Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 182 called, “Using Edtech and AI to Personalize the Classroom” In this episode, we’ll talk about how edtech an AI can personalize both your classroom physical space AND content creation and delivery. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Narrative: With all the AI and the COVID days behind us, have we lost the focus of personalizing learning for students in the classroom?

How can we use Edtech/AI to personalize the physical appearance of the classroom to be a more inviting place to learn?

• Interest-Driven Decor:
• Survey students about their favorite movies, games, and hobbies using tools like Google Forms or Mentimeter.
• Use the results to create themed areas, posters, or bulletin boards that reflect their interests.
• Digital Displays:
• Incorporate smart displays or projectors (e.g., Promethean boards) to showcase rotating slideshows of student artwork, photos, or inspirational quotes.
• Use Canva templates to make slides visually appealing and personalized.
• Interactive Wall Art:
• Use AR tools like QuiverVision to create augmented reality wall displays. Students can scan wall art to see animations or interact with digital layers.
• Mood Lighting:
• Integrate smart lighting systems to adjust classroom lighting based on the mood or theme of the lesson.
• Collaborative Space Design:
• Use Edtech tools like RoomSketcher to co-create the classroom layout with students. Allow them to choose...

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 181 called, “Educational AI Hub Breakdown” In this episode, we’ll compare and analyze the mega-AI hubs that are competing for every teacher's attention. By the end, you’ll know which ones we think are actually worth your time. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Narrative: Holy Hubs

What are AI Hubs?

• We are using the term “hub” a little incorrectly here. An AI hub is a thing in the tech space where AI models can be trained.
• When we say hub, we mean AI platforms or workspaces that do LOTS of different teacher related things
• Most of these use ChatGPT or something similar in the background. For example, let’s say you wanted to write a lesson plan … you could get the same results if you just went to ChatGPT and put in a very specific prompt, but Magic School’s lesson plan generator has done that for you.
• Also, Khanmigo uses GPT, but it has been specifically trained on the videos and resources held by Khan Academy.

What are the big ones?

• Magic School
• Some free, some paid
• Khanmigo
• All free for teachers
• Eduaid
• Pay for pro features
• Teachershub.ai
• Free for teachers but they do list limits, no other pricing there
• Teach Mate
• For the Brits! Some for free, £6.99 per month and goes up from there
• MIT Sloane
• Can’t find a price
• Theres an AI for That
• ***

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 180 called, “Edtech Hot Topics, Tech Tools, and Resources Heading into 2025” In this episode, we’ll wrap up 2024 by taking a look what is hot in educational technology right now as we start a new year. We’ll also share of the tools and resources we’re most excited about for 2025. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Narrative: Edtech Throwdown Traditional Episode

• Where are we with AI?
• AI pushback - are you still seeing it? Do you have it?
• Is the standard edtech tool without AI dead?

• Guise
• Snorkl
• NotebookLM
• Nick
• Padlet Sandbox
• Khanmigo

• Steph and Joe on the go
• Canva’s free teaching resources

1. NotebookLM Podcast
2. Make Memojis in Canva
3. How-to Guides w/ Tango
4. Top 10 Canva Apps
5. Accessibility Tools For Teachers

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 179 called, “How Can Teachers Use Google Lens in the Classroom” In this episode, we’ll talk about Google Lens, what it is, how to use it, and best of all - ways that it can support learning and make your teaching life easier. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Narrative: Google Lens does what?

Google Lens is a visual search tool that uses image recognition to understand what you're looking at and provide relevant information.

1. Identifying items: Students can use Google Lens to find names for items they encounter, such as plants or archaeological sites.
2. Biology Outdoor Classroom
3. Solving math problems: Google Lens can help math learners solve problems and understand key conception
4. Teacher Assistant when the teacher isn’t around
5. Getting help with homework: Students can point the Lens at a homework question to get help.
6. Taking notes: Google Lens can capture images, texts, bar codes, and QR codes, which can be transferred to a file for future reference.
7. Getting synopses: Students can point the Lens towards a book cover to get a synopsis.
8. Image search and product search: find images and items similar to the ones you’ve provided.
9. Scanning QR Codes from a computer screen

Special Education Uses:

1. Reading: Google Lens can convert text images into readable text, which can be helpful for learners with dyslexia.
2. Translating: Google Lens can translate selected words into any language.
3. Listening to text: Google Lens can listen to selected text, which can help students improve their listening skills and learn pronunciation.
4. Text detection and OCR: recognize the writing on an image and extract its data.
5. Language detection and translation: identify the language of the text on the image, and then translate it.
6. Accessibility and alt text: find the alt text of the image.

