EdTech Bites Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This episode explores the quiet, constant tension male teachers experience when trying to build authentic relationships with students. From hugs to high-fives, what feels natural for many female educators often feels risky or off-limits for their male colleagues. We also dive into Texas Senate Bill 12 (SB12), a new law that requires parental consent for schools to provide basic health or emotional support—yes, even for a band-aid or a conversation with a counselor.

• The double standard male educators face in classrooms
• Real-life examples of how the same gesture can be interpreted differently
• The internal checklist male teachers run through every day
• How SB12 amplifies caution and changes the student-teacher dynamic
• Why all educators should care about the long-term impact of SB12
• A call for empathy, awareness, and proactive communication among staff

Start a conversation with your colleagues about how policy and perception shape the way we show care in the classroom. If you're a male teacher, share your experience. If you're not, ask about theirs.

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com
• EdTech Bites On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edtechbites.bsky.social
• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites X: https://twitter.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@edtechbites
• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@edtechbites

Want to bring your whole district together with one simple tool? ClassDojo for Districts makes it easy to engage families and strengthen school communities—at every level. It's the number one communication app trusted by millions of K-12 teachers, now with district-wide oversight and controls. From Pre-K to high school, ClassDojo connects your schools and families in one seamless place. Learn more at classdojo.com/districts.

What if your students had the power to shape your lessons—and it actually worked? In this insightful conversation, educator and author Jennifer Casa-Todd joins us to break down the real meaning of student voice. From her work with high schoolers and pre-service teachers to co-authoring a book with a student, Jennifer shares how to move from "listening" to "collaboration" to full-on student leadership.

You'll learn:

• Why asking students to "keep it, ditch it, tweak it" transforms your teaching
• How classroom committees build purpose and belonging
• The surprising ways students are using AI to innovate (not just cheat)
• Why your mindset—not your method—is the biggest roadblock

This episode will have you rethinking the role of students in everything from curriculum design to digital citizenship. Time to put the "co" in co-creator!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com
• EdTech Bites On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edtechbites.bsky.social
• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites X: https://twitter.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@edtechbites
• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@edtechbites

Jennifer am a wife, mom, educator, a former Literacy Consultant, a Google Certified Innovator, and author of several educational publications--most recently, Hopes for School: A student perspective and ideas for educational transformation. She's an ISTE Community leader, a Google Educator Group leader for Ontario and a Board member for the Canadian School Library Association. Jennifer can currently be found supporting pre-service teachers at Lakehead University (Ontario). She's passionate about amplifying student voice and helping learners use technology positively and productively.

• Jennifer's Website: https://jcasatodd.com/
• Jennifer On X: https://x.com/JCasaTodd
• Jennifer On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisingdigitalleaders/
• Jennifer On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jcasatodd.bsky.social
• Jennifer On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercasa-todd/

This episode is sponsored by MagicSchool AI. With over 6 million users worldwide, MagicSchool offers more than 80 educator-friendly tools that support everything from AI literacy instruction to smarter lesson planning. To learn more and get started, visit www.magicschool.ai.

Differentiation doesn't have to feel like chaos! In this episode recorded live at the TCEA Elementary Technology Conference, I chat with Melanie Rhode and Bernadette Zamora, two incredible educators, who break down how they use station rotations to meet the needs of every learner. We unpack what differentiation really means, how they plan rotations, manage tech tools, and handle off-task behavior. You'll also hear practical tips on grading, station setup, and how to kick off your school year with strong routines. If you're looking to spice up your instruction and streamline your workflow, this one's for you!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com
• EdTech Bites On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edtechbites.bsky.social
• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites X: https://twitter.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites
• EdTech Bites On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@edtechbites
• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@edtechbites

Melanie is a third grade teacher at an independent school in Houston. She's taught for 28 years. She's taught 1,2,3,4,and 5th grade and loves anything ELA.

Bernadette has been in education for almost 16 years. She has taught 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade and was an instructional specialist for two years. She is currently teaching 2nd grade and teaches all subject areas.

* We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor - Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat CTE with Heather Brantley and Stacie White. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. Heather is a two time EdTech Bites Food Tour participant and Stacie is a CTE teacher who "doesn't Social Media". This is an awesome discussion around this hot topic in education. And sticking with CTE and Culinary, I also quiz them on 5 different food trivia questions. Can you beat Heather and Stacie in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

Heather Brantley is an experienced educator and founder of HeatherTechEdu. With a background in instructional design and technology integration, Heather is passionate about helping teachers and students leverage the power of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Through HeatherTechEdu, she provides presentations on AI/AR/VR in the classroom,  instructional design services, and educational technology consulting to schools and districts around the country. Heather is currently teaching CTE technology and CEER at Pine Tree ISD.

• Heather on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherTechEdu

• Heather's Website: https://Heathertechedu.com

The Amazing Mrs. White has been teaching for 18 years both online and in the brick and mortar arenas.  She has taught Spanish 1 and 2, as well as Special Education Reading Resource. Now she focuses on her favorite course of all, Project Success, which is a career explorations course through the Career and Technical Education department.  She is passionate about helping students gain vision for their lives and guiding them to be the best they can be both in and out of the classroom. At home, she and her husband of 18 years have 5 super involved kids, 2 loving grandparents, a German shepherd and a chihuahua who remind them to be grateful for their many blessings.

