The TechEd Clubhouse

What does student engagement actually mean? And when AI can generate lessons, feedback, images, and activities in seconds, how do we make sure students are still doing the thinking?In this episode, I sit down with Matt Miller, educator, speaker, author, and founder of Ditch That Textbook, to talk about practical instructional design, AI literacy, and why new technology should never become the goal of the lesson.Matt shares how Ditch That Textbook began in his high school Spanish classroom, where he realized that following the textbook was not helping students actually communicate. That realization led him to experiment with more conversational, creative, tactile, and technology-supported learning.We also dig into Matt’s new book, AI Literacy in Any Class, and how teachers can build AI literacy through small, intentional moments inside their existing curriculum—not through another isolated initiative or standalone course.Why engagement is more than students being quiet, busy, or entertainedHow to evaluate whether a worksheet, tool, or activity actually produces worthwhile thinkingWhy teachers should not force AI into lessons that already workHow AI can serve as a thinking partner instead of an answer generatorUsing AI to ask better questions and expose gaps in lesson designBuilding AI literacy through everyday classroom conversationsWhy creativity, critical thinking, adaptability, and reflection matter more than tool-specific trainingMatt’s current AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and BriskHis plans for ISTE 2026The new Ditch That Textbook CommunityOne of the strongest ideas from the conversation: We are not called to integrate technology. We are called to teach.The goal is not more AI. The goal is better learning—and students doing more of the thinking.Connect with Matt Miller:Ditch That Textbook: DitchThatTextbook.comNewsletter and free resources: ditch.link/joinDitch That Textbook Community: ditch.circle.soBook: AI Literacy in Any ClassFollow Matt on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for practical classroom strategies and ideas.

In this episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Marialice Curran to unpack one of the most important—and most misunderstood—topics in education today: mental health.What starts as a conversation about digital citizenship quickly turns into a powerful discussion about language, stigma, masculinity, school culture, and why mental health needs to be treated like physical health—something we actively train, track, and support.Marialice shares her personal journey into the mental health space, her work with Same Here Global, and how a simple shift in language—from “us vs. them” to “five in five”—can completely change how schools, communities, and individuals show up for one another.This isn’t a surface-level conversation. It’s honest, human, and long overdue.Why “1 in 5 have mental illness” is the wrong messageThe Same Here Global philosophy: five in five of us have mental healthHow language shapes stigma in schools and societyWhy mental health should be treated like going to the gymThe “Gym for the Brain” model and what it looks like in schoolsMasculinity, vulnerability, and the unique mental health challenges men faceHow sports, coaching, and education intersect in powerful waysWhy proactive mental health work beats crisis response every timeSimple ways teachers can support students tomorrow—without new programs or mandatesMental health isn’t something some people have.It’s something all of us live on a spectrum with—every single day.When schools change the language, normalize the conversation, and model regulation instead of compliance, everything shifts: culture, trust, and learning.Same Here Global: https://www.samehereglobal.orgContact Mary Alice: marialice@samehereglobal.orgInstagram: @dr_mbfxcSame Here Scale App: Available via Same Here GlobalTeachers and school leadersCoaches and athletic directorsCounselors and support staffParents and caregiversAnyone who believes schools should be more humanIf this conversation made you pause, reflect, or feel a little more seen—you’re not alone.Same here.If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review—it helps more educators find conversations like this.

After 32 years in the classroom, I’ve been thinking a lot about why teaching feels heavier now than it used to—even though we have more tools, systems, and strategies than ever before.In this episode, I reflect on the invisible cognitive and relational work at the center of teaching: the constant judgment calls, the timing, and the real-time decisions that never show up on a plan or a platform but shape everything that happens in a classroom.This isn’t an episode about tools or advice. It’s a quiet conversation about teaching as a professional, judgment-based practice—and why the weight teachers feel is often a sign of meaningful work being done.

What happens when engagement isn’t enough?In this episode of the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Lisa Riegel to explore what’s really happening beneath student behavior, disengagement, and classroom stress.Drawing from neuroscience, classroom practice, and systems-level work with schools, Dr. Riegel reframes behavior as the intersection of biology and context—not compliance or character.This conversation challenges traditional discipline models and offers practical strategies educators can use immediately to create classrooms where students can think, regulate, and learn—without killing joy.------------------------------------WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:• Why behavior is a regulation issue, not a motivation issue • How past experiences shape present classroom reactions • Calm, alert, and alarm states in the brain • Why productive struggle fails under chronic stress • How instructional design can unintentionally escalate behavior • Why relationships matter more than routines • Why teacher regulation matters as much as student regulation ------------------------------------KEY TAKEAWAYS:• Behavior = Biology + Context • Calm comes before cognition • Escalation shuts down thinking • Instructional design can reduce or increase stress • Regulation systems matter—for students and adults ------------------------------------PRACTICAL STRATEGIES DISCUSSED:• “Fizzy or Flat” emotional check-ins • Name it, Own it, Control it language • Consistent, non-confrontational discipline structures • Designing for intellectual safety before challenge ------------------------------------RESOURCES:• NeuroWell – Book by Dr. Lisa Riegel • ⁠Aspirations to Operations: A leader’s guide to making transformative change stick⁠ – Book by Dr. Lisa Riegel • Jakapa (https://jakapa.com) • Dr. Lisa Riegel’s website: https://lisariegel.com • Dr. Lisa Riegel’s LinkedIn------------------------------------REFLECTION QUESTIONS:• What behaviors might actually be stress responses? • Where might my instruction unintentionally escalate anxiety? • How am I supporting my own regulation as an educator? ------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE & SHARE:If this episode resonated, share it with a colleague or administrator and subscribe to the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast for more conversations about learning, design, and humanity in schools.

We talk about engagement like it’s something we can flip on — a switch, an app, a strategy.“What’s your engagement strategy?”But after decades in the classroom, one truth keeps showing up:Engagement isn’t something we create. It’s something that emerges.Students don’t engage because lessons are flashy or entertaining.They engage when the work matters, when they have ownership, and when their thinking is required.In this episode, Dan challenges a common framing that impacts both classrooms and schools: we often treat engagement as a performance problem instead of a design problem. When we chase activity, speed, and surface-level participation, we confuse busy with engaged — and that’s where frustration, burnout, and disengagement creep in.Through real classroom stories, analogies from sports and the arts, and practical reflection questions, this episode reframes engagement around cognitive demand, relevance, autonomy, and purpose — not compliance or quiet classrooms.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why engagement is often misread as entertainment or activityThe critical difference between compliance and true engagementHow cognitive demand and relevance drive student motivationWhy some of the most engaged students don’t look compliantWhat teachers and administrators can design differently to support deeper learningThree reflection questions to reset how you think about engagement heading into the new yearThis episode is especially timely for educators on break — not as another “do more” conversation, but as an invitation to rethink what’s worth designing in the first place.