My EdTech Life

Career and Technical Education is often overlooked, misunderstood, or siloed. In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza sits down with Tisha Richmond, veteran CTE educator and author of The Magical CTE Classroom, to unpack what meaningful, joyful, and real-world CTE learning actually looks like.

Tisha shares her journey from the classroom to edtech and back again, why CTE teachers face unique challenges, and h...

In this episode of My EdTech Life, Jeff Riley breaks down the mission behind Day of AI and the work of MIT RAISE to help schools, districts, families, and students understand artificial intelligence safely, ethically, and with purpose.
Jeff brings 32 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, principal, superintendent, and former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education. His transition to MIT RAISE reveals why AI literacy, stu...

Today on My EdTech Life, I sit down with Kyle Sumrow, educator, developer, and Director of Outreach and Development at Tech My School, to break down Relief Roster, a powerful substitute management and volunteer coordination system designed to streamline the entire sub process for schools.

Kyle shares how Relief Roster solves the daily scramble schools face with substitutes, onboarding, scheduling, PTO tracking, and volunteer managem...

Inside the UK’s Big Adobe Express Movement ft. Sean McLaughlin | My EdTech Life 345

In this conversation, I sit down with Sean McLaughlin, Adobe for Education’s UK Community & Partnerships Lead, to explore how Adobe Express, guided creativity, and purposeful AI are reshaping teaching and learning across the UK.

 From live lessons with Dom & Merit, to outreach programs with Manchester United Football Club, to powerful creative...

How CTE Really Works for Students ft. Dr. Joey Mendoza | My EdTech Life 344

CTE is changing fast. Certifications, digital skills, pathways, tutoring, attendance, career pipelines—there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Joey Mendoza, a South Texas educator and freshly-minted doctoral researcher who has worked across classrooms, regional service centers, EdTech companies, and now the CTE space w...

How AiDigiCards Help Kids Learn AI Safely ft. Amber Ivey | My EdTech Life 343 

In Episode 343 of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Amber Ivey to explore AiDigiCards, a new screen-free way to introduce kids to AI literacy, curiosity, and critical thinking. Amber breaks down the journey from her AI-for-adults work, to her children’s book AI Meets AI, to her new hands-on learning system for kids ages 4–8.

We talk about parent concerns, pr...

How AI Is Transforming School Technology Planning ft. Robbie Cobbs | My EdTech Life Ep.342

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Robbie Cobbs, the founder of Tech My School and creator of Tech Plan Genie, a groundbreaking platform built by tech directors for tech directors.

We talk about how school leaders can create meaningful, data-driven technology plans that bring their vision to life, empower teachers, and make inno...

 Teaching in an AI World ft. David L. Jackson | My EdTech Life Ep. 341 

In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Fonz Mendoza sits down with David L. Jackson of Digital Promise to talk about how educators can slow down, refocus, and bring humanity back to teaching in an AI-driven world.

David shares insights from the upcoming Elevating Innovation: Thinking in an AI World conference, a research-based, human-centered event designed to he...

Episode 340: La Lucha Productiva en el Aula con Austin Levinson

Bienvenidos a otro episodio de My EdTech Life, con tu anfitrión, el Dr. Alfonso “Fonz” Mendoza, donde exploramos las conversaciones que conectan la tecnología, la educación y lo humano. 

En este episodio, tengo el honor de conversar con Austin Levinson, educador, economista y Director de Aprendizaje en MegaMinds, una plataforma inmersiva que impulsa el aprendizaje activo...

 Episode 339: Merissa Sadler-Holder | Teaching with Machines 

In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Fonz Mendoza talks with Merissa Sadler-Holder, founder of Teaching with Machines. Merissa shares her journey from French teacher to AI consultant and shows how educators can embrace AI without losing their voice, creativity, or purpose.

They discuss what human-centered AI really means in the classroom, how to build meaningful professi...

Captivate Your Classroom with Dr. Marc Isseks

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Dr. Marc Isseks, author of Captivate, to explore how educators can break free from “cognitive entrenchment” and rediscover what it means to truly engage learners. Marc brings over 30 years of classroom, curriculum, and leadership experience, and his insights will challenge the way you think about teaching, technology, and student voice.

W...

 La IA no reemplaza al maestro con Pedro Aparicio

En este episodio de My EdTech Life, converso con Pedro Aparicio sobre un tema que nos toca a todos: el papel real de la IA en el aula y el rol insustituible del docente. Desde la mirada de Latinoamérica, Pedro nos comparte cómo la tecnología puede ser una aliada cuando se usa con intención, verificación y presencia humana.

Hablamos del retroceso post-COVID, las falsas promesas de “2 h...

The Business of You with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio

In this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Fonz Mendoza sits down with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio to explore their book The Business of You. They share how students, educators, and professionals alike can begin running their lives like a well-led company—by becoming the CEO, CMO, HR, and CFO of their own story. We also talk about adaptability, time as capital, the importa...

Peel Back Education with April Braithwaite  

Educators are the backbone of society, yet their stories often go unheard. In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with April Braithwaite, founder of Peel Back Education, a new project dedicated to telling the authentic stories of teachers. April shares how a late-night reflection sparked her mission to capture educator journeys in writing, giving teachers a platform that isn’t abou...

 Research First Approach to AI Tools with Short Answer

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Adam and Alexa Sparks, the husband-and-wife founders of Short Answer, a writing platform built to strengthen peer-to-peer learning and classroom dialogue.

We dive into their journey from classrooms and Stanford labs to building an edtech startup that puts pedagogy first. Adam shares how a tough reception at a ResearchED conferenc...

 AI in Schools: Strategy Over Shiny Tools with Kyler Cheatham

When it comes to AI in school districts, rushing in without a clear why can cost millions, crush teacher buy-in, and derail your entire tech strategy.

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Kyler Cheatham, a system architecture expert in AI and predictive analytics, to break down what districts are getting wrong and how to get it right.

Kyler shares hard truths ...

AI Optimism with Becky Keene

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sat down with author, educator, and thought leader Becky Keene to unpack her new book AI Optimism. We tackled everything from AI literacy and data privacy to the SAMR model, edtech skepticism, and what it really takes to shift classroom practice forward, not with hype, but with intention.

Becky shares her “AI Optimism” framework, talks candidly about the realities of e...

 Learning, Agency, and EdTech | Erik Parsons

In this episode of My EdTech Life, I reconnect with the brilliant Erik Parsons, better known as The PhDad on TikTok, for a bold conversation on what really matters in education. We dig into behaviorism vs. developmentalism, and how too many classrooms are still operating on compliance over collaboration.

From Chromebooks as babysitters to the over-promise of AI-powered personaliz...

Digital Portfolios, Feedback Culture, and Rethinking Readiness with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth

In Episode 330 of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth, authors of Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders. This conversation is all about transforming classrooms by prioritizing neurodiversity, digital portfolios, and building real-world readiness through entrepreneurial thinking.

We dig into what it really...