Category: Podcast Episodes

Ep. 254 | Meet the EduGuardians: Protecting Teachers From Isolation

Learn how the EduGuardians movement began and why these passionate educators are dedicated to supporting and inspiring teachers everywhere.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What happens when a group of passionate educators comes together to spark change? In this episode, I sit down with Larisa Black, Heather Brown, Farmer Faubs, and Christie Cloud, the four of the founding members of the EduGuardians. We discuss how their movement started, why they’re so dedicated to supporting educators, and the driving force behind their mission. From inspiration to action, this conversation will leave you feeling empowered and ready to make an impact in your own educational community.

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About The EduGuardians

EduGuardians strive to lead in educational technology, empowering educators to connect, share ideas, and build community. Our mission is to utilize edtech for impactful and engaging student learning experiences. We foster a dynamic, collaborative network for educators to innovate, grow, and inspire, enhancing education for all students.

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Ep. 253 | Back to Basics with a Tech Twist: Pedagogy, AI, and interACTIVE Teaching With Kristin and Joe Merrill

Explore how pedagogy meets AI with Kristin and Joe Merrill. In this episode, we discuss their latest book, blending classic teaching strategies with innovative interACTIVE techniques to engage today’s learners.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

How do we blend tried-and-true teaching strategies with cutting-edge AI? In this episode, I chat with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo, Kristin and Joe Merrill AKA Kroe, about their latest book The InterACTIVE Class: Creation in a World of AI: Empowering Educators to Inspire Creativity and Innovation in an AI-Driven Classroom. They share timeless teaching strategies while incorporating AI—all through their signature interACTIVE approach. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or a teaching purist, this episode will show you how to strike the perfect balance between innovation and effective instruction.

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About The Merrill’s

Kristin and Joe are teachers and authors of the InterACTIVE Class series. Together, they put a spin on traditional strategies by infusing EdTech with learning that meets the needs of all students.

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Ep. 252 | Building Skills Brick by Brick: Using Legos for Creativity and STEM With Dan Thomas

Tune in to my chat with Dan Thomas to discover how Legos can boost creativity, STEM skills, and collaboration in the classroom—turning “toys” into powerful learning tools for students of all ages.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

Are Legos just toys, or are they powerful tools for learning? In this inspiring episode, I chat with Dan Thomas, a middle school STEM teacher known for using Legos to spark creativity and enhance student learning. We explore how these colorful bricks encourage Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication—all while making learning fun! Whether you’re a Lego enthusiast or a skeptic, you’ll discover how they can transform your classroom into a hands-on, engaging learning environment. Buen provecho!

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About Dan Thomas

Dan is a STEM teacher from Jamestown NY which is south of Buffalo. He has been teaching for 32 years at the same school that he graduated from. He is passionate about STEM Topics, PBL and play in the classroom. His goal is for students to understand and learn how to apply their knowledge and skills because that is where the true learning happens.

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Ep. 251 | EdTech Pet Peeves: The Good, The Bad, and The Cringeworthy With Katie Fielding and Stevie Frank

Join Katie Fielding, Stevie Frank, and I as we dive into our biggest edtech pet peeves—the good, the bad, and the cringe-worthy—plus tips to improve classroom technology use.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What’s driving you (and your students) crazy in the world of edtech? In this fun and honest episode, I sit down with Katie Fielding and Stevie Frank to unpack our biggest edtech pet peeves. We discuss the amazing innovations happening in classrooms, but also the frustrating trends and missteps that make us cringe. From tech overload to pointless tools, we’re sharing it all—plus tips on how to make edtech work for you, not against you! Buen provecho!

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About Katie Fielding

Katie Fielding is an Accessibility Advocate, ISTE Certified Trainer, and the Educational Content Manager at Book Creator. She has 20 years of public school experience. She champions digital accessibility, creativity, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in classrooms. Specializing in technology and STEM integration, Katie creates interdisciplinary instructional experiences and shares her expertise through presentations and workshops. Recognized as VSTE Coach of the Year in 2018 and a featured voice at ISTELive 2024, she holds multiple certifications, including ISTE, Google Innovator, and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Outside work, she enjoys cheese and exploring Scandinavia.

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About Stevie Frank

Stevie Frank (she/her) is a Digital Learning Coach at her school in Zionsville, Indiana. Stevie has 15 years of education background and earned her master’s degree in Literacy Education. She’s a part of Ed Tech Magazine’s top 30 K-12 Influencers to follow for 2023. When she’s not learning to become an educator for ALL students, she’s marking off travels with her family.

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Ep. 250 | From Burnout to Brilliance: How To Reignite Your Teaching Passion With Brittany Blackwell

Struggling with teacher burnout? In this episode, Brittany Blackwell shares strategies to reignite your passion and balance mind, body, and soul in teaching.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

Are you feeling the weight of burnout or wondering how to rekindle your love for teaching? In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Brittany Blackwell, an educator dedicated to helping teachers nourish their mind, body, and soul. She shares her powerful story of learning to pivot when faced with exhaustion, offering practical strategies to reignite your passion and embrace teaching with renewed energy. She also hosts The Resilient Teacher Podcast where she gives teachers ways to pivot from burnout to building resiliency to ensure they are at their best for their students. Tune in for an uplifting conversation that will remind you why you fell in love with teaching in the first place! Buen provecho!

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About Brittany Blackwell

Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed., is an an award winning special educator and teacher burnout & sustainability strategist from South Carolina. With over thirteen years of experience in elementary and middle school classrooms, Brittany has become an expert in addressing teacher burnout. She is also the host of the popular podcast “The Resilient Teacher Podcast”.

