In this pre-show kickoff to The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick series, I get honest about a rough round of golf—and an even rougher attitude. After toe-hooking his irons and turning into a cranky playing partner, he realized something that hit way closer to the classroom than expected…When things fall apart—whether on the course or in your classroom—it’s not always about trying something new. Sometimes, the fix is going back to what actually works.This episode is about:

• Why I got mad on the golf course—and what it revealed about his teaching
• The “grip, stance, and tempo” of great instruction
• How losing your fundamentals leads to frustration, burnout, and classroom chaos
• A preview of The Summer Rebuild series to help you reset and retool—with joy, purpose, and play

Whether you're toe-hooking lessons or just need a reset, this is your invitation to start fresh—and build something better, one brick at a time.📌 Mentioned in this episode:The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick blog series → coachthomastech.com/blogFollow me on Twitter: @coachthomastechHashtag to join the conversation: #WheresTheFunInThat

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with the always brilliant Rachelle Dene Poth—Spanish and STEAM teacher, attorney, author, and one of the leading voices in AI and future-ready education.

We talk about what’s real and what’s noise when it comes to AI in schools. Rachelle shares how she’s using AI with students to boost creativity, support language learning, and build confidence. I share how I use AI to break creative blocks and save time in my own projects. Together, we dive deep into how tech can support—not replace—real teaching.

If you're curious about where AI fits in your classroom—or how to even start—this one’s loaded with practical ideas, real examples, and zero fluff.

🔑 Key Topics:

• How to start using AI without getting overwhelmed
• Real ways teachers are saving time with AI
• How Rachelle uses AI to build language skills and student confidence
• Classroom management when using emerging tech
• The ethics of AI, student voice, and why we need all learners at the table
• Top AI tools to try this summer (we list a bunch)

🛠️ AI Tools We Mentioned:

• ChatGPT / Gemini
• Almanack
• Brisk Teaching
• Eduaide.AI
• TeachShare.com
• MagicSchool
• SchoolAI
• Socrate
• CoGrader
• Class Companion
• Snorkl
• Pathlight

• Quizziz...and more

🔥 Bonus:Stick around for a sneak peek of my summer learning series launching July 7th, called “The Summer Rebuild: Brick by Brick.” It’s designed to help educators reset, retool, and rebuild their teaching practice—one hands-on idea at a time. Sign up at coachthomastech.com.📲 Connect with Rachelle Dene Poth:Website Blog: www.rdene915.comX / Twitter: @Rdene915Email: rdene915@gmail.comBooks & Resources: Amazon Author Page📣 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:Follow me on X: @CoachThomasTechCheck out the blog: www.coachthomastech.com/blogIf this episode got you thinking, share it with a colleague and drop a review. Let’s bring common sense, creativity, and fun back to learning—one episode at a time.

This episode dives into the real-world impact of AI in classrooms. Becky Keene joins Dan to share how AI tools are reshaping teacher workflows, PD, and student learning—without replacing the human side of teaching. We talk about creativity, cheating myths, assessment shifts, and how “systemic disruption” might be exactly what education needs right now. Becky breaks down how to coach reluctant teachers, leverage tools like Canva AI, and embrace AI as a partner—not a threat.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• “AI is your classroom caddie—not your swing.”

• Becky’s favorite tools: Canva AI, Claude, ChatGPT, andCopilot.
• AI can speed up workflows—but can’t replace teacherrelationships.
• Using AI responsibly means knowing when to source it—andwhen to just create.
• Teachers need to move beyond the “easy button” and startthinking about incremental innovation.
• Creativity still matters. Let students build, make, and create—with guardrails.

👣 Follow Becky Keene:
🌐beckykeene.com📱TikTok: #TikTokWalks📷Socials: @beckykeene

🔗 Related Topics:

• Incremental innovation
• AI tools for teachers
• Coaching the tech-reluctant
• Student engagement through creativity
• Systemic disruption in schools

