"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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) , 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) explains why this turns into compliance instead of real learning.

Why does Cari Orts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/?skipRedirect=true) , 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

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