In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), this episode explores why accessibility matters and how each of us can help create more inclusive learning and digital environments.  We are joined by an accessibility expert and recent PhD graduate, Dr. Wendy Velez-Torres, who shares her journey into the field, the passion that drives her work, and how her research is helping move accessibility forward. Together, we discuss common misconceptions about accessibility, practical steps organizations can take to improve access, and how designing accessibility in mind benefits everyone.  TranscriptResources:LinkedIn OER Resources 

In this episode, Priten speaks with Melvin D. Smith II, a digital learning specialist and computer science teacher at an all-girls school in Maryland where he teaches a required ninth-grade course called Digital Thinking. Smith challenges the assumption that today's youth are automatically tech-savvy and doesn't shy away from restricting access—his school has a no-phone policy—while simultaneously teaching students how to think and communicate with intention in digital spaces. His perspective cuts through both extremes: neither "let them use everything" nor "technology is bad" but rather "understand what you're actually doing and why."Key Takeaways:Being surrounded by technology is not the same as understanding it. Students who've grown up with devices don't automatically know what cookies are, how algorithms predict behavior, or what happens to their data—the access itself teaches nothing without deliberate instruction on how the systems actually work.Removing phones from the classroom improved student focus, and students embraced the restriction because it came from them. When administration asked students what they thought about a no-phone policy rather than imposing it, students volunteered the idea and enforced it themselves—suggesting that transparency and student agency can matter more than the rule itself.Communication is the foundational skill that makes everything else—including AI use—work. Whether students are writing essays, coding, or prompting AI, the core challenge is knowing how to articulate what they actually want; bad communication produces poor results regardless of the tool.AI should be a sparring partner that pushes back, not a butler that does the work. The distinction between using AI to clarify thinking through dialogue and using it to bypass thinking entirely shapes whether it's a learning tool or a shortcut, and teachers need to model and enforce that distinction explicitly.The "digital native" myth obscures what students actually need to learn. Today's students need basic digital literacy—not just access to technology—and they need adults to show them responsible use in real time, because peer pressure and the competitive advantage of shortcuts remain powerful forces.Melvin D. Smith II’s path to tech instruction has been all but a clear one: first planning to be an astronaut to pilot the space shuttle, then changing to become a physician, then neuroscience researcher... 27 years ago he started his career in teaching (formal and informal) science. Adopting the philosophy of STEAM instruction before it became a thing, he fully embraced and utilized the disciplines for the learning environment- in and outside the classroom. Fast forward to his current position at Garrison Forest School in Maryland, Melvin still maintains that practical learning is the most salient and beneficial to developing soft skills and transferable knowledge. Whether in the Digital Thinking class, discussing and practicing the uses of technology to maintain a positive digital footprint; AP Computer Science Principles, where application development coincides with block and text coding; or a brand new course on the history and pedagogical use of AI, his coursework is still rooted in the idea that each student can be reached and succeed if they are given the correct tools, are willing to put forth the effort, and granted a little patience.

In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we dive into the real end-of-year reflection principals need to move from overwhelm to clarity. I walk you through five key areas, so you can evaluate what actually worked. You’ll learn how to identify what to keep, what to change, and how to avoid trying to fix everything at once. By the end, you’ll be ready to choose 2–3 focused priorities and lead into next year with confidence and intention.Listen to episode 110- Who You are as a Principal: Redefining Your Identity with the 1.0 and 2.0 Tool

In this Teacher Appreciation Week episode, host Erin Bailey chats with New York Times bestselling author and educator Matt Eicheldinger about his journey from reluctant reader to published author, how a classroom "story jar" sparked his writing career, and practical strategies for reaching kids who don't love reading — from short chapters and cliffhangers to finding the one book that hooks them. Matt also previews his fast-paced dystopian YA series When the Rain Came and teases a brand-new graphic novel format dropping in 2029.About Matt Eicheldinger:Matt Eicheldinger is an American author, former middle school teacher, and social media personality. He is best known for his Matt Sprouts series of middle-grade novels and his memoir Sticky Notes: Memorable Lessons from Ordinary Moments. His debut novel became a The New York Times and USA Today bestseller in its first week of publication. Matt EicheldingerInstagram and tiktok @matteicheldingerFacebook: @Matt Eicheldinger - Author

Show NotesAaron, Dan, and John push back on the dominant narrative that entry-level roles are dead and AI has eaten the college graduate job market. Drawing on a Wall Street Journal piece and their own recruiting work in spring 2026, they explain why the class of 2026 actually has better prospects than the previous class, why companies like McKinsey and IBM are ramping entry-level hiring back up, and why the students who network and work during school are the ones getting hired. The panel digs into whether grads are really less prepared than ever (spoiler: it's mostly an excuse), how AI uncertainty — not AI itself — drove the hiring freeze, and what college kids and their parents should actually do right now. Aaron closes with a pitch for the "permissionless project" as the new differentiator now that diplomas and theoretical knowledge are commodity.Timestamps[00:59] — The narrative we're pushing back on: "entry level is cooked"[01:24] — John: yes there's been a shift, but the class of 2026 actually has better prospects[02:50] — Dan on the AI spam-application trend and why networking beats it[04:09] — The WSJ finding: students who worked during school are landing jobs[05:33] — Hypothesis #1: are grads less prepared for work than ever?[07:12] — Dan: "B-plus and fast" beats chasing the A in the real world[10:18] — Hypothesis #2: companies froze hiring because of AI uncertainty, not AI itself[12:40] — The single best piece of advice for college students and their parents[15:16] — Dan's rule: network as if you don't have a job while you have one[17:24] — Aaron's "permissionless project" — why a diploma alone won't cut it anymoreCo-hostsAaron Makelky — LinkedInDan Yu — LinkedInJohn Lovig — LinkedInLinksFutureProof You WebsiteFutureProof You on LinkedIn