The Edtech Throwdown podcast (originally GotTechED the Podcast) was created in 2018 by Nick Johnson and Eric Guise with one, singular goal: to provide quality, tech-centric professional development (PD) to busy teachers on the move. As educators who have always been passionate about PD, Nick and Guise have attended and created hundreds of hours of professional learning experiences for teachers, but there has always been one problem ... time! Attending full-day workshops and conferences is difficult and stressful due to missed class time and added prep. With the Edtech Thowdown, Nick and Guise hope to provide busy teachers a way to access educational PD at their convenience.
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Données mises à jour le 04/07/2026
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Edtech Throwdown Episode 214: Ditch That Chromebook (no affiliation with Matt Miller)
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 214 called Ditch that Chromebook. In this episode we’ll talk about several current issues in the edtech world all centered around technology, the role it serves, and to what extent it belongs in schools. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1:
Apology to Matt Miller
Segment 2:
3 Current Arguments in the edtech world:
To block or not to block: AI in schools
Let fail?
Agree about alway cheating
The pendulum swings back on 1:1 devices. What is the right way forward?
Banning cell phones in schools. Yay or nay?
Edtech Throwdown:
Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
AI For Teachers, Admin, and Parents
1:1 Chromebook Integration
EdTech Throwdown
TargetED Learning
Gamification (Badge Systems)
Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
Google apps and extensions
Personalized learning and Choice Boards
Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
Digital content creation
Student Podcasting
Screencasting
Flipped Classroom
Student-Centered Learning
Designing Lessons Based on Cognitive Science with Dave Snyder
lundi 20 avril 2026 • Durée 52:32
Edtech Throwdown Episode 213: Designing Lessons Based on Cognitive Science with Dave Snyder
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 213 called Designing Lessons Based on Cognitive Science with Dave Snyder. In this episode we’ll talk with Mr. Dave Snyder about current research in cognitive science and how it has shaped his lessons and the overall classroom experience for his students and their learning. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1:
In today’s episode, we are talking to Dean of Academics at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, NJ, Mr. Dave Snyder, welcome to the show! How are you doing today?
Can you give everybody your quick pitch, hero’s origin story? What’s your own education? What is your teaching experience? What do you do now?
Talk about our NJECC meetup our general impressions of what Dave’s sessions was all about
Dave reached out to us and asked if we could check out his session at a recent conference
What was it called again?
Focus was on cognitive science, which I thought I knew about, but as I am sitting and listening more, a lightbulb goes off for me as much of what you were saying resonated with my own classroom experience … having mixed results with cooperative learning, seeing students struggle through inquiry-based lessons that end with mixed results, jigsaws that fall flat for most
Can you give an overview of your presentation, topic, and what brought you to feature this at a tech-themed education conference?
You began with a survey question about what most affects a student's ability to learn science: 1. What they already know 2.How motivated they are 3. Their learning style 4.How interesting the material is 5.How much inquiry-based instruction (discovery learning) they have
AI Uses in the Classroom from NJECC 2026
lundi 6 avril 2026 • Durée 33:50
Edtech ThrowdownEpisode 212: AI Uses in the Classroom from NJECC 2026
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 212 called AI Uses in the Classroom from NJECC 2026. In this episode we’ll share 4 ways that AI can be used to support student learning. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1:
Vanguard NJ Districts AI Meetings
Segment 2:
Our presentation from 2026 feature the following tools:
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 211 called NJECC Showdown 2026. Guise and I have each selected 6 of our favorite tools for the classroom. Listen in to learn about what they are, why we like them, and how they might advance your practice! This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1:
This year’s NJECC was great!
