The TechEd Clubhouse

Dan Thomas
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The TechEd Clubhouse is for STEM, CTE, and hands-on teachers who never fit the standardized script — and figured out better pedagogy because of it. Practical thinking on curiosity, judgment, and designing learning that actually demands something from students.

  1. 2d ago

    Screen Time Isn't the Problem. Purpose Is. | Dr. Stacy Hawthorne | TEC110

    Is technology really the problem in our classrooms, or have we been asking the wrong questions? In this episode of TechEd Clubhouse, I sit down with Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, Executive Director of the EdTech Leaders Alliance, CoSN Board Chair, and author of Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can't Ban Possibility. With screen time restrictions making headlines and schools facing growing pressure to justify technology use, Stacy challenges a familiar argument: measuring minutes on a screen tells us very little about what's actually being learned. From students programming sensors for community gardens to the behind-the-scenes technology that keeps schools running, this conversation explores what purposeful technology really looks like—and what happens when policy gets ahead of practice. Stacy and I also tackle the future of E-Rate funding, the importance of local decision-making, and why school leaders need to build cultures where teachers feel safe experimenting, questioning routines, and trying something different. In this episode, we explore: Screen time vs. learning time: Why what students do with technology matters more than how many minutes they spend using it. Purpose before devices: How meaningful learning experiences start with instructional design, not the latest tool. The E-Rate debate: Why internet connectivity supports far more than classroom devices, including transportation, security, communication, and essential school operations. Leadership and innovation: How listening to teachers, removing obstacles, and creating room for experimentation can change school culture. Reclaiming the narrative: Why educators need to share authentic examples of technology improving learning instead of allowing headlines to tell the entire story. 00:00 – Meet Dr. Stacy Hawthorne 05:55 – Are We Asking the Wrong Questions About Screen Time? 08:52 – Purposeful Technology and Better Learning Design 13:40 – What Parents Should Understand About School Technology 18:24 – What Is E-Rate, and Why Does It Matter? 22:13 – The Technology Keeping Schools Running 30:15 – Innovation, Leadership, and Challenging the Status Quo 38:13 – Two Things School Leaders Can Do Differently 40:24 – Building Trust and Changing School Culture 41:00 – Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning 46:44 – Sharing Stories and Reclaiming the Narrative Website: https://stacyhaw.com Book: Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can't Ban Possibility Learn more about CoSN: https://www.cosn.org TechEd Clubhouse is where educators, innovators, and thought leaders challenge conventional thinking about teaching and learning. Hosted by Dan Thomas, the show explores curiosity, creativity, hands-on learning, educational technology, and practical ideas that put students and teachers at the center of education. Because the best learning experiences aren't defined by the tools we use, but by what students get to think, create, and do.

  2. Oct 12

    What If AI Isn’t the Problem… But the Way We Teach Is? | with Becky Keene| TEC109

