahead and get us started with a little bit about you and what the origin story of Viscu is and then we'll let Ben, let us know how he came into the fold as well.
John: Yeah, absolutely.
So back in 2012, I was in my master's program sitting in a one of those physiology classes.
And the professor was talking a little bit about generalization transfer of skills.
You know, I'm still learning about this.
And the first question I had in my mind was, how come it's been decades and decades?
And there's still been difficulty transferring the skills from the therapy room to the real world.
And I felt like I came in here, I was like, I wanna solve this problem.
I don't know how to, but this is something that was like a challenge for me and I felt like I wanted to go out there and really help the world.
That's kind of how the idea started.
Where is this medium between, or that bridge between the therapy room and the real world.
So individuals with disabilities.
Can function and be independent as possible.
Shannon: Love it.
And when you say generalization, just in case and anybody doesn't really know you, you went into a little bit about it, but why is generalization so important?
John: Yeah.
So a lot of my students today, in the past 15 years I've been doing this adults that I've worked with.
They're great at getting the skills learned in my room.
Whether it's 1, 2, 3, 4 skills that they're working at the same time, they're great.
You know, they can get it done.
They're at 80% accuracy, which is that threshold we would like or higher.
And but right when they walk out the door, it just kind of goes right over their head or they just struggle.
And I felt like, you know, where, what can I do to get them to.
Keep that momentum going as much as possible, and I can't be there with them 24 7.
I can't hold their hands.
So what can I do to get them to transfer that skills from the four walls that we're in to the real world?
Shannon: Perfect.
Yep.
And that's I think the magic zone.
And speaking of magic zone Mr. Benjamin, how are you today?
Benjamin: I am, I'm doing amazing, Shannon.
I'm doing great.
If you want to hear a little bit about my journey here with John and how I joined, I'm happy to provide that
Shannon: Of course, yes.
That's why I flipped it on over to you.
Benjamin: Yep.
So.
Shannon: I wanna hear all about Ben.
Benjamin: Yeah.
So in 2019, I had an outpatient therapy practice, had a lot of requests for swallow evaluations.
My practice was focused on geriatric population serving seniors.
And John had applied on Indeed, and I hired John to do swallow evals for me and John and I just kind of saw eye to eye and we developed a friendship over time.
And eventually it led to one day he asked me to look at if I wanted to work on his invention with him and me being me.
I said, sure.
Like, let's take a peek at that.
And now here we are several years later, and this has turned into a life mission for me to bring John's invention to the world, to help millions and millions of kids.
Achieve their maximum potential.
Shannon: So when we initially talked, I got the impression that Viscu was kind of like an SLP in your pocket, speech language pathologist.
Big up to Miss Hillary Needy, and Kristen Vanderbilt, if they're listening, hopefully they are.
But what would you describe VQ as a product?
Benjamin: Yeah, so we developed Viscu to be a digital extension of a speech therapist, to work in conjunction with somebody like John to be able to collect data in real time to personalize that treatment and
create a continuity of care between the therapy room, the home and if that child, you know, moved from one area to another they would be able to still maintain that expert level of care that they've been receiving.
John: Yeah.
I think a big thing about Vis Q's mission is really to make someone as independent as possible at their pace.
Everyone's pace is different.
Scheduling is different when it comes to going into therapy.
So at their pace, at their time.
Making it as accessible as possible and affordable as possible for individuals with disabilities out there that want to function in the community just like the rest of us.
Shannon: I love.
Absolutely love it.
And I was fortunate enough, the reason I mentioned those SLPs, especially Hilary needy, she was unbelievable.
And I taught a multimodal communication classroom, so that was a very special education classroom.
And so we focused on students who had trouble orally communicating.
So they got some of the most speech minutes in the district.
My speech pathologist was in my classroom all the time, and she taught me how to integrate speech concepts into every lesson and everything that we did.
And if I hadn't have had that.
I would not have understood how critically important and how it speech touches every aspect of our life.
It doesn't just have to be that oral communication piece.
So John, can you expand just a little bit on the critical importance of actual speech techniques and everything and what you actually cover?
'cause Ben even mentioned at the beginning the swallow study.
I don't think people even realize that's something that SLPs do.
So kinda let us in behind the curtain a little bit on, on everything that's included in SLPs job.
John: Yeah.
It's a huge misconception.
Everybody thinks that we work on lisps or maybe of a stutter, but we go way deeper into that.