1. NotebookLM Podcast
2. Make Memojis in Canva
3. How-to Guides w/ Tango
4. Top 10 Canva...

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 177 called “Canva App Throwdown” In this episode, we’ll talk about some of the often overlooked Canva apps that make this powerful platform even more awesome. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Narrative: What's New with Canva?

A lot of people don’t even know that Canva has 3rd party apps, kind of like your phone. Many of them do very cool things that can enhance the learning taking place in your classroom. Here are some of our favorites.

Nick’s Picks

1. Equations
2. Google Drive
3. D-ID - Bring historical characters to life as avatars
4. Sketch to Life (rough sketch turns to image) or Speedpaint (picture turns to speed drawn video)
5. Melody Muse - Turn text prompts into music for your next project
6. Character Builder - make your own animated cartoon when used in conjunction with Canva Animations. LottieFiles has more than 100,000 pre made animations.

Guise’s Picks

1. Brandfetch
2. Bulk Create
3. Image Upscaler
4. Lucky Wheel

Edtech Throwdown

Episode 176: Super Lesson Throwdown with Gabby Migliore

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 176 called “Super Lesson Throwdown with Gabby Migliore” In this episode, we’ll talk about how to engage all students from bell to bell with edtech at your side. We’ll each share 1 sample lesson that you can use or take ideas from for your own classroom. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Segment 1:

Narrative: Differentiation PD Day

Segment 2: Superlesson Showdown

Without further ado, our guest today is a former math teacher turned current teacher of physics and astronomy pursuing a doctorate in math education, as well as one of the most capable new educators around. Welcome to the show Gabby mill your ee.

Guise introduces the showdown

1. The most perfect science lesson of all time? Yup!!! Flipped classroom, phenomena opener, POGIL in small groups, Quizizz whiteboards to monitor progress and spark discussion, model creation exit ticket

1. A spectrum for technology use? BINGO! Nick isn’t the only one who can ask questions– we’ve got technology and information literacy, multiple representations, and of course my Aunt Lucky’s favorite game.
2. Diffit
3. Flippity Randomizer
4. Flippity Bingo Board
5. Canva Bingo Template
6. Duo Cards

Edtech Throwdown

Episode 175: The British School Replacing Teachers with AI - Can It Work?

Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 175 called “The British School Replacing Teachers with AI - Can It Work” In this episode, we’ll share the story of the british school that is experimenting with a “teacherless” classroom led by AI! We’ll also talk about why human teachers don’t have to worry as we discuss the best ways that AI can integrate with humans, not get replaced by it. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.

Segment 1: AI Taking Over Teacher Jobs?

Narrative: We heard lots of gloom and doom about AI in schools, but this is likely overblown.

There IS however, a school that is experimentally trying to replace teachers with AI.

https://www.inavateonthenet.net/news/article/uk-school-to-replace-teachers-with-ai-programme

The David Game College in London will replace its traditional teaching programme with an AI-enabled ‘adaptive learning’ system, opening a ‘teacherless’ course for 20 students in September.

The students will use a mix of artificial intelligence platforms on their PCs, in conjunction with VR headsets. Dubbed the Sabrewing programme, each student will receive a personalised learning experience with a self-paced approach that is ideal for examination resit students.

More on the Sabrewing programme …

One important message for teachers - this WILL NOT BE THE NEW NORM

Stay tuned for segment 2 where we’ll talk about the ways AI will continue to incorporate with live human teachers, not replace them.

Segment 2: AI Will Integrate with Human Teachers, Not Replace It

1. AI as an interactive tutor
2. SchoolAI
3. Khanmigo
4. AI study aids
5. Diffit
6. Quizizz AI Flashcard generator
7. AI writing guides