All Posts

This was my 2nd time attending the TCEA convention, and I'm pretty sure I will be back year after year after year. The event brought together educators, tech experts, and thought leaders who shared practical ideas and fresh perspectives to improve learning experiences. This first (of two) posts will cover some of my key takeaways from the sessions I attended, the conversations I had with vendors, and the people I met along the way. A quick note before I dive in. This was t

Oh, did I have some big plans to post over the holiday break! However, three things got in the way: sleep, playing with my kiddos, and the ever-looming seasonal depression! However, I'm back and feeling better than I have in a long time! So, in today's post you'll find three things: How I'm planning to post music I'm loving weekly. The NEW App Arcade, and what's inside! What my TCEA Schedule looks like at this moment. Using Wakelet for my 2026-in-Music! If you're reading this

I recently started subscribing to Jamie Clark 's newsletter DistillED . I think I picked it up from a Ditch That Textbook newsletter. Each week, Jamie's newsletter highlights a different challenge in the classroom and offers quick, actionable steps. From monitoring independent practice to inclusive communication and peer feedback, I've found some excellent research-based strategies to enhance the classroom experience for students. This week's newsletter focused on incorpora

If I got a nickel for every time I heard someone ask about my "why" when attending a PD, Keynote, Webinar, or anything in education...I'd have a whole mess of nickels. If I also got a nickel for each scoff, sigh, and hard eye roll from the audience at those same spots...this would be me: However, for the first time, I've encountered an argument for "starting with why" that doesn't make me gag! On Friday, Jeff LeBlanc (Go Penmen!) had an article on EdSurge published titled:

First of all, I'm finishing a redesign of the website (as you may or may not have noticed), which was spurred by me trying to find an easy and visually appealing way to share my courses, lessons, and materials. That stuff is finally rolling out this week, as I feel like the website looks less terrible! I may or may not have also been distracted by the introduction of player housing into World of Warcraft. Seriously, I've started and destroyed so many exterior designs. My cu

I will go on the occasional rant about just about anything. It's part of my introverted charm; I bottle everything up and then find a hill to die on with all of my hottest of takes! Today, my thoughts are on the accessibility of resources in education. Education is a powerful tool that shapes lives and opens doors to new opportunities. With the advent of the internet and AI, it has become FAR easier to embrace the democratization of education. According to SORA Schools : "E

It has been a rough and wild two weeks, which pulled me away from blogging, social media, and anything that wasn't physically in front of me! First, for the last two weeks, I've had some sort of bronchitis-adjacent sinus crud that has physically slowed me down! Second, I had two time-consuming presentations to prepare for/deliver while also being sick as a dog. Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be selected to run a district-wide PD group, where we are focusing on AI usage

Two quick announcements at the top: The podcast is bumped to next week; my editing software ate it, so now I'm trying out Adobe Podcast!...

I'm guilty, several times in my past, of creating an assignment for students and simply telling them to "be creative!" As someone who can...

I love Friday. Not because it's the end of the week, but because I can listen to all of the new music released on Thursday night and...

Just as last year, I've changed positions, and the transition has disrupted my desire to write more on my blog (and the podcast). Guess...

Holy crap, I thought I would leave #ISTELive knowing I had a great time, but I didn't know both my head and my heart would be overflowing...

TW: Loss of a loved one, sharing depression and self-doubt. To skip past the loss, move to "zero hour." Allow me to reintroduce myself. ...

After my presentation this morning concluded, I looked to see what else I had put on my schedule that I considered a do-not-miss. The...

Can you think of a thumbnail that's more "me?" I love being a walking contradiction. I've forged most of my identity and career in the...

On last week's episode of Plai Around and Find Out , I talked about my excitement for this weekend's AMLE (Association of Middle Level...

For the past two months, I have been part of the Teach Better Team's inaugural Grid Method cohort. The goal has been simple, to create an...

SchoolAI is a game-changer in the world of education. This powerful tool revolutionizes classroom feedback by providing real-time...

A couple of weeks ago on the podcast, I reviewed Quinn Rollins' Play Like a Pirate. I believe the first thing out of my mouth was "if I...

I have always been a massive basketball fan. Living near Lawrence, Kansas nearly all of my life has always made the ever presence of the...