My EdTech Life

My EdTech Life is where education meets innovation with clarity, caution, and purpose. Hosted by Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza Jr., this podcast features real conversations with educators, founders, researchers, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of learning. From classroom-tested tools to emerging AI trends, we cut through the noise to spotlight what truly works in K–12 and higher education. As a leading voice in responsible AI adoption, Fonz challenges the hype and elevates voices that often go unheard, bringing practical, ethical, and future-forward insights to every episode. Whether you're a teacher, instructional coach, policymaker, or edtech creator, this is your space to connect, question, and grow.

My EdTech Life is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 374 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts My EdTech Life, a education show with 374 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #371

  "Step One, Step Two" Isn't Real Learning | My EdTech Life 371

  Aug 11, 202658 minS1

  "Step one, step two, step three" isn't how real learning happens. On this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza sits down with Cari Orts , also known as Techie Cari, an educational technology specialist at Marble Falls ISD with over 20 years of experience in education, to discuss maker spaces, project-based learning, and why AI will never replace real teaching. Car i shares why she believes technology should work like a textbook, not the whole classroom. She breaks down her Cardboard Carnival project, a K-5 event that fills an entire school gym with games kids build from scratch, and explains why AI-generated rubrics fail teachers unless they are rewritten to be measurable. This episode is packed with real classroom examples for K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and district leaders who want practical ways to bring project-based learning back into their classrooms without losing instructional time. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE What is the problem with 30-minute daily EdTech platform requirements? Many districts require students to use a paid platform for a set amount of time each day to justify the cost. Cari explains why this turns into compliance instead of real learning. Why does Cari Orts say step-by-step instructions hurt critical thinking? Scripted instructions teach students to copy steps rather than understand why something works. Cari explains why giving students an end goal instead of a script leads to deeper learning. How can teachers actually find time for project-based learning? Cari shares her method of bundling 10 to 15 standards into a single project instead of teaching them one at a time, which saves time later in the school year. Why are AI-generated rubrics not accurate for grading? AI can create a rubric quickly, but Cari explains why it is not measurable until a teacher rewrites it with specific, gradable criteria. What is the Cardboard Carnival project? A K-5 maker space project inspired by Caine's Arcade where students build carnival games from cardboard, then host a school-wide family math night to showcase them. How should teachers use AI in the classroom? Cari recommends writing content first, then using AI only to refine it, rather than generating lessons or newsletters from scratch. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro and welcome 00:01:00 Meet Cari Orts , also known as Techie Cari 00:03:00 The problem with 30-minute daily EdTech compliance 00:04:00 How COVID changed hands-on learning in the classroom 00:08:00 What other districts and states are seeing right now 00:12:00 The shoe building project and low tech, high engagement learning 00:15:00 Why step-by-step instructions are not real learning 00:19:00 The Cardboard Carnival project explained 00:26:00 How to find time for project-based learning 00:28:00 Why AI-generated rubrics are not measurable 00:34:00 Bringing parents into student learning 00:35:00 What teachers get wrong after a conference or PD 00:38:00 Designing PD for speedboats, tugboats, and anchors 00:43:00 Cari's honest take on AI in education 00:46:00 Is AI literacy a realistic goal for teachers? 00:51:00 Speed round: edu kryptonite, billboard idea, and trading places with a student 00:55:00 Connect with Cari Orts ABOUT THE GUEST Cari Orts , known as Techie Cari, has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, GT specialist, and maker space lead. She currently works as an educational technology specialist at Marble Falls ISD and presents nationally on AI, project-based learning, and hands-on instruction. Connect with Cari Orts Facebook, X, TikTok: @TechieCari LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/ CONNECT WITH MY EDTECH LIFE Website: myedtech.life More episodes on project-based learning, maker spaces, and AI in education available at myedtech.life Thank you to our sponsors: Comeback Coffee , Book Creator (use code MyEdTechLife for a free 3-month premium upgrade) Contribute to the show: Buy us a coffee! Become a show sponsor : email myedtechlife@gmail.com Support the show

