Edtech Throwdown

Edtech Throwdown Episode 225:  5 Fresh Projects to Beat Student FatigueWelcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 225 called 5 Fresh Projects to Beat Student Fatigue. In this episode, we’ll tackle one of the negative side effects of project-based curricula - students doing the same projects over and over.  Listen in for 5 new project ideas that your students definitely have never seen before. This is another episode you don’t want to miss, Check it out.Segment 1:Tired of student eye rolls and complaints about the same projects that they’ve done a million times over?  All our creative ideas from 8 years ago are starting to feel stale (podcasts, videos, stop motion, room escapes, etc)Nick just had this happen his stop motion slides project.Segment 2:  Soundscape:  Students research a pivotal historical event or local cultural turning point and produce a 3D binaural soundscape using free digital audio workstations (like BandLab, YouTube Creator Studio, Zapsplat, Google Vids). Instead of writing an essay, they script voiceovers in historical character, record ambient foley sound effects, and lay down music accurate to the era.Deliverable: An interactive audio trackBonus:   Pair it with a spatial map where listeners wear headphones and "walk through" the scene as it unfolds in surround sound.Tabletop Escape the Room:  Rather than presenting on a historical conflict or civic crisis (e.g., the Cuban Missile Crisis, Apollo 13, or the Silk Road trade blockades), students build a playable, tabletop escape-room box. Players must decode primary source documents, solve mechanical/mathematical ciphers, and make strategic choices under a countdown timer to resolve the historical event.Deliverable: A self-contained physical box filled with customized lockboxes, primary source puzzle artifacts, a rulebook, and a branching narrative outcome tree based on player decisions.Physical Body Models:  Students use their bodies or multiple bodies to model scientific processes, mathematical equations and operations or events in history.  The models can move or be static, funny or serious.  They must be accurate.  Chemistry bonding as an example.Deliverable:  Record the models and edit into a 3 minute max video for an in-class watch partyHyperlocal Issues Mini Pod Expose:  Students investigate an invisible, hyper-local physical system in their immediate town that people take for granted—such as where municipal stormwater actually drains, how local restaurant grease is recycled, or the history of an unmarked piece of local infrastructure.Deliverable: A polished 5-minute investigative podcast episode featuring recorded field interviews, ambient soundscapes, and an annotated script citing civic documents and expert sources.Social Media Design:  Students design their own social media platform that only allows certain types of themes and posts.  It should be content based somehow.  For example, this is the social media platform for artists, or for young scientists, etc.Deliverable: A mockup of a standard profile page for the platform that features the basic design, titles, names, and types of posts.  Sample posts should be included.Edtech Throwdown: Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.Segment 3: Where to Find EdTech ThrowdownDo us a few favors:Subscribe to the Edtech Throwdown PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon PodcastsStitcher  YouTube  Twitter   FacebookWrite us an Apple Podcast Review!Tell your friends aboutwww.edtechthrowdown.comTell your friends about the Teach Better Podcast NetworkSubscribe to our Podcast Channels and SocialsApple PodcastsSpotify  YouTube  Twitter  (@edtechthrowdown)FacebookInstagramConnect with us on Social MediaGuise’s Social MediaTwitter(@guisegotteched)LinkedInNick’s Social Media

