Pete Hall joins Jethro Jones live at ISTE 2026 to discuss his new book, Reaching and Teaching Kids Who Don't Fit in the Box. They dig into the five core reasons students disengage from school (not fitting in, academic gaps, boredom, lack of support, and emotional struggles), and share practical strategies teachers can use immediately — including setting self-concordant student goals, using AI to personalize entry tasks around student interests, and asking "cognitive interest cue" questions that spark curiosity instead of just testing recall. The conversation also explores shifting from "who knows the answer" questioning to more inclusive approaches that invite all students to participate, even with wrong answers. Pete closes with details on his book's pre-sale discount.

Most educators feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of change—until they discover how AI can become a trusted co-pilot, turning classroom chaos into creative momentum. In this episode, Kevin Honeycutt (https://www.kevinhoneycutt.org) shares the old-school wisdom and modern tech hacks that help teachers stay engaged, efficient, and future-ready. You’ll hear how Kevin uses AI to streamline lesson planning, organize resources, and spark student innovation through projects in fashion, STEM, and hands-on learning. He also makes the case for teaching kids not just to use AI, but to understand it—so they become thoughtful co-creators rather than passive consumers.

What if curiosity, not content, is the most important skill we can teach kids? In this episode of Real Talk: The Curiosity Connection, host Matt Karabinos sits down with Amirah Cummings, founder of KIO (Kids in Orbit), to explore how AI is unlimiting education, why the traditional school system is 100% obsolete, and what it truly means to become a self-driven learner. Amirah is a former software engineer turned educator whose work spans multilingual Montessori schooling, mission-based learning, and an entire ecosystem designed to turn kids into "Kionauts"—curious, compassionate explorers of Earth and the cosmos.  At a time when AI is "making learning infinite" and "unlimiting" students' potential, the real mission of education comes into question. Listen to the whole episode for some memorable hot takes about education and what we can do instead.  In this episode, you'll learn:Why curiosity disappears around 3rd grade, and what we can do about itHow AI makes learning infinite (and what that really means for classrooms)Why Amirah believes the traditional education system is 100% deadThe difference between motivated learners and self-driven learnersHow mission-based learning replaces outdated standards and metricsWhy millennials are uniquely positioned to lead the future of educationWhat "the new literacy" really looks like in an AI-powered worldHow to develop curiosity in kids — and adults — starting with one question: "Why?" Connect with Amirah Cummings:Amirah Cummings's LinkedInKIO LearningKionautConnect with Matt & the Show:Show: AI Real Talk: The Curiosity ConnectionMatt Karabinos' LinkedIn

In this episode recorded at ISTE 2026, Jethro Jones talks with Mike Lawrence. Mike shares how his school district built a culture of AI transparency using disclosure badges instead of bans, why teachers need to model the same openness they expect from students, and what's next as schools cautiously explore AI agents.

In this episode, Tom McDermott, K–12 Safety and Security Coach for CEIA USA, discusses why student vaping has evolved from a discipline issue into a broader leadership challenge for schools. Rather than focusing solely on detection technologies, the conversation explores how school leaders can shift from reacting to incidents toward building a comprehensive prevention strategy grounded in school culture, behavioral health, and student well-being. Together, they examine the hidden operational costs of vaping, why understanding the root causes matters more than simply catching students, and how schools can balance prevention, intervention, and detection to create safer, healthier learning environments.