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  Episode #370

  AI Can't Steal Your Voice | My EdTech Life 370

  Jul 26, 202657 minS1

  Can AI take away a student's voice or help protect it? In this episode of My EdTech Life, host Dr. Alfonso Mendoza, a top voice in the ed tech space, sits down with virtual education leaders Larisa Black and LaKeshia Brooks to dig into artificial intelligence in education, digital literacy, virtual teaching, and the growing backlash against ed tech in K-12 schools. With a combined 34 years in education, Larisa and LaKeshia share their personal journeys from classroom teachers to virtual education leaders, and how their approach to generative AI shifted from early excitement to grounded, cautious advocacy. This conversation covers what actually matters when selecting AI and ed tech tools (accessibility and accommodations first), how to assess student work honestly in a virtual classroom, why authentic assessment beats AI-generated worksheets, and why lumping every ed tech tool into today's "AI backlash" narrative puts students who need accommodations at risk. If you're an educator, instructional coach, virtual school leader, or ed tech decision-maker trying to navigate AI adoption, digital citizenship, and screen-time policy debates in 2026, this episode is packed with practical, classroom-tested insight. What You'll Learn: 1. How virtual teachers moved from "move fast, break things" to cautious AI advocacy 2. Why accessibility and accommodations should drive ed tech tool selection 3. How to talk with students about AI use without a power struggle 4. Why authentic, process-based assessment matters more in the AI era 5. The risk of lumping every ed tech tool into the AI backlash narrative 6. What personalized AI tutoring could mean for educational equity 7. Why teacher training must come before student AI training 8. The future of virtual schooling in an AI-driven education landscape Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 02:59 The Role of AI in Education 05:57 Personal Journeys in Virtual Teaching 09:05 Mindset Shifts in Using Generative AI 12:00 Digital Literacy and Student Engagement 14:51 Navigating EdTech Backlash 17:50 Selecting Effective EdTech Tools 20:56 Assessing Student Work in a Virtual Environment 23:41 Empowering Student Voices 26:46 Future of EdTech and Student Learning 30:54 Navigating AI in Virtual Education 36:21 The Role of Educators in AI Adoption 41:26 Reflections on AI Integration 41:55 Future of Virtual Schooling and AI 47:49 Connecting with Educators and Resources 50:28 Edu Kryptonite and Growth Mindset 53:13 Kindness and Perspective in Education Connect with our guests: LaKeshia Brooks — @msmathminded (TikTok) Larisa Black — ⁨ @TeachWiseAI⁩ (TikTok) A huge thank you to our sponsors who make this show possible: ☕ Comeback Coffee Book Creator -Use code MYEDTECHLIFE for premium access. Love the show? Support us and get exclusive perks: https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership Interested in sponsoring My EdTech Life? Reach out — we'd love to partner with you. Stay Techie ✌ Support the show

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  Episode #369

  "I Don't Even Like Calling It Claude" ft. Dr. Carol Fletcher | My EdTech Life 369

  Jul 13, 20261h 4mS1

  "I Don't Even Like Calling It Claude" ft. Dr. Carol Fletcher | My EdTech Life 368 A college student let an AI chatbot complete his entire research project. When his professor asked him to explain it, he couldn't. That's the story that opens this episode with Dr. Carol Fletcher , Director of EPIC (Expanding Pathways in Computing) at UT Austin's Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), where she leads research and professional development in STEM+CS education across the state. Carol doesn't hold back. She calls the "AI will do it all, kids don't need to learn to code" messaging coming out of corporate America "fascinatingly irresponsible." She breaks down research showing AI chatbots agree with users roughly 15 times more than a human would, and explains why she refuses to call any chatbot by a human name in front of students. We also get into why "just ban it" isn't working. 100% of kids in her conference's student panel said they're using AI, even in schools where it's prohibited. That's created a real adversarial relationship between students and teachers over AI accusations. Carol brings a rare mix of perspectives to this conversation. She's a former middle school teacher, an elected School Board Trustee for 18 years, and the founder of WeTeach_CS, one of the largest computer science teacher professional development programs in the country. That program is where a lot of this episode's optimism lives: real, statewide, teacher-facing work that's been building AI and CS literacy in Texas classrooms long before this became a headline issue. Then we go deep on policy. Carol chaired the Texas AI in Education Task Force behind a new white paper , and the numbers are sobering. Texas is one of only five states with no formal AI guidance for K-12, even though 86% of districts report teachers are already using it. She walks through the task force's recommendations and a red-light/yellow-light/green-light framework any district can start using now. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Learning Stalls and AI's Role 09:56 The Importance of Computer Science Education 19:57 The WeTeachCS Summit: Building Community and Empowering Educators 29:58 AI in Education: The Risks of Over-Reliance 35:48 The Need for AI Guidance in K-12 Education 39:53 Navigating AI Messaging in Education 42:46 Recommendations for AI Integration in Texas Education 46:06 Practical Steps for Districts to Implement AI Policies 52:02 WeTeachCS: Supporting Educators in AI Literacy Connect with Dr. Carol Fletcher & WeTeach_CS: 🔗 weteachcs.org 📰 The Anatomy of a Learning Stall 📰 Leading the Way in K-12 Education Sponsors: Comeback Coffee | Book Creator (code MYEDTECHLIFE for a 3-month premium trial) | Eduaide.AI | Peel Back Education 👉 Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership 👉 More episodes: myedtech.life Blessings. Stay Techie ✌🏼 Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Support the show

