EdTech Unpacked

Want your students making real short films, the kind that win festivals, without a Hollywood budget? In this episode, Desmond walks through the complete equipment stack he uses to run a two-year film program with high school students, the same program that took first place for Best High School Short Film at the 2024 Sonscreen Film Festival.

We cover audio, video, lighting, editing, and the whole workflow, plus how the class is actually structured across photography, solo video projects, and team filmmaking. Desmond also shares how he funded almost all of it through two grants totaling $15,000, and why he deliberately bought cheaper cameras so more gear could stay in students' hands.

3:50 Why teachers should try film production (Sonscreen Film Festival)

6:43 What students really learn: troubleshooting, resilience, teamwork

10:53 Unpack the Tech

12:47 How the class is structured: a two-year rotation

13:02 Year 1 Fall: photography, budget cameras, and lens variety

14:37 Year 1 Spring: solo video projects

16:02 Year 2: filmmaking as a team with assigned roles

17:53 Brainstorming, writing, and the two rules for every film

22:53 AUDIO: why audio matters more than video

30:35 How we paid for it: two grants totaling $15,000

32:20 VIDEO: choosing a camera body and why the lens ecosystem matters

34:45 Autofocus vs. manual focus 

36:36 Anamorphic lenses

38:19 Building the rig: cages, handles, and gimbals

41:02 External monitors and recorders

45:15 SD cards, ND filters, and UV filters

46:58 LIGHTING: LED panels and soft boxes that are actually easy to assemble

50:01 Three-point lighting and why shadow matters more than light

51:20 EDITING: DaVinci Resolve free vs. paid, and why free is enough

57:36 No budget

1:00:56 Final advice

1:01:32 Coming in Part 2: the live stream setup

GEAR MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Cameras & lenses:

- Sony ZV-E10 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1649504-REG/sony_zv_e10_mirrorless_camera_body.html

- Sony FX30 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1729317-REG/sony_ilme_fx30_fx30_digital_cinema_camera.html

- Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1609642-REG/tamron_afb070s_700_17_70mm_f_2_8_di_iii_a.html

- Tamron 18-300mm https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1654621-REG/tamron_b016e_18_300mm_f_3_5_6_3_di_iii_a.html

- Venus Optics Laowa Nanomorph S35 Anamorphic Prime 3-Lens Bundle https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1715906-REG/venus_optics_ve273550ses_laowa_nanomorph_s35_prime.html

Audio:

- Rode Wireless PRO II https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1782756-REG/rode_wipro_wireless_pro_2_person_compact.html

- Rode VideoMic GO II https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1805031-REG/rode_vmgoiih_videomic_go_iih_camera_mount.html

- Rode NTG3 shotgun mic https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/563798-REG/Rode_NTG_3_NTG_3_Precision_RF_Biased_Shotgun.html 

- Zoom F3 field recorder https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1686005-REG/zoom_zf3_f3_digital_field_recorder.html 

- Boom pole https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/406098-REG/K_Tek_KE_110CCR_KE_110CCR_Avalon_Series_Aluminum.html

- blimp and windshield https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1056426-REG/rode_blimp_windsheild_rycote_lyre_suspension.html

Editing:

- DaVinci Resolve: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

LINKS & RESOURCES

Sonscreen Film Festival (NAD): https://www.sonscreen.com/

B&H through OMNIA Partners (for school purchasing): https://www.omniapartners.com/suppliers/bh-photo

Our episode on the award-winning student film: https://youtu.be/ewSrBClAwAQ 

"Weakness" (2026 Student Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW16Y3zWmXQ

"His Blessing" (2024 Sonscreen winner):

"The Perfect Leaf" (student-written short): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvTsAAQki-Q

Our documentary on Judaism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqJq6hAcv4

Made a film with your students? Drop a link in the comments. We want to see it and celebrate with you.

CONNECT WITH EDTECH UNPACKED

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Find us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media @EdTechUnpacked

#StudentFilmmaking #FilmProduction #EdTech #VideoProduction #TeacherTips #DaVinciResolve #FilmmakingGear #MediaLiteracy #ProjectBasedLearning #Sonscreen

What if you could see what every student is thinking while they work, not after the assessment when it's too late to help? In this episode, Classkick coach Savannah Creasman (host of the Mamas in EdTech podcast) gives us a full live demo of Classkick, the free interactive learning platform that lets teachers watch student work in real time, give instant written and audio feedback, and auto-grade along the way. We cover low-tech and high-tech ways to make student thinking visible, from physical whiteboards and small groups to Classkick's real-time View Work screen. Plus, get a first look at Classkick's new AI features (AI Create and Student Helper) rolling out for back to school. Aaron and Desmond even hop in as students so you can see exactly what the teacher and student experience looks like, including an audio spelling test that Savannah made in Classkick. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@EdTechUnpacked ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome + meet Savannah Creasman 3:38 Get-to-know-you: what teachers look forward to most in summer 6:20 What is "visualized thinking" and why it matters 7:30 Low-tech options: small groups & whiteboards everywhere 11:31 Unpack the Tech: what is Classkick? 13:00 Planning lessons in Classkick (start with your standards, not the tool) 14:41 New AI features: AI Create + Student Helper (beta) 16:16 Creating assignments: Google Drive import, PDFs & the assignment library 22:12 Grading, Google Sheets export & syncing with Google Classroom, Clever, ClassLink 23:48 Live demo: Aaron & Desmond become students 33:56 Giving feedback: text, audio recordings, stickers & GIFs 36:42 The self-paced audio spelling test (Savannah's favorite feature) 40:30 Who is Classkick right for? Elementary vs. secondary 42:53 Co-teaching: special ed, ELL & resource teachers giving live feedback 44:01 Where to find Savannah + Mamas in EdTech 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES Classkick: https://classkick.com Classkick assignment library & app: https://app.classkick.com Classkick Community Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/classkick Savannah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savyedtechmamas Mamas in EdTech podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mamas-in-edtech/id1831864138 ISTE: https://iste.org Our episode on Universal Design for Learning: https://youtu.be/3HvUUgWU1_M 🎙️ CONNECT WITH EDTECH UNPACKED Website: https://edtechunpacked.com Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@EdTechUnpacked Find us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media @EdTechUnpacked There is no substitute for great teaching. It's not about the tools you use, but how you foster meaningful relationships with your students to transform their lives. Be blessed! #Classkick #EdTech #FormativeAssessment #TeacherTips #EducationalTechnology #RealTimeFeedback #AIinEducation #ElementaryTeacher #ISTE

