Tag: tcea

Ep. 257 | The Price We Pay For AI With Brianna Hodges and Carl Hooker

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing education, but at what cost? That’s the big question we tackled in this live podcast session at TCEA 2025 with our incredible guests, Brianna Hodges and Carl Hooker. In a world where AI tools are becoming classroom staples, are we equipping students with AI literacy—or simply creating a generation that leans too hard on automation? And as educators, how do we balance AI’s benefits with the risk of diminishing creativity?

We explored these critical questions with the help of a lively audience, diving into real-world scenarios where AI enhances learning—and where it might be holding us back. But because we believe learning should be fun (and a little unpredictable), we also spiced things up with a hot sauce challenge and food trivia. Let’s just say some of us left the stage with a newfound respect for mild salsa.

Throughout the episode, we discuss:

  • What AI literacy really means for educators and students
  • The potential dangers of over-relying on AI
  • Whether AI is killing creativity or simply changing how we define it
  • Audience insights on how they use (or avoid) AI in their teaching
  • The great hot sauce debate—how much heat is too much?

This episode is packed with engaging discussions, thought-provoking insights, and some hilarious audience participation. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or an enthusiast, you’ll walk away with new perspectives—and maybe even a craving for some spicy snacks.

Tune in and join the conversation! What do you think is the real cost of AI? Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Brianna Hodges

Learner. Listener. Leader. Storyteller. Texas EdTech of the Year (2017). K12 Administrator to Watch (2018). National Advisor and Spokesperson for Future Ready Instructional Coaches. An experienced school and district leader with a superpower for storytelling (Bri spent 10+ years as a PR exec) and developing capacity, Brianna works with school districts across the country to transform learning for all ages and stages. Let’s rewrite the story of what school has been and provide purpose to practice, and institute innovative change together.

Connect With Brianna Hodges

About Carl Hooker

Carl Hooker is a 25-year educator from Austin, TX. He’s an 8-time author, 5-time podcast host, 2-time bar owner, 3-time father, and 1-time husband. His latest book, Learning Evolution tackles the challenges of AI-enhanced learning and empowers teachers to leverage this new technology in creative ways for learning. He identifies as a pizza-lover, with a regular household debate between Detroit-style and New York-style.

Connect With Carl Hooker

Ep. 256 | TCEA Takeaways: Bringing STEM Ideas and Podcasting to Life w/ Brenda Gutierrez

STEM meets podcasting! Join Brenda Gutierrez and I as she shares her first TCEA experience and her mission to bring back STEM ideas and launch a podcasting initiative to Ysleta de Sur Pueblo Department of Tribal Empowerment.

This episode is sponsored by Brisk Teaching. To learn more and get started, visit www.briskteaching.com.

What happens when a first-time attendee at TCEA sets out to bring back new ideas for STEM—and ends up leaving with a vision for podcasting innovation? I invited Brenda Gutierrez, Student Services Coordinator at Ysleta de Sur Pueblo Department Of Tribal Empowerment in El Paso, Texas, to share her exciting journey.

After attending my “Keep It Simple: Micropodcasting In The Classroom” session at TCEA, Brenda was struck by the potential of podcasting as a tool to amplify student voice, foster collaboration, and provide professional development for educators. She realized that bringing STEM back to her organization could go beyond robotics kits and digital tools—what if they could create their own podcasts, documenting successes, challenges, and discoveries along the way?

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

  1. TCEA Planning: Learn what Brenda plans to learn more about while at TCEA 2025
  2. STEM Ideas For Her Community: We discuss simple steps to start a podcast without fancy equipment or tech headaches.
  3. Tips For TCEA 2025 Success Without Overwhelm: I give Brenda some advice being that she is a first timer at a conference of this magnitude.

Why This Matters

As educators, we know the value of making learning visible. Podcasting offers a dynamic way to do that by highlighting successes, reflecting on lessons learned, and even showcasing student-led discussions on STEM topics. Brenda is proof that a simple spark of inspiration can lead to transformational growth once she takes it back to her organization.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of launching a podcast or revamping your STEM curriculum, this episode will give you the motivation and practical advice to make it happen!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

Ep. 255| Teaching Smarter, Not Harder: Unlocking the Power of Brisk Teaching with Suvi Gluskin

In this episode, I speak with Suvi Gluskin from Brisk Teaching about their AI-powered Chrome extension designed for educators. Suvi explains how Brisk simplifies lesson planning, grading, and feedback, enabling teachers to save significant time while enhancing student engagement and differentiation in the classroom.

