In Episode 263 of the House of #EdTech podcast, Chris Nesi steps back from the gadgets, apps, and AI tools to remind educators what truly powers learning — education itself. While technology continues to reshape classrooms, Chris explores why human connection, curiosity, and lifelong learning remain at the heart of every meaningful educational experience.

This reflective episode offers both inspiration and practical strategies for making learning more personal, purposeful, and people-centered — with technology as the support, not the driver.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why education matters beyond technology

• “Education is the great equalizer” — unpacking what that really means

• Educated by Tara Westover: A must-read memoir about resilience and learning

• The real power of learning: curiosity, connection, and contribution

• Historical examples of education changing lives (Malala, GI Bill)

• Practical tips for meaningful teaching in a tech-driven world

5 Practical Takeaways:

1. Focus on relationships first — learning starts with connection.

2. Make reflection part of the learning process.

3. Model lifelong learning for your students and peers.

4. Use technology with intention, not obligation.

5. Connect learning to the real world.

#EdTech Recommendation: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover — a powerful reminder of education’s transformative potential.

 

In Episode 262 of the House of #EdTech, Chris Nesi explores the timely and necessary topic of creating a responsible AI policy for your classroom. With artificial intelligence tools becoming more integrated into educational spaces, the episode breaks down why teachers need to set clear expectations and how they can do it with transparency, collaboration, and flexibility. Chris offers a five-part framework that educators can use to guide students toward ethical and effective AI use.

Before the featured content, Chris reflects on a growing internal debate: is it time to step back from tech-heavy classrooms and return to more analog methods? He also shares three edtech recommendations, including tools for generating copyright-free images, discovering daily AI tool capabilities, and randomizing seating charts for better classroom dynamics.

Topics Discussed:

• EdTech Thought: Chris debates the “Tech or No Tech” question in modern classrooms

• EdTech Recommendations:

  • https://nomorecopyright.com/ - Upload an image to transform it into a unique, distinct version designed solely for inspiration and creative exploration.

  • https://www.shufflebuddy.com/ - Never worry about seating charts again Foster a strong classroom community by frequently shuffling your seating charts while respecting your students’ individual needs.

  • https://whataicandotoday.com/ - We've analysed 16362 AI Tools and identified their capabilities with OpenAI GPT-4.1, to bring you a free list of 83054 tasks of what AI can do today.

• Why classrooms need a responsible AI policy

• A five-part framework to build your AI classroom policy

  • Define What AI Is (and Isn’t)
  • Clarify When and How AI Can Be Used
  • Promote Transparency and Attribution
  • Include Privacy and Tool Approval Guidelines
  • Make It Collaborative and Flexible

• The importance of modeling digital citizenship and AI literacy

• Free editable AI policy template by Chris for grades K–12

Mentions:

• Mike Brilla – The Inspired Teacher podcast

• Jake Miller – Educational Duct Tape podcast // Educational Duct Tape Book

In this exciting crossover episode, Chris Nesi teams up with Leena Marie Saleh (The EdTech Guru) for a detailed look into Canva’s latest educational innovations unveiled during Canva Create 2025. Whether you’re a teacher, instructional coach, or tech integrator, this episode is packed with transformative features and real classroom applications.

Featured Topic: Canva Create 2025

Key Themes and Highlights:

Canva Sheets: The Spreadsheet Reimagined

• A powerful new addition to the Canva suite—Canva Sheets brings AI-infused, visually pleasing spreadsheets to the classroom.

• Bulk Background Remover: Easily remove backgrounds from dozens of student photos at once.

• Bulk Create with Images: Mass-produce certificates, report cards, or newsletters by integrating images directly into your sheet.

• Magic AI Prompts: Skip the formulas—just describe your needs and let AI do the rest (e.g., calculating budgets, charting grades).

• Magic Insights: Auto-generate graphs, summaries, or positive student comments—great for data storytelling or end-of-year celebrations.

• Student Access: Available to students in districts where Canva’s Magic tools are enabled.

The All-in-One Visual Suite

• Create multi-modal projects within a single file: combine slides, spreadsheets, videos, documents, and websites.

• Use Case: Teachers can build unit plans with rubrics, grading sheets, lesson videos, and linked resources—all in one shareable design.