    We keep blaming AI for students who won't think, struggle, or solve problems on their own. But what if we've been creating that problem for years? Becky Keene is back in the Tech Ed Clubhouse, and this conversation goes somewhere much bigger than ChatGPT, screen time, or the latest education trend. Becky is an educator, author of AI Optimism, and founder of Phygital Labs, where she's helping schools, universities, and organizations rethink how technology supports learning. Together, we tackle some uncomfortable questions about education. Have we made learning too easy? Are students becoming experts at playing the game of school instead of actually learning? And why do we keep blaming technology when the real problem might be the assignments we're giving students? We also get into something I'm passionate about: giving kids opportunities to build, create, experiment, get stuck, and figure things out without an adult immediately stepping in with the answer. In this episode, we explore: The screen time debate: Why replacing a digital worksheet with a paper worksheet doesn't necessarily change the learning. The disappearance of productive struggle: Have we made students so comfortable that they don't know what to do when learning gets difficult? Playing school versus learning: Why good grades don't always mean deep thinking. AI and authentic learning: Instead of AI-proofing assignments, should we be redesigning them? The power of hands-on experiences: How LEGO, Minecraft, making, and play help students develop problem-solving skills. Teaching the skills that matter: Why communication, collaboration, perseverance, and independence should be explicitly taught and assessed. AI that gives us our time back: How Phygital Labs is helping educators and universities eliminate busywork so people can focus on people. One of my favorite moments comes when Becky challenges my thinking about teaching perseverance and collaboration. It's a reminder that even after 32 years in education, there are still opportunities to rethink how we approach learning. And we keep coming back to one simple idea: It's not about whether students are using screens, paper, LEGO bricks, or AI. It's about what they're doing with their brains. Maybe it's time we stopped asking how to keep AI out of student assignments and started asking whether those assignments were worth doing in the first place. Connect with Becky KeeneBecky's website — Speaking, consulting, and educational innovation https://beckykeene.com Phygital Labs — AI, STEM, game-based learning, and professional development https://phygitallabs.com Explore AI training and workshops https://phygitallabs.com/ai/ Contact Becky and the Phygital Labs team https://phygitallabs.com/contact/ For professional development inquiries: experiences@phygitallabs.com Connect with Becky on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckykeene Explore Becky's book, AI Optimism Find information about the book and Becky's work at: https://beckykeene.com Coach Thomas Tech — Professional development, speaking, and practical approaches to better learning https://coachthomastech.com If this conversation challenged your thinking, share it with another educator or school leader who needs to hear it. And here's a question worth taking into your next faculty meeting: Are we designing assignments that make students think, or just assignments that keep students busy?

  3. Aug 31

    What Happens on a Random Tuesday Is Your School Culture with Todd Bloomer | TEC 108

    School culture isn’t built during the opening-day staff meeting. It shows up on a random Tuesday in October. Todd Bloomer joins me again in the Tech Ed Clubhouse to talk about his new book, Finding Your Red Bench, and what school leadership really looks like when the speeches are over, the year gets messy, and people are tired. We get into the stuff that actually matters: getting out of the office, being visible, treating teachers like professionals, noticing the people who keep the building running, protecting your own energy, and paying attention to what your calendar says you truly value. Todd’s “red bench” started as an actual place to sit for a few minutes during a chaotic school day. Over time, it became something bigger—a reminder that sometimes the best leadership move is to slow down, notice what’s happening around you, and talk to people. And that leads to one of the biggest ideas in this conversation: You can’t understand your school from behind a desk. We talk about: Why culture is built through small interactions, not initiativesWhy principals need to be in classrooms, hallways, lunchrooms, and conversationsWhat it means to treat teachers and staff like adults and professionalsWhy secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals, and support staff tell you a lot about the real culture of a schoolHow a leader’s calendar exposes their actual prioritiesWhy self-care has to be scheduled instead of talked aboutThe operational details that quietly make or break a school yearWhy “I’ll fix it next year” is usually the wrong answerTodd also shares how Finding Your Red Bench is structured around three areas school leaders have to continually balance: Operations. Culture. Self-care. Not as another leadership program. As a practical month-by-month reminder of what matters and what might be coming next. One line from the conversation sums it up: If your culture isn’t where you want it to be, start tomorrow. Not next semester. Not next school year. Tomorrow. Website: ToddMBloomer.com TikTok & Instagram: @todd_bloomer_author Check out Todd’s new book, Finding Your Red Bench, wherever you buy books. If you lead a school, work with school leaders, or simply believe education gets better when we stop managing people and start actually seeing them, this episode is worth a listen. Connect with Todd Bloomer

  4. Aug 24

    Stop Adding Initiatives: Put Humans Back at the Center of School | Alyssa Sabbatino | TEC107

