• Student Privacy in the Age of ChatGPT with Fonz Mendoza

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    🔥 What does it take to become an education content creator?

    🔥 What do education leaders need to know about privacy issues in AI?

    🔥 What roles will AR and VR technologies play in the future of learning?

    Join me for this conversation with Texas educator FONZ MENDOZA as he shares his insights.

    About This Guest

    Fonz is a Professional Learning Specialist with expertise in educational technology and AI in education. He hosts the My EdTech Life podcast, where he interviews edtech startup founders, practitioners, and thought leaders. His current focus is on an AI in education initiative aimed at making technology more accessible and supportive for educators and students.

    You can connect with Fonz @MyEdTechLife on X, Instagram, and YouTube. You can also visit his website and connect with more of his work at https://www.myedtech.life/.

    Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast.

    In This Conversation

    0:00:00 – Welcome to Teachers on Fire!

    0:28 – Who is Alfonso Mendoza?

    1:53 – A story of adversity: the new demands of the pandemic

    5:28 – An update on the doctoral writing process

    11:55 – What is the mission of My EdTech Life?

    18:55 – The origin story of My EdTech Life: beginning, lessons, and wins

    28:00 – Should education content creators use separate social media accounts?

    29:53 – What are the privacy and security issues related to students and generative AI?

    36:48 – What are the worst case scenarios as generative AI tools relate to students?

    48:20 – A universal message to educators regarding AI tools in 2024

    54:26 – What is the future of AR and VR tools in K-12 education?

    59:46 – Other passions for Fonz: streaming, podcasting, and content creation

    1:00:50 – A daily personal habit that keeps Fonz on fire: prayer

    1:02:01 – An edtech tool pick: Kapwing

    1:03:30 – Book shoutouts: Beyond the Bulletin Board, The Promises and Perils of AI in Education

    1:05:21 – People to follow on X: Jorge Valenzuela and Zac Bauermaster

    1:06:50 – Future guest recommendations from Fonz: Ken Shelton, Dee Lanier

    1:08:27 – What Fonz is streaming: the Great British Bake-Off

    1:09:27 – Where to connect with Fonz and My EdTech Life

    Connect with Me

    On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire)

    On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/)

    On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire)

    On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/

    Song Track Credits

    Tropic Fuse by French Fuse

    GO! by Neffex*All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

  • AI Issues in K-12 Education Today: A Conversation with Tim Belmont

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    🔥 What are the biggest wins for teachers that generative AI can provide?

    🔥 How can we help students avoid plagiarism while supporting the creative process?

    🔥 Is it possible for ChatGPT to know too much about us?

    Join me in conversation with New Jersey educator Tim Belmont as we dig into these and other critical questions.

    About This Guest

    Tim Belmont is a high school technology specialist and Language Arts teacher who has presented at many of the largest education technology conferences. In the classroom, he elevates student voices through technology-integrated English activities and implements podcasting as a modern public speaking medium.

    You can follow Tim on LinkedIn, on X @tbelmontedu, and at his website, https://www.timbelmont.com.

    In This Conversation

    1:44 – How the challenges of COVID pushed Tim into new professional growth

    4:16 – What are the concerns around BIAS and MISINFORMATION in generative AI?

    7:26 – How students can VERIFY information received from generative AI tools

    13:00 – ChatGPT-checkers are NOT reliable

    15:53 – What are the PRIVACY and SECURITY issues related to generative AI?

    22:04 – What are the biggest WINS for teachers that AI tools offer?

    25:03 – Our SWOT Analysis for generative AI tools in schools

    36:55 – Tim’s learning outside of education: BAKING bread

    38:00 – A PRODUCTIVITY HACK: simple stretching routine in the mornings

    38:50 – Someone to follow on Education X: Katie Fielding

    39:34 – An EDTECH tool pick: Kami

    40:25 – A BOOK recommendation: Make Time for Creativity

    41:15 – A future GUEST suggestion: Dee Lanier

    42:09 – What Tim’s streaming: GAME CHANGER

    43:14 – How to CONNECT with Tim Belmont

  • Lead An Assessment Revolution with Natalie Vardabasso

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    🔥 What’s the purpose of assessment?

    🔥 How can we rehumanize assessment through story?

    🔥 What does it take to lead an assessment revolution in our schools?

    Join me in LIVE conversation with NATALIE VARDABASSO as we dig into these and other critical questions.

    About This Guest

    Natalie has served as a high school and middle school teacher, instructional coach, and an assessment lead. Today, she’s an assessment speaker, consultant, author, and podcaster. She’s also the founder of The Empowerment Ecosystem, an online community that amplifies the impact of change agents in the K-12 education system.

    You can follow Natalie on Linkedin, on X and Instagram @Natabasso, on her website at empowermentecosystem.com/summit, and on her podcast, #EduCrush.

    Timestamps from This Conversation

    1:06 – The MOMENT that prompted Natalie’s obsession with assessment change

    3:57 – What is the MISSION of the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit?

    6:18 – What is the PURPOSE of assessment?