-did 2 sessions
-saw a cool session and met a possible future guest
Segment 2:
Our presentation from 2026 feature the following tools:
Edtech ThrowdownEpisode 210: AI Prompt Writing for Educators
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 210 called “AI Prompt Writing for Educators.” In this episode, we’ll explore the power of prompts and how they can be the difference maker for those who use AI effectively and those who fall behind. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1:
Narrative: People still have an extremely wide range of engagement with AI. Nick has two conversations about AI - 1 with his in-laws about AI telling people to commit crimes and 1 with another teacher who thinks it just writes papers for students.
Anatomy of a good prompt
1. Don't just ask a question; tell the AI who it is and who it is talking to. This sets the tone and the "knowledge ceiling" of the response.
What to include:Give it a job title (e.g., "veteran IB Biology teacher") and define the target audience (e.g., "students with no prior coding experience").
2. Be incredibly specific about the verb. Avoid "Help me with..." and use "Analyze," "Draft," "Critique," or "Categorize."
What to include:Provide the "raw material." If you want a rubric, paste the assignment. If you want a response to a parent email, paste the email.
3. Tell the AI exactly how you want the information delivered. Don't settle for a wall of text.
What to include:Specify the format (e.g., "a 3-column table," "a bulleted list of 5 items," or "a formal email script"). Add constraints like "Keep the total word count under 200" or "Use a witty, encouraging tone."
10 Fun AI Tools to Try in 2026
lundi 23 février 2026 • Durée 40:03
Edtech ThrowdownEpisode 209: 10 Fun AI Tools to Try in 2026
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 209 called “10 Fun AI Tools to Try in 2026” In this episode, we’ll explore the lighthearted side of AI as we examine some silly AI tools and uses that are guaranteed to make you and your students smile. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Gemini’s new “Create Music” option under Tools. Choose a track and then the AI populates lyrics into that track. Right now there are maybe 20-ish tracks in diff music styles
Google Arts and Culture - Art Selfie. Download the app. Be careful with students under 18. Use this fun activity as a starting point for analysis and discussion of classic works.
Google Labs. The home for AI experiments at Google. This deserves more exploration on our part, but there is a ton here so I’m sharing it as a thing of it’s own. For example,GenTypeis one of the experiments that can create fonts. The example they feature is a font using jelly on toast, where each letter of the alphabet is jelly being spread on pieces of toast.
10 Canva Apps for Teachers in 2026
lundi 9 février 2026 • Durée 24:22
Edtech Throwdown
Episode 208: 10 Canva Apps for Teachers in 2026
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 208 called “10 (More) Canva Apps for Teachers” In this episode, we’ll revisit the exciting world of canva apps and deliver some old favorites as well as some exciting new finds. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Episode 207: Tips and Tricks for 2026: Chrome and Gmail
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 207 called “Tips and Tricks for 2026: Chrome and Gmail” In this episode, we’ll talk about some of our favorite tips for surfing the web with chrome and sending or receiving emails in Gmail. Hopefully these hacks can help make your day a little easier. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1: Lost but Now Found
Restore lost or accidentally Control Shift T Command Shift T on a MAC
Zoom in and Out
Control +/-
Segment 2: Edtech Tips and Tricks
Google Chrome Tips and Tricks
Nick
QR Code
Go to the site > Three Dots > Cast,Save, and Share > Create a QR Code
Smart PDF Highlighting
Use the "Link to Highlight" feature in Chrome. Right-click any text on a webpage and select "Copy link to highlight." When students click it, they are taken exactly to that sentence on the page.
Use Google Lens to grab text from images. Go to the 3 dots > Search with Google Lens > drag around the image with the text you want > choose Copy Text
Guise
Add Tab to Group (Right click on a tab, hit add to group)
Send Tabs Across Devices
If you find a recipe on your laptop but want to take it to the kitchen on your phone, right-click the tab (or the address bar) and selectSend to your devices.
It pops up as a notification on your other device instantly..
Make the site an APP: Go to the site > Three Dots > Save and Share > Install page as app. It will now have its own icon in your Taskbar/Dock and won't get lost in your tabs.
