How do we make tech processes easier for students—and teachers—to follow? In this episode, I chat with Courtney Watson from friEdTechnology about strategies for creating clear, bite-sized tech instructions using tools like Scribe, iorad, Canva, and Adobe Express. We explore ways to lower the cognitive load and boost confidence in tech-rich classrooms. Plus, I share new feature updates in Book Creator, Padlet, and NotebookLM that support accessibility, flexibility, and efficiency.

#EduDuctTape Episode 125

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:59 Today's Guest: Courtney Watson

Courtney is a Google Certified Educator/Trainer and Lead Learning Guide at friEdTechnology. She is passionate about equipping all learners with the necessary tools to help them become successful and ensuring they have fun while learning. #TechWithoutTears

Contact Info: https://tiktok.com/@techwithouttears, https://x.com/cmwatson2010, https://bsky.app/profile/cmwatson2010.bsky.social, courtney@fried.tech, https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmwatson2010/

0:04:58 Two Truths & One Lie

0:11:36 Today's #EduDuctTape Question: Bite-Sized Instructions

0:12:58 Scribe

https://scribehow.com/

0:16:14 Mark Twain Quote

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

0:18:26 iorad

https://www.iorad.com/

0:20:16 Comparing Scribe and iorad

0:25:24 TikTok Style Videos in Canva or Adobe Express

0:27:57 Courtney's Screencasting & Adobe Express Method

0:29:21 How far we've come with screencasting

0:32:59 Potty PD or Copier PD

0:37:02 NotebookLM

0:38:36 NotebookLM for Canvas and Schoology

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025/

0:39:57 NotebookLM Plus

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025/

0:41:20 Padlet’s “Clear Posts” Feature

https://padlet.help/l/en/article/ma9aogqsme-how-do-i-delete-all-posts-at-once

0:43:27 6. BookCreator Adds Text-to-Speech in Edit Mode

https://bookcreator.com/2025/02/feature-update-text-to-speech-for-text-and-pdfs

This interview was originally aired on the State of Ed Podcast by Dr. Nick Isseks and Dr. Nick Simone. It is being re-aired here with their permission.

You can access the original episode here:

https://episodes.fm/992700178/episode/NDIwOWY1OTAtMGQxZC00NGI1LWIwMjktY2U5NmQ1Yjc4MjIw

and access all State of Ed Podcast episodes here:

https://episodes.fm/992700178

0:00:00 INTRO
0:02:53 State of Ed Podcast
0:04:21 Jake's Journey
0:05:57 What is Personalized Learning?
0:10:33 Rogers' Law of Diffusion of Innovation
0:13:12 What is Educational Duct Tape?
0:16:04 More Than Words by John Warner
0:18:58 The Issue with Points-Based Grading
0:20:03 Mastery vs. Performance-Oriented Goals
0:22:29 The AI Infinite Loop
0:27:11 Self-Determination Theory
0:32:32 Helping Teachers Pick the Technology to Use
0:35:15 The Value of Instructional Coaching
0:39:38 The Future of Wearable Technology

What’s your favorite tool for having students create visuals like infographics and diagrams? Bryon Carpenter from Fresh Air At Five joins me to answer that very question. We discuss Adobe Express, Canva, Google Drawings, and Google Slides. Also, I share about Brisk’s new Podcast Generator, a Chromebook monitoring feature coming soon to Google, SchoolAI’s response to some ethical concerns, and a documentary recommendation.

#EduDuctTape Episode 124

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:09 Today's Guest: Bryon Carpenter

0:06:49 Which of the Following is Less Torturous

0:10:22 Today's #EduDuctTape Question

0:11:58 Adobe Express
https://www.adobe.com/express/

0:12:41 Picking the Right Tool

0:14:11 Google Drawings
drawings.google.com

0:15:54 How Does Google Drawings Relate to Google Slides

0:18:26 Object-Based, Drawing-Based, and Procreate

0:20:17 Shapegrams
https://shapegrams.com/

0:21:04 3. Layers in Adobe Express

0:21:35 Ages for Adobe Express

0:23:18 What Can You Do in Adobe Express?