• Student Application: Portfolios that blend writing, multimedia, assessments, and visual elements in a single file.

Canva Code

• No coding experience needed! Generate interactive HTML-based tools like:

  • Flashcard games

  • Vocabulary matching activities

  • Countdown timers

• Use Cases:

  • Do-Nows & Exit Tickets

  • Interactive experiences (e.g., virtual art exhibits)

• Includes real-time code editing via voice or chat and seamless integration into other Canva designs.

Voiceover and Text-to-Speech Enhancements

• Record true voiceovers directly in Canva—no more video workarounds.

• Use AI-generated voices to read text aloud in different accents and languages (e.g., Spanish voice packs Alejandra and Sofia).

• Ideal for student presentations, podcasts, and accessibility support.

AI-Powered Speaker Notes

• Auto-generate speaking points from your presentation slides.

• Great for prepping lessons, webinars, or class presentations on the fly.

Assignments Hub

• Instantly generate quizzes from highlighted text in a lesson or document.

• New classwork dashboard allows for real-time monitoring of student progress (especially for educators without an LMS like Google Classroom).

Scrollables (a.k.a. Scrollytelling)

• Create animated, interactive timelines or diagrams that engage students through scroll-triggered movement and transitions.

• 🎯 Example: A digestive system walkthrough or a historical timeline using scroll-based animations.

Additional Features Mentioned

• Superscript & Subscript support (finally!)

• Rich text highlighting in Docs

• Caption animations

• Volume balancing for videos

• Banner placement across all pages

• Enhanced collaboration (up to 50 collaborators per design)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, but when we think about AI in the classroom, we often picture high school or college students using it for research, coding, or content creation. But what about elementary school? Can AI be a valuable tool for our youngest learners?

In Episode 260 of House of #EdTech, I sit down with Dan Gallagher, an experienced ed tech coach, to explore how AI can be integrated into elementary education. We dive into the best tools, practical applications, and strategies to ensure AI enhances learning while keeping students safe and engaged.

Why AI Belongs in the Elementary Classroom

Many educators hesitate to introduce AI to young students, concerned about privacy, ethics, and age-appropriate usage. But as Dan explains, AI isn’t about replacing teachers—it’s about enhancing personalized learning and supporting creativity.

AI can act as a creative brainstorming partner, a writing assistant, and even a storytelling coach, helping students generate ideas and refine their work in ways that keep them engaged and excited about learning.

And the best part? When used correctly, AI doesn’t replace human interaction—it amplifies a teacher’s ability to provide personalized feedback.

Real-World AI Applications for Young Learners

So, how does this work in a real classroom setting? Dan shares some inspiring examples:

1. AI-Powered Creative Writing & Storytelling

Using AI chatbots like “Waffles” (a controlled, kid-friendly chatbot), students can interact with a virtual writing partner that helps them develop their storytelling skills. The AI can ask them engaging questions, suggest details, and even provide feedback on their writing.

Example Activity: A student writing a story about a time traveler can ask the AI for historical facts, unique setting ideas, or character inspiration. The AI generates possibilities, but the student makes all the creative decisions!

2. Visual Learning & Digital Art with AI Tools

AI-powered platforms like Canva’s text-to-image generator allow young students to turn their ideas into visual representations.

Example Activity: A class studying idioms might create posters using AI-generated images. If a student picks "It's raining cats and dogs," AI can generate an imaginative illustration, sparking discussion about figurative language.

3. Personalized Learning & AI Tutors

AI can function as a virtual tutor, adapting to each student’s needs. Platforms like Magic School AI provide instant feedback on writing assignments, while School AI can assist with generating lesson plans tailored to students’ learning levels.

Example Activity: A teacher might use AI to provide instant feedback on students’ sentence structures, guiding them to refine their writing step by step instead of waiting for the teacher to get to each student individually.

Addressing Safety & Ethical Concerns

Of course, introducing AI in elementary education requires a responsible approach. Privacy, misinformation, and ethical use are all valid concerns. Dan and I discuss some best practices to keep AI use safe and effective:

Use AI platforms with built-in content moderation (e.g., School AI, which ensures safe interactions). Set up AI usage in a controlled, “walled garden” environment where students can explore safely. Teach students critical thinking skills to evaluate AI-generated content—just because AI provides an answer doesn’t mean it’s always correct! Engage parents and school administrators by explaining how AI is being used responsibly in the classroom.

