Category: Podcast Episodes

Ep. 305 | How To Fix Student Disengagement In One Day w/ Jon Arguello

Discover how fixing classroom audio issues with a simple $15 fix can eliminate distractions, boost student focus, and transform engagement levels overnight without breaking your school budget.

Walk into almost any modern classroom and you will witness the unspoken battle for the attention of any given student in the room. Teachers are competing against modern smartphones, buzzing HVAC systems, and the constant hum of 30 students sharing a room.

When students fail to engage, the default assumption is often low motivation or poor curriculum quality. But what if the real culprit is a basic sensory issue?

The Hidden Barrier: Sensory Overload
In a typical classroom setting, noise pollution creates an invisible wall between the educator and the student. When background chatter and ambient noise drown out instruction, students quickly check out. In this episode Jon Arguello, former school board member, and I point out that before we can fix learning outcomes, we have to fix the sensory connection.

If a student cannot hear clearly, they cannot pay attention. It is that simple.

This episode is sponsored by TWT Audio, creators of durable classroom headsets designed by educators to survive real student use. Stop wasting your school budget replacing cheap headphones every year and head to TWTAudio.com to hear the difference.

Creating a 1-on-1 Learning Space
Solving this issue does not require millions in new software infrastructure. Implementing simple, durable headsets with attached dynamic microphones can instantly isolate sound for each child.

By removing environmental distractions, a teacher can deliver focused instruction directly to each student’s ears. This single low-cost intervention can:

  • Help our English Language Learners process language without external noise.
  • Assist students with undiagnosed auditory processing challenges.
  • Enable small-group podcasting and content creation without ambient cross-talk.

If you want to hear the full breakdown of how this simple audio shift works in practice, stream the episode below on Apple Podcast or Spotify.

Small Tweaks, Big Impact
Before overhauling curriculum or buying expensive software suites, look at the physical environment. Meeting your students’ primary sensory needs creates an immediate foundation for focus, engagement, and academic growth.

Check out the full video interview below to see how educators are putting these tools to work in real classrooms.

Ep. 304 | Why Your Strict Reading Rules Are Backfiring With Dr. Sawsan Jaber

Discover how Dr. Sawsan Jaber’s Human Centered Framework helps teachers interrupt rigid classroom rules, boost student reading engagement, and build deeply connected learning spaces for every student.

Stop Punishing Kids for Reading the “Wrong” Way

This episode is sponsored by WeVideo, the interactive video platform for educators. With WeVideo, you can easily assign projects, collaborate in real-time, and embed interactive questions into your videos to boost classroom engagement. Meet students where they are and develop crucial 21st-century skills. Try WeVideo today at wevideo.com/education.

Think back to your time as a third grader. You brought a favorite comic book to school for Silent Sustained Reading, proud and ready to dive into the story. Then came the sudden halt from the front of the room: “That doesn’t count as real reading.”

It is a core memory for so many of us. In that single moment, reading transformed from an exciting adventure into a transactional chore.

Years later, many of our classrooms are still unintentionally running on those same rigid rules. We standardize literacy, police student choices, and then wonder why engagement plummets as kids get older.

The good news? We can fix it by shifting toward a Human-Centered Pedagogy Framework. This framework is the brainchild of Dr. Sawsan Jaber. In our podcast recording, she explains how you can stop accidentally killing student motivation and start building a culture where every learner feels seen. Check out the full video and audio podcasts below.

The Problem: We Standardize the Humanity Out of Learning

When we prioritize rigid rules over authentic curiosity, we send a subtle message to students: your interests do not matter here.

When a student picks up a graphic novel, a sports magazine, or an illustrated guide, they are actively engaging their minds. Dismissing those choices forces kids to disconnect from reading entirely. To reverse this trend, instructional practices must evolve from cold mechanics to deep connections that honor the whole child: their heart, mind, and place in the global community.

The Solution: Name, Notice, and Interrupt

Creating a human-centered classroom does not require throwing out your curriculum. It starts with a simple three-step reflective cycle designed to break rigid teaching habits.