0:25:58 Adobe Express Pricing
https://www.adobe.com/education/express/

0:28:17 Adobe Creative Cloud
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html

0:36:14 AI in Adobe Express

0:36:12 Adobe Voice to Animate
https://www.adobe.com/express/create/animation

0:38:27 Adobe Text Effects
https://www.adobe.com/express/create/ai/text-effects

Today’s EdTech and Edu News:

0:41:07 Brisk’s New Podcast Generator
briskteaching.com/podcast

0:46:03 Google’s New ‘Class Tools’ for Chromebooks
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/class-tools-chromebook/

0:47:56 SchoolAI Responds to Ethical Concerns
https://schoolai.com/blog/strengthening-ethical-ai-in-classrooms-improvements-to-historical-figure-spaces

0:50:38 The First Class documentary
https://www.thefirstclass.org/

Ever feel like the important work keeps getting overshadowed by what’s urgent? In this episode, I reflect on the quote “Think big. Start small. Scale fast.” and share how the Eisenhower Matrix helps me keep my priorities aligned. I also share updates from Snorkl, Google Classroom, and SchoolAI, plus a candid take on More Than Words by John Warner. Tools featured include Snorkl Coach, Video Explorer, and Read Along with custom content.

#EduDuctTape Episode 123

0:00:00 INTRO

0:02:23 Today’s Soapbox Moment: “Parking Lots, Right Turns, and What’s Important”

• Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: Stories from the Stage on Disruption, Transformation and the Accelerating Future - https://www.amazon.com/Think-Start-Small-Scale-Fast/dp/097365547X
• The Eisenhower Method, Time management on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#Eisenhower_method

0:10:10 Snorkl Coach

• Introducing Snorkl Coach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQASwWKcMTA

0:12:29 Read Along in Google Classroom

• Read Along in Google Classroom - https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/14174515?hl=en-GB#zippy=%2Cassign-reading-materials
• Educators can now upload content to Read Along in Google Classroom - http://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2025/04/upload-content-to-read-along-google-classroom.html
• New AI tools for Google Workspace for Education - https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/workspace-gemini-classroom-iste-2024/

0:14:34 SchoolAI Video Explorer Spaces

• SchoolAI - Video Explorer - https://app.schoolai.com/spaces/clnaw1t7u000ayvpt3po1373k

0:16:17 Honest Review of More Than Words by John Warner

• More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI: Warner, John - https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Words-Think-Writing/dp/1541605500

Is the goal to complete the task… or to grow stronger? In this episode, I reflect on Rick Wormeli’s article “With A.I., Let’s Keep Students’ Learning Paramount” and what it means for educators navigating AI in classrooms. I also share updates on Common Sense Media’s free ChatGPT course, Google Classroom’s new “Grade All” feature, the CoSpaces rebrand to Delightex, and a TED Talk that might change how you view success. Vacuum metaphors, forklifts, and academic cosplay—press play!

#EduDuctTape Episode 121

0:00:00 INTRO

0:04:01 Soapbox Moment: The Forklift, the Roomba, and the Real Work of Learning

• “With A.I., Let’s Keep Students’ Learning Paramount - AMLE” by Rick Wormeli - https://www.amle.org/with-a-i-lets-keep-students-learning-paramount
• Dave Stuart, Jr. - https://davestuartjr.com

0:23:11 CommonSense Media Course: ChatGPT Foundations for K-12 Educators

• ChatGPT Foundations for K–12 Educators - https://www.commonsense.org/education/training/chatgpt-k12-foundations

0:24:32 Bulk Grading in Google Classroom

• “Introducing the ability to ‘grade all’ in Google Classroom” - https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2025/01/grade-all-in-google-classroom.html

0:26:25 CoSpaces becomes Delightex

• “What's new? March 2025” - https://www.delightex.com/whats-new/whats-new-march-2025

0:29:37 TED Talk: How to Raise Successful Kids—Without Over-Parenting

• “How to Raise Successful Kids -- Without Over-Parenting | Julie Lythcott-Haims | TED” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyElHdaqkjo

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Join the Conversation on Bluesky - #EduDuctTape

How can we empower students to self-assess their learning? In this episode, Shantel Lott joins me to explore tech tools and strategies that foster reflection and agency. We chat about Snorkl, NotebookLM, Curipod, Knowt, and MagicSchool’s Custom ChatBot. I also share updates on using Google Gemini with Teens, Padlet Sandbox’s new sound and visual effects, and the magic of generating Google Slides with Alayna AI.

