House of #EdTech

By: Christopher J. Nesi
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  • Summary

  • Join Chris Nesi, an educator and edtech enthusiast, as he explores innovative educational tools, teaching strategies, and technology trends. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting your edtech journey, House of #EdTech has something for everyone.
    © 2014-2025. Christopher J. Nesi.
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Personal Development Personal Success
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Episodes
  • Canva Create 2025 - What's New for Educators? - HoET261

    Canva Create 2025 - What's New for Educators? - HoET261
    Apr 10 2025

    In this exciting crossover episode, Chris Nesi teams up with Leena Marie Saleh (The EdTech Guru) for a detailed look into Canva’s latest educational innovations unveiled during Canva Create 2025. Whether you’re a teacher, instructional coach, or tech integrator, this episode is packed with transformative features and real classroom applications.

    Featured Topic: Canva Create 2025

    Key Themes and Highlights:

    Canva Sheets: The Spreadsheet Reimagined

    • A powerful new addition to the Canva suite—Canva Sheets brings AI-infused, visually pleasing spreadsheets to the classroom.

    • Bulk Background Remover: Easily remove backgrounds from dozens of student photos at once.

    • Bulk Create with Images: Mass-produce certificates, report cards, or newsletters by integrating images directly into your sheet.

    • Magic AI Prompts: Skip the formulas—just describe your needs and let AI do the rest (e.g., calculating budgets, charting grades).

    • Magic Insights: Auto-generate graphs, summaries, or positive student comments—great for data storytelling or end-of-year celebrations.

    • Student Access: Available to students in districts where Canva’s Magic tools are enabled.

    The All-in-One Visual Suite

    • Create multi-modal projects within a single file: combine slides, spreadsheets, videos, documents, and websites.

    • Use Case: Teachers can build unit plans with rubrics, grading sheets, lesson videos, and linked resources—all in one shareable design.

    • Student Application: Portfolios that blend writing, multimedia, assessments, and visual elements in a single file.

    Canva Code

    • No coding experience needed! Generate interactive HTML-based tools like:

      • Flashcard games

      • Vocabulary matching activities

      • Countdown timers

    • Use Cases:

      • Do-Nows & Exit Tickets

      • Interactive experiences (e.g., virtual art exhibits)

    • Includes real-time code editing via voice or chat and seamless integration into other Canva designs.

    Voiceover and Text-to-Speech Enhancements

    • Record true voiceovers directly in Canva—no more video workarounds.

    • Use AI-generated voices to read text aloud in different accents and languages (e.g., Spanish voice packs Alejandra and Sofia).

    • Ideal for student presentations, podcasts, and accessibility support.

    AI-Powered Speaker Notes

    • Auto-generate speaking points from your presentation slides.

    • Great for prepping lessons, webinars, or class presentations on the fly.

    Assignments Hub

    • Instantly generate quizzes from highlighted text in a lesson or document.

    • New classwork dashboard allows for real-time monitoring of student progress (especially for educators without an LMS like Google Classroom).

    Scrollables (a.k.a. Scrollytelling)

    • Create animated, interactive timelines or diagrams that engage students through scroll-triggered movement and transitions.

    • 🎯 Example: A digestive system walkthrough or a historical timeline using scroll-based animations.

    Additional Features Mentioned

    • Superscript & Subscript support (finally!)

    • Rich text highlighting in Docs

    • Caption animations

    • Volume balancing for videos

    • Banner placement across all pages

    • Enhanced collaboration (up to 50 collaborators per design)
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    55 mins
  • Empowering Young Minds: AI in the Elementary Classroom - HoET260