So there's about five, six different areas, major areas we work on speech, of course, as everybody knows the sounds in standard American English here in the us.
We work on stuttering, which we also call fluency.
We work on voice to see, you know.
I, is it appropriate for the age for the is there the dis the disability as well?
What the disability is depending on the diagnosis we work on the big one, which is language.
And a lot of people don't understand that language is under the umbrella of speech and language therapy.
And language can also be broken into three different parts.
The expressive language, so how we put words into sentences to verbalize understanding which is the receptive language.
Understanding the information coming in.
So you could be following directions understanding a specific concept, like for example, putting something on a table that is a, that's part of language, not part of the speech component.
And then we work on the pragmatic, that's the third component under language, which is the social skills.
And that's a huge component we work on in schools especially, is the the social skills aspect.
So there are major areas that speech and language pathologists work on outside of the typical speech sounds and stuttering.
Shannon: you.
I think that's critically important for people to understand that.
'cause a lot of times, like you mentioned the, you know, putting something on the table, a lot of people will think that's like a cognitive issue or something like that.
And, you know, directionality left, right up and down.
Whereas in essence it could be part of either, you know, the receptive communication or that language piece like you said.
And so we might be targeting something that isn't even the problem.
And so I see Viscu absolutely as a solution to be able to fit that.
And so, Benjamin, can you tell us a little bit about what activity you guys decided to start on for Viscu?
'cause I think it might surprise some people judging by just hearing, oh, language and speech like John said.
Benjamin: You know, I think it even surprised me.
We started with brushing the teeth and this came through having a conversation with John and I asked John why would we start with brushing the teeth for a speech therapy solution that we're working on?
And then John honed in on all of the components that are necessary to teach somebody how to brush their teeth from the receptive language components to the cognition, being able to follow directions to be able to
sequence and be able to have correct behavior how important this is for the morning routine with the children that we serve and how important oral hygiene is encapsulated into one very simple in, in my mind activity.
And that's how we got here with this activity.
Shannon: So John and Ben, we have actually had the unique opportunity to not only work virtually with each other, but Benjamin, you came on out to Kentucky, you hit up the 4 0 2 2 oh.
Tell me a little bit about why you joined us and what happened when you were here.
Share that excitement with everybody.
Benjamin: Yeah, no it was a tremendous experience getting out there to, to a, see the kids that are using this to meet the teachers and the educators,
the assistants that are helping facilitate the deployment of our software and really understand their needs as these children progress into life.
Into early adulthood on how we can help them transfer these skills that they're learning in virtual reality into the real world.
Shannon: Absolutely.
And so for anybody that's listening, Viscu is already deployed in over five counties and 10 schools here in Kentucky.
So once again, Kentucky is on the forefront of education and instructional practices.
And one of the reasons that I really got behind Viscu, and I love it compared to anything else I've seen, has been the systematic instructional approach to how it actually teaches students.
So John, can you kind of give us a little bit of information about what am I talking about when I say systematic instruction?
And why does Vis Q's prompting system it, excuse me.
Why does Vis Q'S prompting system employ those?
No.
Nope.
Dang it.
I had it.
I don't usually mess up like this.
Peggy got me all off my game.
Okay.
Anyways, so one of the reasons that I instantly fell in love with VCU was that it is the only program that I've seen so far that actually uses research-based special education practice in their instruction.
Whether that's systematic prompting or how we progress students through the actual activity.
So, John, can you go ahead and tell people what actually is that and why does that make VISCU so special?
John: Yeah.
So with vq a big thing is kind of with me.
I've used a lot of what I've learned to be able to implement a lot in vq.
And I felt that, you know, if I'm being successful in therapy, why not be successful inside of Viscu?
And of course, it, there is no one size fits all.
So, the way, you know, I thought about it is we're gonna try to help all the students we can with the different types of, you know, prompting that we can do how the responses that we get can help them achieve to their potential.
And again, going back to the one size fits all, it.
I've tried it even in therapy where I've worked with one student and I've tried the same tactic, same strategy, but did not work.
And I knew that you can't do that with a system.
It has to be personalized, but under the umbrella of a systematic prompting structure that we felt, you know, as team, as a team from Viscu, that if we can cater to each person's ability, success, and use their strengths and their success
to propel them forward through this systematic prompting, then we can get them to be as successful and are able to learn the skills, all the skills that they need to learn at the same time or over time to be as independent as possible.
Shannon: so.
Jimin.