This episode is sponsored by Brisk Teaching. To learn more and get started, visit www.briskteaching.com.

Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to plan lessons, grade assignments, and still have time to breathe? In today’s episode, I chat with Suvi Gluskin, Head of Marketing and Community for Brisk Teaching. We dive into Brisk Teaching—the AI-powered Chrome extension that’s here to change the game for educators. Suvi shares how Brisk streamlines your teaching tasks, make differentiation a breeze, and frees up your time for what truly matters: connecting with students. Buen Provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Suvi Gluskin

Suvi Gluskin is the Head of Marketing at Brisk Teaching, the most popular AI-powered Chrome Extension for educators, helping over 1 million teachers save 10-20 hours per week. Brisk seamlessly integrates with educators’ existing tools to support differentiation, content creation, feedback, and writing authentication. Prior to Brisk, Suvi spent seven years leading Community at Seesaw Learning and previously worked at PBS KIDS. She holds degrees in Music and Child Development from Carnegie Mellon University.

Connect With Suvi and Brisk Teaching

TCEA 2025 EdTech Bites x Brisk Teaching Walking Food Tour

If you’re heading to TCEA, you’re not going to want to miss out on the EdTech Bites x Brisk Teaching Walking Food Tour of Downtown, Austin!

Pssst! Hey, TCEA peeps… WE’RE BAAAACK! That’s right, another Walking Food Tour for TCEA 2025 in Downtown, Austin. The awesome folks at Brisk Teaching and I have partnered to be able to offer this exclusive event to 20 participants. I can’t think of a better way to kick off TCEA 2025 than with Brisket and Brisk It! Get it?! See what I did there?! Anyway… Check out the details below and click on the image below to sign up.

TCEA Walking Food Tour Details

  • When is it? Saturday, February 1st 2025
  • What time is this exclusive event? 6:00pm-8:00pm CT
  • How many people can attend? 20 attendee spots
  • How much does it cost to attend? Cost is $15 per person
  • Where will we be stopping to eat? See below
Stop 1Stop 2Stop 3
Veracruz All NaturalCoopers Old Time Pit BBQVooDoo Doughnuts
A Variety Of Steak , Chicken, Al Pastor Pork, Vegetarian Tacos, and Aguas Frescas (all natural vegetable and fruit juices)Smoked Brisket, Sausage, Mac & Cheese, and Potato SaladDonuts… Do I Really Need To Explain Any Further?!

Things To Consider Before Signing Up

  • There will be meat, dairy, and gluten
  • We will be walking about a mile total through Downtown Austin
  • Those participating will be responsible for getting to and from the food tour on their own

How Do I Sign Up and How Will I Know If I Got A Spot?

  • Click the image above to fill out the form using A PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS as district filters can and will block outside emails
  • Check your email frequently for further instructions
  • If you’re one of the first 20, you’ll receive instructions to submit payment to secure your spot (If you submit payment and have a change of plans, I cannot issue a refund but you can give your spot away to someone else and handle reimbursement with them)
  • You’ll receive your confirmation email by January 27th. If all spots are filled, you will receive an email stating so
  • As we get closer to the event, you’ll receive an email with the map, times, and further instructions

What Is Brisk Teaching?

Brisk is an easy-to-use Google Chrome extension that integrates time-saving AI directly into the platforms where teachers spend the most time, like Google Docs, Slides, articles, YouTube videos, PDFs, and more. With just a few clicks, Brisk quickly completes tasks that usually take hours, like generating student feedback, differentiating resources, creating instructional materials, and assessing student writing. Trusted by over 900,000 teachers, Brisk is the leading AI-powered Chrome Extension designed specifically for educators, helping them get more done in less time.

Install for FREE:  https://www.briskteaching.com/chrome-extension

2025 FETC and 2024 TCEA Walking Food Tour Recaps

Check out my 2024 TCEA Recap which includes footage from the Walking Food Tour to see what it’s all about. See you in Austin!

Ep. 19: #NotAtTCEA And Why You Need To Attend Conferences

In this episode, I discuss how I attended TCEA 2018 without actually attending TCEA 2018. I met up with the good folks from Nearpod and Flipgrid at a dinner each company hosted and more importantly, caught up with my friends and fellow #edtech folks whom I have connected with on social media. I also discuss the most important outcome of attending conferences like this, the human connections that are made as a result. In case you haven’t hear of the EdTexicans, you will in this episode. Check it out and as always, buen provecho!