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  Episode #368

  Bossing My Robot Overlords Around ft. Dustin Rimmey | My EdTech Life 369

  Jul 3, 202651 minS1

  "I can boss my robot overlords around and go, 'I wanna try this thing.'" That line right there? That's the whole episode. This week Dr. Fonz sits down with Dustin Rimmey , aka Rimmey, a 19-year Kansas educator who went from "programming languages just don't stick in my brain" to building his own classroom tools with nothing but a keyboard and a stubborn refusal to quit. No computer science degree. No dev team. Just what Rimmey calls "caveman prompting." You describe what you want. You fail. You try again. And somehow, a Wordle-style history review game shows up on the other end. In this episode, Rimmey breaks down: What vibe coding actually is (and why "caveman prompting" might be the most honest term in EdTech right now) How he built a Macbeth review game for a colleague's English class using nothing but iteration and grit Why he intentionally builds tools he can't afford, instead of waiting for district approval The "AI-resilient assignment" approach he's testing so students still show their thinking, even if they use AI A wild cross-border collaboration story with a UK educator working around strict student data laws Why failing in front of 30 kids might be the best thing you do for them all year This one isn't about mastering code. It's about mastering the courage to hit "generate" and see what happens. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & Sponsor Shoutouts 00:03 Meet Dustin Rimmey: Journeyman Teacher, Full-Time Tinkerer 00:07 How Rimmey Fell Into Vibe Coding 00:12 Building Classroom Tools From Scratch (Macbeth Game, Timers & More) 00:19 Bridging the Tool-Access Gap for Under-Resourced Teachers 00:25 The TCEA Story & a Cross-Border Collaboration With a UK Educator 00:34 Teaching Kids to Fail on Purpose Speed Round Highlights: Rimmey's EdTech kryptonite: literally all of it (he'll test every tool, every time) Who he'd trade places with for a day: a school librarian His billboard message to the world: "Play, period." Grab your coffee (shoutout Comeback Coffee) and get ready to rethink what "learning to code" even means. Connect with Dustin Rimmey: Twitter/X: https://x.com/JustRimmey Instagram & TikTok:@teachersplaiground Website: https://www.teachersplaiground.com/ A huge thank you to our sponsors, Book Creator, Peel Back Education, Eduaide.AI, and Comeback Coffee, for believing in this mission. If you'd like to support the show, visit https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership. Blessings. Stay Techie ✌🏼 Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Support the show

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  Episode #367

  The Ultimate Technology Isn't AI, It's You ft. Mark Zeiler | My EdTech Life 367

  Jun 22, 202655 minS1

  The Ultimate Technology Isn't AI, It's You ft. Mark Zeiler | My EdTech Life Ep. 367 In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza sits down with Dr. Mark Zeiler, a 20+ year K-12 education veteran whose career spans ELA teacher, media specialist, assistant principal, dean, and operations and curriculum leadership in Florida. The conversation centers on one core idea: as AI accelerates and humanoid robots move closer to mainstream integration, the most adaptive, creative, empathetic, and transformative technology ever created is still the human being. Dr. Zeiler unpacks what human-centered leadership actually looks like in practice, drawing from real experiences working hands-on with custodial staff, running data-driven conversations with students and families, and leading a 200-acre high school campus through digital transformation. He and Fonz explore why technology adoption looks completely different inside a classroom than during the district procurement process, why the first wave of AI in education hasn't gone as smoothly as hoped, and why fragmentation between schools and districts remains one of the biggest barriers to AI becoming the "great equalizer" it's often promised to be. One of the most relatable moments comes when Dr. Mark shares a personal story about almost using Claude to write his wife's anniversary card, a small but honest admission that opens up a bigger conversation about cognitive offloading, convenience, and what we're really modeling for kids about effort and authenticity. Other topics covered include the "Click" movie metaphor for educational leadership, a robotic food delivery system that ultimately enhanced human connection, social-emotional adaptability as possibly the most undernourished competency in K-12 right now, and why being a "cautious advocate" is a healthy stance for educators navigating AI. This episode is for school leaders, teachers, instructional coaches, and anyone navigating AI adoption in education who wants a grounded, human-first perspective on where things are headed and how to lead through it with intention. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and welcome 02:00 Dr. Mark Zeiler's journey: ELA teacher to district leader 12:00 Human-centered leadership and the "Click" movie metaphor 16:00 Why AI adoption looks different in classrooms vs. procurement 21:00 What keeps Dr. Mark up at night about AI's pace 26:00 The robot food delivery story 29:00 Cognitive offloading and the anniversary card moment 36:00 Social-emotional adaptability: the most undernourished competency 46:00 Connect with Dr. Mark Zeiler 47:00 Final three questions: kryptonite, billboard, trade places Connect with Dr. Mark Zeiler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leadingtoinspire/ 🎙️ My EdTech Life is dedicated to the people, ideas, and conversations shaping the future of education and technology. We are pro-humanity before pro-innovation and pedagogy-first, always. 💛 Want to support the show? You can become a sponsor or an Executive Producer of My EdTech Life. Visit https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership to learn more about partnership opportunities and how you can help keep these conversations going. Thanks to our current sponsors: Comeback Coffee, Book Creator, Eduaide.AI, Peel Back Education 📱 Follow us on all socials: @myedtechlife Stay Techie ✌🏼 Support the show

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