AmpED to 11

This week on AmpED to 11, Brett shares the mic with Sonn Sam, keynote speaker, equity champion, and national director at Big Picture Learning—for a raw, reflective, and radically human conversation about what happens when we stop asking, “Are you smart?” and start asking, “What are you passionate about?” Sonn’s journey begins as a square peg in a round-hole system, a track that nearly derailed his...

What happens when you mix AI’s cutting-edge potential with a human-centered mission to radically improve teaching and learning? You get BetterLesson—and you get this conversation. In this special episode of AmpED to 11, Brett Roer sits down with Matthew Kennard, CEO of BetterLesson, to unpack how his team is transforming professional learning and instructional leadership at scale. As one of the ma...

What if your state had one person responsible for AI in education—and that person asked more questions than they answered? Meet Matthew Winters, the Utah State Board of Education’s first (and only) AI Specialist. In this episode, Brett and Rebecca sit down with the Renaissance Man of AI to explore what it means to be a thoughtful, scrappy, system-level leader confronting the messy rollout of gener...

What if the problem with edtech isn’t the tech at all… but the way we use it? This week on AmpED to 11 , we dive into the wild, weird, and wonderfully human world of AI in education with the irreverent and insightful Jeremy Shorr —a self-described “dancing monkey” who’s shaping the future of learning through innovation, STEM ecosystem building, and brutal honesty about what AI can and can’t fix. J...

What if the most powerful shift AI offers teachers isn’t complex tech—but a single clarifying question? This week on AmpED to 11 , we sit down with Merissa Sadler-Holder , a nationally recognized educator turned AI trailblazer working with schools across the U.S. to not just integrate AI tools, but to redesign what’s possible in classrooms. Founder of Teaching With Machines and a two-time ASU+GSV...

Winston Roberts is raising a toddler and watching ChatGPT grow up— literally at the same time. As “Teacher in a Suit,” he’s bringing AI into classrooms not as a gimmick, but as a real tool for student agency, equity, and future-readiness . In this episode, Brett and Rebecca dig into Winston’s origin story, his viral PD sessions that leave teachers shook in the best way , and his unflinching take o...

In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma turn up the volume with Marlon Styles , nationally recognized education leader and founder of Styles Junior, LLC . Marlon shares how AI isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s a tool to unlock creativity, center learning around students, and shape future-ready schools. From real-world stories of AI-powered student art to building custom...

AI isn’t just reshaping education—it’s calling the whole system into question . Are we using it to spark innovation and amplify student voices , or just speeding up the same tired assignments we've been recycling for decades? In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with Alana Winnick — EdTech Director, podcast host, author of The Generative Age , and low-key...

AI promises to revolutionize education—but are we ready to face the tough ethical questions it raises? In this unmissable episode of AmpED to 11, Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with international keynote speaker and education visionary Ken Shelton for a real, raw conversation about equity, ethics, and AI in education. Ken pulls back the curtain on hidden biases in AI systems, explains why...

AI is evolving at breakneck speed. Every week, a new breakthrough drops that makes us rethink everything—how we work, how we learn, and how we interact with the world. But here’s the real question: Are we racing toward a future where AI makes life easier, or are we sleepwalking into a world where human connection becomes a luxury? In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bults...

In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with Alex Kotran , CEO & Co-founder of the AI Education Project (AIEDU) , to tackle a pressing issue: the AI literacy gap in schools and what it means for the next generation. Most students graduate without a basic understanding of how AI works—even as it influences job markets, decision-making, and daily life. Mean...

In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with Dr. Michael Connor , CEO & Founder of Agile Evolutionary Group , to explore how AI is transforming education, leadership, and strategic change . Dr. Connor isn’t just following AI trends—he’s engineering the future . His Agile Diagnostic and AI Platform is redefining how school leaders approach data-driven deci...

Pushing AI to the Limits: Innovation, Education, and the Future with Special Guest Michael Yates In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma are joined by Michael Yates , a leader at Teach for America’s Reinvention Lab , who is redefining what AI can do in education. Mike isn’t just talking about AI—he’s pushing it to its limits, experimenting beyond traditional classroom...

In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma are joined by Dan Fitzpatrick , also known as The AI Educator. Dan is a bestselling author, Forbes contributor, and a leading expert on AI in education. He takes us through his latest book, Infinite Education , which provides a strategic roadmap for schools looking to embrace AI effectively and future-proof their teaching strate...

AI in the Classroom: Project Cafe and the Future of Teacher Feedback with Special Guest David Adams In this episode of AmpED to 11 , hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma are joined by David Adams , CEO of the Urban Assembly. David takes us through his innovative work with Project Cafe , an AI-powered platform transforming the way teachers receive feedback. This tool provides real-time insights int...

Exploring the Future of Education with EdTech Innovations Welcome to the very first episode of AmpED to 11 , the podcast that’s here to turn up the volume on the world of education and edtech! Hosted by Brett Roer, CEO and founder of Amplify and Elevate Innovation, and Rebecca Bultsma, an edtech expert with a passion for transforming how we learn, AmpED to 11 is your backstage pass to the exciting...