The Good Life EDU Podcast

Across her previous visits to The Good Life EDU Podcast, Dr. Katie Novak has helped listeners understand the foundations of Universal Design for Learning, its role within MTSS, and the possibilities created when educators bring UDL and artificial intelligence together. In this return conversation, Katie and Andrew take the next step by examining what educators must understand themselves before they can use AI to design learning responsibly and effectively. Drawing from her latest book, The UDL Shift, Katie explains why strong instructional design begins with firm goals and flexible means. Through a live example, she demonstrates how an AI-generated “UDL lesson” can unintentionally remove the very skill students are expected to learn and why standards alignment, pedagogical knowledge, and human review must remain central to the design process. The goal is not simply to generate something quickly, but to use AI within a thoughtful cycle of planning, analysis, revision, and human transformation. The conversation also extends beyond lesson planning. Katie explores how educators can prepare students for standardized assessments without abandoning flexible and inclusive instruction, why interleaving is more effective than last-minute test preparation, and how students can build the metacognitive awareness needed to transfer their learning into less-flexible settings. Katie and Andrew also address growing concerns about screen time, accessibility, and device use, making the case for purposeful technology integration rather than an all-or-nothing approach. This episode is a reminder that AI does not reduce the need for educator expertise; it makes that expertise even more important. Resources Referenced in This Episode The UDL Shift: Designing Inclusive Learning That Works by Katie Novak Elevating Educational Design with AI: Making Learning Accessible, Inclusive, and Equitable by Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak Nebraska Learning Network, where Nebraska educators can access Katie’s free three-course UDL learning series. AI-Enhanced Processes by Alex McMillan Katie Novak’s UDL Flowchart

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, welcomes Adam Spark, Nebraska native and co-founder of Short Answer, to discuss his journey from teaching at Louisville and Milford Public Schools to studying learning design and technology at Stanford University, where his idea for Short Answer was born. Adam shares how formative assessment research—particularly from Dr. Dylan Wiliam’s Embedded Formative Assessment—inspired the creation of Short Answer, a digital platform designed to make peer feedback, writing practice, and student engagement more meaningful and fun. The two explore: The Nebraska roots that shaped Adam’s journey—from the ESU 6 EdTech Leadership Cadre led by Dr. Lynn Herr to presenting at NETA. How Short Answer uses peer feedback, gamification, and comparative judgment to build literacy and critical thinking across all subjects. The role of AI in education, including both its risks and opportunities for literacy, writing, and teacher workload. Adam’s concept of being a “radical centrist” on AI—recognizing both the benefits of AI efficiency and the challenges it poses to authentic literacy development. New features in Short Answer like “Pen Pals,” which use AI characters to help students debate and reflect on their writing. Practical AI policy, communication, and enforcement strategies for educators—featuring resources like: AI Trust You (from Laguna Beach USD) Brisk Teaching for revision-tracking in Google Docs SchoolAI for safe, monitored AI interactions The Red-Yellow-Green AI Policy Framework by Australian educator Adrian Cotterall The Washington OSPI AI Guidance Matrix, inspired by the work of Leon Furze and Mike Perkins Adam also shares his balanced take on how educators can help students develop AI literacy, writing fluency, and critical analysis skills—ensuring that technology amplifies learning rather than replacing it.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, Andi McNair, Digital Innovation Specialist at ESC Region 12 in Texas and author of Genius Hour and A Meaningful Mess, joins us to discuss how we might apply what we know about PBL, passion-based learning, to our approach to professional development in education. Andi advocates for PBT, passion-based teaching, on the pod and outlines the steps teachers might take in order to reignite their passion for the work that they do. At the close of our conversation, Andi points listeners to consider joining her Passion-Based Teaching Academy, which is set to start on February 2nd, 2022. To register for the academy, visit bit.ly/PBTAregister.

In this episode, Brooke Kavan (ESU 7) and I visit Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska to chat with Brooke's 17-year-old cousin, Camille O'Neill. Camille, a junior at MWHS, navigates her school day with significantly limited vision due to a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. In the pod, Camille shares about the challenges she faces on a daily basis and her ability to persevere, learn, and succeed with the support of her physics teacher, Mr. Tyler Berzina.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, the NDE SEED Team is back to share an update on their work with revising the teacher and principal effectiveness standards for Nebraska. This pod delves into personal insights and stories from each of the SEED Team members that helps communicate the thinking behind their efforts and the heart these leaders have for the admin, teachers, and learners across the state.

This week we are joined by Sally Nellson Barrett, Andy Marinkovich, and Brittany Mascio of Nebraska Public Schools who give their behind-the-scenes insights on the latest I ❤️ Public Schools film, The Mind Inside, Episode 3. This docuseries explores the landscape of mental health issues in Nebraska's public schools, with this particular episode focusing on the North Platte Public Schools' Brandy Buscher (Director of Student Services NPPS) and Officer Jay Johnson (School Resource Officer NPPS) in their efforts to support the students they serve. Click here to view The Mind Inside, Episode 3: https://iloveps.org/films/the-mind-inside-episode-three