My EdTech Life

My EdTech Life is where education meets innovation with clarity, caution, and purpose. Hosted by Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza Jr., this podcast features real conversations with educators, founders, researchers, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of learning. From classroom-tested tools to emerging AI trends, we cut through the noise to spotlight what truly works in K–12 and higher education. As a leading voice in responsible AI adoption, Fonz challenges the hype and elevates voices that often go unheard, bringing practical, ethical, and future-forward insights to every episode. Whether you're a teacher, instructional coach, policymaker, or edtech creator, this is your space to connect, question, and grow.

My EdTech Life is a education podcast hosted by Dr. Fonz Mendoza, with 376 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Dr. Fonz Mendoza hosts My EdTech Life, a education show with 376 episodes published.

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  Episode #374

  Whose Problem Is EdTech Solving? | My EdTech Life 374

  Sep 29, 202648 minS1

  In Episode 374 of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza Jr. sits down with Jacob Kantor , the Chief DODO, or District Office Door Opener, to explore what it takes to earn educators’ attention, build trust, and serve schools. Drawing on 19 years in EdTech, Jacob explains why district doors stay closed, how sales targets can get in the way of listening, and why even well-liked vendors can lose contracts when budgets tighten. We discuss involving educators in product development, asking better questions, and showing up when implementation gets complicated. Jacob also shares the personal motivation behind his work: arriving from Ukraine without knowing English and now using that experience to encourage his son through speech therapy. His story brings the conversation back to the children and families affected by the decisions adults make. If you’re an educator, district leader, EdTech founder, or someone working alongside schools, this episode offers a candid look at what meaningful partnership requires. Time 00:00 Welcome to My EdTech Life 01:00 Sponsor Thanks and Introducing Jacob Kantor 03:00 Jacob’s Journey into Education and EdTech 04:00 Becoming the Chief DODO 07:00 Connecting District Needs with Relevant Solutions 10:00 Why District Doors Stay Closed 14:00 When the Sales Pitch Replaces Listening 16:00 Budget Cuts and Difficult District Decisions 18:00 Showing Up and Understanding Educators’ Needs 20:00 Whose Problem Is EdTech Solving? 22:00 Building Products Alongside Educators 25:00 Trust When Implementation Gets Difficult 28:00 Relationships Beyond the Sales Conversation 32:00 Asking Better Questions and Making Connections 35:00 When a Company Isn’t Ready for District Introductions 37:00 Evidence, Fit, and Setting Boundaries 40:00 Client Commitments and Conflicts 42:00 Listen More and Give People Permission to Stop Pitching 44:00 The Five-Year-Old Behind Jacob’s Work 46:00 Final Reflections and Closing What is one problem you wish EdTech companies would listen to educators about? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe for honest conversations that amplify educator voices and connect technology with the realities of teaching and learning. Explore more episodes: https://www.myedtech.life/ Thank you to our sponsors: Comeback Coffee, Book Creator, Eduaide.AI, and Peel Back Education. Stay Techie ✌️ Support the show

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  Episode #372

  Digital Natives Aren't Ready for This | My EdTech Life 372

  Aug 29, 202645 minS1

  Parent ProTech and Krystina O'Bryan t join Dr. Alfonso Mendoza on My EdTech Life to challenge one of education’s biggest assumptions: being a digital native does not mean being digitally ready. In Digital Natives Aren't Ready for This, we explore what students are actually facing online and why knowing how to use technology is very different from having the emotional maturity, critical thinking, and judgment needed to navigate it safely. Krystina O'Bryant , Chief Academic Officer at Parent ProTech , shares how schools and families can move beyond checkbox digital citizenship and start having meaningful conversations about screen time, social media, AI companions, digital wellness, online behavior, and the rapidly changing world of generative AI. We also talk about why adults need to get back into the digital citizenship conversation, the difference between active and passive screen time, the surprising rise of AI relationships among young people, and why character traits like responsibility, kindness, self-control, and good judgment matter just as much online as they do offline. Technology will continue to change. The bigger question is whether we are preparing students with skills that will still matter when the next platform, app, or AI tool arrives. If you are an educator, school leader, parent, instructional coach, or anyone helping young people navigate technology, this conversation is for you. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome and Thanks 00:45 Sponsor Shoutouts 01:19 Meet Krystina and Parent ProTech 03:01 Krystina’s Educator Journey 06:05 Digital Natives vs Literacy 10:02 What Parent ProTech Offers 15:11 Beyond Checkbox Digital Citizenship 20:41 Screen Time and Digital Wellness 23:33 AI Risks and Rapid Change 28:06 Character Education Meets Digital 31:08 Spanish Support and Accessibility 33:43 Timeless Safety Skills 37:53 How to Connect and Get Access 40:43 Lightning Round Fun 43:49 Final Thanks and Wrap Up ️ ABOUT MY EDTECH LIFE My EdTech Life is about more than the latest tool or trend. Dr. Alfonso Mendoza brings educators, researchers, founders, and thought leaders together for conversations about what technology means for teaching, learning, and the people at the center of education. We keep the conversation practical, thoughtful, and human. ☕ THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS A huge thank you to Comeback Coffee, Book Creator, Eduaide, and Peel Back Education for supporting the mission of My EdTech Life and helping us continue bringing meaningful conversations to the education community. SUPPORT MY EDTECH LIFE If My EdTech Life has given you a knowledge nugget you can sprinkle into what you're already doing, consider becoming a Producer or Super Producer through our Buy Me a Coffee membership. Your support helps us continue amplifying educator voices, bringing you meaningful conversations, and keeping this community growing. ☕ Join and support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership If this conversation challenged your thinking, like the episode, subscribe to My EdTech Life, and share it with an educator, school leader, or parent who needs to hear it. And let us know in the comments: Are we giving digital natives too much credit simply because they know how to use the technology? Stay Techie ✌️ #MyEdTechLife #DigitalCitizenship #ParentProTech #DigitalLiteracy #AIinEducation #OnlineSafety #EdTech #ScreenTime #DigitalWellness #ArtificialIntelligence #Parenting #EducationTechnology Support the show

