Learning Unleashed: ISTE Podcast

Rachelle Dene Poth discusses her new book on teaching with AI and integrating emerging technologies in the classroom. She emphasizes the importance of educators being open-minded and creative in incorporating AI into different content areas. The conversation also touches on topics such as AR/VR, the metaverse, and the challenges of funding and access to resources. Rochelle shares her experiences with grant writing and highlights the role of AI as an assistant and enhancer in the process.

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Rachelle Dene Poth is an accomplished edtech consultant, presenter, author, blogger and teacher. She currently teaches Spanish and a course on emerging tech that covers AR/VR, artificial intelligence, coding, gaming, digital citizenship, video animation and more. She presents regularly at conferences on technology and ways to drive student learning. Poth is the president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the leadership team for the ISTE Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She’s a Buncee Ambassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer, Nearpod Certified Educator and PioNear, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and Google Certified Educator Levels I and II. Poth is the author of In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking, The Future Is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead and Unconventional Ways to THRIVE in EDU. She’s a contributing author to Education Write Now, Volume 3; several volumes of the Edumatch book Snapshot in Education; and the ISTE book Gamify Literacy. Poth is a regular blogger for Getting Smart and DefinedSTEM.

Today, we discuss the importance of understanding student data privacy laws and how they have evolved. We emphasize the need for educators to have conversations about data privacy and to make informed decisions when using tech tools with students. The conversation also touches on the challenges of navigating legal terms and agreements, the role of IT departments in vetting tools, and the importance of teacher training on data privacy. The guest provides practical tips for teachers, such as checking with their IT department for approved tools and using personal accounts for testing.

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Laurel Aguilar-Kirchhoff (@LucyKirchh), M.S.Ed., is a former history and science educator who now serves as a professional development coordinator and digital learning specialist. Aguilar-Kirchhoff works with educators, administrators and students to successfully integrate educational technology into curriculum for lasting student learning outcomes. Her areas of expertise include digital citizenship, media literacy, blended learning, curriculum instruction and design, and edtech and innovation. She was recognized as the 2018 National History Day California Teacher of the Year, was a top six finalist for the National History Day Teacher of the Year, and was the Inland Area CUE (IACUE) Administrator of the Year in 2022. She’s a Google Certified Trainer, Leading Edge Certified Online Blended Teacher and a member of the iCivics Education Network. Aguilar-Kirchhoff served on the ISTE Digital Citizenship PLN Leadership team and is currently an ISTE Community Leader.

The conversation explores the importance of including students in discussions about AI and digital citizenship. It emphasizes the need to consider the ethical implications of AI and the impact it has on various content areas. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for ongoing conversations and education around AI and digital citizenship and resources to assist in those conversations.

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Resources: Digital Citizenship in Action | Hacking GenAI in Education: Conversation Starters

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Dr. Kristen Mattson is a former middle school English teacher and high school library media specialist who has long supported teachers, leaders and learners with innovative curriculum and instruction. She currently serves as managing partner for Edvolve, which aims to help teachers and leaders transform digital citizenship education. She also teaches graduate courses on media literacy and digital citizenship at the University of Illinois. In addition to Digital Citizenship in Action, she is the author of Ethics in a Digital World (ISTE, 2021). She was named an ISTE Emerging Leader in 2018, and developed one of ISTE U’s first courses, Digital Citizenship in Action.

The conversation explores the role of AI in education and the challenges and opportunities it presents for educators. The guests discuss their book, ‘The Savvy Ed Tech Leader,’ which offers innovative strategies for EdTech leaders to boost their influence and elevate their careers. They emphasize the importance of soft skills, collaboration, and strategic planning in implementing new technologies. The conversation also touches on redefining the perception of AI and its potential to save teachers time and enhance instruction. The guests provide advice for navigating conferences and finding relevant information. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of continuous learning and growth in the field of education.