When you were here, we saw three different classrooms that were labeled the same type of classroom, moderate severe disability, and throughout those three classrooms, I don't think there was a single student that wasn't unique.
They were all different.
And so knowing that there are so many different needs, there's so little time in the day.
Also, you got to see all of the demands that are on the educators in the classroom throughout the day.
What is it about Viscu that is going to help make their jobs easier to support their students without actually replacing them?
Because I know that's a big fear with educators and technology.
Benjamin: Yeah.
Yeah, that, that's a great question.
So I was able to observe these classrooms and really learn from you and the teachers and their aides on what exactly they need to be s supported and be able to deliver this instruction to these children.
One great thing about VQ is that you can use it with multiple kids at the same time to focus on their individualized goals.
And essentially what we've done with VQ is we've connected a virtual reality headset to a HIPAA compliant and FERPA compliant EMR system in the backend that collects all this data in real time and helps give educators essentially clinical or precision tools.
That you would get for a speech therapist, but you're getting these now for educators to help them deliver.
and something else that's unique about Viscu is it's almost like a set it and forget it type of situation where you can have one aid or one educator or a parent or whomever set up 1, 2, 3, 4, multiple children at the same time.
Allow them to practice their skill in virtual reality.
Getting expert level instruction based off of our patented algorithm and collect all that data in real time.
That gives the educator insight into how each child's progressing step-by-step, day by day and over time kind of goes hand in hand with the continuity of care.
Aspect I discussed earlier, and we can deploy it with multiple kids at the same time.
Shannon: And I know a lot of districts are worried about security, especially involving data or any student information.
So does Viscu have any special type of security certification that it uses?
Benjamin: Yep.
So when we designed this we designed it to be her HIPAA and FERPA compliant.
you want me to discuss a little bit of actually how we designed this platform?
Because before we even wrote one line of code, we engaged the FDA to understand.
Okay.
Yep.
Shannon: Yeah, absolutely.
Benjamin: So before we even wrote one line of code in this design is we engaged with the FDA to understand what they were gonna want to see out of our platform.
So this platform is HIPAA and FERPA compliant.
In one day it's going to be software as a medical device.
Today we're using it as an assistive technology, but it's a medical grade precision tool that incorporates HIPAA and FERPA compliance.
Shannon: I love that because it's thinking about the future and all different kinds of use cases, which I think is important because to John's
point about generalization, if they can do it in the speech, you know, therapy office, well, they need to be able to do it in the classroom.
They need to be able to do it at home.
And we need to have them, you know, be able to practice and in successfully complete these skills no matter what environment they're in.
And that's going to require, you know, security and backing from the departments that are saying, you know, Hey, this is research proven, or hey, this is, you know, medical grade.
And I think that's a fantastic journey that you guys are on and what we've seen already.
'cause John, you're in the classroom.
You are in SLPI believe in a public school setting and you're in elementary.
And so as a former elementary teacher, we see some different types of things.
But with that, and knowing what, you know, what you do with.
Actual speech and language.
How is it that you're seeing different educators reacting to the platform and it are they like saying, you know, this is our Mr. John, or like, are you seeing any fun with it?
I kind of just missed the fun of being in the classroom.
Mm-hmm.
John: Yeah.
Well, actually using vq correct?
With the, some of the students, yeah.
They, I've got nothing but positive feedback from our students.
They love it.
They feel like it's a game, you know, to just, it's another extension of me as in therapy, but it's something that they've never done before.
Some kids have never tried it before, and once they do, they're kind of hooked.
They love it.
They just feel like they are in that environment and it's just like a wow moment for them.
So that's always exciting to get that kind of feeling.
Or that kind of feedback from them, that's, it's always it's always like gratifying to put, to see that smile on their face.
Shannon: Absolutely.
And the one of the things that I was.
Just 'cause I was full transparency.
I was having a little, not career, you know, meltdown, but I was just like, man, am I doing like everything I can?
Am I actually making a difference?
And then this text message came through and I wanna share this with everybody so you guys can kind of speak to it and you can talk about some
of the student success stories that we're already seeing here in Kentucky and how educators are so smart in integrating it into their lessons.
Teachers took this and ran with it and put it into their morning, you know, toothbrushing routine as it was.
So I got a text that said, Shannon, I have to tell you how awesome it was to use the app today.
Double exclamation point.
This guy was over the moon, happy, he got to use the helmet.
LOLI have already received two parent consents and those two had the opportunity to use the app today.