1. Name

Identify the unspoken rules and systems in your classroom or district that limit student agency. Are you enforcing policies simply because “that is how it has always been done”? Call out the practice for what it is.

2. Notice

Observe how these practices impact real students. Look closely at who thrives under your current structure and, more importantly, who gets left behind or disengages. Pay attention to the subtle cues: the slouching, the fake reading, the mechanical compliance.

3. Interrupt

Take active steps to disrupt harmful habits in real time. Replace rigid requirements with choice, flexibility, and human connection.

  • Instead of: “Comic books do not count.”
  • Try: “Tell me what is happening in that panel!”
  • Instead of: Strict, narrow reading lists.
  • Try: Offering diverse formats, graphic novels, and student-selected articles.

Shifting from Mechanics to Meaning

When you interrupt outdated habits, your classroom dynamic completely transforms. Learning stops feeling like a series of compliance hoops and starts feeling like an authentic journey of self-growth.

By centering humanity over rigid metrics, you create a space where students do not just read because they have to—they read because they belong.

Taco Tuesday Reflection

Creating a human-centered space takes patience and time to simmer. Just like making authentic street tacos on a busy weeknight, you do not need a twenty-ingredient recipe to get incredible results. Keep it simple: warm up two corn tortillas, toss in your favorite seasoned protein, top with fresh cilantro and lime, and enjoy a quick meal while you reflect on small ways to interrupt old routines tomorrow.

What small classroom rule can you interrupt this week to give your students more agency?

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Dr. Sawsan Jaber

Dr. Sawsan Jaber, NBCT, is an award-winning global educator, keynote speaker, and founder of Dr. Sawsan Jaber Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in leadership and equity strategy, she created the Human-Centered Pedagogy Framework to reimagine teaching around dignity, agency, and social change. A university professor and coauthor of the bestselling book Pedagogies of Voice, Dr. Jaber equips educators to dismantle systemic barriers and build inclusive, humanizing classrooms where every student thrives.

Connect With Dr. Sawsan Jaber

Ep. 303 | Stop Dictating Answers and Start Building AI Agents w/ Sharo Dickerson

Stop using basic chatbots that fail teachers. Learn how this 30-year classroom veteran builds pedagogical AI agents to automate district support, coach educators, and eliminate admin burnout.

If you think adding a basic AI chatbot to your school website is going to solve your administrative workload, you are in for a big disappointment.

Most schools fall into the exact same trap. They set up a basic bot, dump a giant PDF handbook into its data bank, and expect miracles. Then they wonder why teachers walk away frustrated and assistant principals are still drowning in phone calls.

In this episode, Sharo Dickerson, Director of Assessment, breaks down why static bots fail and how custom AI agents can transform district support. You can peep our video discussion recorded live at ISTE above or check out the audio versions below.

Bots vs. Agents: What You Are Doing Wrong

The fundamental mistake most district leaders make is confusing an AI bot with an AI agent.

A standard chatbot is a one-way street. You ask for a phone number or a testing policy, and if the exact answer lives in its dataset, it spits it back. It is static, limited, and treats adult learners like they just need facts dictated to them.

Custom AI agents operate entirely differently. Instead of just handing over a direct answer, a well-designed agent acts like a master instructional coach. Grounded in solid pedagogy, it asks driving questions that force educators to think critically:

  • “Have you tried checking the bilingual assessment portal first?”
  • “Do you know which student group this specific policy applies to?”
  • “What specific data point are you trying to analyze?”

By guiding the user through a decision tree, the agent helps teachers find the exact solution they need while building long-term capacity.

3 Steps to Build AI Agents That Actually Work

Building an effective AI tool for your district requires a structured, human-centered approach. You cannot simply build an agent in a silo and expect high adoption.

1. Start with Real Educator Input

Before touching your favorite AI platforms, gather authentic feedback from the field. Run short surveys and host honest, monthly conversations with school testing coordinators and teachers. Find out where the friction lives before you write a single line of prompt or set of instructions.

