The TechEd Clubhouse

Schools spend a lot of time talking about creativity, problem-solving, communication, engagement, and career readiness. Shop teachers have been building those skills for decades. In this episode, I’m joined by Bobby Miller, better known online as Mr. Miller’s Woodshop , to talk about what hands-on learning gets right—and what the rest of education can learn from CTE, technology education, and the...

What does student engagement actually mean? And when AI can generate lessons, feedback, images, and activities in seconds, how do we make sure students are still doing the thinking? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Miller , educator, speaker, author, and founder of Ditch That Textbook , to talk about practical instructional design, AI literacy, and why new technology should never become the g...

What happens when coding stops being a separate technology activity and becomes a tool for learning math, literacy, science, collaboration, and problem-solving? In this episode of the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast , I’m joined by Ronel Schodt and Bruce Jackson from Kai’s Education in Auckland, New Zealand. We explore how hands-on robotics, screen-free coding, Python, virtual environments, and inclusive...

In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse, I sit down with Casey Watts, educator, leadership coach, speaker, author, and creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework, to talk about something schools need right now: clarity. Teachers are not short on effort. Administrators are not short on initiatives. Students are not short on expectations. But too often, everyone is working hard while still operating fro...

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse , I sit down with Jessica and Janelle from Symplifyed to talk about something every educator knows too well: data. Not the kind of data that gets buried in binders, spreadsheets, board reports, or compliance meetings — but the kind of simple, daily, human-centered data that actually helps teachers make better decisions for students. Jessica and Janelle shar...

What if the biggest problem in education right now… isn’t student motivation? What if it’s assignment design? In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with curriculum director, author, and learning designer Jason Kennedy to unpack the difference between teaching and designing learning. We dig into: compliance vs real engagement why “doing the work” doesn’t always mean learning...

What happens when educators stop waiting for permission… and start building the kind of learning students actually deserve? In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Garrett Wilhelm and Evin Schwartz from the Thinkering Collective to talk about humanizing education, supporting innovators inside schools, and creating learning experiences that students remember for life. The...

What happens when schools become more focused on answers than thinking? In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with educator, nonprofit leader, and author Katie Trowbridge to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing education today: the slow loss of curiosity, creativity, and human connection in classrooms. From AP students trapped in compliance culture to reluctant learner...

🔥 Episode Summary Most lessons start the same way: Explain it → practice it → assess it. That sequence feels safe. It’s also the problem. In this episode, I break down why starting with explanation kills thinking—and what to do instead. Across ELA, math, science, and social studies, I show how a simple shift in sequence creates more engagement, better thinking, and real independence… without blow...

Episode Summary What if the best example of student-centered learning in your building isn’t in a framework or a PD session—but right down the hall? In this episode, Dan builds on last week’s idea that AI didn’t break education—it exposed weak assignment design—and takes it one step further. Even when students are “thinking,” they still may not be developing independence. The difference is decisio...

🧠 Episode Summary AI isn’t the problem—it’s the spotlight. In this solo episode, I break down a hard truth: if a chatbot can complete an assignment without thinking, the issue isn’t AI—it’s design. Building off an article by Dustin Rimmey, I connects 30+ years of classroom experience to what’s happening right now and offers a simple, practical shift teachers can use immediately. This isn’t about...

What does real learning actually look like right now? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. John Spencer —former middle school teacher, current professor, and author of Empower, Launch, and Vintage Innovation—to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in education: ➡️ Moving from compliance to ownership ➡️ Designing learning that actually means something ➡️ Preparing students for an unpredictabl...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mark Zeiler, an experienced educator, administrator, and edtech leader, to dig into what it really means to keep education human-centered in an AI-driven world. We talk about building school culture, navigating compliance-heavy systems, and why connection—not programs—actually drives change in schools. We also get into AI—where it helps, where it can hurt, and...

When Sean O’Shea surveyed his staff, only 7 out of 25 teachers had used AI.So he didn’t run a training. He rebuilt the culture. In this episode, we break down what actually worked—how one principal moved teachers from hesitation to experimentation, and why AI only matters if it improves thinking, not replaces it. This is real school, real constraints, real moves. In This Episode : - The permission...

What if the best professional development in your school isn’t a program… but the teacher down the hall? In this episode, I sit down with digital learning coach Stevie Frank to break down what real growth looks like for educators right now—from conferences and coaching cycles to AI, edtech, and the uncomfortable truth about learning something new. We cut through the noise on AI hype, challenge the...

What if the best school you've never heard of is sitting inside a former Sears building in Memphis? In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse, I talk with Scott Holcomb — Ed Tech Imagineer at Crosstown High, Space Camp Hall of Famer, and yes, an actual character in the 1985 Space Camp movie — about what happens when a group of teachers finally get to build the school they always wanted. Crosstow...

What if the problem in schools isn’t that we have too many meetings… but that we’re having the wrong ones? In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse , I talk with Kurtis Hewson from Jigsaw Learning about a simple structure that helps schools move from isolated classrooms to real collaboration. Kurtis shares the thinking behind Collaborative Team Meetings (CTMs) — a practical meeting structure that h...

We gave kids devices. We gave them apps. We gave them AI. But did we ever teach them what’s under the hood? In this episode, I sit down with Stewart Brown from Code4Kids to talk about why tech literacy can’t wait until high school — and why this conversation is bigger than “learning to code.” We dig into: • Why K–8 is the missing link in digital literacy • Why computer science should amplify core...

In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse , I’m joined by Stephanie Howell —CEO of Gold EDU, Google Innovator, co-author of Control the Chaos , and Community Coach at SchoolAI . We talk about the difference between engagement and compliance , why quiet classrooms are often misunderstood, and how small, low-prep moves can immediately shift student thinking. Stephanie shares her personal learning sto...

In this episode, I sit down with Austin Levinson , Director of Learning at Mega Minds and a former educator with over 20 years of classroom experience. We dig into what’s missing in education right now—especially in CTE and career pathways —and why certifications alone aren’t enough. We talk about critical thinking, adaptability, workforce readiness, and immersive AI simulations that go far beyond...

In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Marialice Curran to unpack one of the most important—and most misunderstood—topics in education today: mental health . What starts as a conversation about digital citizenship quickly turns into a powerful discussion about language, stigma, masculinity, school culture, and why mental health needs to be treated like physical healt...

We talk a lot about fixing education. But what if teaching isn’t broken? In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse , I explore the idea that we’re standing at the beginning of a Renaissance in education —a shift away from scripts, compliance, and performative engagement, and back toward the human craft of teaching. Drawing parallels to the early Renaissance at the end of the Middle Ages, this episo...

After 32 years in the classroom, I’ve been thinking a lot about why teaching feels heavier now than it used to—even though we have more tools, systems, and strategies than ever before. In this episode, I reflect on the invisible cognitive and relational work at the center of teaching: the constant judgment calls, the timing, and the real-time decisions that never show up on a plan or a platform bu...

Every scroll promises a fix. A new tool. A new strategy. A new way to boost engagement. But after coming back from FETC, one question kept sticking with me: What if the biggest thing missing in education right now isn’t another tool—but permission to just be a teacher? This episode is a reflection on great conversations, real engagement, and the growing overload of “solutions” in education. While...

What happens when engagement isn’t enough? In this episode of the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Lisa Riegel to explore what’s really happening beneath student behavior, disengagement, and classroom stress. Drawing from neuroscience, classroom practice, and systems-level work with schools, Dr. Riegel reframes behavior as the intersection of biology and context—not compliance or char...