Edtech Throwdown Episode 224: Using AI Video Creation Tools to Send Student Engagement SoaringWelcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 224 called Using AI Video Creation Tools to Send Student Engagement Soaring. In this episode, we’ll discuss how educators can leverage AI video creation tools to engage students. This is another episode you don’t want to miss, Check it out.Segment 1:What can AI Video Tools be used for?IntroductionsGame cluesPersonalizing the classroomJoke tellingSegment 2:  HeyGen vs Google Video AIHeyGen- an artificial intelligence video generatorGoogle Vids Pricing Breakdown1. Google Vids AIGoogle bakes Vids directly into its wider Google Workspace and Google AI ecosystem:Free Tier:Anyone with a standard personal Google Account gets access to Vids, including10 AI video clip generations per monthusing Google's Veo and Gemini models at no cost.2. HeyGenHeyGen operates on a tiered credit-based subscription model:Free Plan ($0/mo):Allows3 free videos per month(720p output, watermarked, basic access to stock avatars and voice templates).Core Capabilities & StrengthsGoogle Vids AI (Best for Workflow & Documents)Prompt-to-Video Outlines:Type a quick topic or point to a Google Doc/Slide in Drive, and Gemini generates a full storyboard, script, and visual layout.Timeline & Multi-Track Editing:Functions like a hybrid between Google Slides and a lightweight video editor. You can rearrange visual blocks, edit text layers, drop in background music, and add screen recordings easily.Google Workspace Integration:Works natively with Google Drive, Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. You can co-edit a video timeline live with team members just as you would on a Google Doc.Veo & Lyria Engines:Utilizes Google's Veo video generation engine for dynamic background b-roll and Lyria 3 for AI audio compositions.HeyGen (Best for Avatars & Talking Heads)Photorealistic AI Avatars:Produce hyper-realistic video presenters that mimic realistic facial movements, eye contact, and gestures from a written text transcript.Digital Twins & Custom Avatars:Record yourself for a few minutes to create a digital avatar that can speak any script in your voice.Multilingual Lip-Sync Video Translation:Translate an existing video into 30+ languages where the presenter's voice is translatedandtheir mouth movements automatically re-synced to match the new language.Personalized Video Generation:Connect via API to dynamically output thousands of personalized sales or onboarding videos tailored to specific client names/company details.Which Should You Choose?Choose Google Vids AI if:You need to turn internal updates, pitch decks, product overviews, or Google Docs into structured video presentations for team members or clients without needing a live human presenter on camera.Choose HeyGen if:You need a high-converting, professional spokesperson for marketing ads, YouTube content, localized sales emails, or online course creation without filming on a real camera setup.Edtech Throwdown: Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.Segment 3: Where to Find EdTech ThrowdownDo us a few favors:Subscribe to the Edtech Throwdown PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon PodcastsStitcher  YouTube  Twitter   FacebookWrite us an Apple Podcast Review!Tell your friends aboutwww.edtechthrowdown.comTell your friends about the Teach Better Podcast NetworkSubscribe to our Podcast Channels and SocialsApple PodcastsSpotify

Edtech Throwdown Episode 223: Survey Says! The Top 5 AI Power Moves for TeachersWelcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 223 called Survey Says! The Top 5 AI Power Moves for Teachers. In this episode, we’re putting 100 educators on the board to reveal the game-changing ways teachers are using artificial intelligence to personalize learning, crush admin work, and transform the classroom. This is another episode you don’t want to miss, Check it out.Segment 1:School is back in session, AI bots are escaping their sandboxes to destroy the world, tech is being banned from classrooms, and we are playing Family Feud   Segment 2:Survey Says! We asked 100 teachers: "What’s the biggest mistake educators make when using AI to plan lessons?" Here are the top 5 answers:#1Copy-Pasting Without Editing (Treating the rough AI draft as a final, ready-to-teach lesson) 38#2Giving Lazy or Vague Prompts (Asking for a lesson without specifying grade, time, or standards) 26#3Not Fact-Checking the AI (Letting "hallucinations" and wrong answer keys reach students) 18#4Leaking Student Privacy / PII (Typing real student names or IEP data into public models) 11#5Assuming Standards Alignment Is Accurate (Blindly trusting fake Common Core/state tags) 7Survey Says! We asked 100 students: "What is the top reason you HATE AI-generated classroom activities?"  