This is part 2 of our tour of ISTE Live 2026 Make sure to check out part 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtoIa2uyVrw In this episode we talked with 3:22 https://bambulab.com/ and https://www.cadclass.org/ 7:43 https://www.booster.tech/ 9:48 https://britannicaeducation.com/ 13:44 https://www.ck12.org/ 19:49 https://www.classdojo.com/ 21:45 https://classkick.com/ 27:04 https://www.getcleartouch.com/ and https://udtonline.com/ 32:08 https://www.colleague.ai/ 40:13 https://web.diffit.me/ 44:55 https://www.magicschool.ai/ 51:01 https://education.minecraft.net/ 56:30 https://rocketdrones.com/ 57:50 https://schoolai.com/ 59:43 Our final thoughts

We talked explored the exhibitor floor so that you could hear from:

0:28 LEGO

What if learning to fly a drone could launch a high school senior straight into a high-demand career? In this episode, we travel to Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL to join Rocket Drones and the U.S. Space Force for the first-ever on-site drone competition — and to dig into what drone piloting really means for today's students.

We sit down with Brandon Turk and Chris Tonn of Rocket Drones, the competition's hosts, to explore the fast-growing world of drone piloting and the industry opportunities it opens up for graduating seniors. From the action on the competition floor to the career pathways behind it, this one's packed.

If you're a teacher, administrator, or school leader looking for new ways to support your students and prepare them for emerging career opportunities, this episode is for you.

Resources & links:

- Space Camp / U.S. Space & Rocket Center: https://www.rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp

- Rocket Drones: https://rocketdrones.com

- U.S. Space Force: https://www.spaceforce.mil

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss what's next.

#Drones #STEMeducation #DronePilot #SpaceCamp #CareerReadiness

🎙️ The EdTech Unpacked Podcast | Featuring Dr. Maria Andersen of Socrait

Join us for an insightful conversation with Dr. Maria Andersen, Co-Founder & CEO of Socrait—a company reimagining how technology can support teachers right where it matters most: in the classroom.

Socrait is tackling one of the biggest challenges educators face today—cognitive overload—with a voice-enabled, AI-powered classroom assistant that transforms what teachers already say and do into meaningful data and actionable insights.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ The growing demands placed on teachers

✨ How AI can reduce workload and prevent burnout

✨ Practical ways technology can support (not replace) relationships in the classroom

✨ What the future of teaching might look like with tools like Socrait

🔗 Learn more about Socrait: https://socrait.com

If you're an educator looking to reclaim your time while keeping students at the center, this episode is for you.

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith, education, and technology.

#EdTech #EducationTechnology #TeacherLife #AIinEducation #TeacherBurnout #EdTechUnpacked #AdventistEducation #ClassroomInnovation #FutureOfEducation #InstructionalTechnology #TeacherSupport #educationpodcast

📲 Follow & Connect:

YouTube: @EdTechUnpacked

Instagram: @EdTechUnpacked

Twitter/X: @EdTechUnpacked

Website: https://edtechunpacked.com

In this episode we talk with  @PhilEdwardsInc  about Edutainment. He shares how he does his research, reporting, and how he makes his videos. We discuss how to use Edutainment like his YouTube videos in the classroom. We also talk about a few YouTubers that we enjoy learning from. Arron -  @OutdoorBoys  Phil -  @CorridorCrew  Desmond -  @GxAce ​

We talk to two great administrators to learn why and how they support EdTech with their schools. This in person episode was recorded at the 2026 ASDASA (Association of Seventh-day Adventist School Administrators) conferences in Huston Texas. Our guests where: Robert Martinez is the Principal for Spencerville Adventist Academy https://spencervilleacademy.org/ Fernando Lista is the Associate Director Secondary Education for the Pacific Union Conference https://www.adventistfaith.com/

We have created a Classroom Tech Buying Guide for you. In this episode we Talk about the Technology that we recommend buying for your classroom and tips on how to purchase the right gear.

Join us as Betty Nugent teaches us how to integrate coding into all subjects. She demonstrates cross curricular lessons Hummingbird Robots from Birdbrain Technologies (https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/products/hummingbird-bit-robotics-kit/) as well Ozobots (https://ozobot.com/). FLCOE PBL Unit Plan - Joseph - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lriHm_A3HXU1smuPiT2OjgIsWiDFERJG/edit Coding through Another’s Eyes - https://docs.google.com/document/d/16yRUm3zV4BItXHEQDnnLOQnziSPt466O/edit You can find more of Betty's lessons on Adventist Teacher Connect - https://teachers.adventistlearningcommunity.com/atc/participate Betty Nugent's Course "Integrating STEM Across the Curriculum" - https://www.adventistlearningcommunity.com/courses/integrating-stem-across-the-curriculum #edtechpodcast #podcast #stemeducation #codingforkids #roboticseducation #pbl #howto