In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with James Myklebust-Hampshire, a global educator, learning designer, and founder of X Focus — a platform built to help students take ownership of their learning, lead projects, and develop real-world skills.

James has taught in wildly different educational settings — from UK pupil referral units to International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programs in Norway — and brings a refreshingly practical perspective on replacing compliance culture with purpose, creativity, and agency. Together, we dive into what real student agency looks like, why it’s not about “do whatever you want,” and how thoughtful structure, skill-building, and authentic ownership create classroom magic.

We also explore the practical guardrails teachers need to make student-led learning work, why durable skills matter as much as content, and how AI can serve as a thought partner — not a shortcut — to deeper learning. This is an unfiltered conversation packed with strategies, examples, and mindset shifts you can apply in your own teaching tomorrow.

If you’ve ever wanted to transform your classroom into a living, breathing ecosystem of collaboration and curiosity — or you’re curious about how technology and play can fuel student independence — this episode is your blueprint.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

* Student Agency Demystified: Why it’s not a free-for-all and how guardrails actually create freedom.

* Practical Frameworks for Agency: From job boards to morning meetings — systems that grow ownership and collaboration.

* Durable Skills First: Building critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability alongside content knowledge.

* Balancing Explicit Instruction and Inquiry: How “split-screen” teaching builds both knowledge and skills.

* Culture That Breathes: How classroom agency connects to school-wide culture and why it matters.

* AI as a Thought Partner: How to use AI to deepen thinking, spark ideas, and support project-based learning — without replacing the human work that matters.

* Real-World Examples: Stories from IB classrooms, pupil referral units, and schools worldwide using X Focus to streamline student-led projects.

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About Our Guest – James Myklebust-Hampshire

James Myklebust-Hampshire is a UK-born, Norway-based educator, learning designer, and founder of X Focus, a project management tool built specifically for students and teachers engaged in student-led learning. With experience spanning challenging pupil referral units to inquiry-driven IB classrooms, James is passionate about creating learning environments where purpose, creativity, and agency thrive. He works with schools globally to replace compliance culture with authentic, skill-driven learning that prepares students for life beyond the classroom.

Connect with James:

* Website: X Focus https://xfocuspyp.softr.app

* LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-myklebust-hampshire-13193847/

* Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thejamesmh?r=64gyap&utm_medium=ios

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Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

* X Focus – The student project management platform discussed in this episode.

* Guy Claxton’s Split Screen Teaching approach.

* International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP).

* James Clear’s book Atomic Habits – concept of “never miss twice.”

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Episode Quote Highlights:

“You need boundaries to have freedom — otherwise, choice can be paralyzing.” – James Myklebust-Hampshire

“Agency isn’t a badge. It’s not just ‘do whatever you want.’ It’s structure, skill, and purpose.” – Dan Thomas

“AI should make us more human, not less. Use it to think deeper, not skip the thinking altogether.” – James Myklebust-Hampshire

Welcome back to the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, where we smash the status quo of traditional teaching and bring real talk to real classrooms. In this episode, I sit down with Marlena Hebern—former teacher, co-creator of EduProtocols, and all-around EdTech disruptor.

We break down:

• What an EduProtocol is (spoiler: it’s not another worksheet in disguise)

• Why most “tech integration” misses the point

• How lesson frames like Iron Chef, Sketch & Tell, and Number Mania build actual learning and not just point-getting

• Why open-ended routines are essential for building agency, equity, and deeper thinking

• How Smart Start routines set the tone for a year of student engagement

• How EduProtocols support collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication—without eating up your whole prep period

• How to keep learning student-centered without surrendering the reins

We also touch on:

• How to use EduProtocols with fidelity and flexibility

• The biggest mistakes teachers make when trying to use tech

• How to scaffold rigor, support ELLs, and make learning meaningful without losing your sanity

This one is full of hard truths, practical examples, and no-BS advice you can actually use tomorrow.

• Sketch & Tell – Think-pair-share with purpose

• Iron Chef – Fast, focused, and fun research and reteaching

• Number Mania – Crowdsourced data turned into powerful visuals

• 🔗 EduProtocols Website

• 🔗 EduProtocols Templates & Resources

✔️ Subscribe to the podcast
✔️ Rate and review to help spread the word
✔️ Share this episode with a teacher who’s still assigning digital worksheets

What’s one boring assignment you can swap with an EduProtocol this week? Tweet it out using #TechEdClubhouse or DM me @coachthomastech.