2. Design for 5-Minute Micro-Learning

Adult learners are overwhelmed. Teachers do not have 15 minutes to sit through long tutorials or read dense introductory text inside a tool. Keep your agent prompts focused on deliverable micro-learning snippets that deliver actionable guidance in less time than it takes them to search the district intranet to find their answer.

3. Track Frustration Levels in Real Time

One of the most powerful features of modern custom platforms is real-time sentiment monitoring. If an assistant principal or teacher experiences friction while interacting with an agent, the system flags it. This gives district leaders immediate visibility into who needs human intervention, allowing you to step in before frustration turns into burnout.

“You cannot lose that human aspect. You need to have discourse, points of reflection, and real connection. You cannot just create something in your mind without getting input directly from the classroom.” — 30-Year Classroom Veteran & District Leader

The Sunday Sauce Strategy for District AI

Deploying AI in a school district is a lot like making a classic roasted chile sauce.

If you rush the process, toss everything into a pan on high heat, and walk away, you end up with a burnt, bitter mess that nobody wants to eat. A great district AI strategy requires thought, planning, supervision, patience, and constant tasting along the way.

You build a simple prototype, pilot it with a small group of trusted central office staff, gather their feedback, and let the ideas simmer. If a specific prompt flavor isn’t working, scrap it without letting your ego get in the way.

By testing your custom agents in low-stakes environments first, you refine the tool until it yields a smooth, reliable system that truly nourishes your staff instead of burning them out.

Now that you’ve heard or watched the conversation with Sharo Dickerson, it’s time to make some roasted chile sauce for enchiladas or even better…chilaquiles! Be on the lookout for that recipe video coming soon and let us know your thoughts on this episode below. Buen provecho!

Ep. 302 | Beginning Of The Year Keynote: Stop October Burnout With This 3-Step Check

Learn how to avoid teacher burnout this school year by ditching perfectionism, prioritizing your daily to-do list, and using classroom EdTech with clear, focused intentionality.

Are you setting yourself up for October burnout before the school year even begins? In this annual Beginning of the Year Keynote, I’m breaking down the three massive traps holding educators back and how to fix them with a practical reality check.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Why chasing a perfectionist classroom layout leads straight to early burnout (and what to focus on instead)
  • How to manage an endless teacher to-do list without sacrificing your homelife and personal boundaries
  • Simple strategies to select 2 to 3 educational technology tools with true instructional intentionality
  • Key takeaways from my 20-plus year K-12 career and a major announcement in my next EdTech career chapter

Stop letting perfectionism drain your energy. Tune in to build a functional, sustainable approach to the 2026-2027 school year. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

Ep. 301 | 3 Steps to Hook Distracted Students w/ Tara Martin

Discover how commercial modeling secrets can revolutionize classroom engagement. Learn Tara Martin’s 3-step framework to build 30-second video trailers that hook students and drive real literacy outcomes.

Engagement isn’t about flashy tools, it is about the hook. When students feel connected to a topic, they retain more and take ownership of their learning. In this episode, I sit down with Tara Martin to explore how commercial modeling agency secrets can revolutionize literacy and content delivery across any grade level. And you thought Derek Zoolander was the only one who was able to teach you anything about modeling agencies…

What you will learn in this episode:

  • The 3-step “Feel It, See It, Want It” engagement framework
  • How short-form video trailers drive library checkouts and deep literacy
  • Strategies to help students turn classroom assignments into real-world creator skills
  • How to apply 30-second commercial hooks across non-tested content areas

Give this a shot in your classroom this school year and let us know how it goes. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Tara Martin

Tara Martin is a nationally recognized educator, speaker, and author known for inspiring educators to lead with authenticity, courage, and heart. With experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and district administrator, she brings practical strategies that ignite engagement, build strong relationships, and create meaningful learning experiences.

She is the author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, and the creator of #BookSnaps, a global reading strategy used in classrooms across seventeen countries.

