My EdTech Life

How CTE Really Works for Students ft. Dr. Joey Mendoza | My EdTech Life 344 CTE is changing fast. Certifications, digital skills, pathways, tutoring, attendance, career pipelines—there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Joey Mendoza , a South Texas educator and freshly-minted doctoral researcher who has worked across classrooms, regional service centers, EdTe...

How AiDigiCards Help Kids Learn AI Safely ft. Amber Ivey | My EdTech Life 343  In Episode 343 of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Amber Ivey to explore AiDigiCards , a new screen-free way to introduce kids to AI literacy, curiosity, and critical thinking. Amber breaks down the journey from her AI-for-adults work, to her children’s book AI Meets AI , to her new hands-on learning system for kids age...

How AI Is Transforming School Technology Planning ft. Robbie Cobbs | My EdTech Life Ep.342 In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Robbie Cobbs , the founder of Tech My School and creator of Tech Plan Genie , a groundbreaking platform built by tech directors for tech directors. We talk about how school leaders can create meaningful, data-driven technology plans that bring their vision...

 Teaching in an AI World ft. David L. Jackson | My EdTech Life Ep. 341  In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Fonz Mendoza sits down with David L. Jackson of Digital Promise to talk about how educators can slow down, refocus, and bring humanity back to teaching in an AI-driven world. David shares insights from the upcoming Elevating Innovation: Thinking in an AI World conference, a research-based...

Episode 340: La Lucha Productiva en el Aula con Austin Levinson Bienvenidos a otro episodio de My EdTech Life , con tu anfitrión, el Dr. Alfonso “Fonz” Mendoza , donde exploramos las conversaciones que conectan la tecnología, la educación y lo humano.  En este episodio, tengo el honor de conversar con Austin Levinson , educador, economista y Director de Aprendizaje en MegaMinds, una plataforma inm...

  Episode 339: Merissa Sadler-Holder | Teaching with Machines  In this episode of My EdTech Life , Dr. Fonz Mendoza talks with Merissa Sadler-Holder , founder of Teaching with Machines . Merissa shares her journey from French teacher to AI consultant and shows how educators can embrace AI without losing their voice, creativity, or purpose. They discuss what human-centered A I really means in the c...

Captivate Your Classroom with Dr. Marc Isseks In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Dr. Marc Isseks , author of Captivate , to explore how educators can break free from “cognitive entrenchment” and rediscover what it means to truly engage learners. Marc brings over 30 years of classroom, curriculum, and leadership experience, and his insights will challenge the way you think about te...

 La IA no reemplaza al maestro con Pedro Aparicio En este episodio de My EdTech Life , converso con Pedro Aparicio sobre un tema que nos toca a todos: el papel real de la IA en el aula y el rol insustituible del docente. Desde la mirada de Latinoamérica, Pedro nos comparte cómo la tecnología puede ser una aliada cuando se usa con intención, verificación y presencia humana. Hablamos del retroceso p...

The Business of You with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio In this episode of My EdTech Life , Dr. Fonz Mendoza sits down with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio to explore their book The Business of You . They share how students, educators, and professionals alike can begin running their lives like a well-led company—by becoming the CEO, CMO, HR, and CFO of their own story. We also talk about adap...

Peel Back Education with April Braithwaite   Educators are the backbone of society, yet their stories often go unheard. In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with April Braithwaite , founder of Peel Back Education , a new project dedicated to telling the authentic stories of teachers. April shares how a late-night reflection sparked her mission to capture educator journeys in writing, giv...

  Research First Approach to AI Tools with Short Answer In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Adam and Alexa Sparks , the husband-and-wife founders of Short Answer , a writing platform built to strengthen peer-to-peer learning and classroom dialogue. We dive into their journey from classrooms and Stanford labs to building an edtech startup that puts pedagogy first. Adam shares how a...

 AI in Schools: Strategy Over Shiny Tools with Kyler Cheatham When it comes to AI in school districts, rushing in without a clear why can cost millions, crush teacher buy-in, and derail your entire tech strategy. In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Kyler Cheatham , a system architecture expert in AI and predictive analytics, to break down what districts are getting wrong and how to...

AI Optimism with Becky Keene In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sat down with author, educator, and thought leader Becky Keene to unpack her new book AI Optimism . We tackled everything from AI literacy and data privacy to the SAMR model, edtech skepticism, and what it really takes to shift classroom practice forward, not with hype, but with intention. Becky shares her “AI Optimism” framework,...