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  Episode #371

  "Step One, Step Two" Isn't Real Learning | My EdTech Life 371

  Aug 11, 202658 minS1

  "Step one, step two, step three" isn't how real learning happens. On this episode of My EdTech Life, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza sits down with Cari Orts , also known as Techie Cari, an educational technology specialist at Marble Falls ISD with over 20 years of experience in education, to discuss maker spaces, project-based learning, and why AI will never replace real teaching. Car i shares why she believes technology should work like a textbook, not the whole classroom. She breaks down her Cardboard Carnival project, a K-5 event that fills an entire school gym with games kids build from scratch, and explains why AI-generated rubrics fail teachers unless they are rewritten to be measurable. This episode is packed with real classroom examples for K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and district leaders who want practical ways to bring project-based learning back into their classrooms without losing instructional time. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE What is the problem with 30-minute daily EdTech platform requirements? Many districts require students to use a paid platform for a set amount of time each day to justify the cost. Cari explains why this turns into compliance instead of real learning. Why does Cari Orts say step-by-step instructions hurt critical thinking? Scripted instructions teach students to copy steps rather than understand why something works. Cari explains why giving students an end goal instead of a script leads to deeper learning. How can teachers actually find time for project-based learning? Cari shares her method of bundling 10 to 15 standards into a single project instead of teaching them one at a time, which saves time later in the school year. Why are AI-generated rubrics not accurate for grading? AI can create a rubric quickly, but Cari explains why it is not measurable until a teacher rewrites it with specific, gradable criteria. What is the Cardboard Carnival project? A K-5 maker space project inspired by Caine's Arcade where students build carnival games from cardboard, then host a school-wide family math night to showcase them. How should teachers use AI in the classroom? Cari recommends writing content first, then using AI only to refine it, rather than generating lessons or newsletters from scratch. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro and welcome 00:01:00 Meet Cari Orts , also known as Techie Cari 00:03:00 The problem with 30-minute daily EdTech compliance 00:04:00 How COVID changed hands-on learning in the classroom 00:08:00 What other districts and states are seeing right now 00:12:00 The shoe building project and low tech, high engagement learning 00:15:00 Why step-by-step instructions are not real learning 00:19:00 The Cardboard Carnival project explained 00:26:00 How to find time for project-based learning 00:28:00 Why AI-generated rubrics are not measurable 00:34:00 Bringing parents into student learning 00:35:00 What teachers get wrong after a conference or PD 00:38:00 Designing PD for speedboats, tugboats, and anchors 00:43:00 Cari's honest take on AI in education 00:46:00 Is AI literacy a realistic goal for teachers? 00:51:00 Speed round: edu kryptonite, billboard idea, and trading places with a student 00:55:00 Connect with Cari Orts ABOUT THE GUEST Cari Orts , known as Techie Cari, has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, GT specialist, and maker space lead. She currently works as an educational technology specialist at Marble Falls ISD and presents nationally on AI, project-based learning, and hands-on instruction. Connect with Cari Orts Facebook, X, TikTok: @TechieCari LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-orts-740ab6a1/ CONNECT WITH MY EDTECH LIFE Website: myedtech.life More episodes on project-based learning, maker spaces, and AI in education available at myedtech.life Thank you to our sponsors: Comeback Coffee , Book Creator (use code MyEdTechLife for a free 3-month premium upgrade) Contribute to the show: Buy us a coffee! Become a show sponsor : email myedtechlife@gmail.com Support the show