Let’s cut the fluff—death-by-slideshow is not the way to start your school year. In this solo episode, Dan breaks down why you should ditch the rules-and-procedures lecture and how to launch your year with a small, high-impact Project-Based Learning (PBL) activity that sets the tone for real engagement.

Forget the “All About Me” coloring sheets. Instead, empower your students to fix a real problem, co-create the classroom culture, and build something that matters.

Dan shares:

• 3 reasons why starting the year with PBL is a game-changer

• 3 easy starter project ideas you can run in any class

• A cheat sheet for making it work with no budget and little prep

• A challenge for you to compare two classes—one with PBL, one with slides—and see the difference

• Culture > Rules: Start with habits, inquiry, and ownership instead of a contract.

• Small Projects, Big Impact: You only need cardboard, curiosity, and a problem worth solving.

• Make It Personal: Projects like “Fix Something at School,” “Redesign the Rules,” and “Solve a Personal Problem” help students feel heard and valued from day one.

• Skip the Grade: The reflection is the assessment. Ask: What did you learn? What would you change?

“Don’t tell them this class is different—prove it. Let them build something. That’s how you earn buy-in.”

• Curipod for anonymous, interactive student input

• CoachThomasTech.com – for blog posts, PBL ideas, and contact info

• LEGO, craft materials, markers, cardboard—whatever you’ve got on hand

Try a mini PBL project this week and tag Dan on social media @coachthomastech. Whether you fix the pencil problem or redesign the rules, share what your students create.

Want help brainstorming a PBL kickoff for your class or school? Reach out to Dan directly at coachthomastech.com or message him on Twitter/X.

In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse, I sit down with Rae Hughart—teacher, speaker, author, and founder of the Teachers Deserve It movement—to get brutally honest about professional development, time-saving hacks, and what teachers really need to thrive in today’s classrooms.

Rae isn’t sugarcoating anything. She’s talking about howeducators are overworked, under-supported, and often stuck with outdated PD models that just don't cut it anymore. Together, we dig into how to flip that script—offering teachers choice, agency, and time back in their day.

We talk about:

• Why PD needs to work like real teaching—differentiated, practical, and personalized
• The power of micro-learning and teacher-driven goal setting
• How Rae and her team support over 21 states (and counting) with hands-on coaching and a fully loaded Learning Hub
• Why paraprofessionals, new teachers, and special areateachers can’t be left out anymore
• Her mission to help 1 million teachers by the end of 2025
• And why it’s OK to ask for help, even if you don’t know the solution yet

Whether you're a new teacher, a seasoned vet, or an admintrying to make PD not suck—you’ll get something out of this.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• “Stop surviving. Start thriving.”
• PD shouldn’t be a 6-hour sit-and-get. It should look likegreat teaching.
• Give teachers TIME. Thirty seconds saved here and fiveminutes there add up fast.
• Let teachers set their own learning goals—and then support the hell out of them.
• It’s not just about student data. It’s about teacherretention and sustainability.
• Rae’s team is basically your on-demand assistant. Got a pain point? They’ll solve it.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

💻 TeachersDeserveIt.com

🔑 The Learning Hub (with Free Trial)

📘 Teachers Deserve It Book by Rae Hughart & Adam Welcome – Get it here

📌 Free Digital Downloads

📣 Join the Facebook Community

📱 Follow Rae on TikTok & Instagram: @RaeHughart

👋 Connect with Rae Hughart:

Website: https://www.teachersdeserveit.com

Twitter/X: @RaeHughart

Instagram: @RaeHughart

Facebook: Teachers Deserve It Group

🧰 Tech Ed Clubhouse Tools of the Week:

🎯 Rae’s top PD tip: Try standing while conferencing with students—boosts efficiency by 33%

🧠 Pro Move: Don’t hoard tools. Share them. Nothing’s behind a paywall that shouldn’t be.

🗣️ Call to Action:

🔥 Want to join a PD movement that doesn’t suck?
➡️Head to teachersdeserveit.com and try out the Learning Hub. Use the free trial, download everything, and cancel if it’s not for you.

🧱 And while you're at it, join the Facebook group—even if you just lurk. Trust me, you’ll find value.

🎧 About the Host:

I’m Dan Thomas—retired after 32 years in the classroom, butnot done disrupting education. I bring conversations that matter straight to teachers who give a damn.

