What the EdTech?

Rob Dickson reflects on Salim Ismail's Ad Astra Technology Summit keynote and what exponential change means for schools, AI, student agency, and the future of learning.

Rob Dickson explains why AI gets more useful when it becomes an operating layer across memory, tools, documents, scheduled research, and human-approved workflows instead of just another chatbot tab.

Most people open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and start from scratch every single time. In this episode, Rob breaks down why that's a trap — and how custom instructions, memory, and a simple AI hack can transform your results in minutes. The bridge between learning AI and living with AI.

Think prompt engineering is the hardest part of AI? Think again. In this episode, we dive into the 'compound effect' of AI usage and the secret feature changing how we interact with chatbots: persistent memory. Discover why the learning curve is temporary and how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini actually start learning *you* over time, turning exhausting data entry into seamless co...

A deep dive into AI context windows for educators and administrators. We compare Google Gemini 3 Pro (1-2M tokens), OpenAI GPT-5.2 (16K-196K tokens), and Anthropic Claude Opus/Sonnet 4.6 (200K-1M tokens). Learn what context windows mean for your workflow, how to match the model to your task, and why bigger isn't always better. Show Notes: What is a context window and why it matters; Token mat...

This week I built an AI system to help me be a better CIO — and there are lessons here for how we approach technology in our districts. Topics Covered: Setting up automated daily research briefings COPPA compliance deadline: April 22, 2026 Shadow IT in education and approved tool strategy Matching AI tools to tasks (cost optimization) Agentic AI trends in K-12 Leadership filter: Does it help teach...

In this special preview episode, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s in store for attendees at the Propellus Tech Summit 2025! Recorded for registered participants, this episode walks you through the session formats, keynote highlights, featured partner sessions, and all the high-energy moments waiting for you at Wichita State University on May 28–29. Hear what makes this event dif...

Welcome to the forefront of educational transformation, where technologymeets tradition, and innovation creates inspiration. You're tuned into What the EdTech?, the go-to podcast for educators, tech enthusiasts, and change-makers. Today, we're thrilled to introduce a special guest, a visionary in the realm of educational technology. He's not just a coordinator; he's a catalyst...

What's the most powerful tool in today's classrooms? The answer might surprise you. Welcome to a captivating episode where we explore the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in education with our distinguished guest, Serena Sax Mandel from Microsoft. Serena's riveting journey from corporate IT to ed-tech sets the scene as we delve into how AI is revolutionizing the educa...

In this episode, Rob is joined by two guests: Katelyn Schoenhofer, a technology coach and an eSports enthusiast, and Snow White, a leader of education sales strategy at Intel. We discuss the following topics: How eSports can benefit students in terms of academic, social, emotional, and career development. We share their personal experiences and stories of how eSports has transformed the lives of m...

Welcome, listeners, to another exciting episode of "What the EdTech". Today, we're diving into a topic that's not only close to my heart but also incredibly promising for the future of work in technology and education. We'll be exploring the inspiring worlds of Girls Who Code and Girls Who Game, two remarkable initiatives that are reshaping the landscape of both technology...

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to What the Edtech podcast - the show that explores the ever-evolving landscape of technology in education. I'm your host, Rob Dickson, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host, Dyane Smokorowski. Today, we're thrilled to welcome a special guest, Shannon Davenport, who is the Director of Professional Learning at the Northwest Council for Computer Educati...

Welcome to the What the EdTech podcast, where we delve into the world of learning and explore innovative approaches to education. Today, we're honored to be joined by Tonya Witherspoon from Wichita State University and Tiffany Bonfiglio from Wichita Public Schools to discuss the exciting applied learning opportunities available to students in the district. We have formed a unique partnership...

This episode we dive into esports and its implementation in Wichita Public Schools.  Our super friends today are Clint Dayhuff (district esports representative), Kyle Schoenhofer (Computer Science Teacher & Coach at Education Imagine Academy), and Ramsey Jamoul (CEO of Unified Esports Association). 

This podcast highlights the Verizon Innovative Learning Program.  We currently have 12 Middle Schools involved in the comprehensive program as well as 6 secondary schools in the hotspot program.  On the podcast is Sara Crawford, Deputy Director of Professional Learning, Verizon Innovative Learning Schools. Also on the podcast is our very own Catherine Arellano, Verizon Innovative Learning Coach at...

Smoke and Rob discuss with Amanda Young how technology impacts both the traditional classroom and the virtual classroom opportunities through the lens of Education Imagine Academy.    Resources discussed in the podcast: Dr. Catlin Tucker   https://catlintucker.com/ Blended Learning Playbook for Elementary Teachers  by  Jayme Linton https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/the-blended-learning-blueprint-for...