Here are the top 5 answers:Top 5 answers are on the board!RankAnswerPoints#1Feels Robbed of Human Connection & Effort (Knowing the teacher spent 5 seconds making a task they have to spend hours on) 36#2Double Standards & Hypocrisy (Teachers using AI to build assignments while banning students from using it) 24#3Boring, Generic "Robotic" Writing (Bland reading passages, repetitive questions, and lack of teacher personality) 19#4Unclear or Broken Logic (Glitching instructions, incorrect answer keys, or weird "hallucinated" facts) 12#5Irrelevant & Miscalibrated Difficulty (Tasks that miss the actual grade level or feel like pointless busywork) 9Edtech Throwdown: Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.Segment 3: Where to Find EdTech ThrowdownDo us a few favors:Subscribe to the Edtech Throwdown PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon PodcastsStitcher  YouTube  Twitter   FacebookWrite us an Apple Podcast Review!Tell your friends aboutwww.edtechthrowdown.comTell your friends about the Teach Better Podcast NetworkSubscribe to our Podcast Channels and Socials

Edtech Throwdown Episode 222: 6 Strategies for Battling Student ApathyWelcome to the EdTech Throwdown.  This is Episode 222 called 6 Strategies for Battling Student Apathy.   In this episode we’ll discuss the hot topic of student apathy, whether or not we think this is real, and how to battle it.  This is another episode you don’t want to miss, Check it out.Segment 1:There is lots of talk about student apathy these days.  Have we seen this for ourselves?Nick says, maybeSegment 2:1. Learning Packages (Modular, Choice-Based Bundles)What it is: Consolidating multi-step tasks, content resources, and assessments into self-paced, modular units rather than handing out isolated daily assignments.How it decreases apathy: Apathy flourishes when students feel like passive order-takers. Learning packages restore autonomy by giving students control over their pace and offering choices in how they acquire knowledge and show mastery (e.g., choice boards). Having a visible roadmap eliminates ambiguity and lets students build momentum independently.2. Authentic / Real-World Task Framing (PBL)What it is: Structuring assignments around real-world problems, community impact projects, or public audiences (e.g., presenting to local business leaders or publishing a podcast).How it decreases apathy: Apathy is often a rational response to perceived irrelevance. When work moves beyond "doing it for the teacher’s gradebook" to solving a real problem or addressing an authentic audience, students see immediate value and purpose in completing it.3. Competency-Based / Mastery Revision PoliciesWhat it is: Replacing rigid "one-and-done" deadlines with a system where students can revise, resubmit, or retake assessments until they prove standard mastery.How it decreases apathy: "Learned helplessness" drives a huge portion of student apathy—if a student believes they will fail anyway, checking out protects their self-esteem. Reframe work as a process of continuous growth removes the fear of permanent failure, motivating students to stick with a task until they get it right.4. Gamified Micro-Milestones & Visual ProgressWhat it is: Breaking large assignments into bite-sized checkpoints unlocked sequentially, often mapped on a visual progress bar or Kanban board (To Do, In Progress, Done).How it decreases apathy: Long assignments can feel overwhelming, triggering avoidance and apathy. Micro-milestones create immediate feedback loops and quick wins, giving students frequent hits of satisfaction as they physically check off steps and watch their progress advance.5. Interdependent Peer Accountability (Cooperative Learning)What it is: Designing collaborative structures (like the Jigsaw method or small-group roles) where every team member holds a piece of the puzzle necessary for the group's success.How it decreases apathy: Students are often indifferent to compliance requests from authority figures, but they care deeply about their social standing with peers. When their effort directly supports or impacts their classmates, peer accountability activates social motivation.6. Utility-Value Reflection PromptsWhat it is: Embedding short reflection questions at the beginning or end of assignments asking students to articulate how a skill connects to their personal goals, interests, or future plans.How it decreases apathy: Psychological research shows that when students explicitly write down why a skill matters to their own life (e.g., "How does analyzing arguments help you negotiate or spot misinformation?"), their intrinsic motivation and assignment completion rates increase significantly.Edtech Throwdown: Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.Segment 3: Where to Find EdTech ThrowdownDo us a few favors:Subscribe to the Edtech Throwdown PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon PodcastsStitcher  YouTube  Twitter   FacebookWrite us an Apple Podcast Review!Tell your friends aboutwww.edtechthrowdown.comTell your friends about the Teach Better Podcast NetworkSubscribe to our Podcast Channels and SocialsApple PodcastsSpotify  YouTube  Twitter  (@edtechthrowdown)FacebookInstagramConnect with us on Social MediaGuise’s Social

