My EdTech Life

Ep.329 Building with Purpose with Eduaide In this episode, I welcome back two familiar voices: Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel, the powerhouse team behind Eduaide.AI. This isn’t just another conversation about AI. It’s a grounded, honest discussion on what it means to build tech for teachers, by teachers.We talk growth, grit, and grounded design. From their classroom beginnings to becoming one of the most trusted teacher-first platforms, we unpack how they’re putting pedagogy over hype, and purpose over buzzwords.🎧 If you are skeptical, curious, or cautiously optimistic about AI in education, this is a great episode for you. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Context Setting06:46 EduAid's Growth and Development14:09 Feedback and Teacher Engagement20:56 Pedagogy and Technology Integration22:16 Community Feedback and Its Impact on EduAid23:38 International Reach and Localized Curriculum26:29 Access and Equity in Education28:23 The Ripple Effect of EduAid32:34 Navigating AI in Education35:18 The Hype and Reality of AI Tools39:37 Public Education vs. Private Success46:24 Revisiting Taxonomy of LLMs in Education53:20 Challenges of AI Integration in Schools56:31 Navigating the AI Landscape in Education01:03:09 Grounding in Reality: The Educator's Perspective01:11:02 Innovations in EduAid: Enhancing Teaching Tools01:17:04 Final Thoughts and Reflections on Education and AI 🫶 A huge thanks to our incredible sponsors for supporting this work: Eduaide.AI, Book Creator, Yellowdig, 🛠️ My EdTech Life is about real conversations that matter. No buzzwords, just honest dialogue with the people building the future of learning.🙏 Like, comment, and subscribe to keep these conversations going—and as always… Stay Techie, my friends.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

AI in Schools: Innovation or Illusion? | Ep. 328 with Job ChristiansenIs AI making classrooms smarter—or just noisier?In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Job Christiansen, a fellow cautious advocate, educator, and instructional technology specialist, to ask the hard questions about AI’s role in education. From privacy concerns to the illusion of “safe use,” we unpack what most educators, tech leaders, and decision-makers aren’t being told about the tools flooding our schools.Job doesn’t just read privacy policies, he tests them, creating teacher and student accounts to see what’s really happening behind the interface. This episode dives into why most AI tools may still be stuck in the substitution phase and what it’s going to take to truly shift toward responsible, innovative, human-centered use.🎧 Whether you're in K–12 or Higher Ed, this one will challenge your thinking. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:00 Job’s Journey Into EdTech 06:00 First Reactions to ChatGPT in 2022 10:00 Early Adoption vs. Caution in Schools 13:30 AI's Substitution Trap & SAMR Concerns 19:00 Redefining “Safe” in AI Tools 24:30 What Job Found Testing Student-Facing AI Apps 30:00 Historical Accuracy and the AI “George Washington” Problem 36:00 The Concept of AI Pollution and Knowledge Dilution 43:00 Transparency, Trust, and Teacher Responsibility 47:00 Final Takeaways and Reflective Advice 50:00 Where to Connect with Job 54:00 EdTech Kryptonite, Billboards, and Historical Curiosity🙏 Big thanks to our amazing sponsors: 🔹 Book Creator 🔹 Eduaide.AI 🔹 Yellowdig💬 Visit www.myedtech.life to explore more episodes and support the show.👋 Stay curious. Stay critical. And as always—Stay Techie.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Episode 327:  Learning & Development, Instructional Design, and AI Talk with Holly Owens  In this episode, I had the honor of chatting with Holly Owens, host of EdUp EdTech, Director of Growth Marketing at Yellowdig, and all-around L&D powerhouse. We talk about everything from instructional design to AI in learning, what "proficiency" really means, and how educators can pivot into the world of L&D with confidence.If you're an educator, learning designer, or someone navigating the fast-moving world of EdTech, this one's packed with takeaways you’ll want to keep coming back to.We go deep on human-first learning, ethical red flags with AI, and the importance of not letting imposter syndrome get in your way. Whether you’re pivoting careers or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, Holly brings the fire.