My EdTech Life
My EdTech Life is where education meets innovation with clarity, caution, and purpose. Hosted by Dr. 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.
Recent Episodes
June 5, 2026
Ready Beats Finished ft. Marnie & Nick | My EdTech Life 366
Ready Beats Finished ft. Marnie & Nick | My EdTech Life 366 What does it actually mean to be ready for the real world? Not finished. Not just checked out with a diploma. Ready. In this episode, I sit down with Marnie Stockman...
May 25, 2026
Strategy Beats the Tool in AI for Schools ft. Karle Delo | My EdTech Life 365
What happens when a former curriculum director becomes an AI strategist for an entire state? You get the kind of zoomed-out view most of us in education never get to see.In this episode, I welcome back my good friend Karle Delo, AI Strategist at Michigan Virtual, for a real conversation about w…
May 20, 2026
Why AI Won't Save a Classroom Without Curiosity ft. Olivia Odileke | My EdTech Life 364
What if the missing ingredient in your classroom isn't a new tool, a new curriculum, or another PD session, but curiosity itself? In this episode, I sit down with Olivia Odileke, founder of Spark Curiosity EDU, Education Week contributor, and creator of the Spark Curiosity GPT Coach. Olivia brings …
May 10, 2026
What AI Can't Replace in Instructional Design ft. Jonathan De La Cruz | My EdTech Life 363
AI can write your design doc. It can build your storyboard. It can draft your script, your rubric, your assessment, your video outline, and half of your e-learning module before lunch. So what's left for the instructional designer? According to Jonathan De La Cruz, everything that actually matters.
May 3, 2026
The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI ft. Cheryl Strauss Einhorn | My EdTech Life 362
What happens to your judgment when AI starts answering before you finish the question? In this episode, Dr. Fonz sits down with Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, founder of Decisive, decision-sciences educator at Cornell and the University of Miami, and author of the new book The Human Edge: Smarter Decision…
April 27, 2026
If You Live on Earth, You've Been Opted Into AI ft. Valerie Brock | My EdTech Life 361
There's no opt-out button for AI. That's the reality Valerie Brock, Curriculum Lead at Day of AI, brings to this conversation, and it changes how we think about AI literacy in K-12. In this episode, Dr. Fonz sits down with Valerie to unpack what AI literacy actually means (hint: it's not prompt eng…
April 15, 2026
The #1 AI Governance Mistake Schools Are Making ft. Betsy Cooper | My EdTech Life 360
Episode 360: The #1 AI Governance Mistake Schools Are Making ft. Dr. Betsy Cooper What's the biggest mistake schools are making with AI right now? According to Betsy Cooper, it's not taking it seriously from day one. In this episode, Dr.Alfonso sits down with Betsy Cooper, Founder and Executive Dir…
April 6, 2026
No CS Background. Below Poverty Line. Now Learning Quantum ft. A.M. Bhatt | My EdTech Life 359
What happens when you take public high school students with zero computer science background — 87% of whom are below the federal poverty line — and put them in one of only two quantum computing programs for high schoolers in the entire nation?
March 31, 2026
How Two 19-Year-Olds Are Fixing Reading & Writing with AI ft. Almar & Max | My EdTech Life 358
What happens when two 19-year-olds look at education and say… this isn’t working? In this episode, I sit down with Almar Tishenko and Max Litvinenka, two young founders building Reading Rooms, a platform designed to rethink how students read, write, and receive feedback in the age of AI. This isn’t…
March 17, 2026
Giving Student Voice a Stage ft. Tim Belmont | My EdTech Life 357
Student voice is one of the most powerful forces in education — but only when it has a real stage. In this episode, Dr. Fonz welcomes back returning guest Tim Belmont, Language Arts teacher and Technology Coordinator at Lyndhurst High School in New Jersey, for a rich conversation on what it actuall…
March 10, 2026
Safe AI for Kids: How Chatperone Protects Your Child ft. Caleb Hurd | My EdTech Life 356
As a father of two and a 20-year tech industry veteran, Caleb built Chatperone not for investors or school district contracts, but for his own children first.
March 2, 2026
Podcasting in 2026: Grow Your Show with AI & Descript ft. Aaron Makelky | My EdTech Life 355
Dr. Alfonso sits down with Aaron Makelky of Descript to unpack the real future of podcasting beyond vanity metrics, beyond over-polished edits, and beyond the AI hype.
Feb. 23, 2026
Ready to Lead With AI ft. Dr. Kip Glazer | My EdTech Life 354
Four years after ChatGPT changed everything, schools are still treading water. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kip Glazer, principal of Mountain View High School, home of Google, and author of Ready to Lead With AI: A Practical Guide for School Leaders. Dr. Kip has been in this conversation si…
Feb. 16, 2026
What Neuroscience Reveals About AI in Education ft. Dr. Mark Hobson | My EdTech Life 353
Neuroscience expert Dr. Mark Hobson reveals why educators MUST understand how AI works—and why your brain learns exactly like AI does.
Feb. 6, 2026
Bonus TCEA Episode: Simplifying EdTech for Teachers & Amplifying Learning for Students
Recorded live at TCEA, this bonus episode of My EdTech Life cuts through the EdTech noise to focus on what actually works in classrooms. Joined by Elaina Kloecker and Spencer Wright, Dr. Fonz unpacks why ease of use, strong pedagogy, and teacher agency matter more than shiny tools and usage minutes.
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Recent Blog Posts
June 3, 2026
Beyond the Curriculum: Reigniting the Spark of Curiosity in Your Clas…
Welcome back to the blog! In our latest episode, we delved deep into a topic that is absolutely fundamental to truly impactful education: curiosity. Specifically, we explored the compelling arguments of Olivia Odileke, a visionary educator who champ…
May 17, 2026
Beyond the Algorithm: The Irreplaceable Human Touch in Instructional …
Welcome back to the blog, and to a special post expanding on our latest podcast episode! In this week's show, What AI Can't Replace in Instructional Design ft. Jonathan De La Cruz, we had a truly insightful conversation with Jonathan De La Cruz abou…
May 3, 2026
The AREA Method: A Framework for Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI
Welcome back to the blog, where we dive deeper into the conversations we're having on the podcast! In our latest episode, "The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI ft. Cheryl Strauss Einhorn," we explored the complex and often overwhelming…
About the Host
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza
Dr. Alfonso Mendoza Jr., EdD. Educator, host of My EdTech Life (360+ episodes), and a cautious advocate for pedagogy-first EdTech. Doctoral research on AI in education. Google Innovator (VIA20), Adobe Education Innovator, EdTech Digest Top 100 Influencer. 8,500+ educators trained. Servant leader at heart. Blessings.
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