This week on AmpED to 11, Brett shares the mic with Sonn Sam, keynote speaker, equity champion, and national director at Big Picture Learning—for a raw, reflective, and radically human conversation about what happens when we stop asking, “Are you smart?” and start asking, “What are you passionate about?”

Sonn’s journey begins as a square peg in a round-hole system, a track that nearly derailed his sense of self-worth until a breakdancing crew (yes, breakdancing!) in a community theater changed everything. That real-world learning experience taught him the power of passion, purpose, and self-love, and fuels his mission today to co-create transformative, learner-centered systems across the country.

From the scars of failed systems to the promise of AI as a lever for justice and personalization, Sonn gets real about the work Big Picture Learning is doing to help every young person feel brilliant. But don’t mistake his authenticity for naivety—he wrestles openly with AI’s ethical tensions while building tools like ImBlaze that actually rehumanize education by streamlining the noise to make space for deeper mentoring and learning.

What you’ll learn:

❤️ Bold vision: How Big Picture Learning rebuilds school around one student at a time—interests first, paperwork second.

❤️ Hard truths: Why “college and career readiness” is incomplete without personal purpose and self-worth.

❤️ Real-world learning: What happens when breakdancing becomes curriculum—and how to scale that experience.

❤️ AI with soul: How tools like ImBlaze use AI to repurpose educator time, not replace it, so students can go deeper.

❤️ Executive function decoded: How AI can help chunk big dreams into manageable milestones—for kids and adults alike.

❤️ Self-love as curriculum: Why Sonn tells every 11-year-old to start with this: “You are loved. You are brilliant. That matters.”

Hosted by Brett Roer (while Rebecca recovers, with love and seat-saving), this episode is a love letter to possibility, identity, and designing schools that don’t just work—but work for every learner.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

What happens when you mix AI’s cutting-edge potential with a human-centered mission to radically improve teaching and learning? You get BetterLesson—and you get this conversation.

In this special episode of AmpED to 11, Brett Roer sits down with Matthew Kennard, CEO of BetterLesson, to unpack how his team is transforming professional learning and instructional leadership at scale. As one of the major sponsors of the upcoming AI in Education Symposium in Albany, Matt joins Brett for a high-impact conversation on how AI can be leveraged not to replace educators, but to empower them.

You’ll hear the evolution of BetterLesson from its early days as a free lesson-sharing platform to its current role as a strategic partner for school systems seeking higher ROI, improved student outcomes, and smarter resource allocation. Matt breaks down how AI-powered tools can now provide real-time instructional insights—from teacher wait time to student talk ratios—helping educators shift from time-heavy data collection to action-ready support. And through it all? Keeping humanity, and postsecondary student readiness at the center.

You’ll learn:  

🧠 The future of professional development is strategic coaching powered by AI. Learn how BetterLesson builds personalized PD that scales across districts and states.  

🧠 AI won’t replace teachers, it’ll free them. Discover how machine learning is enhancing classroom observation and instructional feedback.  

🧠 Postsecondary readiness must be flexible and human. Enlisted, enrolled, employed—every student deserves a pathway.  

🧠 Data should drive action, not just reflection. How real-time dashboards and AI insights are pushing decision-making into high gear.  

🧠 Operational efficiency is the new equity. How BetterLesson now helps districts optimize instructional minutes and resource spend.

At its core, this episode is a call to lead boldly and plan wisely, without losing our humanity in the process. Join Brett and Matt as they lay down the blueprint for a smarter, more equitable future in education.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

What if your state had one person responsible for AI in education—and that person asked more questions than they answered? Meet Matthew Winters, the Utah State Board of Education’s first (and only) AI Specialist. In this episode, Brett and Rebecca sit down with the Renaissance Man of AI to explore what it means to be a thoughtful, scrappy, system-level leader confronting the messy rollout of generative tools—and dreaming bigger than most are willing to.

Utah’s AI education strategy is quietly becoming a national model, with lesson plan repositories, statewide professional development for 3,000+ teachers, and bold new frameworks like the Portrait of an AI-Infused Student. But don’t confuse progress with hype. Matt pulls back the curtain on real challenges—from teacher skepticism to mounting ethical tensions.

Get ready for a deeply human conversation that blends skepticism and joy, poetry and policy, vision and vulnerability—as we ask: What if we actually got AI right in schools?

What you’ll learn in this episode:

📚 Bold honesty: Why Matt Winters, Utah’s AI lead, doesn’t actually use AI as much as you'd think—and what that says about where we are.

📚 Creative caution: How being a photographer and former English teacher shapes Matt’s nuanced approach to AI-generated content and student expression.

📚 Systems in motion: How Utah is building the world’s first AI-infused student and teacher portraits—and what they mean for AI literacy and student development.

📚 The hidden trap: Why productivity can actually limit adoption—and how moving from productivity → creativity → inclusivity is the real journey.

📚 Data first, not last: Why Utah's AI summits center student data privacy and how districts everywhere can steal the playbook.