🔗 Connect with Holly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyowens/ 🎧 Listen to the EdUp EdTech Podcast: https://www.edupedtech.com/👇 Check out the full breakdown and timestamps below:⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome and intro 01:00 – Meet Holly Owens 03:00 – Holly’s journey from K-12 to L&D 05:30 – From marketing to education and vice versa 07:00 – The power of knowing your learners 09:00 – Human-first learning and why it matters 11:00 – Helping educators pivot and grow 14:00 – AI in learning: Hype vs. reality 17:00 – TruePeer and other AI tools Holly’s using 19:00 – Evaluating EdTech through an accessibility lens 21:00 – When to use AI—and when not to 24:00 – Losing your voice to AI? Here's Holly’s take 26:30 – AI and the emotional gap 28:00 – Digital wellness and AI companions 31:00 – What does proficiency in EdTech really mean? 33:00 – Navigating tech with teacher instincts 36:00 – Change management in the L&D world 38:00 – Ethical red flags in instructional design 40:00 – Not every problem needs a training 42:00 – AI and automation: What’s next? 44:00 – What skills are still uniquely human? 46:00 – Where to connect with Holly 47:00 – Rapid-fire Q&A: Kryptonite, billboards, and Taylor Swift?🙏 A huge thanks to our amazing sponsors: Book Creator | Eduaide.AI | Yellowdig💻 Visit https://www.myedtech.life for more episodes, resources, and guest spotlights.🎧 Until next time… Stay Techie!Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

What Does It Mean to Be Digitally Well? | with Teodora Pavkovic In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Teodora Pavkovic, psychologist, speaker, and digital wellness expert at Linewize, to unpack how technology shapes our emotions, identity, and relationships. From AI companions and algorithmic influence to parenting in the age of chatbots, Teodora offers practical wisdom and actionable strategies for families and schools seeking healthy digital habits.We dive into why digital platforms aren’t just neutral tools, how emotional regulation is critical in tech use, and what educators can do right now to foster balance in digitally connected classrooms.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 - Intro & Welcome 02:10 - What is Digital Wellness? 06:15 - Are Digital Platforms Truly Neutral Tools? 10:22 - The Rise of AI Companions for Kids 15:03 - Parasocial Relationships with Chatbots 18:50 - How Tech Impacts Identity and Self-Perception 22:11 - Helping Kids Navigate AI and Social Media 27:30 - Why Families Must Co-Play and Co-Reflect 31:00 - The ABCs of Digital Parenting 34:15 - What Schools Can Do Differently 37:40 - The Real Role of Screen Time 41:05 - Teaching Emotional Regulation in a Digital World 45:12 - The Future of EdTech with AI In Mind 48:27 - Final Advice for Parents and Educators 50:10 - Teodora's Billboard Message: "You Are Human" 52:30 - Closing Thoughts🙏 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:Book Creator — Empower every student to become an author. https://bookcreator.comEduaide.AI — Teacher support at the speed of AI. https://eduaide.aiYellowdig — Build community through conversation. https://www.yellowdig.coThank you for supporting My EdTech Life and the mission to amplify educator and student voices around the world.📢 Subscribe, like, and leave a comment to keep these conversations going. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast app or watch here on YouTube. 🌐 Visit https://www.myedtech.life for more episodes.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Digital Dangers Facing Our Kids with Andy MurphyIn this episode of My EdTech Life, I sat down with Andy Murphy, also known as The Secure Dad, to talk about the uncomfortable truth: kids are being targeted online, and it’s not a fair fight.We unpack how predators use everyday platforms like games and social media to groom and manipulate children, often right under their parents' noses. Andy drops powerful insights that every parent, educator, and EdTech leader needs to hear.Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or someone working in digital safety, this episode will shift the way you see online interactions.👊 Let’s protect our kids by staying informed and building stronger conversations at home and in our classrooms.⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: Why this episode matters 02:18 - “It’s not a fair fight” — How predators approach kids 06:03 - Why predators use gaming platforms 10:45 - The danger of old phones and open access 14:20 - YouTube in the living room: Proximity matters 17:50 - Red flags parents need to watch for 22:10 - “My kid would never…” and the blind spots it causes 25:33 - Open conversations > parental controls 29:00 - Teaching kids to protect themselves online 33:45 - Final advice for parents and educators 36:20 - How to connect with The Secure Dad 39:00 - Wrap-up and sponsor shoutouts🔥 BIG THANKS to our sponsors! 🙏 Book Creator – Empower your students to become published authors with an intuitive, creative platform. https://bookcreator.com 🙏 Yellowdig – A community-focused learning platform that turns passive learners into engaged contributors. https://www.yellowdig.co 🙏 Eduaide.AI – Your co-teacher in the classroom. Create lesson plans, assessments, and more using safe, educator-friendly AI. https://eduaide.ai📢 Subscribe for weekly conversations with educators, innovators, and creators who are shaping the future of learning.👉 Drop a comment, share this episode with your community, and hit that like button to support the mission.🎧 Stay Techie.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Episode 324 – Charlie Meyer: The AI Hype, EdTech Snake Oil & What Teachers Actually Want In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Charlie Meyer, small business owner and creator of Pickcode, to unpack the growing wave of AI solutionism in education. From being shouted at over not using AI to asking hard questions like, “Would you trust a vibe-coded site with your bank info?”, Charlie brings the heat, the honesty, and the humor.If you’re an educator, policymaker, EdTech builder, or investor—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & shoutout to sponsors 02:00 - Who is Charlie Meyer? From CS major to classroom teacher to Pickcode 05:00 - The AI hype: Charlie gets yelled at for not using AI 08:00 - Small biz vs. VC startups: Who’s actually listening to teachers? 10:30 - The silver bullet myth: Why AI promises fall flat in classrooms 15:00 - Where do we draw the line on AI delegation? 17:30 - Real talk on student-teacher relationships & AI disruption 21:00 - AI feedback loops: Are students and teachers both being sidelined? 22:30 - Spotting snake oil: How to vet EdTech products built on buzz 24:00 - If AI tools were honest: “I don’t know you. I don’t care. I’m a matrix in a data center.” 26:00 - Pedagogy in a silo: Personalized ≠ human 28:00 - What Charlie would tell an AI founder who’s never taught 31:00 - Why most teachers aren’t asking for AI—and that’s OK 33:00 - The accountability gap: Who’s vetting these tools? 36:00 - “Move fast and break things” ≠ Classroom values 40:00 - AI tools vs. real classroom pain points 42:00 - Why Pickcode solves real problems without AI 45:00 - Vibe coding exposed: Would you bank on AI-written code? 54:00 - Final thoughts: The bet on GPT-6 & the future of AI in EdTech 57:00 - Charlie’s lightning round: kryptonite, billboards, and his dog’s perfect life 01:01:00 - Final reflections & stay techie!🔗 Explore More 🌐 Visit Pickcode: https://www.pickcode.io 💬 Connect with Charlie Meyer 🎧 Catch every episode: https://www.myedtech.life🙌 Special thanks to our sponsors: Book Creator | Eduaide.ai | Yellowdig | Pocketalk📣 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if this episode challenged your thinking or made you laugh. Let’s build smarter, safer EdTech—together.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