    What if the problem in education isn’t that teachers need another strategy, program, platform, or initiative? What if we need to get better at recognizing what good teachers are already doing—and build from there? In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse, I talk with Alyssa Sabbatino, National Board Certified Teacher, former administrator, educational leader, keynote speaker, and professional learning consultant. We get into initiative fatigue, teacher burnout, Portrait of a Graduate, competency-based learning, restorative practices, AI, grading, professional learning, and why schools keep making things more complicated than they need to be. Alyssa makes the case that meaningful school improvement starts by listening to teachers, recognizing the practices already working, and connecting initiatives instead of continually piling new ones on top. We also dig into: Why compliance-based professional development rarely changes practice Why art, music, technology, CTE, and other special-area classrooms may already be models for Portrait of a Graduate The problem with a school system obsessed with grades instead of learning Why collaboration, adaptability, empathy, ownership, and risk-taking matter as much as content knowledge How AI can become a thought partner instead of a replacement for professional judgment Why restorative practices should be woven into teaching—not turned into another checkbox Why small, authentic human interactions can matter more than another schoolwide initiative One of the biggest themes in this conversation is simple: Schools are full of people. Teachers get overwhelmed. Administrators get overwhelmed. Kids are still kids. And when we forget that, even good ideas become compliance exercises. As Alyssa puts it, authentic restorative work and human connection can’t simply be turned into another initiative. If you’re thinking about Portrait of a Graduate, standards-based grading, professional learning, AI, school culture, or what meaningful change in education should actually look like, this conversation is worth your time. Connect with Alyssa Sabbatino:LinkedIn: Tech Ed ClubhouseConversations about teaching, technology, learning, and the people doing the work.

  5. Aug 16

    Controlled Chaos: Why Play, PBL, and Human Skills Matter More Than Ever with Tim Needles | TEC106

    What happens when we stop using technology just because we have it—and start asking what actually makes learning better? In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse, I sit down with my friend Tim Needles, artist, author, longtime STEAM educator, and technology integration specialist in Smithtown, New York. Tim and I get into a conversation that goes well beyond tools and AI. We talk about play, creativity, project-based learning, student ownership, and the human skills that become even more important as AI gets better. We dig into: Why play and creativity still belong at the center of learningWhat meaningful PBL actually looks like inside regular classroomsWhy a little “controlled chaos” can be a sign that real learning is happeningWhy some traditional high-achieving students struggle when there is no single right answerHow AI can give teachers back time instead of simply adding another tool to the pileWhy students need both strong human skills and the ability to work effectively with AIThe continued importance of hands-on skills, art, making, trades, and physical workUsing AI as a thought partner and collaborator, not an answer machineTim also shares a simple idea teachers can use immediately: the free OK Go Sandbox projects he helped develop, combining music, creativity, collaboration, STEAM, and some serious fun. This one feels less like a conversation about educational technology and more like a conversation about what learning should look like now. Connect with Tim:Tim-Needles.comSearch Tim Needles on social media Try the OK Go projects:OK Go Sandbox If you're trying to figure out where creativity, PBL, AI, and human skills fit together in today's classroom, this conversation is worth your time.

  6. Aug 2

    AI, Digital Literacy, and the Future of Learning with Tom Millinchip- TEC105

    In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I talk with Tom Millinchip, deputy head academic at Windsor School Bahamas, digital literacy lead, founder of AI Ready Bahamas, and consultant with PBL Future Labs. Tom shares what AI and digital literacy look like in an elementary school setting and explains why introducing technology to younger students should not mean increasing screen time. Instead, schools can help students develop judgment, curiosity, safety awareness, and a clearer understanding of how digital tools work. We also discuss teacher resistance to AI, the importance of respecting professional judgment, and why school leaders should support experimentation without forcing teachers to use technology in every lesson. The conversation expands into project-based learning, assessment, school culture, and the possibility of redesigning education around hands-on learning, community, student interests, and AI-supported exploration. In This Episode Teaching AI and digital literacy in elementary schoolsBalancing technology, play, and hands-on learningSupporting teachers who are hesitant about AIBuilding school cultures based on trust and professional judgmentWhy AI is exposing weaknesses in traditional assignments and assessmentHow project-based learning can support different types of learnersRethinking grades, testing, and traditional school structuresUsing AI to strengthen—not replace—human-centered learningStarting with a simple five-minute AI or PBL experiment About Tom MillinchipTom Millinchip is the deputy head academic at Windsor School Bahamas, where he also leads digital literacy education. He is the founder of AI Ready Bahamas, an AI and education thinker, and a consultant with PBL Future Labs. Tom’s work focuses on helping schools introduce AI, digital literacy, and project-based learning in thoughtful, age-appropriate, and human-centered ways. Connect with TomFollow Tom on LinkedIn and Substack for his writing and updates on AI, digital literacy, project-based learning, and education. Connect with the Tech Ed ClubhouseFollow the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast on Spotify and YouTube for more conversations about practical innovation, project-based learning, technology, creativity, and the future of education.