In this powerful episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse, I sit down with two visionary educators who are reshaping what learning can look like—Thom Markham, the godfather of PBL, and Phil Alcock, a dynamic force exploring the intersection of AI and education. Together, they're launching PBLFuture Labs, a movement to blend project-based learning with the power of artificial intelligence. We get into the hard truths about outdated classroom practices, what it really takes to personalize learning with AI, how to move from "playing the game of school" to real learning—and why the system might not survive unless it evolves.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• The current state and challenges of PBL post-COVID
• How AI is reviving and reshaping PBL
• Deconstructing standards with AI to build meaningfullearning
• Misconceptions teachers have about PBL
• Why “doing a project” is not the same as project-basedlearning
• What makes PBL + AI the best preparation for the future ofwork
• Student portfolios and performance-based assessment
• Addressing teacher burnout and resistance
• How to guide students to use AI ethically
• What PBL Future Labs is really about—and how to get involved

🛠 Resources & Links:

🔗 Visit PBL Future Labs
📬Sign up for their newsletter for upcoming projects and events
🔍Find Thom and Phil on LinkedIn for ongoing discussions and insights

This episode picks up right where we left off last week with Mark Covelle, diving even deeper into what real technical education looks like.

I sat down with John Stephens, a veteran shop teacher and CTE curriculum developer from Prince Edward Island. John’s on a mission to reclaim the word “shop” and challenge outdated mindsets about what happens in our labs, woodshops, and maker spaces. We talk about the power of hands-on learning, the importance of failure, and how formative feedback—when it happens in real time—actually drives growth.

Whether you're in a tech lab, a gen ed classroom, or leading a school, this episode is a reminder that shop class isn’t for “those kids”—it’s for every kid.

What We Talk About:

• Reclaiming the word "shop" with pride and purpose
• How to make CTE classrooms inclusive for all students
• Process over product: What assessment really looks like in hands-on classes
• Micro-conversations and real-time feedback at the elbow
• How to keep learning going after the bell
• Making your program visible inside your building
• Practical tools for capturing learning: checklists, rubrics, portfolios
• Why the shop is the perfect space for students to fail forward
• Creating purpose-driven readers and thinkers through technical instruction

Favorite Quotes from John:

• “Engage the hands. Activate the mind.”
• “The shop is for everyone—it just needs to be built that way.”
• “I may have missed your best moment. Tell me about it.”
• “Formative assessment is elbow-to-elbow feedback, not a quiz that doesn’t count.”

Resources Mentioned:

• A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor
• The triangle of assessment: Products, Observations, Conversations
• Right-to-Repair laws and the importance of technical agency
• Real examples from John's classroom: phone stands, picture frames, CNC work

Connect with John Stephens:

John Stephens | LinkedIn

My Takeaway:

This episode reminded me why I started in a shop—and why that work still matters. We don’t just teach skills; we build confidence, agency, and curiosity. We need more shop teachers like John sharing their stories and raising their game.

Help Us Spread the Word:

If this hit home, do me a favor:

• Share it with a colleague
• Post it on your socials and tag me @CoachThomasTech
• Use the hashtag #TechEdClubhouse

And if you haven’t yet, go back and catch last week’s episode with Mark Covelle for the full picture of what modern CTE should look like.

Find all episodes, blogs, and extras at coachthomastech.com/podcast

#CTE #ShopClass #TechEd #ProjectBasedLearning #GrowthOverGrades #HandsOnLearning #TechEdClubhouse

In this powerhouse episode, sit down with Dr. Mark Covell—CTE advocate, educational leader, and Director of MBIT—to dig into the past, present, and future of Career & Technical Education (CTE). Together, we unpack the post-COVID surge in CTE interest, the erosion of outdated stigmas, and whyhands-on, real-world learning is not only relevant—it's essential.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• Why CTE is booming nationwide—and why it's not just about“the trades”
• How real-world learning and “learning by doing” boostsengagement and retention
• The critical difference between knowing about acareer and actually experiencing one
• How modern CTE programs prepare students for both the workforce and college
• Why some of the most in-demand, lucrative careers don’t require a traditional 4-year degree
• How CTE educators are leading the way in differentiated instruction, standards-based grading, and authentic assessment—without evencalling it that
• What traditional K-12 can (and should) steal from CTEprograms to improve learning for all kids

🛠️ Memorable Quotes

“When we said ‘college for all,’ we may have accidentallysaid ‘trades for none.’” – Mark Covell

“It’s not ‘just a plumber.’ It’s a skilled entrepreneurwho owns a home on the shore.” – Mark Covell

“Nobody looks at your transcript—they want to know if youcan do the job.” – Dan Thomas

