Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 190 called Stump the Edtech Guru. In this episode, we’ll try and stump each other with some of the toughest edtech challenges we could think of. Each guru will have to come up with a solution on the spot. This is another episode you don’t want to miss, check it out.

• We compete with everything

Nick’s Scenarios:

• Scenario 1:
• The AI Essay Epidemic. Ms. Rivera teaches 10th grade English and has just assigned a personal narrative essay. As she begins grading, she notices several essays that seem... off. They're grammatically perfect, lack any personal voice, and a few students even use similar turns of phrase. The students cited AI use, and even included a link to a specific conversation in a tool called Perplexity. When examining the link however, it only shows the student asking questions about the topic. In other words, there is no evidence of having the AI do the writing, at least not in this particular chat. The student denies any AI use other than what was cited. What should she do?
• Perplexity
• Google Docs
• Ai Works Cited
• Scenario 2:
• The Silent Discussion Board. Mr. Chen is running a blended learning environment for his 8th grade social studies class. He’s trying to build engagement with online discussion boards through Google Classroom and Flip. He posts thoughtful prompts, but most students either don’t respond, copy each other, or leave low-effort replies like ‘I agree.’ He knows these kids have opinions—they just don’t seem to bring them into the digital space. Mr. Chen is wondering: is it the prompt? The platform? The digital culture? Or is this just a lost cause?
• Padlet Sandbox
• MEAL Plan
• CER
• CANVA
• 
  
• Scenario 3:
• Mrs. Daughtry is a veteran science teacher who’s always been open to new ideas. But lately, her school has adopted a slew of new edtech platforms: a new LMS, AI feedback tools, quiz generators, and now a parent communication app—all with different logins, layouts, and learning curves. She claims to receive “multiple emails per week” from various admins and coaches touting EVEN MORE options for...