Author: edtechbites

Ep. 185 | You Had Me At Fried!: friED Tech And Food Trivia With Courtney Watson and Amy Storer

We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat friED Tech with Courtney Watson and Amy Storer. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. Aren’t sure what friED Tech has to offer? After hearing this fun episode, you’ll be clear as to what they can offer educators. Not only do we chat friED Tech, I also quiz them on some food trivia. Can you beat Courtney and Amy in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

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About Courtney Watson

Courtney is a Google Certified Educator/Trainer and Lead Learning Guide at friEdTechnology. She is passionate about equipping all learners with the necessary tools to help them become successful and ensuring they have fun while learning. #TechWithoutTears is her goal when sharing tools and ideas with educators to effectively integrate technology into their classrooms.

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About Amy Storer

Amy is a Lead Learning Guide at friEdTech, Google Certified Educator and Trainer, Microsoft Certified Educator, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer, and a Microsoft Global Mentor. She is a distinguished educator that encourages and motivates others to reach far beyond the classroom walls to make learning more meaningful and inspiring. She has a true passion for purposeful technology integrations, meaningful PD, and global connections. 

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Ep. 184 | The AI Evolution In Education: Rachelle Dené Poth’s Top 3 Picks for AI in Education

*We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat the evolution of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom with Rachelle Dené Poth. We dig into how far it’s come in less than a year and I ask her to give me her top 3 AI tools for the classroom. There are several tools out there but she had to pare it down to her top 3. If you’re not sure what her top pics are, check out this episode and share it with a friend. Make sure you give Rachelle a follow and check out her top 3 tools. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. Buen provecho!

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About Rachelle Dené Poth

Rachelle Dené Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher of Spanish and STEAM: Emerging Technology. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law, a Master’s in Instructional Technology, and is currently pursuing a second doctorate, focused on Educational Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen Award and several presidential gold and silver awards for volunteer service. She presents regularly at state, national, and international conferences and provides professional development and coaching for educators on a variety of topics including assessments, and emerging technologies such as AI, AR and VR, and STEM. 

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Ep. 183 | The Importance of Collaboration Between Administration and Tech Specialists w/ Stephanie Balster And Laura Depp

*We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat the importance of collaboration between administration and tech specialists with Stephanie Balster and Laura Depp. We also do some food trivia in this episode. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. Stephanie and Laura bring a great vibe to the show and each come to the table with a specific perspective. Can you beat Stephanie and Laura in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

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About Stephanie

Stephanie Balster is an Innovation Leader for Castleberry Independent School District. She has been in education for the last nine years and has taught first – third grade. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education from the University of West Florida. Stephanie is bringing her expertise in education and technology to the forefront, helping teachers integrate technology into their classrooms in meaningful and impactful ways. With a focus on engaging learners, building critical thinking skills, and fostering digital citizenship, Stephanie is dedicated to helping students thrive in the digital age.

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About Laura

Laura Depp serves as the Campus Academic Leader at Castleberry Elementary. She has been in education for seventeen years. Laura taught in all grades kindergarten through fourth grade prior to becoming a math coach which eventually led her to her current position. She is passionate about making learning come alive for all students through hands-on learning experiences and student discourse. Laura holds her national STEM certification, as well as, her Master’s in Educational Administration.

Ep. 182 | CTE: The Best Kept Secret In Education With Heather Brantley And Stacie White

*We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat CTE with Heather Brantley and Stacie White. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. Heather is a two time EdTech Bites Food Tour participant and Stacie is a CTE teacher who “doesn’t Social Media”. This is an awesome discussion around this hot topic in education. And sticking with CTE and Culinary, I also quiz them on 5 different food trivia questions. Can you beat Heather and Stacie in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

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About Heather Brantley

Heather Brantley is an experienced educator and founder of HeatherTechEdu. With a background in instructional design and technology integration, Heather is passionate about helping teachers and students leverage the power of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Through HeatherTechEdu, she provides presentations on AI/AR/VR in the classroom,  instructional design services, and educational technology consulting to schools and districts around the country. Heather is currently teaching CTE technology and CEER at Pine Tree ISD.

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About Stacie White

The Amazing Mrs. White has been teaching for 18 years both online and in the brick and mortar arenas.  She has taught Spanish 1 and 2, as well as Special Education Reading Resource. Now she focuses on her favorite course of all, Project Success, which is a career explorations course through the Career and Technical Education department.  She is passionate about helping students gain vision for their lives and guiding them to be the best they can be both in and out of the classroom. At home, she and her husband of 18 years have 5 super involved kids, 2 loving grandparents, a German shepherd and a chihuahua who remind them to be grateful for their many blessings.