They cheered for each other and wanted to keep brushing their teeth.
Love.
Thank you again for all you do.
I just can't say enough about our positive experience.
So that gave me the chills of course.
And I think I probably cried.
So what does that mean to you guys when you hear something like that about something you've created?
Benjamin: I think this is the reason why we do it.
Right.
we put at the forefront of our mission it's the parents of the children with special needs.
It's the kids.
It's the educators, right?
At the end of the day, this is the impact that we're making.
It makes the struggle and the challenge that it took to get here.
Worth it.
On, on a similar note, we just got an email yesterday, which you were on.
If that's okay, I can just read a little excerpt there because it falls in line with exactly what you're saying here, and this is the feedback that we're getting.
So is it okay if I just share a little expert here, Shannon?
Shannon: I would love it.
Benjamin: So, on a follow up email on how our program is working out.
I quote, tomorrow will make 12 days school days.
We have been out due to the weather, but the wonderful thing about having VQ is it will be the one thing students will be looking forward to when they're finally able to return that and lunch break.
LOL VQ ranks right up there with those important parts of the day for our students.
This is just how fun learning is with Viscu and
Shannon: Come on.
Benjamin: more proud.
Shannon: Forget about it.
Are you kidding me?
About brushing their teeth like that.
I think people need to really think about that.
These kids and these things are talking about kids are brushing their teeth.
Something that typically people, especially kids, are not fans of.
And John, you know, too, a lot of our students have sensory issues that make, you know, brushing their teeth even more of a challenge.
And here these kids are actually cheering for it and requesting it over like a typical game.
John: Yeah.
Yeah.
This, honestly, just to hear this has already gone beyond my wildest dreams from back in 2012 just to hear that just this idea be coming to life.
And now students like these, like you were saying excited about a boring task, which is brushing your teeth, and we just made it fun.
So to me that's a big check mark in my book.
Shannon: Absolutely.
And when we talked about that generalization, I think there was one more email that we got and because of course we all know those of us in the industry, we know
VR works, we know immersive learning works, we know why, but we need more data and things like that to show if that actually translates to real world success.
So are you seeing any generalization with any of the students that are currently using viscu?
John: Yeah, so with, for me personally the kids that I've used it with in home kids and their parents some of these parents have told me that a month, two months after using Viscu, they are brushing their teeth independently without any help.
And they just do it the way they were doing it in Viscu.
So that kind of feedback shows that there is that transfer, that generalization that I mentioned earlier.
VCU has hopefully highlighted that problem and is able to fill that gap.
Benjamin: I, if I could just add in, 'cause John is being very humble there.
We did a brief research on this here in Southern California.
And we did it with 11 kids and 10 of the 11 kids showed generalization at the one month and three month follow ups being able to execute this independently.
On their own and even wanting to brush their teeth multiple times a day.
Shannon: There you go.
See?
Are you kidding me?
Come on now.
That's what I was gonna say too.
Not only are they doing it, but they're wanting to, so it can hopefully reduce some of those potential behavior incidences that we're seeing at home.
'cause I mean, I get it.
Like you're tired, you wanna go to bed, whatever you've had a long day.
The last thing you wanna do is fight with your kid about brushing their teeth.
And it doesn't have to be a special ed child, quote unquote, to have any of these battles.
That's what I also love about Viscu, is you have picked a skill to start with that is.
Germane to everybody.
Like I don't have kids, but you guys do.
But I do have to brush Peggy my beagle's teeth and she does not like it.
So every night it is a little bit of a battle.
So I mean, everybody needs to do this.
And so this is something that can work for everybody.
And again, that's what I always love about those special ed practices.
They work for everybody so they're open to anybody.
And so as we're talking about this and we've got this great excitement with this first one, so I actually am using it with my girl Rebecca, big up Rebecca.
And I had her from Head start to fifth grade and now she is 22.
Ugh.
That's like a knife to the heart.
Makes me feel old.
But I'm using Viscu with her and her parents are like, what's next?
What's next?
What do you got?
You got hand washing 'cause she still uses the whole bottle.
What do you got?
So where are you guys taking viscu?
What do you think is gonna be some of the next steps and how are you gonna implement some exciting new things?
Benjamin: So that's a great question.
Shannon's, so the feedback that we got from the teachers, and what I saw firsthand out there in Kentucky is that there's a big need.
A big gap for life skills training.
Some of the things that we have on our roadmap right now that we're working on to support these kids are simple things that we take for granted.