Tara challenges educators to embrace innovation, prioritize human connection, and Cannonball In to their full potential.

Connect With Tara Martin

Ep. 300 | The 3 Big Mistakes I Made Over 300 Episodes And The Future

Celebrating 300 episodes of EdTech Bites! Reflecting on nine years, shedding 100 pounds, overcoming imposter syndrome, and ditching perfectionism to focus on authentic, human centered educational content moving forward.

This is it! Episode 300!

Hitting episode 300 meant looking in the mirror, literally and figuratively. After nine years, 100 pounds down, and hundreds of conversations, I am opening up about the biggest mistakes I made along the way. From fighting imposter syndrome to dumping the illusion of perfectionism, this episode breaks down three hard truths every content creator and educator needs to hear. Plus, I am sharing why I am cutting the fluff, ditching the endless AI hype, and pivoting back to raw, human centered connection and in person conversations. Grab a smoothie and let us celebrate this major milestone together. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

Watch The Episode Here!

Listen To The Episode Here!

Ep. 299 | Why This Ex-Rockstar Audio Engineer Built Student-Proof Headsets w/ Mark Howlett

Discover how Mark Howlett, TWT Audio’s Chief Operating Officer and ex-rockstar engineer, developed a one of a kind modular, student-proof headset designed to save school districts thousands of dollars while protecting young ears from auditory fatigue. Stop wasting money on cheap headsets!

This episode is sponsored by TWT Audio, creators of durable classroom headsets designed by educators to survive real student use. Stop wasting your school budget replacing cheap headphones every year and head to TWTAudio.com to hear the difference.

Tired of watching your school tech budget get chewed to pieces? We all know the heartbreak of “that bin” filled with broken classroom headphones. In this episode, I chat with Mark Howlett, Chief Operating Officer at TWT Audio to learn his thought process while designing student-proof tech. He went from being an audio engineer and working with music legends to working with our most important artists… students! He has a passion for making audio crystal clear for our students while maintaining safety for them as well, without breaking the bank. Learn how TWT’s modular headphone designs allow you to swap a single cord in seconds for a fraction of the cost, saving schools thousands of dollars. We break down the hidden costs of cheap equipment and how to adapt classroom gear without buying entirely new setups every time ports change. Stop throwing budget money in the trash.

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Mark Howlett

Mark Howlett is TWT Audio VP Director of Research & Development, as well as the sound engineer and developer of ThinkWrite’s products. He is an award winning Los Angeles recording engineer and studio designer credited with multiple gold and platinum albums, Emmy Awards with over 45 years experience in sound design. Mark has been instrumental in creating a sound curve for the ThinkWrite products that is both safe for the ears, as well as high quality in its sound reproduction.

Connect With TWT Audio

Ep. 298 | 3 Big Lies High School Seniors Believe

In this episode, I tear down the three massive lies the Class of 2026 believes about the future, while offering crucial, stress-relieving perspective for graduating high school seniors and anxious parents.

The annual arrival of graduation season brings heavy expectations, high emotional stakes, and deep anxiety. Across the country, high school seniors in the Class of 2026 are preparing to step off the stage and into the unknown. Unfortunately, we’ve handed these eighteen-year-olds a heavy burden, convincing them they must have their entire existence perfectly organized before the final bell rings.

As a classroom veteran who has guided hundreds of students through this exact transition, it is time to clear the air about these myths. The panic felt by students and parents alike stems from deep myths surrounding adulthood. Stripping away these common misconceptions reveals a completely different reality and breath of fresh air. Here are the three massive lies high school seniors are believing right now, along with the actual truth every graduate needs to hear.

Lie #1: You Must Have a 10-Year Plan Locked In

High school students face constant interrogation regarding their long-term career goals from well-meaning relatives and counselor questionnaires. Ther is this beleif that not having a 10-year plan will guarantee future failure. This expectation is completely disconnected from real-world career dynamics. Forcing a rigid plan on an eighteen-year-old is a recipe for immense frustration.