Brittany is passionate about empowering teachers and educational leaders to prioritize their mental health. She helps them develop personalized sustainability and burnout recovery plans, reducing stress and creating the fulfilling lives they’ve always dreamed of. Through her digital approach, which includes automation, digital planning, vision planning, and sustainable strategies, Brittany has reached thousands of educators worldwide.

You may know Brittany as “MsPrincessTeach” on TikTok, where her social media following grew through her fast-paced, lighthearted tutorials and relatable real-life experiences. She offers teachers actionable strategies, personalized coaching, mindset shifting, and digital resources to create their own Individualized Burnout Recovery Plan. By reducing stress and automating mundane tasks, Brittany enables educators to prevent burnout and maximize fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives.

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Ep. 249 | Connections Before Content: The Power of Building Classroom Relationships With Jess Boyce

In this episode, Jess Boyce (Josh’s wife) shares why building relationships is key to classroom success and offers practical tips for fostering meaningful student connections.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What’s the secret to a thriving classroom? In this episode, we explore the power of building strong relationships with students before diving into content. Join me and Jess Boyce, yes…Jess from Flip (RIP, Flip) as we discuss why connections matter, how they impact learning, and practical ways to foster meaningful relationships in your classroom. From simple daily practices to transformative mindset shifts, this episode is packed with ideas to help you create a more connected and engaged learning environment. Buen Provecho!

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Ep. 248 | From One-Size-Fits-All to One-Size-Fits-Me: Shifting to Personalized Learning With Michelle Manning

In this episode, Michelle Manning shares how personalized learning transforms classrooms, offering practical strategies and examples to meet every student’s unique needs.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What does personalized learning really look like in today’s classrooms? In this episode, I’m joined by Michelle Manning, who shares her insights on the transformative power of personalized learning. She breaks down what personalized learning means, why it’s essential for student success, and how she helps teachers bring it to life in their classrooms. From practical tips to real-world examples, Michelle offers actionable strategies to create learning experiences tailored to every student’s unique needs.

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About Michelle Manning

Michelle Manning is an Instructional Technology Integration Specialist and has worked in education for over 30 years. She is passionate about leveraging technology to amplify and enhance the curriculum to make lessons accessible for all students in the classroom to learn and show what they know! Michelle emphasizes personalized learning, professional development, and the integration of innovative tools and strategies in the classroom. Her work often involves providing training and support for teachers to utilize technology in ways that meet diverse learner needs. Michelle also loves supporting teachers helping them utilize technology as their digital co-teacher to save time and transform their classrooms.

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Ep. 247 | Tool Time: Exploring Our New Favorite EdTech Tools With Greg Bagby

In this episode, I chat with Greg Bagby while at the FETC 2025 conference. We discuss our new favorite edtech tools and how we use them in our everyday lives!

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What’s better than discovering an edtech tool that makes your teaching life easier? Sharing it with a friend! In this episode, we sit down with the ever-insightful Greg Bagby to trade notes on our favorite new edtech finds. Greg introduces us to Notebook LM, a next-level AI-powered notetaking assistant, while I dive into Class Companion, a versatile tool designed to facilitate student writing feedback through AI. Join us for a fun, practical conversation filled with tips, tricks, and plenty of “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments. If you’re looking to level up your tech toolkit, this episode is for you!

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About Greg

Greg is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology in Hamilton County schools in Chattanooga, TN. He is about to finish a contract as an Apple Professional Learning specialist. He served on the Technical Working Group for the National Education Technology Plan and hopes to graduate soon with a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology.

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Ep. 246 | What Would Peter Rackham Do? Roy Francis’ First Ever FETC

In my latest episode, Roy Francis shares his first-time FETC experience, offering tips, takeaways, and creative edtech ideas for music and French classrooms.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What’s it like to attend your first major edtech conference? In this episode, I sit down with Roy Francis, a music and French teacher from Nova Scotia, who attended his first-ever FETC conference. We discuss his initial expectations, how he and his team planned their conference experience, and the strategies they used to maximize their learning.

Roy also shares how he integrates edtech into his curriculum, from engaging students in music composition to enhancing language acquisition in French. Whether you’re a conference veteran or gearing up for your first big event, you’ll find plenty of insights and inspiration in this conversation. And you’ll know what we mean when he states, “What would Peter Rackam do?”. Buen provecho!

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About Roy Francis

Roy teaches junior high general music at a school in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In his classes, he teaches music theory and history while also helping students learn to write and perform songs on the ukulele.

He is passionate about using technology in education and strives to incorporate it into all aspects of his teaching. Recently, he completed his Master’s in Educational Technology and is excited to be part of the AI lead team in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education.

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Listen Below!

Ep. 245 | Maximizing Teacher Time: How Class Companion Delivers Real-Time Insights for Student Success w/ Avery Pan And Brittany Blackwell

Discover how Class Companion empowers teachers with time-saving tools and real-time insights, helping them focus more on student engagement and success.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

Are you ready to reclaim your time and supercharge student learning? In this episode, recorded live at FETC 2025, we sit down with Avery Pan (Co-Founder) and Brittany Blackwell (Marketing and Community Lead) of Class Companion to explore how their innovative platform saves teachers hours of work and provides timely insights into student progress. Discover how you can spend less time grading and more time engaging with your students. Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or instructional coach, this conversation will inspire you to rethink what’s possible in the classroom. Buen provecho!

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