Like doing your laundry or making a coffee, right?
One of the goals here that we have is you, if not, the goal is to help these children live a life of independence and achieve their maximum potential.
So our big focus right now is helping these kids now, well into the future.
I'll never forget a conversation John and I had a couple of years ago when he was describing his vision for this.
He said that he wishes he could be with every kid all the time because he'd be able to help them.
And I asked, is that really true?
He said a hundred percent With everyday tasks, whether it's ordering a coffee or ordering at a restaurant any one of these things.
He can help provide instruction with.
And one of the things that we're working on here at Viscu is, given where modern technology is can we be there with them all the time?
Can't go too far into that on our roadmap, but that's one of the things that we are working on right now.
Shannon: I think you've highlighted something that's critically important also, that yes, they are life skills, but the laundry and the coffee tasks that you mentioned are actually also job skills for the students that we talked with here in Kentucky.
So down in pike County, they have a phenomenal program, a bunch of them, and students at both of those schools actually they have full on coffee and soda shops that their teacher is running and that they work at.
So now they're actually building work skills and employment skills.
Through life skills, and so we're not only helping them to become independent as far as living on their own, but it's making them more employable.
Benjamin: I think this is one of those things that John had kind of told me that it goes back to what is speech therapy?
What is a speech therapist?
And a speech therapist is really an expert in developmental learning.
Right.
John?
And I would love you to kind of talk about.
How all these things incorporate, how the principles of speech therapy are able to really help these kids.
John: Yeah, so in our field, speech therapists are kind of like the gatekeeper when it comes to special education.
And, you know, we work with students as young as six months up to 99 years old.
And I'm only gonna speak for myself as a speech therapist, but when we look at the foundational skills you know, you can't build a home without the foundation.
And so as a speech therapist, I always keep in mind that what are the foundational skills that this student has or does not have?
And you gotta build on that.
And so with the life skills, it could sound like, you know, a complex task, but you know, when you break it up into smaller pieces and
look at where the foundational skills are, where is the gap, and you fill that gap and you help via viscu, you're able to help them.
You.
Build that scale and be able to be in the workforce, be able to do that task effortlessly and independently because we did help 'em with those foundational skills.
And it kind of goes back to what speech therapists do, is they look at that foundational language and speech skills to help them build other skills on top of that.
Shannon: What I think is also important to understand for people, you know as they're listening, is that.
Those foundational skills that you're talking about, they're in every task that we do.
But having the foundational ability to complete those tasks is what makes us successful in the world.
Because we all, in the special ed world in particular, we love task analysis.
And you can do a task analysis and you can do it great.
And that's where this is step one.
And the student could do step one through step five, and they've got a hundred percent.
Well, what happens if step three now is different?
If you don't have the ability in those foundational skills, then you're not able to handle a change in step three.
So that's what I love.
So when we were talking about laundry and that task, and you said, well, how do we, you know, integrate w questions say into laundry tasks and then we started to talk about it?
I think that's where that magic of language and language instruction comes in.
Because on the surface you would think you don't need any w type, you know, con questions in laundry.
But then when you actually sit and think about it, it's like, okay, what type of fabric is this?
You know, what water should we wash this in?
How long can it be in the dryer?
These are critically important skills that if a student messes them up, now all of a sudden they're cashmere sweater or something, which probably shouldn't even be washed probably directly and only, but you get what I'm saying?
So how is it that VQ integrates all of that foundational knowledge into those type of tasks that people might not really see from the outside looking in?
John: Yeah, so, we just kind of have to like strip it and get to the bare bones and figure out, you know, what are all the components to help in this task from complex to simple.
And we have to always break it down no matter what.
And think about every possibility and integrate the problem solving, the critical thinking, the reasoning there, the language there.
And this is what the team does.
They look at all the different components to see how can every individual be as successful as possible in this task.
Like you said, you know, you might not realize that there are WH questions in a laundry task, but when we sit there and we think about it and we talk and we brainstorm together, we figure out, oh, this is important to this task.
So that majority, hopefully all students and adults can get through this and really truly learn, rather than just just go through the motion and end up being a rope,
you know, through rope memory, but really, truly learn because we do certain things that will get them to, remember how to do it right when they take off that headset.
So it's not just, you know, go through sq, but outside you're able to do it.
And just in case there are small steps that are missing, they're able to fill that gap in the real world.
Shannon: I think that's a, is such an important feature is that viscu is adaptable to the situation and adaptable to the student.