Sheryl Abshire, Ph.D., is a highly respected educator, author and speaker known for her lifelong dedication to advancing education through technology integration. As the chief technology officer for the award-winning Calcasieu Parish Public Schools in Louisiana for over two decades and a recognized teacher, library/media specialist, school principal and university faculty member for 20+ years, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in incorporating cutting-edge technology into the district’s curriculum and operations. Her published works and sought-after speaking engagements at national and international conferences have solidified her status as a thought leader in the field.

Frankie Jackson is a nationally recognized chief technology officer (CTO) in K-12, leading education technology initiatives for 30+ years at the state and national levels, working in large districts with 25,000 to 118,000 students. Jackson serves on the Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSN) Policy Committee, Advanced Professional Learning Committee, Cybersecurity Advisory and Driving K-12 Innovation Board. She’s the Cybersecurity Coalition for Education project lead, certifying education leaders as cybersecurity evaluators. She’s also an instructional content designer and subject matter expert for the CoSN Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) project management course for technology school leaders.

Donna Williamson has served as a Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) board member, executive board member and officer; as the chair and founder of CoSN Alabama Leaders; and co-chair of the CoSN conference. She’s a frequent speaker at national and state conferences, presenting on topics such as innovation, edtech leadership, communication and soft skills in edtech, data analytics and more. In 2019, Williamson shifted her focus to consulting and project facilitation in the education technology field as a consultant and project director for the CoSN Early Career K-12 CTO Academy. She has received many awards, including the ISTE Making It Happen Award, the Alabama Education Technology Association Sally Moore Award, the National Withrow CTO Award for Educators Honorable Mention, EdTech Digest’s Trendsetter Award and Alabama’s 2016 Marbury Technology Innovation Award.

Join us for a behind-the-scenes chat with two of the staff at ISTE as they prepare to bring you a pop-up book store, new books, and an opportunity to meet over 20 ISTE authors at this year's conference.

 ISTE Live 24 | Blindsided by AI: The bigger picture

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Valerie Witte is a Senior Acquisitions Editor at ISTE, bringing experience from previous roles at Peachpit Press, Pearson Education, University of California Press, and Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Valerie Witte holds a 2004 - 2006 Writing University of San Francisco MFA. Valerie Witte contributes valuable insights to the industry with a skill set that includes leadership, writing, social media, publications, and proofreading.

Emily Reed is currently a Director of Books and Journals at ISTE. She joined ISTE in 2012 and has assisted in the publication of many of the organization’s book offerings. In addition to shepherding books through editing and production, Emily manages the two ISTE research journals, Journal of Research on Technology in Education and Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, and organizes the bookstore at the ISTE conference.

In this episode, we discuss The benefits of engaging special education teachers and generative AI in the initial stages of lesson planning.  Ideally, assistive technology and AI tools should be used to start a task, not complete it. We explore the potential of AI in providing feedback on student work, which could save teachers time and provide more personalized learning experiences.

**Get the Book:   The New Assistive Tech | Blindsided by AI: The bigger picture

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Christopher Bugaj is a founding member of the Assistive Technology Team for Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. He hosts “The A.T.TIPSCAST,” a multiple award-winning podcast featuring strategies to design educational experiences. He also co-hosts the “Talking With Tech” podcast that features conversations about augmentative and alternative communication. Bugaj is the creator of ATEval2Go, an iPad app that helps education professionals perform technology assessments for students. He co-produces and co-authors the “Night Light Stories” podcast that features original stories for children. A frequent presenter, he has delivered over 300 live or digital sessions at local, regional national and international events. He has designed and taught online ISTE courses on assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). He has also co-written or written multiple ISTE books, including The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools and The New Assistive Tech.

Teacher wellness is increasingly a top priority across the education community. In this discussion, we explore how technology, particularly AI, can help alleviate some of the stress by automating tasks and lightening the cognitive load. Our guest emphasizes the need for professional development and time for teachers to learn how to use new technologies effectively. We end by acknowledging the need for administrators to give teachers the space and permission to prioritize their well-being.