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  Episode #370

  AI Can't Steal Your Voice | My EdTech Life 370

  Jul 26, 202657 minS1

  Can AI take away a student's voice or help protect it? In this episode of My EdTech Life, host Dr. Alfonso Mendoza, a top voice in the ed tech space, sits down with virtual education leaders Larisa Black and LaKeshia Brooks to dig into artificial intelligence in education, digital literacy, virtual teaching, and the growing backlash against ed tech in K-12 schools. With a combined 34 years in education, Larisa and LaKeshia share their personal journeys from classroom teachers to virtual education leaders, and how their approach to generative AI shifted from early excitement to grounded, cautious advocacy. This conversation covers what actually matters when selecting AI and ed tech tools (accessibility and accommodations first), how to assess student work honestly in a virtual classroom, why authentic assessment beats AI-generated worksheets, and why lumping every ed tech tool into today's "AI backlash" narrative puts students who need accommodations at risk. If you're an educator, instructional coach, virtual school leader, or ed tech decision-maker trying to navigate AI adoption, digital citizenship, and screen-time policy debates in 2026, this episode is packed with practical, classroom-tested insight. What You'll Learn: 1. How virtual teachers moved from "move fast, break things" to cautious AI advocacy 2. Why accessibility and accommodations should drive ed tech tool selection 3. How to talk with students about AI use without a power struggle 4. Why authentic, process-based assessment matters more in the AI era 5. The risk of lumping every ed tech tool into the AI backlash narrative 6. What personalized AI tutoring could mean for educational equity 7. Why teacher training must come before student AI training 8. The future of virtual schooling in an AI-driven education landscape Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 02:59 The Role of AI in Education 05:57 Personal Journeys in Virtual Teaching 09:05 Mindset Shifts in Using Generative AI 12:00 Digital Literacy and Student Engagement 14:51 Navigating EdTech Backlash 17:50 Selecting Effective EdTech Tools 20:56 Assessing Student Work in a Virtual Environment 23:41 Empowering Student Voices 26:46 Future of EdTech and Student Learning 30:54 Navigating AI in Virtual Education 36:21 The Role of Educators in AI Adoption 41:26 Reflections on AI Integration 41:55 Future of Virtual Schooling and AI 47:49 Connecting with Educators and Resources 50:28 Edu Kryptonite and Growth Mindset 53:13 Kindness and Perspective in Education Connect with our guests: LaKeshia Brooks — @msmathminded (TikTok) Larisa Black — ⁨ @TeachWiseAI⁩ (TikTok) A huge thank you to our sponsors who make this show possible: ☕ Comeback Coffee Book Creator -Use code MYEDTECHLIFE for premium access. Love the show? Support us and get exclusive perks: https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership Interested in sponsoring My EdTech Life? Reach out — we'd love to partner with you. Stay Techie ✌ Support the show

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  Episode #369

  "I Don't Even Like Calling It Claude" ft. Dr. Carol Fletcher | My EdTech Life 369

  Jul 13, 20261h 4mS1

  "I Don't Even Like Calling It Claude" ft. Dr. Carol Fletcher | My EdTech Life 368 A college student let an AI chatbot complete his entire research project. When his professor asked him to explain it, he couldn't. That's the story that opens this episode with Dr. Carol Fletcher , Director of EPIC (Expanding Pathways in Computing) at UT Austin's Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), where she leads research and professional development in STEM+CS education across the state. Carol doesn't hold back. She calls the "AI will do it all, kids don't need to learn to code" messaging coming out of corporate America "fascinatingly irresponsible." She breaks down research showing AI chatbots agree with users roughly 15 times more than a human would, and explains why she refuses to call any chatbot by a human name in front of students. We also get into why "just ban it" isn't working. 100% of kids in her conference's student panel said they're using AI, even in schools where it's prohibited. That's created a real adversarial relationship between students and teachers over AI accusations. Carol brings a rare mix of perspectives to this conversation. She's a former middle school teacher, an elected School Board Trustee for 18 years, and the founder of WeTeach_CS, one of the largest computer science teacher professional development programs in the country. That program is where a lot of this episode's optimism lives: real, statewide, teacher-facing work that's been building AI and CS literacy in Texas classrooms long before this became a headline issue. Then we go deep on policy. Carol chaired the Texas AI in Education Task Force behind a new white paper , and the numbers are sobering. Texas is one of only five states with no formal AI guidance for K-12, even though 86% of districts report teachers are already using it. She walks through the task force's recommendations and a red-light/yellow-light/green-light framework any district can start using now. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Learning Stalls and AI's Role 09:56 The Importance of Computer Science Education 19:57 The WeTeachCS Summit: Building Community and Empowering Educators 29:58 AI in Education: The Risks of Over-Reliance 35:48 The Need for AI Guidance in K-12 Education 39:53 Navigating AI Messaging in Education 42:46 Recommendations for AI Integration in Texas Education 46:06 Practical Steps for Districts to Implement AI Policies 52:02 WeTeachCS: Supporting Educators in AI Literacy Connect with Dr. Carol Fletcher & WeTeach_CS: 🔗 weteachcs.org 📰 The Anatomy of a Learning Stall 📰 Leading the Way in K-12 Education Sponsors: Comeback Coffee | Book Creator (code MYEDTECHLIFE for a 3-month premium trial) | Eduaide.AI | Peel Back Education 👉 Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/myedtechlife/membership 👉 More episodes: myedtech.life Blessings. Stay Techie ✌🏼 Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Support the show

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