* We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor - Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat Wakelet and Food Trivia with Tisha Poncio. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. This is Tisha's 4th time on the show and as always, we have a great conversation while breaking bread together. We discuss Wakelet and I also quiz her on 5 different food trivia questions. Can you beat Tisha Poncio in food trivia? Find out for yourself. Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

Tisha Poncio, M.S. Learning Technologies, served in public education for 21 years as a classroom teacher and a digital learning specialist. She has presented at numerous educational technology conferences across the nation and in her home state of Texas speaking about student leadership, student autonomy, digital citizenship for all ages, and meaningful technology integration. She is currently serving as a Digital Learning Specialist for Wakelet! 

• Tisha on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/txtechchick

• Tisha On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tishaponcio

• Tisha's Wakelet: https://www.wakelet.com/tishaponcio

* We want to take this moment to thank our sponsor - Wakelet. Wakelet has been changing the game when it comes to student portfolios. The platform is helping students across the US showcase tangible evidence of their success in creative and personalized ways. Wakelet portfolios boost college readiness, and help students share their skills and achievements in ways that go beyond just test scores.

For teachers, Wakelet is a powerful tool for sharing learning resources, creating lesson plans, and boosting collaboration in your classes.

Help your learners redefine student success, and outshine their test scores with Wakelet Portfolios. Head to wakelet.com/portfolios to learn more, and sign up for a free account today.

In this episode, I chat instructional coaching with Debbie Tannenbaum. She's an EdTech coach in Virginia and brings a lot of coaching knowledge to the table. This conversation was recorded at the TCCA conference in Aldine, Texas. This is a great conversation that debunks some of the myths and highlights the bright spots of instructional coaching. Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

👉🏼 This episode is sponsored by BlazerWorks. To learn more about how BlazerWorks can help your organization fill in the Special Education personnel gaps, visit https://blazerworks.com/

In this episode, I sit down with John Veneracion from BlazerWorks, a passionate advocate for inclusive education. Join us as we explore Blazerworks' mission, their work in bridging personnel gaps in Special Education nationwide, and the professional development they offer to empower both special education staff and schools. But that's not all! Because this is The EdTech Bites Podcast, we indulged in mouthwatering In-N-Out burgers during our conversation. Discover the critical role of Special Education in fostering inclusivity. Uncover BlazerWorks' visionary outlook for the future, and gain insights into the heart of their work.

Join us in this engaging conversation as we celebrate the work of BlazerWorks and the flavors of In-N-Out. Together, we're making education more accessible and inclusive. Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

John Veneracion is a member of BlazerWorks' Special Education Clinical Advisory Team. The team works hand-in-hand with school districts to fully integrate clinical expertise into learning environments—enriching therapists and teachers, streamlining school staffing programs and elevating the educational experience. Previously, John was a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Ventura Unified School District in California. 

• BlazerWorks Website: https://blazerworks.com/

• BlazerWorks On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blazerworks/

• John On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-erwin-veneracion-19326a200/

In this episode, I chat with Andrew Henry from Stepwell. He's passionate about analyzing data and Stepwell does just that. They focus on the Special Education caseload in schools to give educators insight into their Special Education population trends. This is a wonderful conversation into the world of compliance and civil rights. Peep it and see if Stepwell has what your district has been missing. Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

Andrew Henry is the founder of Red Cedar Solutions Group, the company responsible for building Stepwell, an online platform for managing Special Education compliance and improvement. Andrew is passionate about the value of data and analytics, design thinking and innovation to address some of the most challenging issues confronting society today: educating our children effectively, especially our most vulnerable populations, and managing complex and increasingly rapid change in organizations.

Prior to founding Red Cedar in 2006, Andrew has been a part of the education community in many different roles:

•        High School English Teacher

•        District Technology Director

•        Michigan State University, College of Education, Program Director and Researcher

•        State of Michigan, Director of the Center for Educational Performance and Information

•        Chief Officer for Research and Development at Learning Point Associates/North Central Regional Education Laboratory

• Stepwell Website: https://stepwelled.com/

• Stepwell On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stepwelled

In this episode, I give you the reasons I haven't dropped an episode in a month. You're going to want to hear why, trust me! I also delve into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of education: classroom acoustics. Join me as I chat with Ray Young from Lightspeed to explore the profound influence of acoustics on both teachers and students in the classroom. Discover how Lightspeed, a leading innovator in classroom audio solutions, is revolutionizing the educational experience. From enhancing teacher instruction to boosting student engagement, Ray reveals how the right acoustic environment can make all the difference in the classroom Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg

Ray Young is the Director of Education Design & Development at Lightspeed. A 100 percent employee-owned company, Lightspeed is on a mission to help every student hear every word. 

• Lightspeed Website: https://lightspeed-tek.com/

• Lightspeed On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeedtek/

• Lightspeed On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightspeedCAT

In this episode, I give you 5 tips to help keep admin out of your classroom. This is not a shot at administration at all. We all know that you have a job to do but as teachers, seeing an administrator walk through your door in the middle of teaching can bring extra stress and anxiety to even veteran teachers. These 5 tips will also help make you a better teacher at your campus so admin… you're welcome! While recording this episode, I'm drinking a chocolate banana protein smoothie to keep it light and filling. I hope you're off to a great start and as always, Buen provecho!

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com

• EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites

• EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCZcyW4BkCFQ5P2BLK61xg