And Benjamin, we saw this too in one of the high schools.
They not only had like in-home washer and dryers, but they hadn't an industrial washer and dryer because they specifically trained students for that job.
And so if, you know, if typically they're only washing like white sheets, okay, but what if all of a sudden a red sock or you know, a red washcloth gets in with those sheets?
What happens if I put this in with it?
Those things.
And why viscu needs to be adaptable.
Benjamin: and that's why it's so important that we teach every skill step by step and give them as much or little help as they need at each step to kind of what John is saying there, so they can fill in these little gaps in reason on their own.
That's why it's crucial what we do.
Shannon: I've always said that learning and instruction, and especially when we're integrating immersive learning, is a wide open field.
I think there's plenty of room for everybody in this space.
So can you just highlight what it is about Viscu that makes Viscu Space special?
There's kind of like a magic sauce.
A secret sauce I think that you guys have that we haven't fully highlighted.
And so without giving away too much, can you kind of just tell us the basis for how you decided on your instructional method with Inside Vsq?
John: I think with Viscu, what we're really trying to do is give the tools to these individuals, these children, these adults, and use these tools that we provide for them to learn at their pace, at their time, wherever they are.
That's really the goal of this.
It's not keeping 'em restricted in any way.
But more giving 'em the strategies, the tools to go out there and learn on their own so they can just be part of the community.
I think I'm just trying to be specific.
What I'm trying to be general at the same time, because there's so much we can go into it into what Viscu really does, but
Shannon: yeah, so like you've talked about, like how that, you know, and what the goal of achieving it is.
But what I noticed, what was different about viscu that nobody else that I've seen, at least not specifically advertising every, everybody that I've seen in different products, they're like, oh, we teach students this way or that way, or whatever.
But Viscu specifically uses research-based, proven systematic instruction, and I think that's a critically important.
Component of viscu because that is something that we know is a gold standard of instruction.
It has been vetted, and that is for any student of any ability level.
So why is that so important for Viscu that you guys have decided to use an instructional method that can be applied for any learner?
John: So, as a therapist I've learned to be as malleable as possible.
And being malleable is a way to help people learn whether they have a disability or not.
And I think we are just trying to use our rules into bicu to be a malleable product that walks with you.
Wherever you go.
As you mentioned, Shannon, as a as a therapist tutor or a therapist side sidekick.
Is that what you called it?
Shannon: In your pocket?
John: a therapist in your pocket?
That's right.
I think our goal was to have this Q as a as a therapist or a friend or a teacher in your pocket to walk through life with you, to be able to get you to learn and function to the best of your ability.
And that's what Viscu is to be I guess the word for me is malleable as possible.
So that's kind of where I'm going with this.
Ben.
Shannon: So I see the gold standard, as you says, it walks with you.
I think a lot of the times people tend to advertise and create software specifically for special ed kids.
Like, oh, this is for the neurodivergent kids, this is for the special ed kids.
However, a lot of the times it's not always just the special ed kids that need the instruction, so.
A lot of the times you're typically performing students, they might not know how to interact with special ed kids.
They might not know the supports that they need.
They might benefit from some of the same instructional methods that those special ed kids are getting.
So when you're using that gold standard of instruction, it makes viscu plausible and not only plausible, but encouraged to be used with any student of any age, of any ability level.
Would you agree with that?
Benjamin: It?
Yes.
We would.
So.
If you can teach a neurodiverse learner, you could teach a neurotypical learner.
'cause we use the same five tools to learn developmentally.
So one of the premises of Viscu is if you could teach somebody to brush their teeth, you can teach safe and controlled chemistry experiments to high school students, right?
We see this as the future of learning full stop to eventually, you know, this is really crazy, Shannon.
So, but eventually being able to help train, you know, Elon's team and the first humans that are gonna touch down on Mars, right?
Creating that simulation with this prompting methodology can, in theory help support them to learn and be adaptable to a, you know, a martian atmosphere, right?
So any, it's a very broad context.
Shannon: Well, he just adjusted, I think, to the moon again, but we'll see what, whatever happens.
I'm excited for it.
And exactly.
And so with all this talking and all this, you know, kind of, I would say, you know, text speak, not text speak that we've been saying.
Basically, the point that I've been trying to get across is that VQ isn't just guessing at what makes quality instruction.
VQ is using research-based proven methods to teach students.
Like you said, full stop and whatever that task might be is kind of insignificant because if the instructional method and process is quality, then you can fill in anything into that.