The modern workforce evolves at an unprecedented pace. Entire industries disappear while new fields emerge overnight. Instead of obsessing over a permanent ten-year destination, focus entirely on the immediate next step. Think of life less like a fixed train track and more like learning to cook without a recipe. You adjust the seasoning as you go, taste along the way, and change direction when a batch burns. Adaptability beats a rigid plan every single time.

Lie #2: Your Choice of Major or First Job Dictates Your Entire Future

Seniors frequently view their immediate post-graduation choices as lifelong sentences. Choosing a college major, selecting a trade path, or entering a specific entry-level role feels like locking a door behind them. This illusion creates total decision paralysis, driving the fear of making a permanent mistake.

In reality, your first step out of high school is simply a passport. Your degree, certification, or initial job provides foundational skills, discipline, and a network. It gets you through the initial door, but you retain full ownership over where you walk next and what doors you decide to walk through. There are multiple successful professionals who work in fields completely unrelated to their undergraduate choices. Your early twenties exist for exploration, trial, error, and course correction.

Lie #3: Everyone Around You Has Everything Fully Figured Out

Scrolling through social media in May and June is absolute torture for an anxious senior. Feeds overflow with polished announcements and confident declarations of future career success. It is incredibly easy to look around and assume you are the only one stumbling through the dark without a flashlight.

This is the most damaging and crippling illusion of all. Social media is a curated highlight reel, not a documentary which many times, is completely fictional. Behind those confident poses, your peers are dealing with identical doubts, sleepless nights, and imposter syndrome. Adulthood is largely a collective exercise in figure-it-out-as-you-go. You are not falling behind; you are simply witnessing everyone else’s edited trailer while living your own raw footage.

A Timeless Domino Effect

While the focus belongs on our graduating high school seniors, milestones are happening at every level. Think of our tiny kindergarteners moving to first grade, leaving behind the sandbox to learn the mechanics of reading. Consider the fifth graders transitioning to middle school, nervously practicing locker combinations. Look at the eighth graders entering the high school jungle, hunting for their core group of friends. Every milestone matters. The Class of 2026 serves as a living template of resilience for every single grade level watching behind them.

A Personal Note from the Kitchen: To my own son who graduated this year, I am stepping out of my educator role for a brief second. Watching your journey has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. From your first day of school to this monumental walk across the stage, your resilience, humor, and heart have made me incredibly proud. No matter what changes, what plans shift, or what lies the world tries to tell you, you have everything it takes to build a meaningful life.

My Final Reminders

Anxiety is not a sign of weakness or failure. It is simply proof that you care deeply about your future. Mistakes will happen, plans will fall apart, and batches will burn. Failure is not fatal; it is simply raw data that teaches you how to cook a better meal next time. Take a deep breath, trust the journey, and know that you are going to turn out just fine.

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

Ep. 297 | Most Assignments Were Broken Even Before AI w/ Annie Kim Sytsma

Schools tried banning AI but that strategy is already breaking down. In this episode, we explore how teachers are redesigning assignments, building transparency, and turning AI into a tool for deeper thinking instead of shortcuts.

This episode is sponsored by TWT Audio. Are your students dealing with broken headsets, poor audio quality, or unreliable microphones at moments that matter most? TWT Audio was built for educators, by educators, designing headsets specifically for real classroom environments, durable enough to last, and comfortable for all-day use. With over 5 million headsets and headphones sold, schools trust TWT because they just work, delivering consistent performance while simplifying technology.

Instead of replacing cheap headsets year after year, invest in a solution that schools nationwide trust every day.

TWT Audio — hear the difference.