    7:34 – How can STORY be used to rehumanize assessment?

    10:14 – Is this a CAN’T do or DIDN’T do situation?

    13:50 – Natalie on BONUS WORK and bonus marks for students

    15:48 – What is the EduCrush PODCAST all about?

    17:48 – How can competent teachers PIVOT PROFESSIONALLY out of the classroom?

    21:17 – Natalie’s ultimate FAIL STORY

    25:00 – OTHER PASSIONS that light Natalie’s fire: dance, music, and entrepreneurship

    26:03 – Natalie’s productivity hack: MORNING PAGES

    27:28 – Someone to FOLLOW on social media: Danelle Almaraz

    28:19 – An EDTECH APP pick: Curipod

    29:53 – A BOOK recommendation: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

    31:29 – What Natalie’s STREAMING: Baby Reindeer

    32:53 – How to CONNECT and FOLLOW Natalie online

    Song Track Credit

    Tropic Fuse by French Fuse

    GO! by Neffex

    *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

  • What are learning progressions? A Conversation with Jennifer Moroz

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    🔥 What do we need to know about Depth of Knowledge?

    🔥 How can schools build inclusive cultures and improve student behavior?

    🔥 What are learning progressions, and how can they support student learning?

    Join me for this conversation with JENNIFER MOROZ as she shares her insights.

    About This Guest

    Jen is a BC educator who is proud to teach, collaborate with educators across BC, and offer professional development in assessment frameworks. She is a proud member of the new EVOXE Global Consulting as an Indigenous educator (Métis-Cree). 

    You can follow Jennifer on X @jenniferlmoroz, on her website at ⁠https://www.jenmo.org⁠, and on her YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@assessmentsyndicate⁠.

    Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast.

    In This Conversation

    ⁠0:26⁠ – Who is Jennifer Moroz?

    ⁠1:26⁠ – The sheer horror and untenable nature of report cards

    ⁠3:41⁠ – What Jen’s Cree-Metis ancestry means to her

    ⁠5:39⁠ – What are learning progressions and how can they add clarity?

    ⁠12:03⁠ – What learning progressions are NOT (proficiency levels)

    ⁠15:46⁠ – What teachers sometimes miss about Depth of Knowledge

    ⁠21:27⁠ – BC educators want evidence-based tools to teach the curriculum

    ⁠24:02⁠ – What is the Assessment Syndicate?

    ⁠28:05⁠ – How can our schools strengthen their cultures and improve student behavior?

    ⁠35:32⁠ – A passion outside of education: physical fitness, daily walking

    ⁠38:44⁠ – A productivity hack: reading on her Kindle

    ⁠40:03⁠ – A source of inspiration: Thomas Guskey

    ⁠40:47⁠ – An edtech tool pick: Canva

    ⁠42:12⁠ – A book recommendation: Implementing Mastery Learning by Thomas Guskey

    ⁠44:22⁠ – A suggestion for a future guest: Kelsey McDonald

    ⁠45:22⁠ – What Jen’s streaming on her TV these days

    ⁠46:58⁠ – How to connect with Jennifer Moroz and her resources

    Connect with Teachers on Fire

    On X @TeachersOnFire (⁠https://X.com/TeachersOnFire⁠)

    On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (⁠https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/⁠)

    On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (⁠https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire⁠)

    On LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/⁠

    Song Track Credits

    Tropic Fuse by French Fuse

    GO! by Neffex

    *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at⁠ https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠.

  • Assessment in Math and Science: A Conversation with Melissa Dean

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    🔥 Are we about tasks or learning?

    🔥 How do our beliefs about assessment shape absolutely everything we do?

    🔥 How has it become acceptable to do nothing in a classroom, and what can we do about it?

    Join me for a conversation with Melissa Dean as we dig into these and other critical questions.

    About this Guest: Melissa is a high school math, science and ELA teacher who is passionate about reforming assessment and reimagining mathematics education. She is a developing inquiry and design thinking teacher who is constantly in reflection about her teaching practice and the state of education. She’s also the author of Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment and Revive Learning.

    Timestamps from this conversation:

    0:00:00 – Today’s guest is Melissa Dean, the Dean of Math

    1:12 – A pivotal story of futility in the Math classroom

    4:20 – Assessment is everything in education reform

    10:37 – What’s the difference between grading and assessment?

    13:44 – What’s the purpose of school?

    20:03 – Small assessment changes to make in math and science classrooms

    24:16 – What does inquiry-based learning look like in upper level Math?

    30:31 – Why is it okay for students to do nothing in a classroom?

    36:53 – Areas of learning for Melissa outside of the classroom

    39:55 – Productivity hacks: waking early, walking

    41:22 – Someone to follow: Natalie Vardabasso, Jessica Vance

    42:31 – An edtech tool that Melissa favours right now

    43:07 – A book pick: The Pi of Life by Sunil Singh

    43:50 – A future guest recommendation: Monte Syrie

    45:15 – Melissa talks about the mission of her book, Unravel School

    47:06 – Where to connect with Melissa online