It can be brushing your teeth, it can be laundry, like you said, it can be going to Mars.
And so that's why I really wanted to highlight Viscu and have our listeners understand what it truly actually is doing.
And so as we're coming to a close and you haven't gotten out of the closing countdown that's coming up, I know you're excited waited with bated breath on that one, but is there anything else that we haven't really talked about or that you just wanna.
Let people know about vq.
Also, I'm gonna include you know, with the podcast, I'm gonna include links to everybody's LinkedIn and to vq and people can always reach out to me if they need.
But is there anything else that you wanna, you know, kind of a parting message you wanna leave people with?
And then if you want to leave any of your contact information or anything like that, I'm sure our listeners would love to have that.
Benjamin: Yeah, no there, there's a lot of stuff in the news lately about, you know, the whole XR space with meta and those things, right?
And I, is this space crashing And I think that this is the most affecting teaching tool in the world that we have available to us.
And that there's great companies out there are gonna continue carrying the torch.
And, you know, we aim to be one of those companies that are gonna be able to help support.
These kids to live a life of independence and eventually be able to teach kids that, allow them to accelerate their learning at their pace.
Right.
Full stop.
Shannon: And if anybody wanted to reach out to you, Benjamin are they able to do that in any certain way?
Benjamin: Yep.
You can reach out to me via LinkedIn or you can reach out to me directly via email, which isBenjamin@vizq.ai.
I respond within 24 hours to all messages.
Yes.
Yeah.
I,
Shannon: We threw that golden down.
I do not say that, but that that's gutsy of you.
I like it.
Definitely LinkedIn.
Everybody in the, especially in the immersive space, has gotta use LinkedIn.
So what about you, John?
John: Yeah.
To reach out John at ViQ, same thing.
Ja john@vizq.ai.
I don't know if I respond within 24 hours, but I'll do my best.
I do have two little kids, but it's I'll definitely do my best.
But I'm here to answer any questions.
I've talked to a lot of parents at schools, you know, after school hours.
Sometimes I'll respond on weekends just because I want to help these parents help their children.
So.
Shannon: And that's what I think I wanted to kind of round out the message about Viscu is that you guys actually.
Legitimately care.
You can tell who's in this space to make money.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm not hating on that.
But you can tell who, who genuinely wants to help and who cares.
And you gentlemen definitely are.
And that's why it's been an honor to have you on the podcast.
It's been an honor to work with you.
I'm thrilled about what we're doing and what we're going to continue to do.
I'm proud of Kentucky for being on the forefront of this and embracing it.
And so big shout out to Madison County, pike County, Jefferson County.
Big shout outs to them.
And I just can't thank you guys enough for coming into my life because I feel like it's been a blessing and I've been able to help students that I have always wanted to help.
So, thank you gentlemen.
Benjamin: We can't
John: having us, Shannon.
Benjamin: Yeah, man.
We can't link you enough because as big as a blessing, we might have been to you.
I think you might have been tenfold to us.
So we're
John: Absolutely.
Benjamin: thrilled to call you our friend and our colleague.
It's been tremendous and I think we have a very bright future together.
Shannon: Aw, shucks.
I do too.
Alright, closing countdown.
Now this one, like I said, you could have been asked this before, but I think that, and I'm not aging any of us, but I feel like we kind of grew up at the end of, in middle of like the kind of heyday golden age of TV theme songs.
And you know, facts of Life was awesome.
It was a little bit ahead of us, but what are your three favorite TV theme songs of all time?
I know
Benjamin: Yeah, that, that's a tough one.
So, you know, I'm a parent of a toddler and
Shannon: man.
Benjamin: like, the only thing that's like really blasting in my head is it's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse come inside.
It is fun inside and like, I can't think of anything else.
Disney does a great job.
Shannon: Go Disney.
You got props there.
Okay, well that's one,
Benjamin: yeah.
John, help me out here.
John: I can think of two right now, right off the top of my head.
I know there are other ones, but I grew up watching Bayside saved by the Bell.
Shannon: All right.
Okay.
Good one.
Respect for John.
John: The other one, I was a little bit older.
Not that much older, but a little bit older, was friends.
Friends is a huge one for me
Shannon: Okay.
Not hating.
I don't like the show, but I'm not hating on you.
I mean, Benjamin, we got like, come on.
You got like, who's the boss?
We've got growing pains.