Follow me:

Twitter/X: @coachthomastech

Podcast: TechEd Clubhouse

Blog: coachthomastech.com/blog

In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with two powerhouses in human-centered education: Dr. Michelle Ament, Chief Academic Officer at ProSolve and Executive Director of the Human Intelligence Movement, and Arvin Ross, Co-Founder and Chief Culture Architect at ProSolve.Together, they break down what’s broken in traditional education and why now—more than ever—we must prioritize human skills like adaptability, resilience, creativity, and problem solving in an AI-driven world.🔍 Key Topics Covered:What immersive, play-based learning really looks likeWhy human intelligence matters more than knowledge memorizationThe skills you can’t teach from a textbook: grit, adaptability, and collaborationReframing failure as iteration and learning, not punishmentWhy our education system must shift from factory-model thinking to something more humanThe challenge: Stop asking what AI can do. Start asking what makes us human—and how to amplify that.🧠 Memorable Quotes:“If a kid can go through 12 years of school and graduate uninspired to learn, that’s the real failure.” – Arvin Ross“We’re moving past the Knowledge Age. Skills—not facts—are what make kids future-ready.” – Dr. Michelle Ament“If 30 people build a LEGO duck with the same six bricks and end up with 30 different ducks, you just taught 30 unique lessons.” – Dan Thomas🧰 Resources & Links:🔗 The Human Intelligence Movement📧 Michelle Ament: [email protected]📧 Arvin Ross: [email protected]📱 Connect with Michelle and Arvin on LinkedIn🧪 Dan’s Takeaway:Forget Scantrons. This conversation is about helping kids become problem solvers, not parrots. If you're heading into summer thinking about next year—start with one simple shift: prioritize skills over standards. The world has changed. Our classrooms need to catch up.

In this pre-show kickoff to The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick series, I get honest about a rough round of golf—and an even rougher attitude. After toe-hooking his irons and turning into a cranky playing partner, he realized something that hit way closer to the classroom than expected…When things fall apart—whether on the course or in your classroom—it’s not always about trying something new. Sometimes, the fix is going back to what actually works.This episode is about:

• Why I got mad on the golf course—and what it revealed about his teaching
• The “grip, stance, and tempo” of great instruction
• How losing your fundamentals leads to frustration, burnout, and classroom chaos
• A preview of The Summer Rebuild series to help you reset and retool—with joy, purpose, and play

Whether you're toe-hooking lessons or just need a reset, this is your invitation to start fresh—and build something better, one brick at a time.📌 Mentioned in this episode:The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick blog series → coachthomastech.com/blogFollow me on Twitter: @coachthomastechHashtag to join the conversation: #WheresTheFunInThat

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with the always brilliant Rachelle Dene Poth—Spanish and STEAM teacher, attorney, author, and one of the leading voices in AI and future-ready education.

We talk about what’s real and what’s noise when it comes to AI in schools. Rachelle shares how she’s using AI with students to boost creativity, support language learning, and build confidence. I share how I use AI to break creative blocks and save time in my own projects. Together, we dive deep into how tech can support—not replace—real teaching.

If you're curious about where AI fits in your classroom—or how to even start—this one’s loaded with practical ideas, real examples, and zero fluff.

🔑 Key Topics:

• How to start using AI without getting overwhelmed
• Real ways teachers are saving time with AI
• How Rachelle uses AI to build language skills and student confidence
• Classroom management when using emerging tech
• The ethics of AI, student voice, and why we need all learners at the table
• Top AI tools to try this summer (we list a bunch)

🛠️ AI Tools We Mentioned:

• ChatGPT / Gemini
• Almanack
• Brisk Teaching
• Eduaide.AI
• TeachShare.com
• MagicSchool
• SchoolAI
• Socrate
• CoGrader
• Class Companion
• Snorkl
• Pathlight

• Quizziz...and more

🔥 Bonus:Stick around for a sneak peek of my summer learning series launching July 7th, called “The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick.” It’s designed to help educators reset, retool, and rebuild their teaching practice—one hands-on idea at a time. Sign up at coachthomastech.com.📲 Connect with Rachelle Dene Poth:Website Blog: www.rdene915.comX / Twitter: @Rdene915Email: [email protected] & Resources: Amazon Author Page📣 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:Follow me on X: @CoachThomasTechCheck out the blog: www.coachthomastech.com/blogIf this episode got you thinking, share it with a colleague and drop a review. Let’s bring common sense, creativity, and fun back to learning—one episode at a time.