  7. Jul 20

    Sparking Curiosity Before Giving the Answer with Olivia Odileke - TEC104

    What happens after students become curious? In this episode, I talk with educator, author, and Campus Insights founder Olivia Odileke about helping students think deeply instead of racing toward the correct answer. Olivia explains how short “Spark Tasks” can create an entry point into learning before teachers introduce vocabulary, formulas, or content. The conversation also explores scripted curriculum, teacher capacity, student discussion, professional development, and why curiosity should become a regular classroom habit rather than an occasional activity. Why correct answers do not always indicate deep thinkingHow open-ended tasks help students connect with new conceptsWhy curriculum should be treated as a blueprint, not a scriptHow curiosity creates stronger engagement and retentionWhy teachers should expect some initial struggle when changing instructionHow professional learning can better model the classrooms we want to createLearn more about Spark Curiosity, Campus Insights, Fearless Educator Radio, and Olivia’s weekly LinkedIn content at: sparkcuriosityedu.com The Tech Ed Clubhouse explores practical ways educators can create more engaging, meaningful, and human-centered learning experiences. Subscribe and follow the show on Spotify and YouTube. In This EpisodeConnect with OliviaAbout the Tech Ed Clubhouse

  8. Jul 13

    Students Should Build the World, Not Just Enter It - TEC 103

    What happens when students stop consuming digital experiences and start building them? In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Rob Keneally, founder and CEO of Aquatic Metaverse and the creator of Salty Sharks and the Saltyverse. Rob’s work started with a passion for sharks, marine conservation, and changing the way young people see misunderstood ocean species. It has grown into an immersive STEM learning platform where students can explore virtual worlds, solve problems, conduct experiments, and even help design the environments themselves. Our conversation goes well beyond technology for technology’s sake. We talk about what happens when students create something with a real audience, a real purpose, and a life beyond the teacher’s gradebook. In this episode, we dig into: • Why sharks need better public relations• How virtual worlds can support STEM and project-based learning• What changes when students build for an authentic audience• How students in Australia created a virtual platypus world• How students in Greece helped develop an interactive Archimedes experience• The role of productive failure, exploration, and experimentation• How virtual escape rooms can support problem-solving• Why student ownership increases retention and engagement• Student privacy and safety inside virtual environments• How teachers can explore immersive learning without becoming technology experts Rob also shares the story behind The Pharaoh’s Vault, a multiplayer virtual escape room where students use history, mathematics, astronomy, hieroglyphics, and collaboration to escape before time runs out. The bigger question running through our conversation is simple: Are students using technology to complete assignments, or are they using it to create something worth sharing? The Tuesday TestYou do not need a virtual reality headset or a metaverse platform to start. Take a topic you are already teaching and ask students to design an experience that helps someone else understand it. That could be a physical escape room, an interactive map, a model, a game, a guided tour, or a student-created exhibit. The tool is secondary. The real shift is moving students from completing the lesson to helping build it. Connect with Rob and Salty SharksExplore the Saltyverse, schedule a tour, or learn more about school access at: saltysharks.io Connect with Rob Keneally on LinkedIn to follow the continued development of Aquatic Metaverse, Salty Sharks, and immersive learning experiences for schools. About the Tech Ed ClubhouseOn the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I explore practical ideas in technology education, STEM, project-based learning, creativity, play, and school redesign. No hype. No new initiative required. Just better ways to help students build, think, and reflect.

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About

The TechEd Clubhouse is for STEM, CTE, and hands-on teachers who never fit the standardized script — and figured out better pedagogy because of it. Practical thinking on curiosity, judgment, and designing learning that actually demands something from students.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Thomas
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    110
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dan Thomas
  • Show Website
    The TechEd Clubhouse

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