Ep. 181 | Let’s Chat Wakelet and Food Trivia W/ Tisha Poncio

*We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat Wakelet and Food Trivia with Tisha Poncio. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. This is Tisha’s 4th time on the show and as always, we have a great conversation while breaking bread together. We discuss Wakelet and I also quiz her on 5 different food trivia questions. Can you beat Tisha Poncio in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Tisha Poncio

Tisha Poncio, M.S. Learning Technologies, served in public education for 21 years as a classroom teacher and a digital learning specialist. She has presented at numerous educational technology conferences across the nation and in her home state of Texas speaking about student leadership, student autonomy, digital citizenship for all ages, and meaningful technology integration. She is currently serving as a Digital Learning Specialist for Wakelet! 

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Ep. 180 | Let’s Define Instructional Coaching: A Coaching Conversation w/ Debbie Tannenbaum

*We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor – Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat instructional coaching with Debbie Tannenbaum. She’s an EdTech coach in Virginia and brings a lot of coaching knowledge to the table. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. This is a great conversation that debunks some of the myths and highlights the bright spots of instructional coaching. Buen provecho!

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Ep. 179 | Bridging the Gap: How BlazerWorks Assists Special Education w/ John Veneracion

👉🏼 This episode is sponsored by BlazerWorks. To learn more about how BlazerWorks can help your organization fill in the Special Education personnel gaps, visit https://blazerworks.com/

In this episode, I sit down with John Veneracion from BlazerWorks, a passionate advocate for inclusive education. Join us as we explore Blazerworks’ mission, their work in bridging personnel gaps in Special Education nationwide, and the professional development they offer to empower both special education staff and schools. But that’s not all! Because this is The EdTech Bites Podcast, we indulged in mouthwatering In-N-Out burgers during our conversation. Discover the critical role of Special Education in fostering inclusivity. Uncover BlazerWorks’ visionary outlook for the future, and gain insights into the heart of their work.

Join us in this engaging conversation as we celebrate the work of BlazerWorks and the flavors of In-N-Out. Together, we’re making education more accessible and inclusive. Buen provecho!

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About John Veneracion

John Veneracion is a member of BlazerWorks’ Special Education Clinical Advisory Team. The team works hand-in-hand with school districts to fully integrate clinical expertise into learning environments—enriching therapists and teachers, streamlining school staffing programs and elevating the educational experience. Previously, John was a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Ventura Unified School District in California. 

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Ep. 178 | Unlocking Insights: Analyzing Trends in Special Education with Andrew Henry From Stepwell

👉🏼 This episode is sponsored by Stepwell. To learn more about how Stepwell can help you monitor your Special Education data, visit https://stepwelled.com/

In this episode, I chat with Andrew Henry from Stepwell. He’s passionate about analyzing data and Stepwell does just that. They focus on the Special Education caseload in schools to give educators insight into their Special Education population trends. This is a wonderful conversation into the world of compliance and civil rights. Peep it and see if Stepwell has what your district has been missing. Buen provecho!

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About Andrew Henry

Andrew Henry is the founder of Red Cedar Solutions Group, the company responsible for building Stepwell, an online platform for managing Special Education compliance and improvement. Andrew is passionate about the value of data and analytics, design thinking and innovation to address some of the most challenging issues confronting society today: educating our children effectively, especially our most vulnerable populations, and managing complex and increasingly rapid change in organizations.

Prior to founding Red Cedar in 2006, Andrew has been a part of the education community in many different roles:

•        High School English Teacher
•        District Technology Director
•        Michigan State University, College of Education, Program Director and Researcher
•        State of Michigan, Director of the Center for Educational Performance and Information
•        Chief Officer for Research and Development at Learning Point Associates/North Central Regional Education Laboratory

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Ep. 177 | Lightspeed: The Impact of Classroom Acoustics with Ray Young

👉🏼 This episode is sponsored by Lightspeed. To learn more about how Lightspeed can assist you with instructional audio and acoustics in the classroom, visit https://www.lightspeed-tek.com/

In this episode, I give you the reasons I haven’t dropped an episode in a month. You’re going to want to hear why, trust me! I also delve into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of education: classroom acoustics. Join me as I chat with Ray Young from Lightspeed to explore the profound influence of acoustics on both teachers and students in the classroom. Discover how Lightspeed, a leading innovator in classroom audio solutions, is revolutionizing the educational experience. From enhancing teacher instruction to boosting student engagement, Ray reveals how the right acoustic environment can make all the difference in the classroom Buen provecho!

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About Ray Young

Ray Young is the Director of Education Design & Development at Lightspeed. A 100 percent employee-owned company, Lightspeed is on a mission to help every student hear every word. 

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Ep. 176 | 5 Tips To Keep Admin Out Of Your Classroom

In this episode, I give you 5 tips to help keep admin out of your classroom. This is not a shot at administration at all. We all know that you have a job to do but as teachers, seeing an administrator walk through your door in the middle of teaching can bring extra stress and anxiety to even veteran teachers. These 5 tips will also help make you a better teacher at your campus so admin… you’re welcome! While recording this episode, I’m drinking a chocolate banana protein smoothie to keep it light and filling. I hope you’re off to a great start and as always, Buen provecho!

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