Google Vids vs Canva Video and WeVideo
lundi 12 janvier 2026 • Durée 34:13
Edtech Throwdown
Episode 206: Google Vids vs Canva Video and WeVideo
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 206 called “Google Vids vs Canva Video and WeVideo” In this episode, we’ll talk about a new-ish Google app called Google Vids and how it stacks up against other popular classroom video creation tools. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1: What is Google Vids?
Narrative: Have we ever solved the problem of fast and easy screencasts? A teacher asked me that this week and I realized I didn’t have a great answer.
ScreenPal has an extension, but the increased tools make it slower
WeVideo has an extension, but it is clunky and not free
Screencastify still exists, but have to pay after 10 videos
Released: Google Vids was first announced and released in preview during Google Cloud Next in April 2024, with a wider rollout to all Google Workspace users starting in November 2024 as an AI-powered video creation tool for work.
What is it? It is a video editing platform that feels more like creating a Google Slide than a video editing platform. Is this a positive thing … not sure yet.
Free Basic Version: All users get access to the web-based editor, allowing recording, importing clips, using templates, and basic editing.
AI Extras (Paid): Advanced AI tools, such as AI-generated clips from prompts, AI avatars, and enhanced script/outline generation, require paid Google Workspace or AI plan subscriptions.
Edtech Resolutions for 2026
lundi 29 décembre 2025 • Durée 30:46
Edtech ThrowdownEpisode 205: Edtech Resolutions for 2026
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is episode 205 called “Edtech Resolutions for 2026” In this episode, we’ll talk about our edtech tips and edtech tools that we are excited to explore in the new year. This is another episode you don’t want to miss. Check it out.
Segment 1: Goodbye 2025 and Hello 2026
Narrative: Life was challenging in 2025… Welcome 2026!
Segment 2: Tips, Tools, and Resources
Nick’s
An Edtech Tip for 2026
Building Blocks in Google Docs to templat-ize my doc writing
An Edtech Tool for 2026
Noteobook LM - so many new tools, I have a feeling there is more to come
Reflect on what your students like and make changes to your teaching
Streamline Workflow
Make templates based on your core teaching philosophy
An Edtech Tool for 2026
Can you explain what this illustrates about cognitive science as it pertains to the classroom?
Walk people through the working memory game from slide 11. Can you explain what this illustrates about cognitive science as it pertains to the classroom?
Explain the forgetting curve and how it changes with multiple reviews. What has that meant for your classroom?
This seems to go against what a lot of science teachers have learned about inquiry and student-centered learning. Does it go against those practices?
Role of tech?
Edtech Throwdown:
Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
AI For Teachers, Admin, and Parents
1:1 Chromebook Integration
EdTech Throwdown
TargetED Learning
Gamification (Badge Systems)
Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
Google apps and extensions
Personalized learning and Choice Boards
Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
AI For Teachers, Admin, and Parents
1:1 Chromebook Integration
EdTech Throwdown
TargetED Learning
Gamification (Badge Systems)
Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
Google apps and extensions
Personalized learning and Choice Boards
Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
Digital content creation
Student Podcasting
Screencasting
Flipped Classroom
Student-Centered Learning
Be purposeful with your AI use. Always ask - is there a reason for me to use AI here? Would it benefit my brain to do this myself? Sometimes doing even simple tasks yourself have benefits to maintaining your mind's own plasticity and critical thinking. You’ll notice that many of our favorite prompts are for monotonous, time consuming, repetition-based tasks that would not be possible without the use of AI.
Multiple versions of the same question: Here is an AP Exam question about topic X: ____copy paste in the question ____. Can you write 8 more versions of this that all follow the same format but have different numbers and variations of each question.
Meta search: Find for me all the ___ exam questions that deal with ___topic___.
Text leveller: "Take the following text about [Topic] and rewrite it into three versions:
Version A (The Hook):Written as a high-interest TikTok script for a 14-year-old.
