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.

"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.

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 what's actually working in school districts, what's flopping, and what the secret AI culture in your building probably looks like right now.

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?

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 since 2015 and she is bringing ALL of that experience to the table.

Neuroscience expert Dr. Mark Hobson reveals why educators MUST understand how AI works—and why your brain learns exactly like AI does.

Is critical thinking becoming a lost skill in the age of AI? In Episode 352 of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza sits down with Melissa Morgan, Founder of Coraltalk , to explore why conversation, not content consumption, is the key to real learning. This episode dives deep into why oral assessment, dialogue-based learning, and conversational AI may be the most effective way to combat AI-assisted cheating while actually improving student understanding.

In Episode 350 of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso “Fonz” Mendoza sits down with Lindy Hockenbary (LindyHoc), a K–12 EdTech advisor, strategist, and professional learning leader known for helping teachers make technology work for real learning. This conversation goes straight to the issues educators actually face, the “one more thing” overload, AI misconceptions, and how to move beyond AI detectors toward authentic assessments students can’t fake. Lindy breaks down how AI literacy fits inside core i...

How Mega Minds Brings Real-World CTE to Classrooms ft. Eric Tao & Austin Levinson | My EdTech Life 349 In Episode 349 of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso “Fonz” Mendoza sits down with Eric Tao, Founder & CEO of Mega Minds, and Austin Levinson, veteran educator and learning designer, to unpack how immersive AI-powered simulations are reshaping Career and Technical Education (CTE). This conversation goes beyond AI hype. Eric and Austin explain why most AI tools in education focus on productivity inste...

In this episode of My EdTech Life, Jeff Riley breaks down the mission behind Day of AI and the work of MIT RAISE to help schools, districts, families, and students understand artificial intelligence safely, ethically, and with purpose. Jeff brings 32 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, principal, superintendent, and former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education. His transition to MIT RAISE reveals why AI literacy, student safety, and clear policy matter more than ever. Timestamps 00:0...

How AiDigiCards Help Kids Learn AI Safely ft. Amber Ivey | My EdTech Life 343 In Episode 343 of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Amber Ivey to explore AiDigiCards, a new screen-free way to introduce kids to AI literacy, curiosity, and critical thinking. Amber breaks down the journey from her AI-for-adults work, to her children’s book AI Meets AI, to her new hands-on learning system for kids ages 4–8. We talk about parent concerns, privacy, LLM overreliance, ethical design, and why AI learning s...

Research First Approach to AI Tools with Short Answer In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Adam and Alexa Sparks, the husband-and-wife founders of Short Answer, a writing platform built to strengthen peer-to-peer learning and classroom dialogue. We dive into their journey from classrooms and Stanford labs to building an edtech startup that puts pedagogy first. Adam shares how a tough reception at a ResearchED conference burst the EdTech bubble and reshaped their vision for...

AI in Schools: Innovation or Illusion? | Ep. 328 with Job Christiansen Is AI making classrooms smarter—or just noisier? In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Job Christiansen, a fellow cautious advocate, educator, and instructional technology specialist, to ask the hard questions about AI’s role in education. From privacy concerns to the illusion of “safe use,” we unpack what most educators, tech leaders, and decision-makers aren’t being told about the tools flooding our schools....

AI Ethics, Overreliance & Honest Talk with Jen Manly In this episode of My EdTech Life, Fonz sits down with returning guest Jen Manly, a computer science educator, TikTok powerhouse, and advocate for ethical tech use, to unpack the complex relationship between AI, teaching, and critical thinking. From data privacy concerns to AI detectors that fail our students, this conversation gets real about what’s hype, what’s helpful, and what needs more scrutiny. Whether you're cautiously curious o...

Episode 321: 2059 and the Future of Education with Micah Shippee What if we stopped reacting to every new tech tool and started preparing with intention? In this bold conversation, I sit down with educator, futurist, and Samsung’s Director of Education Solutions, Micah Shippee, to explore his new book 2059: The Future of Education. We dive deep into what the future could look like across AI, classroom models, access, agency, and everything in between. If you're an educator, leader, or just cu...

Artificial Intelligence, Real Literacy – Evidence-Based Practices in Action Join me on this engaging episode of My EdTech Life as I sit down with Paul Matthews and Jason Gulya to dive into their book titled Artificial Intelligence, Real Literacy: A Practical Guide to Using AI For Evidence-Based Literacy Practices in Education and explore how AI is transforming literacy instruction through evidence-based practices. We discuss everything from integrating AI in the classroom to verifying its output...

Why Transparency Matters Now More Than Ever with Ken Patterson In this hard-hitting episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Ken Patterson, a former principal turned AI consultant, who pulls no punches on how AI is really being used in schools. Ken saw firsthand how AI transformed a struggling school into a top performer, but the system pushed back hard instead of celebrating. 💡 Here’s what we dive into: ✅ How AI helped Ken’s school thrive—before the system shut it down. ✅ Why so many EdTech ...

AI Safety, Ethics, and the SHIELD Conference with Angeline Corvaglia The future of AI safety is unfolding fast—and we need to be ready. In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Angeline Corvaglia, a global leader in online safety, AI ethics, and digital literacy. We dive into some of the most pressing issues in AI today, including: 🛑 AI-powered predators and chatbots—are they automating child grooming? 🔍 The hidden dangers of AI relationships—a shocking story of a 13-year-old's first...

Episode 310: AI, Feedback, and Student Success with Caryn Sever In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Caryn Sever, a passionate instructional designer with a mission to revolutionize digital learning. Caryn shares her unique journey into instructional design, her experiences in higher education, and how Generative AI is reshaping the way students learn and engage with course materials. 💡 Topics Covered: ✅ Caryn’s journey from student to instructional design leader ✅ The evolving ...

Practical Insights on AI, Equity, and Education with Stacy Kratochvil In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Stacy Kratochvil to share actionable insights into using AI in education. Stacy discusses her journey from teaching PE and dance to becoming a leader in AI education and how her work is making a direct impact in classrooms. You’ll learn about Stacy’s professional growth through the Krause Center for Innovation and her experience launching an AI fellowship program to help ed...

Episode 308: Jim & Maurie Beasley AI Insights from an Engineer-Educator Duo In this exciting episode of My EdTech Life, we welcome Maurie and Jim Beasley, an incredible husband-and-wife team blazing trails in AI for K-12 education! Maurie, an experienced educator and counselor, and Jim, a former engineer turned CTO, share their journey of integrating AI tools into classrooms, balancing innovation with practicality, and bridging the digital divide for rural schools. 💡 What to Expect in Th...

Episode 307: AI in Education: Disruption, Challenges, and Opportunities In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Dagan Berenstein, an innovative educator and digital content expert, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on education and how it’s reshaping the learning landscape. Discover how AI tools like ChatGPT are empowering students and educators, the importance of thoughtful integration, and the challenges schools face when navigating this rapidly evolving technology. From...