Can AI help teachers do more of what matters most? In this episode, I join Rachel and Christina from The Conversation podcast to explore AI’s real impact in schools. We discuss tools like MagicSchool, Diffit, and Brisk, and how they support both students and teachers. We also dive into personalized learning, teacher PD, and the “baby steps” approach to AI adoption. Plus, I share practical insights on balancing tech with humanity in the classroom.

#EduDuctTape

This interview was originally aired on The Conversation Podcast by Rachel Daniels, John Hambrick, and Christina Grady-Watts of the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. It is being re-aired here with their permission.

You can access the original episode and other episodes of the show here:

https://www.escco.org/TheConversationPodcast.aspx

0:00:00 INTRO

0:03:24 The Conversation: Beyond the Buzzword: Practical Applications of AI in the Classroom

0:04:30 Jake’s Background

0:05:52 AI Trends in Education

0:10:16 What is Personalized Learning?

0:13:06 The Impact of AI on Personalized Learning

0:15:57 Teacher PD for AI Usaged

0:21:04 Where should Educators Start with AI?

What do a name change, a new font, and fewer browser tabs have in common? In this episode, I unpack the Quizizz rebrand to Wayground, share Edpuzzle’s leap beyond video with new interactive tools, highlight Google Classroom’s latest add-on integrations, and spotlight Google Fonts’ Playwrite—a typeface built to support handwriting instruction. Plus, in the Soapbox moment, I reflect on my son learning to drive and the lessons we’re both picking up along the way.

#EduDuctTape Episode 127

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:04 Soapbox Moment: Mirrors, Mailboxes, and Merging

0:07:06 EdTech & Education News & Updates

0:07:38 Quizizz Becomes Wayground

https://wayground.com/home/from-quizizz-to-wayground?lng=en

0:11:45 A Font That Teaches Handwriting? Meet Playwrite.

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/collaboration-creativity-tools/

https://fonts.googleblog.com/2024/06/playwrite-is-new-font-superfamily-for.html

0:13:55 Edpuzzle Moves Beyond Video

https://edpuzzle.com/press/edpuzzle-quizzes-beta

0:15:30 New Add-ons in Google Classroom

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/collaboration-creativity-tools/

0:17:15 Innovative Sentences to Learn From

https://thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/new-project-innovative-sentences

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OdrbjMb9OT4fTrJtit-h1fIGyNFNchegSZwLc-A-62E/preview?slide=id.g22a3d5dd5f1_0_36

Send me your thoughts on Bluesky with #EduDuctTape or at Speakpipe.com/EduDuctTape!

How do we make tech processes easier for students—and teachers—to follow? In this episode, I chat with Courtney Watson from friEdTechnology about strategies for creating clear, bite-sized tech instructions using tools like Scribe, iorad, Canva, and Adobe Express. We explore ways to lower the cognitive load and boost confidence in tech-rich classrooms. Plus, I share new feature updates in Book Creator, Padlet, and NotebookLM that support accessibility, flexibility, and efficiency.

#EduDuctTape Episode 125

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:59 Today's Guest: Courtney Watson

Courtney is a Google Certified Educator/Trainer and Lead Learning Guide at friEdTechnology. She is passionate about equipping all learners with the necessary tools to help them become successful and ensuring they have fun while learning. #TechWithoutTears

Contact Info: https://tiktok.com/@techwithouttears, https://x.com/cmwatson2010, https://bsky.app/profile/cmwatson2010.bsky.social, courtney@fried.tech, https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmwatson2010/