“The number one visited website is Google. Number two?YouTube. We all love to learn by doing.” – Mark Covell

💬 Topics Covered

• CTE structure at MBIT and shared-time model
• How CTE combats the skills gap and boosts workforcereadiness
• Rewriting the narrative on blue-collar careers
• The evolving role of technology and robotics in skilledtrades
• Addressing the national teacher shortage through CTEhiring pipelines
• Why traditional education needs to get its hands dirty—in a good way

🔗 Connect with Dr. Mark Covelle

LinkedIn: Mark Covelle

Twitter/X: @mcovelle

Middle Bucks Institute of Technology: https://www.mbit.org

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Don’t miss an episode—subscribe to The Tech EdClubhouse wherever you get your podcasts and follow Dan at @CoachThomasTech

Episode Summary:
In this jam-packed episode, Dan sits down with blended learning expert, author, and teacher advocate Dr. Catlin Tucker to unpack the shift from teacher-led to student-led classrooms. They explore what this really looks like in practice, how to reimagine classroom workflows to avoid burnout, and how AI—when used wisely—can be a teacher’s best co-designer. They also dig into feedback loops, classroom design, and how educators can reclaim their time without sacrificing engagement or standards. Plus, Dr. Tucker drops details on her first-ever Summer Learning Kickoff—a PD opportunity you won’t want to miss.

Topics Covered:

• What “student-led” actually means (and doesn’t)

• The teacher burnout trap—and how to escape it

• Small workflow shifts with big impact

• Why feedback needs to be fast, not flawless

• How to use AI as a design partner, not a crutch

• What a student-centered classroom physically looks like

• Tools and strategies from station rotation to personalized AI tutors

• Details on Dr. Tucker’s Summer Learning Kickoff (June 2–6)

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Tucker’s site: CatlinTucker.com

• Dr. Tucker’s new book: Elevating Educational Design with AI

• SchoolAI: schoolai.com

Follow Dr. Tucker:

• X/Twitter: @Catlin_Tucker

• Instagram: @catlintucker

In this episode, I sit down with veteran educator and STEM advocate Chris Woods. You might know him from DailySTEM.com or The STEM Everyday Podcast — and if you don't yet, you're going to love the practical ideas he shares. Chris and I talk about how STEM is everywhere if you know where to look and how we can help all teachers (not just STEM teachers) build student confidence, curiosity, and durable skills.

We dig into everything from:

· Making STEM approachable, even if you're new to it

· The power of real-world examples to make learning stick

·Showing students the career opportunities right in their own backyard

· How trades and hands-on jobs are vital parts of the STEM world

· Helping kids build resilience through iteration and celebrating failure

· Why cross-curricular learning is more important than ever

Chris brings a ton of experience, humor, and heart to this conversation, and if you're looking for ideas to make learning more meaningful for your students, you're going to walk away with a bunch you can use tomorrow.

Topics We Discussed:

• How to make STEM accessible for every teacher
• Finding quick, real-world STEM connections to bring into any classroom
• Why every kid needs at least one class they love coming to each day
• The importance of trades, hands-on learning, and durable skills
• How to balance structured curriculum with playful, project-based learning
• Small ways to integrate STEM into English, history, math, and more
• Favorite classroom projects like Cardboard Pinball and Shoe Design challenges

Favorite Quotes from Chris:

“Life is cross-curricular. Education should be too.”

“Kids won’t always remember the worksheet... but they will remember the project where they failed, iterated, and finally succeeded.”

“STEM is not just about engineering or coding—it’s in nursing, trucking, welding, logistics. It's in the real world our students are walking into.”

Connect with Chris Woods:

🌎 Website: DailySTEM.com

🎙️ Podcast: The STEM Everyday Podcast (Available wherever you listen to podcasts)

📲 Twitter/X: @DailySTEM

Resources We Mentioned:

NASA STEM YouTube Channel – for quick, inspiring career videos

Daily STEM Newspaper – free monthly STEM articles for your classroom

Fusion 360 – student-friendly CAD software for project-based learning

Makey Makey – easy hands-on invention kits

My Takeaway for You:

✅ Find just one small way this week to show your students how STEM is part of their world — a news story, a hands-on activity, even a quick conversation.
✅ Let them struggle. Let them iterate. That’s where real learning (and confidence) happens.
✅And most importantly — keep it fun