Version B (The Standard):On-grade level with 5 bolded 'power vocabulary' words.
Version C (The Scaffold):For a student with a 3rd-grade reading level, using short sentences (max 10 words) and a 'one-concept-per-paragraph' rule. Include a 'Bridge Table' that helps Version C students eventually understand the key terms in Version B."
I struggle with coming up withreal-world examplesof things. "I’m teaching [Mathematical/Scientific Concept]. Give me 5 'weird' real-world applications of this concept in careers students wouldn't expect (e.g., fashion design, professional gaming, or forest management). For one of these, draft a 2-minute 'Lesson Hook' story that starts with a high-stakes problem only this concept can solve."
Jeopardy Clue Writer
You are a Jeopardy Clue Writer. Anytime an AP Biology term is entered, you will create a jeopardy clue using the AP Biology standards set by the AP College Board. For example, if someone entered Charles Darwin into the prompt, you would respond with: He developed the theory of evolution by means of natural selection after a five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle. Let the output be Times new roman font size 12.
Add study guides or notes to
Garbage Pail Teachers
Role and Goal
You are the Garbage Pail Teachers Creator. Your purpose is to take an uploaded photo of a person and a provided name (first or last) and transform them into a high-quality, 1980s-style trading card parody. You specialize in gross-out humor, puns, and classroom-themed chaos.
Image Generation Guidelines
When a user uploads a photo and provides a name, use the image_generation tool with these specific aesthetic requirements:
Art Style: Classic 1980s trading card aesthetic. Hand-painted look with airbrushed textures, vibrant but slightly grimy colors, and thick outlines.
Characters: The character must be a caricature of the person in the photo, reimagined as a "teacher" in a messy, surreal, or gross-out school setting.
The Sticker Frame: The image must be encased in a classic die-cut sticker border (a white peel-off line) with a colorful header at the top.
The Banner: The header must say "GARBAGE PAIL TEACHERS" in the iconic bubbly font.
Naming Logic: Create a rhyming or alliterative nickname based on the provided name.
Example: For "Guise," use "Greasy Guisey." For "Smith," use "Sickly Smitty."
Place this name in the iconic nameplate bar at the bottom or side of the image.
Creative Process
Analyze the Photo: Identify key features (glasses, hair style, expression) to maintain a "parody likeness."
Teacher Theme: Place the character in a classroom context (e.g., covered in chalk dust, tangled in computer wires, eating a "rotten apple," or melting into a desk).
The "Gross" Factor: Add a humorous, mildly gross-out element consistent with the original 80s cards (slimy textures, exaggerated expressions, or comical disasters).
Interaction Style
Stay in character as a mischievous 1980s trading card editor.
When a user provides a name, confirm the "punny" nickname you’ve chosen before or during the image generation.
Safety Note: Keep the humor "PG-13" gross-out (like the original cards). Avoid mean-spirited content, gore, or truly offensive imagery. Focus on "slapstick mess."
Keep the correct spelling of the name. Have the adjective start with the same letter as the name. For example, if the inputted name was "Guise" make it "Greasy-Guise or if the name was "Johnson" make it "Junky-Food Johnson"
AP Biology Lesson Plan Generator
You are an AP Biology teacher making formalized lesson plans using the College board AP Biology Standards. You must include the following parts of the lesson plan for each lesson: lesson objectives, standards, warm up, instructional strategies, closing activities, differentiation of instruction and/or assessment, and assessment techniques. I will provide the activities and topic for the lesson and you fill in the blanks. Format on canvas mode and make sure each part of the lesson plan is bolded. Please format suitable for a google doc. Make sure The title of the lesson is The Unit # and Lesson # with the title of the lesson and that everything under each section is bulleted. Please don't use emojis in the lesson plan
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
AI For Teachers, Admin, and Parents
1:1 Chromebook Integration
EdTech Throwdown
TargetED Learning
Gamification (Badge Systems)
Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
Google apps and extensions
Personalized learning and Choice Boards
Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
Digital content creation
Student Podcasting
Screencasting
Flipped Classroom
Student-Centered Learning
Gmail
Nick:
Find Large Attachments
Type larger:10m in the search bar to find every email taking up more than 10MB. It’s the fastest way to clear storage space.