Edtech Throwdown Episode 221: 10 Tools for Specialized AI and ProductivityWelcome to the EdTech Throwdown.  This is Episode 221 called 10 Tools for Specialized AI and Productivity.   In this episode we’ll be talking edtech tools as we bring you a list of some atypical AI platforms that might not otherwise come up for educators.  This is another episode you don’t want to miss.  Check it out.Segment 1:Happy August, happy end of summer breakWe’re almost fully re-charged and starting to think about things like productivity againSegment 2:Nick: abacus.ai: Abacus.AI is the world's first AI super-assistant tailored for enterprises and professionals. We offer two products: ChatLLM for professionals and small teams and Abacus.AI Enterprise for enterprises and companies.  ChatLLM is a multi-modal, multi-device super-assistant that can handle many tasks and completely transform your life. You can access all of the SOTA LLMs, analyze documents, do data analysis, generate code, search the web, create images, and much more. It's your all-in-one AI assistant and increases individual productivity by 15% to 75%.  Abacus.AI Enterprise is a state-of-the-art generative AI platform that combines the AI super assistant available to all your employees with an AI brain that can connect to your enterprise software systems, automate business processes, increase revenue, and be a powerful force multiplier. Our AI engineer can build AI Workflows and chatbots to automate critical processes. Our Enterprise product comes with single sign-on, multiple deployment options and checks all the security and compliance boxes.Guise:studley.aiWhy:Specialized AI platforms designed for more complex, data-heavy, or professional-grade automation and modeling.Nick: openalternative.co: What is the difference between open source and proprietary?  Proprietary AI Tools: These are "closed-source" models developed and owned by specific companies (e.g., OpenAI’s GPT-4/5, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude). You typically access them via an API or a web interface. The underlying code, training data, and exact model weights are a "black box" hidden from the public.  Open-Source (Open-Weight) AI Tools: These are models whose code and weights are publicly shared (e.g., Meta’s Llama series, Mistral, Qwen, and DeepSeek). Anyone can download them, look under the hood, modify them, and run them on their own hardware or private cloud. Guise: The Most Comprehensive List of FREE Online Tools for Teachers Why:Both promote open-source ethics, whether finding alternatives to paid software or using privacy-focused media downloaders.Nick: smart.servier.comGuise: runable.comWhy:High-level technical resources; one offers medical illustrations, while the other focuses on executable code environments.Nick:Workout.coolGuise: KouponWhy:Personal optimization tools—one for physical fitness routines and the other for optimizing shopping/savings.Nick:  Internet Archive:https://web.archive.org/Guise: Same.newWhy:Part of the ".new" domain movement, providing instant, one-click access to start a new coding or collaborative project.Edtech Throwdown: Vote on twitter @edtechthrowdown and under the pinned post on the profile.Segment 3: Where to Find EdTech ThrowdownDo us a few favors:Subscribe to the Edtech Throwdown PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon PodcastsStitcher  YouTube  Twitter   FacebookWrite us an Apple Podcast Review!Tell your friends aboutwww.edtechthrowdown.comTell your friends about the Teach Better Podcast NetworkSubscribe to our Podcast Channels and SocialsApple PodcastsSpotify  YouTube  Twitter  (@edtechthrowdown)FacebookInstagramConnect with us on Social MediaGuise’s Social MediaTwitter(@guisegotteched)LinkedInNick’s Social...