#EduDuctTape Episode 120

• Today's Sponsor
• • M2 by Swivl - swivl.com/m2
• Today’s Guests: Shantel Lott
• • Shantel is an EdTech enthusiast and Lead Learning Guide at friEdTech. Certified in Google & Microsoft, she empowers educators to integrate tech into their classrooms. Whether in-person or virtual, Shantel’s passion is making learning engaging and innovative.
  • Contact Info: @LottsOfEdTech(X, Bluesky, TikTok), shantel@fried.tech, friedtechnology.com, linkedin.com/in/shantel-lott

• 2 Truths & 1 Lie - or was it 2 lies and 1 truth!?
• Educational Duct Tape Question: What tool or strategy would you use facilitate students self-assessing their learning?
• • Snorkl - snorkl.app
  • NotebookLM - notebooklm.google.com
  • Personalized Pathways with the Custom Chatbot in MagicSchool - magicschool.ai/tools/custom-chatbot
  • Raina in MagicSchool - app.magicschool.ai/raina
  • Curipod - curipod.com
  • Knowt - knowt.com
  • Adobe Express - adobe.com/express
  • Padlet - padlet.com
  • Quizlet - quizlet.com
  • Quizizz - quizizz.com
  • Kahoot - kahoot.com
• Edu News I’ve Got My Peepers On:
• • Gemini: A Responsible AI Experience for Teens! - https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/workspace-gemini-classroom-iste-2024/#:~:text=Helping%20teen%20students%20learn%20responsibly%20and%20confidently%20in%20an%20AI%2Dfirst%20future%20with%20Gemini
  • Generate Google Slides with Alayna AI! - https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/alayna_ai_for_google_slides/503455951279
  • Padlet Sandbox Gets a Splash of Sound and Visual Effects! - https://padlet.blog/visual-and-sound-effects-for-sandboxes/

What’s new in edtech? In this episode, I break down Google’s new parent permission requirements, an awesome Google Classroom add-on, and Screencastify’s expanded free plan. Science teachers, you’ll want to hear about PhET Simulations inside Quizizz, and we’ll discuss Common Sense Media’s latest report on AI in education. Plus, I’ll wrap up with a thought-provoking book that challenges how we create change in schools and communities. Tune in for all the updates and insights!

#EduDuctTape Episode 119 - Google TOS Privacy Changes, Magic Exercise Book, Screencastify, Quizizz x PhET, and more

Edu News I’ve Got My Peepers On:

• 0:00:00 INTRO
• 0:03:45 1. Google’s New Parent Permission Requirements for Certain Apps - https://workspace.google.com/terms/education_terms/
• 0:06:10 2. Magic Exercise Book for Google Classroom - https://www.notsomagicapps.com/magic-exercise-book
• 0:07:44 3. Screencastify’s Free Plan Just Got an Upgrade - https://www.screencastify.com/pricing
• 0:10:59 4. Common Sense Media’s AI in K-12 White Paper - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/generative-ai-in-k-12-education-challenges-and-opportunities
• 0:12:57 5. Quizizz x PhET Simulations = Interactive Science Learning - https://support.quizizz.com/hc/en-us/articles/41431781875225-Use-PhET-Simulations-with-Quizizz
• 0:16:01 6. Book Recommendation – Change the Wallpaper - https://ssir.org/books/excerpts/entry/change-the-wallpaper-nilanjana-dasgupta#
• 0:18:37 CLOSING

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