AmpED to 11

Who says AI doesn’t belong at the holiday table?

In this festive, future-forward “11 Days of Xmas” special episode of AmpED to 11, hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma are joined by Amplify & Elevate Innovation insiders Serena Reynolds and Versha Munshi-South for an unfiltered round of rapid-fire AI questions—plus some unexpected hot takes, tech confessions, and painfully relatable truths from parents, former principals, and teenage kids alike.

It’s part AI year-in-review, part prediction party, and part support group for educators on the front lines of the AI evolution. Buckle up.

From Versha’s candid insights on leading innovation while parenting “AI-resistant” teens, to Serena’s Notion automations that would make any productivity nerd weak in the knees, to Rebecca’s bold new use of Gmail agents that literally email her strategic summaries while she’s sleeping—this episode is for anyone thinking: How do I even keep up anymore?

(Wondering what to ditch in 2025? Rebecca serves up the ultimate poetic rant on why AI detectors must die.)

They dive into:

1. Bold visions for AI in 2026—staffing models, literacy requirements, and teen-built study agents
2. Why “the Christmas tree effect” of edtech overload has to stop
3. Rebecca’s mind-blowing automations using Google Workspace agents
4. Equity warning: How kids with access are using AI to personalize learning—and who’s being left behind
5. Why “horizontal” AI learning won’t cut it—and how to teach for vertical transformation instead
6. “When is enough enough?”—The AI spiral we’re all trapped in (and how to get out)

Plus, get the inside scoop on the game that sparked 40,000+ students to weigh in on AI—and why every school leader should be playing it in 2026.

Brett, Rebecca, Serena, and Versha bring the insight, humor, and raw honesty that make AmpED to 11 more than just a podcast. It’s a lifeline for bold educators navigating this messy, magical age of AI.

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

What if the future of education isn’t just about AI, but what it means to be fully, unrelentingly human alongside it?

In this off-the-rails, laugh-out-loud, surprisingly profound episode, Brett and Rebecca sit down with the inimitable Jenn Womble—Chair of the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) and District Administration—and within minutes, they’re talking creatine, hormone-balancing AI spreadsheets, dicey TSA interactions involving supplement Ziplocs, and how to build community in the age of synthetic reality.

Jenn’s energy is unmatched, but so is her perspective on where education needs to go. She dives into why immersive learning, clear AI policy, and student voice aren’t “nice to haves”—they’re the ticket to redesigning schools that actually work for this moment. The crew explores everything from ethical leadership in an era of deepfakes to the dangerous gaps between tech adoption and teacher training. But it’s not all policy and pedagogy. At its heart, this talk is about curiosity, creativity, and audacious optimism.

1. What does student-centered AI implementation really look like?
2. Why do teachers need to know brain science, not just tech tools?
3. How are CTE programs becoming the sleeper stars of future-ready learning?
4. What’s the ethics conversation schools must have now, or risk getting left behind?
5. Which iconic voice would Jen choose to narrate her life, and why it’s not Morgan Freeman

🦾 And yeah, we talk personalized blood work AIs and individually packaged creatine (hint: somebody patent this, please)

This episode also features Rebecca’s AI Tip of the Week on using AI to identify supplement stacks (yes, really), and a live brainstorm on reimagining leadership, learning, and literacy when machines write… but humans still think.

If you’re questioning what’s real, what’s next, or even what’s in your carry-on, this conversation is for you.

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

What if every teacher had a superpower—not to replace them, but to help them thrive?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, we turn up the volume on one of the most practical and pressing questions in the AI-in-education space: How can AI actually empower teachers—in real classrooms, under real pressure—to reclaim their time, elevate their craft, and bring the joy of learning back?

Meet our dynamic duo of guests: Thomas Thompson IV, CEO of Eduaide AI, and Thomas Hummel, Chief Product Officer... and a current middle school science teacher on paternity leave. Yep, Hummel took time away from newborn duties (and sleepless nights) to join this conversation, and we are so glad he did.

Together, these two educators-turned-founders are building AI tools from the inside out—designed in loud, messy, beautiful classrooms by people who actually teach. They’re not chasing shiny gimmicks. They’re fixing real pain points for real teachers… while refusing to compromise on ethics, transparency, or student wellbeing.