  Learning, Agency, and EdTech | Erik Parsons In this episode of My EdTech Life , I reconnect with the brilliant Erik Parsons, better known as The PhDad  on TikTok , for a bold conversation on what really matters in education. We dig into behaviorism vs. developmentalism, and how too many classrooms are still operating on compliance over collaboration. From Chromebooks as babysitters to the over-p...

Digital Portfolios, Feedback Culture, and Rethinking Readiness with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth In Episode 330 of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth , authors of Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders . This conversation is all about transforming classrooms by prioritizing neurodiversity, digital portfolios, and building real-world readiness through entrepreneur...

Ep.329 Building with Purpose with Eduaide In this episode, I welcome back two familiar voices: Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel, the powerhouse team behind Eduaide. AI. This isn’t just another conversation about AI. It’s a grounded, honest discussion on what it means to build tech for teachers, by teachers. We talk growth, grit, and grounded design. From their classroom beginnings to becoming one...

AI in Schools: Innovation or Illusion? | Ep. 328 with Job Christiansen Is AI making classrooms smarter—or just noisier? In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Job Christiansen, a fellow cautious advocate, educator, and instructional technology specialist, to ask the hard questions about AI’s role in education. From privacy concerns to the illusion of “safe use,” we unpack what most ed...

Episode 327:  Learning & Development, Instructional Design, and AI Talk with Holly Owens  In this episode, I had the honor of chatting with Holly Owens , host of EdUp EdTech , Director of Growth Marketing at Yellowdig , and all-around L&D powerhouse. We talk about everything from instructional design to AI in learning, what "proficiency" really means, and how educators can pivot...

What Does It Mean to Be Digitally Well? | with Teodora Pavkovic  In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Teodora Pavkovic , psychologist, speaker, and digital wellness expert at Linewize , to unpack how technology shapes our emotions, identity, and relationships. From AI companions and algorithmic influence to parenting in the age of chatbots, Teodora offers practical wisdom and action...

Digital Dangers Facing Our Kids with Andy Murphy In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sat down with Andy Murphy , also known as The Secure Dad, to talk about the uncomfortable truth: kids are being targeted online, and it’s not a fair fight. We unpack how predators use everyday platforms like games and social media to groom and manipulate children, often right under their parents' noses. And...

Episode 324 – Charlie Meyer: The AI Hype, EdTech Snake Oil & What Teachers Actually Want  In this episode of My EdTech Life , I sit down with Charlie Meyer , small business owner and creator of Pickcode , to unpack the growing wave of AI solutionism in education. From being shouted at over not using AI to asking hard questions like, “Would you trust a vibe-coded site with your bank info?” , Ch...

AI Ethics, Overreliance & Honest Talk with Jen Manly In this episode of My EdTech Life , Fonz sits down with returning guest Jen Manly , a computer science educator, TikTok powerhouse , and advocate for ethical tech use, to unpack the complex relationship between AI, teaching, and critical thinking. From data privacy concerns to AI detectors that fail our students, this conversation gets real...

Episode 322:  ¿Instrucciones o experiencias? El nuevo rol del educador en tiempos de IA | Dr. José R. Ferrer  ¡Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de My EdTech Life !  Hoy tengo el honor de conversar con el Dr. José R. Ferrer López sobre su libro Cómo Diseñar Experiencias de Aprendizaje en la Era de la Inteligencia Artificial . Hablamos de pensamiento crítico, diseño centrado en el estudiante, el verd...

Episode 321: 2059 and the Future of Education with Micah Shippee What if we stopped reacting to every new tech tool and started preparing with intention? In this bold conversation, I sit down with educator, futurist, and Samsung’s Director of Education Solutions, Micah Shippee , to explore his new book 2059: The Future of Education . We dive deep into what the future could look like across AI, cla...

Episode 320: Creativity in Young Children: What Science Tells Us and Our Hearts Know with Dr. Zachary Stier & Tom Rendon In this episode of My EdTech Life , I’m joined by returning guest Dr. Zachary Stier and first-time guest Tom Rendon to explore their new book Creativity in Young Children: What Science Tells Us and Our Hearts Know . We dive deep into the intersection of creativity, child dev...