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Resources: Tech for Wellness | Blindsided by AI | Jumpstart Guides

Meredith Masar Boullion (@realtechfored) is an ISTE Certified Educator and a district technology facilitator with the Calcasieu Parish School Board in Louisiana, where she works with K-12 teachers to support the integration of technology in the most relevant and meaningful ways. In this role, Bouillon communicates with all district teachers through a weekly educational technology newsletter, website and professional development app. She designs learning experiences to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including face-to-face events, online courses and webinars. She holds a master’s degree in instructional media from Wilkes University.

As school and life demand more of us, finding balance is more important than ever. Today, we explore three simple practices that can help us maintain a more even keel and experience joy in the midst of our tech-driven lives.

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Resources: Pathways to Wellbeing | Blindsided by AI | Jumpstart Guides

Susan Brooks-Young has 38 years of experience in PK-12 education as a teacher, school administrator and professional development provider. She has written many books, including Creating Content With Your Tablet; Making Technology Standards Work for You: A Guide for School Administrators, Third Edition; and A Better Approach to Mobile Devices: How Do We Maximize Resources, Promote Equity, and Support Instructional Goals?

The updated U.S. National Ed Tech plan highlights the digital divide regarding access, design, and use. We discuss the challenge of getting reluctant adopters to use technology equitably. We also touch on the need for more diversity in ed tech leadership and the importance of using tools like live captions to promote equity. We wrap with thoughts on bridging the digital use and design divide using the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards as a blueprint.

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Victoria Thompson is an education industry executive at Microsoft, an instructional designer for EduSpark and an ISTE Ambassador. She began her journey teaching fifth and sixth grade math and science in Summerville, South Carolina. After completing her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, she moved to the Seattle area, where her career pivoted to focusing on STEM integration in schools; K–12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners; creating inclusive math environments; and using technology to bridge equity gaps in education. She has presented at ISTELive, the ImpactEducation conference, the CUE conference and the DigCitSummit on topics such as creating inclusive math classrooms, culturally responsive STEM education and equity in educational technology. She was recently named one of the top 30 K–12 IT influencers by EdTech Magazine.

Our guests zero in on how to use teaching strategies we already know in new ways that yield better results. I see, I think, I wonder, and the six-word story are among the familiar strategies they leverage in effective new ways. They highlight the versatility of these strategies across different subjects and age groups.

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Jennifer Parker, Ed.D. is a Faculty Development Coordinator at the University of Florida. With over 30 years in education, she spent her last 15 years as an Instructional Technology/School Data Consultant for Macomb Intermediate School District. She is an adjunct faculty for Central Michigan University’s Master of Arts in Learning, Design, & Technology, an ISTE Recognized Program. She has collaborated on hundreds of educational websites and online courses, most notably as co-creator of the 21things4 sites. She is recognized as a leader in connecting standards to best practices in educational technology and has led many state initiatives.

Kate Grunow has been in education for over a decade as a K-12 digital media specialist and English teacher. She currently serves 130,000 students and over 10,000 teachers in metro Detroit. She is one of the co-creators of the 21 Things 4 project and a presenter at local, state, and national conferences on topics such as blended learning, free technology tools, learning management platforms, and digital-age teaching and learning. She is the Schoology implementation lead for Macomb ISD where she has trained over 3,000 teachers on Schoology basics and tech best practices during COVID-19. Learn more about Kate at kategrunow.com

Dr. Troy Hicks is a professor of English and education at Central Michigan University, where he serves as Chair of the Department of Teacher and Special Education. He also directs the Chippewa River Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, and collaborates with K–12 colleagues to explore how they implement newer literacies in their classrooms. Dr. Hicks speaks regularly at conferences, workshops, and webinars and has authored dozens of resources, including books, articles, chapters, blog posts, and other media broadly related to the teaching of literacy in our digital age.