Bonus: Which iconic voice would Matt choose to read his emails? A little Dylan, a little Walken, come for the AI ethics, stay for the unexpected karaoke.

Matt doesn’t just lead systems. He listens to teachers, students, and skeptics—and turns their worries into action. He’s asking the questions that keep us honest, and the answers that keep us moving.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

What if the problem with edtech isn’t the tech at all… but the way we use it?

This week on AmpED to 11, we dive into the wild, weird, and wonderfully human world of AI in education with the irreverent and insightful Jeremy Shorr—a self-described “dancing monkey” who’s shaping the future of learning through innovation, STEM ecosystem building, and brutal honesty about what AI can and can’t fix.

Jeremy has spent decades navigating both the frontlines and the big stages of education—from designing STEM schools in Ohio to advising global education systems and keynoting in Beijing. And yet, his most compelling insights don’t come from Silicon Valley playbooks—but from IEP meetings, teacher frustrations, and a nun who cracked open a room full of school leaders with one simple truth: AI could finally let us return to what school was always supposed to be about—making good humans.

This episode goes way beyond tool talk (don’t worry—we do that too) to explore the cultural, ethical, and emotional gears that need turning if we want a future worth aiming for.

You'll learn:

🎙  Bold is beautiful—if we let AI solve what we hate, we can amplify what we love

🎙  Why the most powerful moment in Jeremy’s career came from a 70-year-old nun

🎙  How AI can finally make hackathons useful and IEP support scalable

🎙  Why your 3-year-old’s prompts should still include “please” and “thank you”

🎙  The danger of detectors, the broken promise of STEM, and the CEOs who don’t get it

🎙  What Sesame’s voice model Miles can teach us about crossing the uncanny valley

Rebecca drops a thoughtful take on AI literacy for kids, Brett guesses how many states there are (again), and Jeremy builds a bridge between fear, function, and future human flourishing.

Brought to you by Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma, AmpED to 11 isn’t about chasing the next shiny tool—it’s about rethinking school, society, and purpose in a world where AI is already here.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

What if the most powerful shift AI offers teachers isn’t complex tech—but a single clarifying question?

This week on AmpED to 11, we sit down with Merissa Sadler-Holder, a nationally recognized educator turned AI trailblazer working with schools across the U.S. to not just integrate AI tools, but to redesign what’s possible in classrooms. Founder of Teaching With Machines and a two-time ASU+GSV “Leading Woman in AI” honoree, Marissa knows firsthand how a simple tool—like rewriting a fiery parent email with AI—can unlock a radical mindset shift.

How do we go from time-starved, overworked educators to empowered architects of learning experiences? How do we use AI to shift from personalization to truly personal connections, where the classroom becomes a space teachers and students actually want to be?

From classroom wins to systemic blind spots, Marissa shares real-world stories of what works, what gets in the way, and what she wishes every school leader would ask before hitting “deploy” on any AI initiative.

What you’ll learn:

🧠 Bold mindset shift → Why AI won’t save teachers—unless we first redefine what they’re meant to save

🎨 Creativity 2.0 → How teachers are reclaiming the time to design projects they’ve only dreamed of

📤 Emails to empowerment → The mundane task that triggered Marissa’s transformative “second lightbulb” moment

🛠️ Toolstack worth trusting → Why large language models are ground zero, and how tools like Google NotebookLM and Gamma step up

🌍 From differentiation to dignity → Why real personalization isn’t just logistical—it’s deeply human

🧭 The future students deserve → Marissa’s 11:11 wish to tear down the grade factory and return to the joy of learning

Hosted by Brett Roer (solo this round—after the internet betrayed Rebecca Bultsma), this conversation doesn’t shy away from nuance, pushes past the shiny tool hype, and centers the one thing AI can’t replicate: our authenticity.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

Winston Roberts is raising a toddler and watching ChatGPT grow up—literally at the same time. As “Teacher in a Suit,” he’s bringing AI into classrooms not as a gimmick, but as a real tool for student agency, equity, and future-readiness.

In this episode, Brett and Rebecca dig into Winston’s origin story, his viral PD sessions that leave teachers shook in the best way, and his unflinching take on what happens if schools play it safe while the rest of the world races ahead.

He’s not here for performative tech use or AI panic. He’s here for project-based learning, powerful prompts, and students who can actually speak in public.

What You’ll Learn:

📘 Why banning AI is a waste of time: (and how Winston builds AI into the lesson—without losing control)

📘 The assignment that changed skeptical teachers’ minds: It starts with heartbreak and ends in songwriting

📘 Which tools Winston swears by—and why: (Hint: ChatGPT isn’t even his favorite for research)

📘 How AI is helping students conquer public speaking fears: Spoiler—it's more effective than flashcards

📘 What happens when you don’t see the tech trends coming: A story from 1970s Flint, MI that hits hard today

📘 The one thing AI still can’t do well: And why spreadsheets might be the final boss

🎧 Tune in and hear why Winston believes learner-centered AI could be education’s most exciting frontier.

