Edtech Explored

Students and educators use countless digital tools every day, but how well do they work together? In this episode of EdTech Explored, we break down interoperability. What the heck is interoperability? Tune in to find out!

It's such a great feeling when technology just works. We also know the opposite feeling, when a simple task takes hundreds of clicks or an app has a confusing layout.That's user experience.Great UX is something you often don't notice because it simply feels natural. In this episode of Edtech Explored, we sit down with UX Manager Michael Bridgeforth to figure out what happens behind the screens we use every day. We’ll unpack what makes an experience intuitive, why good UX goes far beyond how something looks, and what it takes to design technology around the people actually using it.

The average business has 4-6 different generations working at the same time. With that being said, it's important to understand how to work with each generation. Each generation has life experiences and career goes that can be wildly different than the next.

This episode, Lauren and Erin are joined by Talent Brand Manager Karen Glinski to discuss what you need to know to work with this generation.

In this episode of Edtech Explored, Lauren and Erin sit down with 4k teacher Katie Fletcher to discuss one of the biggest misconceptions in education: that play and learning are opposites. They explore what play-based learning really looks like in today's classrooms, and why it's an important part of a child's development.

In this episode, Lauren and Erin explore outdoor education through two perspectives: the curiosity of children (because, surprise, they were kids once too!) and the observations of adults. Lauren has taken a trip to the Tomorrow River Community Charter School and Erin visited The Boston School Forest in Stevens Point Wi. Together, they discuss what makes outdoor learning so impactful and the lessons they brought back from both visits.

Watch a video about the Boston School Forest: https://youtu.be/Dk8kImgjPvM

Watch a video about the Tomorrow River Community Charter School: https://youtu.be/M7qPThKjJ1k

In this episode of EdTech Explored, school psychologist Tammy Stowers-Tonn joins us to discuss why behavior is communication, how student needs have changed over the years, the impact of technology and social media on wellbeing, and what educators and families can do to better support students.

What does it actually take to build technology that works for schools, educators, and students?

In this episode, we sit down with John Jagoditsh to explore the realities of building effective educational technology. From understanding the challenges schools face to creating tools that solve real problems, John shares insights from his experience in the EdTech space and what it takes to develop products that educators genuinely want to use.

How much technology is too much in today’s classrooms? In Episode 2 of Edtech Explored, hosts Lauren Gilchrist and Erin Werra explore the balance between meaningful innovation and digital overload in K–12 education. From classroom tools to student experience, join the conversation on what effective edtech really looks like.

In our first episode of Edtech Explored, Lauren and Erin share the vision behind the podcast and what listeners can expect as we dive into the people, stories, and technology shaping K–12 education.