"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.
Cari 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
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