We've got Baywatch sung by Mr. David Hasselhoff himself.
Like I said, facts of like Gilligan's Island.
Come on mean.
We got some classics here.
See
John: Oh yes.
Gala.
Glens Island.
You just, yeah, you hit the nail on the head.
Shannon: That's my number one.
And I know the opening and closing theme song of Gilligan's Island.
'cause there's an opening and a closing.
And I feel like now, because I'm sure it's because of advertisements and stuff, but now they like cut the, you know, the theme songs down to like three seconds.
'cause they wanna have more showtime.
But like, even like Game of Thrones is legit.
Benjamin: I don't know.
I'm really drawing a blank here, Shannon.
Let me I don't know.
This one really threw me through a loop.
I should be able to answer this.
Shannon: Now my, you're going down on my respect letter though.
Benjamin: I know.
How about the Sopranos?
Shannon: and Son.
Like what?
Benjamin: is great, but the Sopranos, I think is
Shannon: Good.
Okay.
Benjamin: of my favorites.
Shannon: Okay.
You've recovered a little bit there.
Benjamin: I really think about it, when I was a kid, the X-Files, that was like, you hear that, you know, and now that I'm an adult with the toddlers, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Shannon: See, it's okay, but it's instantly recognizable because then in 20 years when they're on a podcast and somebody asks them, they'll probably say The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
John: Can I just name a few more?
Shannon: Yes, please.
John: I mean, I grew up in the nineties pretty much.
I would consider myself in the nineties.
Shannon: Mm-hmm.
John: So I don't know, I'm kind of maybe like an old soul, but I, like, I love Lucy from back in the fifties and the sixties.
We just grew up watching it.
Shannon: Mm-hmm.
John: And family
Shannon: going up on my All Family Matters.
Yes, sir. John's going up on my ladder.
Benjamin: and that,
Shannon: Matters is a good one,
Benjamin: so, but this isn't an old one.
This is a more modern one, but I think like one of the catchiest ones recently is a succession that the piano
Shannon: Mm-hmm.
Benjamin: that's really
Shannon: Yep.
There's some that are just, it's like recognizable Stranger Things tends to be, you know, a good one.
Now I feel like I grew up in that time where, you know, I paid money to have ringtones on my phone that were like, you know, the best like theme songs and stuff like that.
And now God, I would throw my phone across the room if it actually made a noise when it rang.
But yeah, so I we actually, this came from, so when I travel, like with my parents, I'll it used to be a CD that I burned, but now I just use the internet.
But I'll, we play name that tune with tv, theme songs and it's my mom versus my dad.
So
Benjamin: Oh, I love that.
Shannon: like, yeah, like Cheers Taxi, I mean, all of them.
Greatest American Hero.
That was like an actually an actual song.
So Gilligan's Island is one for me.
Golden Girls is number two.
'cause I mean, that's just one of the best shows of all
John: You know, I still, I'm still questioning myself why I watched the Golden Girls when I was younger.
I think I just don't understand why I watched it,
Shannon: Because it was awesome
John: but it was entertaining though.
Shannon: Yeah.
And they were ahead of their time and there was not a topic they did not cover on that show.
They talked about gay marriage, they talked about HIV, they talked about chronic fatigue syndrome.
I mean they talked about everything on that show.
John: They did.
They did, but I still don't understand why I watched for elderly women having I, I just don't understand.
Maybe I, I had limited channels and that's probably why
Shannon: I think it's just the magic of the Golden Girls.
I think it can just apply to everybody.
So I would say, yeah, so I would say Gilligan's Island Golden Girls.
And what would be, and again, it sometimes depends on my mood, but my third one I like a little bit.
I don't know.
I like the Sopranos.
That was a good one.
That was definitely good.
I love who's the boss man?
Like it really, it was so good.
Like, but I'd probably go fax to life.
That would be my third.
I. You take the goods, you take the bad.
I mean, come on.
John: They're all
Shannon: I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna make anybody listen to my singing,
Benjamin: Yeah.
Yeah.
Shannon: But
Benjamin: I shouldn't have
Shannon: I would.
All subscribers gone.
Benjamin: Yeah.
Shannon: Well, gentlemen some of that might get caught.
It might not, but I hope that stays.
'cause it feels like it lets people in on, on who we are and who our personalities are.
So I cannot thank you enough and I look forward to our next conversation and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Benjamin: Hey, thank you so much Shannon.
We really appreciate the opportunity.
John: Thank you so much, Shannon.