AI Ethics, Overreliance & Honest Talk with Jen ManlyIn this episode of My EdTech Life, Fonz sits down with returning guest Jen Manly, a computer science educator, TikTok powerhouse, and advocate for ethical tech use, to unpack the complex relationship between AI, teaching, and critical thinking. From data privacy concerns to AI detectors that fail our students, this conversation gets real about what’s hype, what’s helpful, and what needs more scrutiny. Whether you're cautiously curious or deep in the AI trenches, this episode offers clarity, nuance, and practical insight from a seasoned voice.👏 Huge thanks to our sponsors: 🛠️ Book Creator – Amplify student voice 📚 Eduaide.AI – AI-powered teaching assistant 🌐 Yellowdig – Connect learning communities📌 Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Sponsor Shoutouts 02:00 – Meet Jen Manly: Her work, mission, and CS journey 04:30 – Teaching AI ethics before it was trendy 05:45 – The ChatGPT launch and why mass acceptance raised red flags 08:15 – AI “Fight Club” and the divide in EdTech reactions 11:30 – Is AI really saving time for teachers? 13:45 – Rubrics, productivity hacks, and the danger of using AI for everything 17:10 – Platform overpromises and pricing concerns 19:00 – Environmental cost of AI and hidden labor 22:00 – How AI systems encode and amplify bias 25:45 – AI grading? Why Jen draws the line 27:30 – Why AI detectors (like Turnitin) miss the mark 32:00 – Building assessments that don’t benefit from AI use 36:00 – The illusion of "just Google it" vs thoughtful search 37:00 – What real AI literacy looks like 39:30 – Age-appropriate and ethical integration of AI tools 42:00 – Tech ≠ Learning: The unplugged approach 44:00 – How to teach agency without tech overload 47:00 – Final thoughts, reminders, and calls for caution 49:00 – Jen’s “AI Kryptonite” and billboard message 51:00 – Wrap-up & CTA🔗 Connect with Jen Manly: 🎥 TikTok: @strategicclassroom 🌐 Website: https://learningandteachingblog.com/🎧 Catch more episodes and resources at: 🌍 www.myedtech.life📢 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share! Your support helps amplify educator voices and build a more informed and thoughtful EdTech community.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Episode 322:  ¿Instrucciones o experiencias? El nuevo rol del educador en tiempos de IA | Dr. José R. Ferrer ¡Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de My EdTech Life! Hoy tengo el honor de conversar con el Dr. José R. Ferrer López sobre su libro Cómo Diseñar Experiencias de Aprendizaje en la Era de la Inteligencia Artificial. Hablamos de pensamiento crítico, diseño centrado en el estudiante, el verdadero rol de la IA en educación, y la importancia de diseñar vivencias reales de aprendizaje.Prepárate para una conversación profunda que reta la manera en que vemos la enseñanza en tiempos de inteligencia artificial.Timestamps:00:00 Bienvenida y presentación del Dr. José R. Ferrer 02:00 Trayectoria del Dr. Ferrer en educación y tecnología 06:00 Primeros pasos usando tecnología educativa en Puerto Rico 11:00 ¿Qué motivó al Dr. Ferrer a escribir su nuevo libro? 14:30 La evolución del Diseño Instruccional al Diseño de Experiencias de Aprendizaje (LXD) 16:00 Pensamiento crítico en la era de la inteligencia artificial 18:00 La importancia de contextualizar el aprendizaje en la vida real 22:00 El rol del educador en tiempos de IA 24:00 El diseño centrado en el estudiante: más allá del contenido 28:00 De maestros a ingenieros de aprendizaje 31:00 Marketing, persuasión y su conexión con la educación 36:00 UX (Experiencia de Usuario) y su papel olvidado en educación 40:00 Inteligencia Artificial como herramienta para el análisis de información académica 45:00 Emoción, conexión humana y aprendizaje real 48:00 Cómo la IA debe ser vista como una aliada, no como un reemplazo 51:00 El reto de mantener la conexión emocional en entornos virtuales 53:00 El mensaje que el Dr. Ferrer pondría en un billboard 55:00 ¿Con qué líder educativo intercambiaría un día de vida? 57:00 Dónde encontrar los cursos, libros y microcredenciales del Dr. Ferrer 01:02:00 Agradecimientos finales y cierre: ¡Stay Techie!Un agradecimiento muy especial a nuestros patrocinadores: Book Creator, Eduaide.AI, Yellowdig y Pocketalk. Gracias por apoyar nuestra misión de amplificar voces y compartir ideas que empoderan a educadores de todo el mundo.