About this episode

In this episode, Dr. Alfonso Mendoza Jr. discusses the concept of being a 'cautious advocate' in the context of AI in education.

What does it mean to be a "cautious advocate" in the age of AI? In this episode of Artificial Intelligence Real Talk, host Matthew sits down with Dr. Alfonso Mendoza Jr. ("Dr. Fonz"), educator, ed-tech veteran, and host of the My EdTech Life podcast, for a wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation about what it really means to bring technology into classrooms with intention. Dr. Fonz brings over a decade of experience as a digital learning coordinator, a doctoral perspective on data and ed tech policy, and a refreshing willingness to pump the brakes when everyone else is flooring it. Together, Matt and Dr. Fonz dig into the lessons learned from the early days of generative AI hype, the growing tech backlash, and what cautious advocacy actually looks like in practice. In this episode, you'll hear: How a term coined by Dr. Nneka McGee ("cautious advocate") changed the way both hosts approach AI in education Why the hype cycle of blockchain, NFTs, and Web3 shaped Dr. Mendoza's skepticism about generative AI What "data rentiership" means and why it should make every educator pause before adopting a free tool The difference between substitution and genuine transformation in…

People in this episode

Host: Eli Davis

Guest: Dr. Alfonso Mendoza Jr.

Topics covered

• cautious advocacy
• AI in education
• ed-tech policy
• generative AI
• professional development
• classroom technology

Keywords

• cautious advocate
• AI
• education
• ed-tech
• professional development
• generative AI
• data rentiership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: My EdTech Life

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