In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast, Zach sits down with Tawnya Means, Founding Partner of Inspire Higher Ed, to explore what it really takes to move AI adoption from conversation to classroom practice. As more institutions experiment with generative AI, Tawnya focuses on the real work of helping faculty build confidence, experiment safely, and integrate these tools into teaching and learning.The discussion highlights a growing shift across campuses: educators are no longer just debating AI—they’re asking for hands-on time to try it. Tawnya shares what she’s seeing succeed in workshops and faculty training, from building custom AI assistants to rethinking assignments to identify where human insight matters most.The conversation also explores the psychological barriers faculty face, including fear of replacement, discomfort with unfamiliar tools, and the pressure of teaching technologies they’re still learning themselves. Through practical strategies like peer storytelling, dedicated learning time, and clearly defining what work remains uniquely human, Tawnya offers a thoughtful roadmap for institutions navigating AI implementation in higher education.

In this episode, Priten speaks with Noelia Pozo, a high school Spanish and French teacher with nearly two decades of experience who now heads the Foreign Language and Classical Department at her school. Noelia shares how she transformed her classroom by using AI openly alongside students rather than policing it. The conversation covers how she handles AI-generated work through relationship-building rather than detection tools, why she collects phones in a "Telephone Hotel," how exploring AI bias with students sparked deeper learning than lectures, and her frustration with colleagues who refuse to adapt while hypocritically using AI themselves. She argues that the question isn't whether to engage with these tools, but how to do so while preserving human connection, critical thinking, and genuine learning.Key Takeaways:Show students language is already in their lives. From "in lieu of" to Chipotle menus—they're already speaking foreign languages without realizing it. Recognition breeds respect.AI can't replace human connection. You can't build trust through a machine. Professional relationships require authentic communication, not a technological relay.Create honesty, not surveillance. Use AI openly alongside students and ask only for transparency. When trust flows both ways, students voluntarily admit mistakes—and learn from them.Teach students to verify AI output. AI isn't infallible. Once you put something in your paper, you own it—right or wrong.Explore AI bias together. "Nobody looks like me" in AI images sparked deeper conversations about bias and better prompting than any lecture could.Adapt or be replaced. Teachers won't lose jobs to AI—but they may lose them to teachers who use AI well.

Too many schools are trying to sell vanilla… when what they really are is a butterscotch sundae.In this episode, we explore what it truly means to identify and embrace your school’s core identity — not as a yearly theme, not as a marketing slogan, but as something essential to who you are and what you chase every day.Drawing from mission statements, founding charisms, faculty strengths, signature programs, and measurable outcomes, we unpack how schools can:Stop competing on everythingStart leaning into their “big thing”Build culture around itImprove it by 1% at a timeAnd clearly articulate it in one powerful elevator pitchYou don’t have to be everything to everyone. You just have to know who you are — and be excellent at it.If you need help with identifying what makes you different or refining the programs that make you great, please schedule a time to talk with us today. https://bit.ly/Build-IT-Better-TogetherTo get a copy of the The Core Identity Clarity Workbook, please visit us here.  Becky Wong has been a teacher, admin, tech coordinator and innovator in Catholic Schools for over 25 years.  She not only assists schools as part of the Tech Team but has been instrumental in guiding the Archdiocese of San Francisco as it navigates the edtech decisions and ever-changing landscape of classroom technology. The In Search of Catholic School Excellence Podcast is brought to you by I Love My Tech Team. When technology doesn’t work, Catholic school leaders lose time, trust, and momentum. We partner with schools to restore reliable systems, empower teachers, and create the foundation for innovative learning centered on students.Lead Your School Into What’s Possible with I Love My Tech Team.Restoring What’s Broken. Advancing What’s Possible.Find out more at https://ilovemytechteam.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Anjanette McNeely, an award-winning kindergarten teacher in Davis County, Utah, who is deeply committed to research-informed classroom practice. Anjanette focuses on translating educational research into practical strategies that help every student build strong foundations in literacy and mathematics.She is LETRS-certified (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in Instructional Design. In addition to her classroom work, Anjanette has served as a literacy coach and curriculum writer. She is currently a Goyen Literacy Foundation Fellow, where she continues to deepen her work advancing evidence-based literacy instruction.Links:Substack:  https://substack.com/@anjanettemcneelyX: Anjanette McNeely (@anjanettemcnee2) / X

In this episode, Priten speaks with Shon Holland, a middle school science teacher at Sells Middle School in Dublin, Ohio. After a first career in hazardous waste management and environmental health and safety, Shon made the leap to education about 20 years ago. His experience with both seventh and eighth graders gives him frontline insight into how adolescents interact with technology. The conversation explores his balanced approach to tools like GoGuardian—using technology to monitor without creating surveillance culture—why he believes giving students responsibility actually lightens a teacher's load, and his blunt assessment that smartphones simply aren't healthy for middle schoolers.Key Takeaways:Misuse is inevitable—guidance is the goal. Middle schoolers can misuse anything from rulers to AI. Instead of trying to eliminate misuse, focus on teaching students how to make tools work for them and guiding them when they stumble.Relationships trump detection tools. Teachers who know their students can spot AI-generated work by recognizing when writing doesn't match a student's voice or level—no software required. Treat violations as learning moments, not punishments.Give responsibility to gain freedom. When you trust students with responsibility and show them consequences aren't personal, they give you space to actually teach. The more ownership they have, the less you need to police.Parents need to parent. The research on smartphones and adolescent brains is irrefutable. Kids don't need iPhones—they need dumb phones, landlines, and parents willing to set boundaries even when their children push back.Know the time and place. Technology and AI are fantastic tools that can differentiate instruction, translate languages, and unlock learning. But sometimes you just need human brain power. The skill is knowing when to use tech and when to walk away.