🎧 Escucha, comparte y sigue creando conexiones humanas en cada experiencia de aprendizaje.🔗 Encuentra todos los episodios en: https://www.myedtech.lifeAuthentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Episode 321: 2059 and the Future of Education with Micah ShippeeWhat if we stopped reacting to every new tech tool and started preparing with intention? In this bold conversation, I sit down with educator, futurist, and Samsung’s Director of Education Solutions, Micah Shippee, to explore his new book 2059: The Future of Education.We dive deep into what the future could look like across AI, classroom models, access, agency, and everything in between. If you're an educator, leader, or just curious about what’s next in learning, this episode is for you.Bonus: Grab 2059 with 20% off at Micah’s website https://micahshippee.com/Huge thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible: Book Creator, Eduaide, and Yellowdig.Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & Episode Intro 02:00 – Who is Micah Shippee? Background & Vision 03:30 – Why the year 2059? A nod to Orwell and bold futurism 05:00 – The post-scarcity scholar: most controversial prediction? 06:40 – The Fusion Model & the “Pencil Moment” in innovation 09:00 – Integration vs. Adoption: A critical distinction 10:45 – Advice for tech leaders: How to evaluate AI platforms 13:00 – What teachers still get wrong about AI 16:00 – Augmenting classroom learning with AI (not replacing it) 17:45 – 4 Future Scenarios: Which excites Micah most? 19:00 – Why bio-integration might go too far 22:00 – Teachers CANNOT be replaced – Here’s why 25:00 – Responding to AI hype: why slower is better 27:00 – Access to agency: modeling vulnerability and real learning 30:00 – Practical implementation tips for all educators 33:00 – Who struggles most with AI? (It’s not who you think) 34:30 – Micah’s 3 steps to begin your AI journey 36:30 – The WHY behind tech: Micah’s journey from classroom to Samsung 38:00 – What Micah hopes readers take away from 2059 41:30 – The 2059 vision: thinking long-term about change 44:00 – Fun wrap-up questions + 20% off the book! 💡 Let us know in the comments: What’s your biggest takeaway from 2059?🎧 Listen on the go at https://www.myedtech.lifeAuthentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show

Episode 320: Creativity in Young Children: What Science Tells Us and Our Hearts Know with Dr. Zachary Stier & Tom RendonIn this episode of My EdTech Life, I’m joined by returning guest Dr. Zachary Stier and first-time guest Tom Rendon to explore their new book Creativity in Young Children: What Science Tells Us and Our Hearts Know. We dive deep into the intersection of creativity, child development, advocacy, and play—discussing what it means to truly nurture creativity in early learning environments and why it’s time to center it, not sideline it.Whether you're a parent, educator, policymaker, or lifelong learner, this episode will challenge your assumptions, spark new ideas, and reignite your belief in the power of curiosity and imagination.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & intros 04:20 – Why creativity matters in education 09:45 – Story behind The Power of Play 14:10 – Using creativity as advocacy 21:00 – Designing inclusive classrooms that invite belonging 28:40 – Play and emotional growth 36:00 – Classroom experiences that shaped the book 42:15 – Actionable strategies for creative learning 50:00 – Final reflections & book access 53:10 – Wrap-up📢 Special thanks to our sponsors Eduaide.AI | Book Creator | Yellowdig |  Your support fuels the conversations that matter.🎧 Like what you heard? Visit myedtech.life to explore more amazing episodes that push education forward.✌️ Stay curious, stay connected…Stay Techie.Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!Support the show