This conversation gets real—fast. From hallucinations and hype cycles to facial hair and feedback loops, here’s what you’ll learn:

1. Bold Insight: AI can lower the cost of experimentation—making room for pedagogical creativity, not just administrative efficiency.
2. Hidden Tension: Many districts are adopting AI tools without clear policy, data protections, or purpose—just because they feel they “have to.”
3. Unexpected Truth: AI can lighten the load, but cognitive offloading by novice learners (and novice teachers) is a growing, underexamined risk.
4. Back to Basics: Effective teaching still boils down to timeless practices like retrieval, spacing, and interleaving—and AI can help scale those with care.
5. Guardrails That Matter: From rigorous content moderation to co-designing evaluation tools with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Eduaide isn’t playing fast and loose with teacher trust.
6. A Glimmer of Hope: AI might just give teachers back the one thing they’re always robbed of—time to focus on relationships, differentiation, and joy.

Brett and Rebecca also share stories from the field, challenge hype-driven narratives, and go deep with the Thomases on what happens when we let pedagogical values—not profit-seeking ventures—drive innovation.

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

What if the solution to the education crisis isn’t another new tool—but a radically different way of thinking?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, Brett and Rebecca sit down with Sabba Quidwai—futurist, researcher, and founder of Designing Schools—for a conversation that’s equal parts AI-infused optimism and bold truth-telling. Sabba doesn’t hold back. From calling out the systemic failures that led to widespread teacher burnout, to critiquing the bandaid tech culture that treats symptoms rather than root causes, she’s here to shake up the status quo with humanity and clarity.

Sabba’s journey from a disconnected student in 2007 to one of today’s most influential voices in AI and education is both deeply personal and powerfully relevant. With stories of leaders transforming entire districts, insights from global travels, and a gut-check on America’s distraction problem, she challenges educators and decision-makers to stop tolerating broken systems—and start designing the future we actually want.

You’ll also hear about Desert Sands’ visionary approach to AI guidance for students, learn why Canva and Google might just be the AI Dream Team for schools, and get a front-row seat to the spark that ignites real change.

Here’s what you’ll learn:  

• Why imagination—not just information—is your most powerful asset 
• How to shift from AI tools to AI teammates**  
• What teachers and leaders are missing about student AI use (and how to fix it) 
• A powerful mindset framework that reframes burnout and empowers agency
• What the U.S. education system can learn from schools abroad
• The AI literacy that truly matters (hint: it’s not just prompt engineering)

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

Is AI going to transform education—or compound the gaps we already have?

On this episode of AmpED to 11, we sit down with Aaron Cuny, co-founder of AI for Equity and former school leader, who's working at the front lines of this very question. From his 18 years inside classrooms and school systems to founding a nonprofit helping districts navigate AI with vision and ethics, Aaron brings grounded urgency to a conversation many are still only tiptoeing around.

What’s at stake? Everything from how we train our teachers and select edtech tools, to how we redefine curriculum, equity, and leadership in the age of acceleration. Aaron doesn’t just talk trends—he builds roadmaps. He shares how AI for Equity is helping C-suite education leaders tackle both tactical realities and strategy, and why sustained relationships (not one-off AI 101 workshops) are the key. You'll hear stories from districts like DREAM Charter and Ednovate—one that went all in early, the other that quietly built a culture of innovation from the inside out.

And maybe most provocatively: Aaron argues that without intentional leadership, AI might not close the opportunity gap but widen it. Cue the skeptics? He hears you—and offers practical, human-centered change management strategies for leaders navigating resistant staff.

What you’ll learn:

• Bold leadership starts with ethical clarity—not buzzwords or hype.
• Why tactical know-how is mission critical for AI strategy.
•  How top districts are piloting AI with purpose and accountability.
• The real investment gap: Not tools, but capacity building.
• Change management is 3x more important than any AI tech stack.
• Why Aaron is done with the word “transform”… and what he’s replacing it with.

With hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma guiding the conversation, this episode is both a compass and a call to action.