0:04:58 Two Truths & One Lie

0:11:36 Today's #EduDuctTape Question: Bite-Sized Instructions

0:12:58 Scribe

https://scribehow.com/

0:16:14 Mark Twain Quote

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

0:18:26 iorad

https://www.iorad.com/

0:20:16 Comparing Scribe and iorad

0:25:24 TikTok Style Videos in Canva or Adobe Express

0:27:57 Courtney's Screencasting & Adobe Express Method

0:29:21 How far we've come with screencasting

0:32:59 Potty PD or Copier PD

0:37:02 NotebookLM

0:38:36 NotebookLM for Canvas and Schoology

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025/

0:39:57 NotebookLM Plus

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025/

0:41:20 Padlet’s “Clear Posts” Feature

https://padlet.help/l/en/article/ma9aogqsme-how-do-i-delete-all-posts-at-once

0:43:27 6. BookCreator Adds Text-to-Speech in Edit Mode

https://bookcreator.com/2025/02/feature-update-text-to-speech-for-text-and-pdfs

What’s your favorite tool for having students create visuals like infographics and diagrams? Bryon Carpenter from Fresh Air At Five joins me to answer that very question. We discuss Adobe Express, Canva, Google Drawings, and Google Slides. Also, I share about Brisk’s new Podcast Generator, a Chromebook monitoring feature coming soon to Google, SchoolAI’s response to some ethical concerns, and a documentary recommendation.

#EduDuctTape Episode 124

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:09 Today's Guest: Bryon Carpenter

0:06:49 Which of the Following is Less Torturous

0:10:22 Today's #EduDuctTape Question

0:11:58 Adobe Express
https://www.adobe.com/express/

0:12:41 Picking the Right Tool

0:14:11 Google Drawings
drawings.google.com

0:15:54 How Does Google Drawings Relate to Google Slides

0:18:26 Object-Based, Drawing-Based, and Procreate

0:20:17 Shapegrams
https://shapegrams.com/

0:21:04 3. Layers in Adobe Express

0:21:35 Ages for Adobe Express

0:23:18 What Can You Do in Adobe Express?

0:25:58 Adobe Express Pricing
https://www.adobe.com/education/express/

0:28:17 Adobe Creative Cloud
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html

0:36:14 AI in Adobe Express

0:36:12 Adobe Voice to Animate
https://www.adobe.com/express/create/animation

0:38:27 Adobe Text Effects
https://www.adobe.com/express/create/ai/text-effects

Today’s EdTech and Edu News:

0:41:07 Brisk’s New Podcast Generator
briskteaching.com/podcast

0:46:03 Google’s New ‘Class Tools’ for Chromebooks
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/class-tools-chromebook/

0:47:56 SchoolAI Responds to Ethical Concerns
https://schoolai.com/blog/strengthening-ethical-ai-in-classrooms-improvements-to-historical-figure-spaces

0:50:38 The First Class documentary
https://www.thefirstclass.org/

Ever feel like the important work keeps getting overshadowed by what’s urgent? In this episode, I reflect on the quote “Think big. Start small. Scale fast.” and share how the Eisenhower Matrix helps me keep my priorities aligned. I also share updates from Snorkl, Google Classroom, and SchoolAI, plus a candid take on More Than Words by John Warner. Tools featured include Snorkl Coach, Video Explorer, and Read Along with custom content.

#EduDuctTape Episode 123

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:23 Today’s Soapbox Moment: “Parking Lots, Right Turns, and What’s Important”

• Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: Stories from the Stage on Disruption, Transformation and the Accelerating Future - https://www.amazon.com/Think-Start-Small-Scale-Fast/dp/097365547X
• The Eisenhower Method, Time management on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#Eisenhower_method

0:10:10 Snorkl Coach

• Introducing Snorkl Coach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQASwWKcMTA

0:12:29 Read Along in Google Classroom

• Read Along in Google Classroom - https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/14174515?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cassign-reading-materials
• Educators can now upload content to Read Along in Google Classroom - http://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2025/04/upload-content-to-read-along-google-classroom.html
• New AI tools for Google Workspace for Education - https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/workspace-gemini-classroom-iste-2024/

0:14:34 SchoolAI Video Explorer Spaces

• SchoolAI - Video Explorer - https://app.schoolai.com/spaces/clnaw1t7u000ayvpt3po1373k

0:16:17 Honest Review of More Than Words by John Warner

• More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI: Warner, John - https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Words-Think-Writing/dp/1541605500