    Empowering Young Minds: AI in the Elementary Classroom - HoET260
    Mar 31 2025
    Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, but when we think about AI in the classroom, we often picture high school or college students using it for research, coding, or content creation. But what about elementary school? Can AI be a valuable tool for our youngest learners? In Episode 260 of House of #EdTech, I sit down with Dan Gallagher, an experienced ed tech coach, to explore how AI can be integrated into elementary education. We dive into the best tools, practical applications, and strategies to ensure AI enhances learning while keeping students safe and engaged. Why AI Belongs in the Elementary Classroom Many educators hesitate to introduce AI to young students, concerned about privacy, ethics, and age-appropriate usage. But as Dan explains, AI isn’t about replacing teachers—it’s about enhancing personalized learning and supporting creativity. AI can act as a creative brainstorming partner, a writing assistant, and even a storytelling coach, helping students generate ideas and refine their work in ways that keep them engaged and excited about learning. And the best part? When used correctly, AI doesn’t replace human interaction—it amplifies a teacher’s ability to provide personalized feedback. Real-World AI Applications for Young Learners So, how does this work in a real classroom setting? Dan shares some inspiring examples: 1. AI-Powered Creative Writing & Storytelling Using AI chatbots like “Waffles” (a controlled, kid-friendly chatbot), students can interact with a virtual writing partner that helps them develop their storytelling skills. The AI can ask them engaging questions, suggest details, and even provide feedback on their writing. Example Activity: A student writing a story about a time traveler can ask the AI for historical facts, unique setting ideas, or character inspiration. The AI generates possibilities, but the student makes all the creative decisions! 2. Visual Learning & Digital Art with AI Tools AI-powered platforms like Canva’s text-to-image generator allow young students to turn their ideas into visual representations. Example Activity: A class studying idioms might create posters using AI-generated images. If a student picks "It's raining cats and dogs," AI can generate an imaginative illustration, sparking discussion about figurative language. 3. Personalized Learning & AI Tutors AI can function as a virtual tutor, adapting to each student’s needs. Platforms like Magic School AI provide instant feedback on writing assignments, while School AI can assist with generating lesson plans tailored to students’ learning levels. Example Activity: A teacher might use AI to provide instant feedback on students’ sentence structures, guiding them to refine their writing step by step instead of waiting for the teacher to get to each student individually. Addressing Safety & Ethical Concerns Of course, introducing AI in elementary education requires a responsible approach. Privacy, misinformation, and ethical use are all valid concerns. Dan and I discuss some best practices to keep AI use safe and effective: Use AI platforms with built-in content moderation (e.g., School AI, which ensures safe interactions). Set up AI usage in a controlled, “walled garden” environment where students can explore safely. Teach students critical thinking skills to evaluate AI-generated content—just because AI provides an answer doesn’t mean it’s always correct! Engage parents and school administrators by explaining how AI is being used responsibly in the classroom. Parents, in particular, may be hesitant, so educators should communicate the benefits while addressing concerns about safety. Tools like Common Sense Media can be great resources for helping families navigate AI responsibly. How Teachers Can Get Started with AI in Elementary Classrooms If you’re an educator wondering how to introduce AI to younger students, here are some practical first steps: Start with simple AI tools like Google AutoDraw, which turns students’ rough sketches into polished images. Use AI for brainstorming, not answers—help students see AI as a tool for sparking ideas, not just getting solutions. Model AI usage during lessons—demonstrate how you use AI to generate ideas or enhance lesson materials. Encourage creativity—have students work in groups to refine AI-generated content rather than taking it at face value. Final Thoughts: AI as a Partner in Education This episode is a reminder that AI is not just for older students or tech-savvy classrooms—it has the potential to unlock creativity, enhance engagement, and support personalized learning for young learners as well. AI won’t replace teachers, but it can help them provide better support to more students—a true game-changer in today’s classrooms.
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    50 mins
  • Leveling Up Learning: Gamification in Education - HoET259

    Leveling Up Learning: Gamification in Education - HoET259
    Mar 16 2025

    In this episode of House of #EdTech, I discuss the what, why, and how of gamification in education! By incorporating game design elements into your teaching, you can boost student motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes—all while making lessons more interactive and fun!

    Segment 1: What is Gamification in Education?
    • Definition of gamification and how it differs from game-based learning
    • The psychology behind gamification: motivation, engagement, and dopamine
    • Why gamification works in both K-12 and higher education settings
    Segment 2: Why Gamification Works
    • Teachers and schools successfully implementing gamification
    • How gamified learning platforms like Classcraft, Kahoot!, and Quizizz enhance the classroom experience
    • The impact of leaderboards, challenges, and achievements on student motivation
    Segment 3: Practical Gamification Strategies for Educators
    • Points, Badges, and Leaderboards (PBL): Reward students for progress and effort
    • Quests and Challenges: Break down lessons into missions and problem-solving activities
    • Choice and Autonomy: Let students pick their learning paths through differentiated tasks
    • Storytelling & Themes: Create immersive experiences (e.g., a classroom space mission or historical adventure)
    Resources & Links Mentioned:
    • Classcraft – Gamify classroom management
    • Kahoot! – Interactive quizzes
    • Quizizz – Fun game-based assessments
    • Minecraft: Education Edition – Learning through creativity
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    31 mins
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