We're excited to share an episode that was originally published on EduTalk Radio. CAST's Christine Fox, Chief Growth & Innovation Officer, and Niel Albero, Professional Learning Specialist, spoke with host David Cicero to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—a framework that encourages educators to proactively design learning environments that embrace learner variability, reduce barriers, and build student agency.  Christine and Niel also share details about UDL-Con Live Online, taking place July 21–22, where educators, leaders, researchers, and innovators from around the world will come together to explore Universal Design for Learning in practice. Learn more at udlcon.cast.org.   The Learning Experience and EduTalk Radio are both part of the Be Podcast Network. Learn about more great shows for educators and subscribe at bepodcastnetwork.com Transcript ResourcesCAST UDL Guidelines 

In this episode, you'll learn the first principle of Leadership by Subtraction: subtract the noise. As a principal, it's easy to feel like every email, interruption, parent concern, and staff request deserves your immediate attention, but not everything is urgent or important. This episode explores how constant reacting keeps school leaders from focusing on the work that has the greatest impact and shares three simple questions to help you filter out distractions, protect your time, and lead with greater clarity and purpose. Join the group coaching program Leadership by Subtraction HERE. Get the Leadership by Subtraction Starter Kit HERE.

At just 15, Orion Jean — TIME's 2021 Kid of the Year and founder of Race to Kindness — joins Dr. Erin Bailey to discuss how a fourth-grade kindness speech contest sparked a movement that's grown into initiatives distributing toys, meals, and over 500,000 books. Orion shares the origins of his nonprofit, his current Race to One Million Acts of Kindness campaign, and lessons on leadership drawn from his books "Race to Kindness" and "A Kids Book About Leadership" — including the idea that quiet, everyday acts of leadership matter as much as being out front. The conversation turns to literacy, where Orion reflects on how reading built his empathy and worldview, why book access (and closing "book deserts") is so critical, and the joy of watching kids' faces light up at free book fairs. He closes by encouraging listeners that anyone, at any age, can create meaningful change — as long as they find the right community to race alongside. About Orion Jean: Orion Jean is a youth philanthropist, author, speaker, and founder of the Race to Kindness movement. Best known as TIME’s 2021 Kid of the Year, Orion has inspired millions through his message that anyone can make a difference through simple acts of kindness. His service initiative has provided more than 100,000 meals to families in need, donated over 500,000 books to children, and distributed hundreds of toys to hospitalized children and underserved communities. Through his Race to Kindness campaign, Orion encourages people of all ages to become changemakers by identifying needs in their communities and taking action to help others. He is the author of the children’s picture book Race to Kindness and A Kids Book About Leadership, which empower young readers to lead with compassion, courage, and purpose. As a sought-after speaker, Orion shares his belief that kindness is a powerful force for change and reminds audiences everywhere that when we race to kindness, everybody wins. Race to 1 Million Acts | Race to Kindness Orion’s summer read: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins amazon.com/Sunrise-Reaping-Hunger-Games-Novel/dp/1546171460

In this episode of Make It Mindful, Seth talks with Dr. Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza Jr. — Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Kami and host of My EdTech Life, a 373-episode podcast that has reached more than 8,500 educators — about what AI actually does and doesn't do for teachers, and what it means to find meaning in work when automation keeps changing what work looks like. This is a crossover episode, appearing on both Make It Mindful and My EdTech Life. Together, Seth and Fonz explore the argument that teachers remain the ultimate technology in the classroom — not because AI isn't capable, but because the ability to read a room, improvise, and form genuine relationships with students isn't something that scales to a statistical prediction machine. They talk about the difference between cognitive offloading and cognitive stunting, the concern that students aren't just delegating skills they've developed, but missing the chance to develop them at all. Fonz pushes back on the language of "neural networks" and "learning," drawing on Dr. Emily Bender's stochastic parrots framework to argue that borrowing human vocabulary for these tools obscures what they actually are. They get into AI governance at the district level, including why Texas still has no state AI policy, what it looks like when a task force actually follows through versus when the conversation dies at back-to-school season, and why equal stakeholder representation (including parents) changes what a policy can do. The episode closes with Fonz's signature speed round, with finding meaning in the concept of NOW. Key topics:The teacher as the ultimate technology in an AI-saturated classroomCognitive stunting vs. cognitive offloading in student AI useStochastic parrots and the danger of anthropomorphizing LLMsAI governance failures at the district levelTrust between students, teachers, and parents in the AI eraFinding purpose and meaning when automation reshapes workGenerational differences in AI attitudes (Gen Z vs. Gen Alpha) LINKS & RESOURCESMy EdTech Life podcast — myedtech.lifeKami — kamiapp.com (Fonz's current employer)Dr. Emily Bender — Stochastic Parrots paper — Bender, E.M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., & Shmitchell, S. (2021). "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?" FAccT 2021. https://s10251.pcdn.co/pdf/2021-bender-parrots.pdfKatherine Heavers episode — Make It Mindful https://mim.bepodcast.network/episodes/85-katherine-heaversBanyan Global Learning / Global Cohorts — https://www.banyangloballearning.com/programs/global-cohorts GUEST BIO: Dr. Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza Jr.Dr. Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza Jr. is the Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Kami and host of My EdTech Life, a podcast now six years old and 373 episodes in. His work focuses on responsible AI adoption in K–12 education, cutting through the hype to examine what technology actually does for teachers and students, and what it can't replace. He is a Google Innovator, Adobe Education Innovator, and 2024 EdTech Digest Leadership Award winner for Best EdTech Author/Speaker or Podcaster. ABOUT THE HOSTAbout the Host: Seth Fleischauer is the founder of Banyan Global Learning and host of Make It Mindful: Insights for Global Learning. Through Banyan, he designs live virtual programs that connect K-12 classrooms to global peers and expert facilitators — building the kind of structured, human-centered learning the podcast explores. See https://banyangloballearning.com/

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast, Zach sits down with John Strong, a full professor in the SUNY system, coordinator of the Personal Training Certificate program, and a nationally recognized expert in health, fitness, and physical education. John challenges the idea that younger generations are automatically better with technology simply because they grew up surrounded by it. Instead, he argues that curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to fail are what allow people of any age to confidently learn new tools—including AI. The conversation explores why education should focus less on grades and final products and more on the processes that create meaningful growth: asking better questions, collaborating, reflecting, and developing a sense of purpose. John also discusses the relationship between grit and intrinsic motivation, why educators should help students recognize their existing power rather than “empower” them, and how intentional language can reshape the way we approach challenges. For educators and leaders navigating rapid technological change, this episode is a powerful reminder that growth begins when we embrace uncertainty, learn from failure, and reconnect our work to a deeper purpose.