This episode dives into the real-world impact of AI in classrooms. Becky Keene joins Dan to share how AI tools are reshaping teacher workflows, PD, and student learning—without replacing the human side of teaching. We talk about creativity, cheating myths, assessment shifts, and how “systemic disruption” might be exactly what education needs right now. Becky breaks down how to coach reluctant teachers, leverage tools like Canva AI, and embrace AI as a partner—not a threat.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• “AI is your classroom caddie—not your swing.”

• Becky’s favorite tools: Canva AI, Claude, ChatGPT, andCopilot.
• AI can speed up workflows—but can’t replace teacherrelationships.
• Using AI responsibly means knowing when to source it—andwhen to just create.
• Teachers need to move beyond the “easy button” and startthinking about incremental innovation.
• Creativity still matters. Let students build, make, and create—with guardrails.

👣 Follow Becky Keene:
🌐beckykeene.com📱TikTok: #TikTokWalks📷Socials: @beckykeene

🔗 Related Topics:

• Incremental innovation
• AI tools for teachers
• Coaching the tech-reluctant
• Student engagement through creativity
• Systemic disruption in schools

In this powerful episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse, I sit down with two visionary educators who are reshaping what learning can look like—Thom Markham, the godfather of PBL, and Phil Alcock, a dynamic force exploring the intersection of AI and education. Together, they're launching PBLFuture Labs, a movement to blend project-based learning with the power of artificial intelligence. We get into the hard truths about outdated classroom practices, what it really takes to personalize learning with AI, how to move from "playing the game of school" to real learning—and why the system might not survive unless it evolves.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• The current state and challenges of PBL post-COVID
• How AI is reviving and reshaping PBL
• Deconstructing standards with AI to build meaningfullearning
• Misconceptions teachers have about PBL
• Why “doing a project” is not the same as project-basedlearning
• What makes PBL + AI the best preparation for the future ofwork
• Student portfolios and performance-based assessment
• Addressing teacher burnout and resistance
• How to guide students to use AI ethically
• What PBL Future Labs is really about—and how to get involved

🛠 Resources & Links:

🔗 Visit PBL Future Labs
📬Sign up for their newsletter for upcoming projects and events
🔍Find Thom and Phil on LinkedIn for ongoing discussions and insights

This episode picks up right where we left off last week with Mark Covelle, diving even deeper into what real technical education looks like.

I sat down with John Stephens, a veteran shop teacher and CTE curriculum developer from Prince Edward Island. John’s on a mission to reclaim the word “shop” and challenge outdated mindsets about what happens in our labs, woodshops, and maker spaces. We talk about the power of hands-on learning, the importance of failure, and how formative feedback—when it happens in real time—actually drives growth.

Whether you're in a tech lab, a gen ed classroom, or leading a school, this episode is a reminder that shop class isn’t for “those kids”—it’s for every kid.

What We Talk About:

• Reclaiming the word "shop" with pride and purpose
• How to make CTE classrooms inclusive for all students
• Process over product: What assessment really looks like in hands-on classes
• Micro-conversations and real-time feedback at the elbow
• How to keep learning going after the bell
• Making your program visible inside your building
• Practical tools for capturing learning: checklists, rubrics, portfolios
• Why the shop is the perfect space for students to fail forward
• Creating purpose-driven readers and thinkers through technical instruction

Favorite Quotes from John:

• “Engage the hands. Activate the mind.”
• “The shop is for everyone—it just needs to be built that way.”
• “I may have missed your best moment. Tell me about it.”
• “Formative assessment is elbow-to-elbow feedback, not a quiz that doesn’t count.”

Resources Mentioned:

• A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor
• The triangle of assessment: Products, Observations, Conversations
• Right-to-Repair laws and the importance of technical agency
• Real examples from John's classroom: phone stands, picture frames, CNC work

Connect with John Stephens:

John Stephens | LinkedIn

My Takeaway:

This episode reminded me why I started in a shop—and why that work still matters. We don’t just teach skills; we build confidence, agency, and curiosity. We need more shop teachers like John sharing their stories and raising their game.

Help Us Spread the Word:

If this hit home, do me a favor:

• Share it with a colleague
• Post it on your socials and tag me @CoachThomasTech
• Use the hashtag #TechEdClubhouse

And if you haven’t yet, go back and catch last week’s episode with Mark Covelle for the full picture of what modern CTE should look like.

Find all episodes, blogs, and extras at coachthomastech.com/podcast

#CTE #ShopClass #TechEd #ProjectBasedLearning #GrowthOverGrades #HandsOnLearning #TechEdClubhouse