Schedule Send Later
Templates (Canned Responses)
Enable this in Settings > Advanced. Save your standard "Late Work Policy" or "Meeting Request" as a template. To use it, click the three dots in a new draft and hit "Templates."
Guise:
Undo Send
Go to Settings > See all settings > Undo Send and change it to 30 seconds. It’s the ultimate "safety net" for typos.
Archive
The "Plus" Addressing Hack
If your email is teacher@gmail.com, you can use teacher+newsletters@gmail.com to sign up for sites. Gmail ignores everything after the +, but you can create a Filter to automatically label or skip the inbox for anything sent to that specific "plus" address.
Edtech Throwdown:
Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s...
What can it do?
Screen records with or without webcam
Converts slides to video
Upload your own photos and videos for editing
Has video templates with title slides, animations, etc.
Multiple layouts: landscape, portrait, square
Has stock audio from Youtube audio library - good music!
Has most, if not all, typical video editing tools: playhead, video preview, splitting, multiple track editing, etc.
Benefits:
Integration: Works directly within the Google ecosystem, integrating with Google Drive for easy access to files. If you are a Google school, this platform will look familiar to your students
Sharing: familiarity is key. You can share you vids projects just like a doc or slide. We tested simultaneous editing, it works well
Relatively simple to use. I was able to start editing and creating many different types of videos immediately.
Downloads are very simple, better than the WeVideo we use with Ss now
What Can’t it Do:
10 minute time limit - this is a big one
"Slideshow" Nature: The primary criticism is that Google Vids is essentially an AI-assisted presentation or slideshow creator, not a full-fledged, cinematic video generation tool. The resulting videos are often described as similar to a Google Slides presentation with transitions.
Limited Professional Polish: Veteran video content creators may find the final products lack the polish needed for professional demos or external use, making it better suited for internal team updates and presentations.
AI Inconsistencies: The AI's selection of stock media can be "hit-or-miss," sometimes resulting in nonsensical or irrelevant images or video clips being inserted into the project.
Lack of Control and Customization: Users have noted difficulties with customization and a lack of granular control.
Theme customization is difficult, with limited options to easily change colors and fonts.
Export resolution settings are not adjustable, leading to potentially pixilated output when starting with high-quality source footage.
Limited stock media selection (music, images, voiceovers) means assets may get recycled across different projects.
Segment 2: How does it compare to others?
What we think:
As a tool for fast and easy classroom video creation:
Nick thinks… Vids! Or Canva if I want it to be social media-ish
Guise thinks…
As a tool for complex video editing:
Nick thinks … WeVideo (we already pay for it), Vids if we didn’t pay for it
Guise thinks …
As a tool for teacher screencasting:
Nick thinks … ScreenPal because I pay for it, Vids if I didn’t
Guise thinks …
As a tool for professional or social media style videos:
Nick thinks …Canva
Guise thinks …
Will we use Google Vids over other tools like ScreenPal, WeVideo or Screencastify?
Nick thinks … No, but if and when we don’t have paid tools, YES
Guise thinks …
Which tool fits with state of tech in schools today?
See the table
Edtech Throwdown:
Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.
As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
AI For Teachers, Admin, and Parents
1:1 Chromebook Integration
EdTech Throwdown
TargetED Learning
Gamification (Badge Systems)
Game-Based Learning (Escape Rooms, Amazing Race, and more)
Google apps and extensions
Personalized learning and Choice Boards
Teacher productivity (Lesson Planning, Online Grading. and Feedback)
Digital content creation
Student Podcasting
Screencasting
Flipped Classroom
Student-Centered Learning
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