Parents, in particular, may be hesitant, so educators should communicate the benefits while addressing concerns about safety. Tools like Common Sense Media can be great resources for helping families navigate AI responsibly.

How Teachers Can Get Started with AI in Elementary Classrooms

If you’re an educator wondering how to introduce AI to younger students, here are some practical first steps:

Start with simple AI tools like Google AutoDraw, which turns students’ rough sketches into polished images. Use AI for brainstorming, not answers—help students see AI as a tool for sparking ideas, not just getting solutions. Model AI usage during lessons—demonstrate how you use AI to generate ideas or enhance lesson materials. Encourage creativity—have students work in groups to refine AI-generated content rather than taking it at face value.

Final Thoughts: AI as a Partner in Education

This episode is a reminder that AI is not just for older students or tech-savvy classrooms—it has the potential to unlock creativity, enhance engagement, and support personalized learning for young learners as well.

AI won’t replace teachers, but it can help them provide better support to more students—a true game-changer in today’s classrooms.

In this episode of House of #EdTech, I discuss the what, why, and how of gamification in education! By incorporating game design elements into your teaching, you can boost student motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes—all while making lessons more interactive and fun!

Segment 1: What is Gamification in Education?

• Definition of gamification and how it differs from game-based learning
• The psychology behind gamification: motivation, engagement, and dopamine
• Why gamification works in both K-12 and higher education settings

Segment 2: Why Gamification Works

• Teachers and schools successfully implementing gamification
• How gamified learning platforms like Classcraft, Kahoot!, and Quizizz enhance the classroom experience
• The impact of leaderboards, challenges, and achievements on student motivation

Segment 3: Practical Gamification Strategies for Educators

• Points, Badges, and Leaderboards (PBL): Reward students for progress and effort
• Quests and Challenges: Break down lessons into missions and problem-solving activities
• Choice and Autonomy: Let students pick their learning paths through differentiated tasks
• Storytelling & Themes: Create immersive experiences (e.g., a classroom space mission or historical adventure)

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Classcraft – Gamify classroom management
• Kahoot! – Interactive quizzes
• Quizizz – Fun game-based assessments
• Minecraft: Education Edition – Learning through creativity

In this episode of House of #EdTech, we take a deep dive into the world of AI-driven personalized learning. From how AI adapts to individual student needs to address concerns about environmental impact and ethical use, I cover it all. This episode is perfect for educators, school administrators, and tech enthusiasts who want to understand the benefits, challenges, and best practices for incorporating AI into education.

For complete show notes please visit: https://chrisnesi.com/258

 

Welcome to the House of #EdTech! In this special episode, I celebrate the 11th annual #EdTech Smackdown. Prepare for a jam-packed showcase of the best edtech tips, tools, and insights from incredible educators in our community. Let’s get into the 2024 edition!

For complete show notes visit: https://chrisnesi.com/257

I wrap up the podcasting journey outlined in my book with a comprehensive recap of the essential steps to launch, grow, and sustain your podcast. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration to help you refine your craft and achieve your podcasting goals.

For complete show notes visit: https://chrisnesi.com/256

I discuss the most common challenges podcasters face and how to troubleshoot them effectively. Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, mastering these solutions can elevate your podcasting game and ensure your show runs smoothly.

PURCHASE  "I LIKE TO PODCAST AND YOU WILL TOO!: A HOUSE OF #EDTECH GUIDE TO PODCASTING!"

For complete show notes visit: https://chrisnesi.com/255

In this episode, we dive deep into strategies for growing your podcast audience and building a strong brand. Learn how to define your target audience, create engaging content, and develop a cohesive brand identity that resonates with listeners. We'll explore the importance of networking, leveraging social media, and creating consistent, high-quality episodes to not only attract an audience but keep them coming back for more. Plus, discover tips to monetize your growing platform and turn your podcast into a sustainable success.

For complete show notes please visit: https://chrisnesi.com/254