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

What if your fear of AI is louder than your love for your students?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, we go deep with two bold trailblazers reshaping what it means to lead in education right now: Tia Morris, Executive Director of Teach for America New York, and Eldridge Gilbert III, SVP at SEO Scholars + Co-Founder of Legit Leader. Grounded in decades of experience and driven by fierce urgency, both are asking the right questions—and refusing to accept systems that leave kids behind.

Tia’s a self-proclaimed “Gen X-er afraid of AI” who realized fear wasn’t an option when equity was on the line. Elle’s a former principal firing on all cylinders to make leadership more sustainable and radically human. Together, they challenge the status quo: Is AI cheating—or is it exactly the kind of tool we need to differentiate learning, expand access, and lighten the cognitive load on exhausted educators?

This episode doesn't just graze the buzzwords. We press into deep tensions—like student agency in the age of chatbots, ethical guardrails for AI, and why leadership needs to walk the talk before teachers ever will. You’ll walk away feeling informed, fired up, and ready to ask better questions.

What you’ll learn:

• Bold truth: Is fear of AI standing in the way of justice in education?
• Revolutionizing rigor: How AI can sharpen—not replace—critical thinking
• Beyond writing emails: The untapped potential of agentic AI in schools
• The ethical minefield: Privacy, bias & protecting the hearts of our kids
• Leadership first: Why the AI shift succeeds or fails at the top of the org chart
• Pedagogy meets innovation: How teachers can model AI literacy through metacognition

Hosted by Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma, this episode brings curiosity, human-centered tech, and a not-so-subtle invitation: If you're still sitting on the sidelines of AI in education... why?

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

Is AI making education more equitable—or more dangerous?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, we don’t just flirt with that question—we blast it wide open with Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer at Code.org and a driving force behind TeachAI, a global initiative that’s redefining how policymakers, educators, and students alike engage with artificial intelligence. From the global stage in Paris to your classroom down the hall, Pat is reshaping what it means to be literate—and ethical—in the age of AI.

This isn't just another "AI in schools" convo. Pat takes us on a bold, deeply personal journey—from learning to code on an Apple IIe to building a snowboarding club for high schoolers, and eventually becoming a national leader in computer science education. We unpack the powerful coalition-building happening across 44 U.S. states and 30 countries, get real about what’s missing from federal and provincial guidance, and dive into the sticky ethics of AI companions and manipulation in the classroom. And yes, we unpack why your AI-powered lesson plan might just need a reality check.

We also give some serious behind-the-back kudos to unexpected heroes—from AP Physics teachers named Rick, to bold thought leaders like Dr. Philippa Hardman and Stephane Bouchard.

What you’ll learn:

• Bold rethinking of AI literacy—from ethics to explainability to student agency  
• The real story behind U.S. federal initiatives (spoiler: it's not all doom)  
• How TeachAI is rallying global education systems to get serious about AI  
• Why developers—not just educators—must be held accountable for ethical design  
• Concrete, no-BS advice for teachers, teacher prep programs, and 11-year-olds alike  
• How a white suit and a walk-up in a high school hallway shaped Pat’s leadership story  

This episode is a masterclass in nuance, calling on all of us—teachers, policymakers, developers, and students—to step up and co-create an AI-powered future that’s deeply human, radically inclusive, and unapologetically smart.

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

What if all the funding your school or nonprofit needs is already within reach—but you just can’t see it?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, Brett sits down with Jeremy Bhatia, founder and CEO of Eddi, a groundbreaking AI platform that’s helping mission-driven organizations unlock and optimize every dollar they’re entitled to. Whether you’re a rural district administrator juggling five roles or a nonprofit scrambling for grant deadlines, this conversation gets real about the financial chaos simmering beneath the surface—and how AI can be your unexpected lifeline.

Jeremy reveals the radical vision behind Eddi: a tool that doesn’t just match you with obscure funding sources in record time, but also transforms how you manage the money you already have. From decoding the bureaucracy of federal reporting to democratizing financial insights across teams, Eddi is less a tool and more a quiet revolution.

School districts in the US, across all contexts and complexity levels, are recovering dollars, reducing workloads, and finally seeing meaningful data visualized without lifting a finger.