AI isn’t going away but the way schools are handling it might be doing more harm than good. In this episode, I chat with Annie Kim Sytsma from Michigan Virtual to unpack what’s really happening inside schools right now. From districts banning AI to others fully embracing it, the reality is messy and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

We dive into:

  • Why banning AI is no longer realistic
  • How teachers are redesigning assignments to outsmart shortcuts
  • What students are actually doing with AI (hint: it’s changing)
  • How to build transparency instead of fear in your classroom

If you’ve been unsure how to approach AI with your students or feel like you’re already behind, this episode gives you practical, honest strategies you can start using immediately. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Annie

Annie Kim Sytsma serves schools across the state of Michigan as an AI Strategist with Michigan Virtual. With over 13 years of experience in education and dual Master’s degrees in Educational Technology and Instructional Design, she brings a balanced, ethical, and thoughtful approach to integrating AI in teaching and learning. Her background as an English and Psychology teacher, District Technology Specialist, District Intervention Coordinator, and school administrator gives her deep instructional and systemic insight into how intentionally designed technology can transform education. Annie focuses on creating learning experiences that harness AI to deepen thinking, strengthen metacognition, and expand student agency while supporting responsible engagement with emerging technologies.

Connect With Annie Kim Sytsma

Ep. 296 | The Hidden Problem With AI in Education With Ken Shelton

AI literacy is not about prompts. Learn why schools are misusing AI tools and how leaders can simplify edtech decisions for better results.

This episode is sponsored by TWT Audio. Are your students dealing with broken headsets, poor audio quality, or unreliable microphones at moments that matter most? TWT Audio was built for educators, by educators, designing headsets specifically for real classroom environments, durable enough to last, and comfortable for all-day use. With over 5 million headsets and headphones sold, schools trust TWT because they just work, delivering consistent performance while simplifying technology.

Instead of replacing cheap headsets year after year, invest in a solution that schools nationwide trust every day.

TWT Audio — hear the difference.

What if everything we think we know about AI literacy in education is…off?

That’s exactly where my conversation with Ken Shelton goes. And fair warning, it gets deep fast.

Most educators hear “AI literacy” and immediately think about prompts, chatbots, and what students should or should not type into tools. But that definition is way too small. AI literacy is not just about using tools. It is about understanding how those tools work, how language shapes outcomes, and how human decisions influence the results.

In other words, it is less about “what do I type?” and more about “how do I think?” Check out the full conversation for yourself down below.

A big takeaway from this episode is that language matters more than we realize. The difference between words like summarize, analyze, or interrogate can completely change what an AI system produces. That is not a tech skill. That is communication skill. That is literacy.

And here is where things get even more interesting.

Many educators are unknowingly treating AI like Google. They use vague searches and expect precise results. That mismatch leads to frustration and poor outcomes. AI systems require clarity, specificity, and intentionality. The more precise the input, the more useful the output.

Now let’s zoom out to leadership.

School administrators are facing a different challenge. Not just how to use AI, but how to make decisions about it. And right now, many are moving too fast. There is pressure from all directions. Vendors, teachers, parents, and policy concerns.

The advice shared here is simple but powerful. Slow down.

Start with your goals. What does your school actually need? Then evaluate tools based on alignment, not hype. Because here is the reality. Some districts are juggling hundreds of platforms. In one case, over 500.

Yes. 500.

After auditing usage, many of those tools were redundant. By narrowing down to just two platforms with strong overlap, the district saved money and improved professional development. Fewer tools. Better results.

That is the game.

AI literacy at the leadership level is not about knowing every tool. It is about making intentional, strategic decisions that support teaching and learning.

And if you are feeling overwhelmed, here is a helpful mindset shift. Think of AI like cooking.

At first, you follow the recipe exactly. Over time, you develop intuition. You adjust, experiment, and create. That is when the process starts to feel easier. The same is true with AI.

You do not need to rush mastery. You need consistent practice and thoughtful application.

So before you chase the next shiny tool, pause and ask yourself one question.

Is this aligned with what we are trying to accomplish?

If the answer is no, it is probably just another app collecting digital dust.

About Ken Shelton

Ken Shelton is a multi award winning educator, author, speaker, and consultant. He has worked in education for well over 20 years. His work includes teaching middle school technology, keynote speaking, leading professional development, and providing consulting support to many education systems around the world. He is the co-author of the best selling book “The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity have Entered the Chat.”

Connect With Ken Shelton