In this episode of AmpED to 11, hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma turn up the volume with Marlon Styles, nationally recognized education leader and founder of Styles Junior, LLC.

Marlon shares how AI isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s a tool to unlock creativity, center learning around students, and shape future-ready schools. From real-world stories of AI-powered student art to building custom AI tools rooted in learner-centered practices, Marlon lays out a bold, practical vision for the future of education.

Key Takeaways:

🚀 Why AI should be a creative amplifier—not a replacement—for student voice and expression.

🚀 How student-driven design can push districts to rethink AI strategies.

🚀 Why district leaders need to "live in the question" before rushing to solutions.

🚀 How PlayLab and Learner-Centered Collaborative are building custom AI tools for real-world impact.

Rebecca’s AI Tip of the Week:

Learn how ElevenLabs can turn any document into realistic audio—perfect for staying productive without staring at a screen.

This conversation is a call to action: when we center students in how we use AI, the possibilities are limitless.

🎧 Tune in and hear why Marlon believes learner-centered AI could be education’s most exciting frontier.

AI isn’t just reshaping education—it’s calling the whole system into question.

Are we using it to spark innovation and amplify student voices, or just speeding up the same tired assignments we've been recycling for decades?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with Alana Winnick—EdTech Director, podcast host, author of The Generative Age, and low-key superhero—to talk about what real transformation in education looks like when AI is in the hands of students, not just staff.

Alana’s doing the kind of work that makes you stop and say, “Wait... third graders are doing what now?” From kids building custom chatbots to students running PD for teachers, this episode is a wake-up call for anyone still clinging to the old playbook.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

📚 Why “If it’s AI-able, it’s not a good assignment” should be every teacher’s new mantra

📚 How eight-year-olds are giving TED-style talks using AI as their co-pilot

📚 The jaw-dropping AI moment that stopped Alana in her tracks—and what it says about bias in machine learning

📚 What it really looks like to put students in the driver’s seat of innovation

📚 How ignoring AI access in schools is creating a brand new digital divide—and why it matters more than you think

📚 Alana’s game-changing advice for schools: stop making AI a separate initiative

Rebecca’s AI Tip of the Week:

Turn your student-facing chatbot into your teaching assistant.

Whether it’s writing prompts, research questions, or guiding feedback—it’s time to think beyond teacher tools and start building AI experiences for students.

Alana doesn’t hold back—and honestly, neither do we.

🎧 Tune in and get inspired. This one hits all the right nerves.

AI promises to revolutionize education—but are we ready to face the tough ethical questions it raises?

In this unmissable episode of AmpED to 11, Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with international keynote speaker and education visionary Ken Shelton for a real, raw conversation about equity, ethics, and AI in education.

Ken pulls back the curtain on hidden biases in AI systems, explains why culturally responsive teaching isn't optional, and shows how AI can amplify student empowerment—if we use it wisely.

Buckle up as Ken reveals uncomfortable truths and transformative strategies to ensure AI serves everyone, not just a privileged few.

AI is evolving at breakneck speed. Every week, a new breakthrough drops that makes us rethink everything—how we work, how we learn, and how we interact with the world. But here’s the real question: Are we racing toward a future where AI makes life easier, or are we sleepwalking into a world where human connection becomes a luxury?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma sit down with Claire Zau, AI Lead and Partner at GSV Ventures, to pull back the curtain on where AI is really taking us. From AI agents that can use your computer for you (yeah, that’s happening) to the education system’s desperate struggle to keep up, this conversation is packed with insights, tough questions, and a few “oh, sh*t” moments about the future of AI and learning.

Claire isn’t just an AI expert—she’s at the epicenter of where AI and education collide. She’s got a front-row seat to the biggest trends, the hidden dangers, and the uncomfortable truths about what happens when AI gets smarter than we are at, well… everything.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🤖 AI agents are here—can they really replace human work? Spoiler: They’re already booking flights, sending emails, and making decisions for us.

🤖 The AI divide is real. Will only the privileged get human tutors, real teachers, and live customer service, while the rest of us are stuck with chatbots?

🤖 AI-powered tutoring is missing something HUGE. Why most AI education tools aren’t even close to replicating what great teachers do.

🤖 AI literacy isn’t just about knowing how to use ChatGPT. It’s about understanding who’s programming our kids—and what that means for the next generation.

🤖 Are we losing the ability to be bored? Claire breaks down why constant AI-driven stimulation might be rewiring our brains—and not in a good way.

🤖 What’s next for AI in education? The crazy tech shifts Claire is watching—and why they might change everything.

Rebecca’s AI Tip of the Week:

Want to make ChatGPT actually useful? Stop starting from scratch every time. Learn how to customize its memory so it remembers your preferences, adapts to your style, and stops recommending things you don’t care about. Because AI should work for you, not the other way around.

This is not just another “AI is cool” conversation. This is where the future of AI and education is heading—whether we’re ready for it or not.

🎧 Buckle up and tune in—this one’s a wild ride!