What you’ll learn:  

💰 Why unlocking existing budgets may be more powerful than chasing new grants  

💰 How AI is transforming complex financial reporting into click-and-done workflows  

💰 The ‘needle in the haystack’ problem—and how AI cuts through the noise  

💰 The surprising role of equity and access in financial data transparency  

💰 Why fall 2024 is Eddi’s ‘AI Agent Fall’ and what that actually means  

💰 The power of typing one sentence... and getting a full data visualization back

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the post-ESSER funding desert or just trying to do more with less (sound familiar?).

Hosted by Brett Roer — Brett helps education leaders use AI to give time back to what matters most—people. As CEO and founder of Amplify & Elevate Innovation, he partners with schools and districts to integrate AI responsibly and design future-ready systems. A former NYC teacher and principal, Brett is now a national voice on AI in education and co-host of the AmpED to 11 podcast, where he spotlights innovation and human-centered leadership in action.

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

What the heck is a DODO—and why is it opening doors to the future of edtech?

In this bold, fast-paced episode of AmpED to 11, we sit down with Jacob Kantor, known across LinkedIn and edtech circles as “The Chief DODO”—aka, the District Office Door Opener. Jacob moves at warp speed, connecting solution providers with education leaders, but underneath the rapid-fire meetings and relentless networking is a deeply human mission: making sure powerful tools get into the hands of the people who need them most.

A former edtech sales exec turned strategic consultant (at companies like McGraw Hill, C2, and Varsity Tutors), Jacob peels back the curtain on what it really takes to move education forward. He talks shop with Brett and Rebecca about ethical vetting, what makes a product not only good but necessary, and how he gauges success—hint: it’s not about the money. From working with top-tier ed leaders to obsessing over efficacy, Jacob’s all in on building relationships and driving real impact.

We also get personal. How does a parent—and edtech insider—think about their own kid’s education? What could school look like for his sons when they turn 11? And how do we build that vision for every learner?

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why “efficacy” matters more than ever—and how Jacob filters gold from garbage in edtech pitches
• The canceled-meeting effect—and how AI tools like TidyCal, NotebookLM, and Google Workspace are becoming his secret weapons
• How to build trust in an overcrowded, fast-moving AI market
• What “success” looks like in the work of matching districts to solutions—and how Jacob engineers it weekly
• A vision for personalized, interest-driven learning—through a parent’s eyes
• A shoutout-fueled journey to assemble education’s Avengers (get your LinkedIn app ready)

This episode hits hard, laughs loud, and pulls back the layers on what it really takes to unlock innovation in education.

Hosted by Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma.

🎧 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 edtech tool you use every day... could do even more—and still cost absolutely nothing?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, Brett dives into the wildly popular ClassDojo platform with Dr. Chad Stevens, Head of Growth and Partnerships. If you're an educator or parent, odds are you've already tapped into the magic of ClassDojo's classroom connection tools. But what if we told you Dojo is no longer just for teachers?

Now, it's leveling up—big time. Chad gives us an inside look at how ClassDojo is evolving into a game-changing districtwide solution without losing its roots in teacher and family empowerment. With 45 million families across 180 countries using the platform and 90% of U.S. schools already plugged in, Dojo is doubling down on what works—by listening to educators and community leaders first.

Forget clunky rollouts, expensive licenses, and top-down mandates. ClassDojo for districts is built on what teachers and principals already love, then expands that ecosystem with free tools like district announcements, attendance-based alerts, voice calls, and even a whole new high school experience. And yes—it’s still 100% free.

It's not just about messaging. It’s about shifting power, unifying community, and giving every child an education they love.

What you’ll learn:  

• Bold Vision → How Dojo’s mission to bring joy to education guides every product decision  
• Communication Reimagined → The surprising ways districts can now use Dojo for free, scalable engagement  
• Beyond Elementary → Why Dojo is investing big in transforming the high school experience  
• Listening as a Superpower → How advisory boards and real-time feedback shape the roadmap  
• Call to Action for Edtech → What other companies should learn from how ClassDojo builds with (not for) educators  

This is a blueprint for what happens when you lead with trust, humility, and an unapologetic belief in kids. Join Brett in this feel-good yet future-focused conversation with one of education’s most listened-to leaders.

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