TEC21 Connections

We have  all said goodbye to the month of May! And for educators, that can bring with it a sense of either relief,  maybe even a sense of joy! Or for others even a sense of sadness for the end of something excellent.  The swimming pool is calling out to the souls of weary teachers looking for a recharge. While we here at TEC21 are meeting for our annual  Facilitator's Academy in Seward, Nebras...

School is all about learning.  We all have content and learning objectives that we teach, and we assess to make sure our students, well, to make sure they “get it”.  But what happens when the tech our students use every day can do everything we currently accept as evidence of learning?  That’s the same question Dr. Yuji Fujiwara of Concordia Shanghai, has been wrestling with. And he’ll be joining...

Every year it seems there are more and more things we are told we need to do.  On today’s podcast, we’re going to switch it up and talk about things we need to stop doing, or at least avoid doing too much. If you’re curious, stick around. Notes & Links   Google slides and docs have some new gem features!  Gemini combined with Slides. New “Help me visualize” button. Google docs has a gem for cr...

If Marty McFly was to hop in the DeLorean today and go back 30 years, he’d end up in 1996.  The internet was just starting to make it’s way into classrooms and we were all wondering what the future of education was going to look like in this strange new world.  We’re at a similar point in history today with AI.  And we are blessed to have a special guest in the studio today to help lead us into th...

In this Christmas special episode of TEC21 Connections, the hosts discuss the top 10 technologies that have significantly impacted Lutheran schools in 2025. They explore various themes including the rise of AI in music and video, the resurgence of handwriting, advancements in battery technology, the accessibility of CAD and 3D printing, the role of smartphones, and the influence of publishing tool...

If you are like many teachers in November of 2025, you are probably at your wit's end dealing with students using Generative AI and "homework helper" tools inappropriately.  Policing students' work at home and their temptation to push the "easy button" to get the homework done with little or no thought to learning, is a daunting task. How appropriate and timely that thi...

Every 3 years, Lutheran teachers from around the globe gather for the LEA Convocation.  This month it was in St. Louis and our entire podcast team was there to Connect, Share, Inspire, Grow and Support . . . well . . . anyone who came to visit the TEC21 Playground.  Today we’ll share with you some of our stories, lessons learned, and inspirational thoughts and ideas from LEA 2025 Cool Stuff Brian...

For the last several decades, if you work in a school, particularly a Lutheran School, use of Google and Google tools are just a part of teaching and learning.  Mostly because Google has always made their core tools FREE for education. Learning to use these tools efficiently and effectively is what we always focus on in our first TEC21 Workshop so today it just makes sense that we follow up with e...

The culminating event of our 2025 TEC21 Cohorts is Celebration Day - the day teachers share what they’ve learned and how they plan to use it next year.  On this episode of the podcast we celebrate the culmination of our second season as we CONNECT with one of our awesome TEC21 facilitators who will SHARE some of the amazing LEARNing from this year so we can all GROW.  It’s Celebration Day on  Seas...

In Ecclesiastes, it says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die A time to weep, a time to laugh A time to keep silent and a time to speak A time to be notified and a time to silence notifications A time to look at screens, and a time for screens to be put away Okay, I might have paraphrased a bit there. On today’s show we take...

How data-driven are you? In this episode of the TEC21 Connections Podcast, we decode the details of data—how to collect it, visualize it, and use it to design learning experiences and drive daily classroom decisions. From discovery to delivery, we’re dissecting the digital dashboard of data to determine how it directs, defines, and deepens learning. Join us as we welcome special guest Jonathan Orr...

Two, Four, Six, Eight, Who Wants to Collaborate? Remember back in school when your teacher told you, “This is going to be a group project.”  Did you get excited with anticipation? Or did you dread the thought of having to work with your classmates.  (I was definitely the latter.) On today’s show we’re going to offer some help for those of you like me who find collaboration cringy and offer some te...

Twas the podcast before Christmas and all through the school Every teacher was searching for that most perfect tool A tool to engage every bright youthful mind But an app or a site can be quite hard to find So here are some experts who can do the job Our podcasting team: Dennis, Brian and Rob We’ll share teaching strategies, apps, tools, and sites To fill your digital stockings with techie delight...

How can we know what you know if we don’t know what you don’t know? In today’s show we’re asking “What is assessment?” And how are digital tools like EdPuzzle and Kahoot  or  AI tools like Brisk and ChatGPT reshaping the way we measure what students really understand.   Join us as we dive into dynamic digital assessments, and explore how tech is transforming the way we track, test, and truly conne...

AI use in the classroom - is it a headache or an opportunity? Should we block it or embrace it? From saving time with smart tools to tackling cheating concerns, let’s explore how teachers can embrace AI, leverage it for learning, and use it to empower students as we share a few tips, tricks, and just a little bit of tech magic! Welcome to a new episode and a new season of the TEC21 Connections Pod...