Digital Equity: How to Understand The Problems Facing #Edtech
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 04/30/2019
Getting Consistent Results from AI: What Teachers and Students Need to Know
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Many teachers are frustrated when AI gives great results one day and confusing or unreliable responses the next. This episode explores why that happens and how it affects both teachers and students in real classrooms. I sit down with Rob the AI Guy to unpack a key concept that explains much of this inconsistency and helps educators use AI more wisely. If you want clearer results and better classroom conversations about AI, this episode will help. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Understand why AI responses can drift or become unreliable over time Use simple strategies, like starting...
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The Science of Attention: The Difference One Teacher Makes
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
The science of attention explains why learning cannot happen without focus—and why one teacher can make all the difference. Learn how to understand the science of attention and help students learn. This episode is an extended episode shared from my other podcast/radio/TV show: Cool Cat Teacher Talk. I'm sharing it because it is helpful, but also because I share a very special story at the end. - I hope you enjoy! - Vicki In this episode, host Vicki Davis sits down with Myriam Da Silva, AI ethicist, neuroeducation leader, and CEO of , to explore how attention actually...
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4 Essential Ways to Teach Reading with Jennifer Burns
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Every child can become a reader — but only when we build strong foundational skills. In this episode, literacy consultant Jennifer Burns explains the “Fundamental Four” every student needs to read with confidence: seeing like a reader, hearing like a reader, thinking like a reader, and believing they are a reader. Whether you teach early learners, support struggling readers, or want practical strategies to strengthen reading instruction, Jennifer shares clear, teacher-ready ideas you can use right away. You’ll learn how to improve eye training and decoding, how to reduce reading...
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Play, Curiosity, and the Joy of Math with Dan Finkel
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
What if math could feel like play? 🎲 In this inspiring episode, mathematician and educator Dan Finkel—founder of —joins Vicki Davis, the Cool Cat Teacher, to explore how curiosity, productive struggle, and play can make math more meaningful and fun for every learner. Discover how to start math lessons with questions, why struggle builds deeper understanding, and how to help students fall in love with problem-solving again. Perfect for teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to make learning joyful. 📘 Show Notes & Links: 🧲 Sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by...
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Can AI Replace Teachers? Dr. Catlin Tucker on Smarter Lesson Design and UDL
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Dr. Catlin Tucker, bestselling author and blended learning expert, joins Vicki Davis to talk about how teachers can design better lessons with AI—without losing their essential human touch. From universal design for learning (UDL) to creating meaningful student choice, Dr. Tucker explains how AI can elevate lesson planning when used with intentionality and creativity. They discuss the limits of “AI lesson generators,” what true differentiation looks like, and why great teaching still depends on relationships, empathy, and design thinking. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Clixo, an...
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6 Ideas for Teaching Writing Now with Nancy McCabe
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Teaching writing can feel challenging in today’s world of short attention spans and AI-generated text—but it doesn’t have to be! In this encouraging episode, author and professor Nancy McCabe joins host Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) to share six creative strategies that help students rediscover the joy of writing. From 10-minute free writing sessions to outdoor field trips and imitating great authors, Nancy shares proven ideas that work for every age. She also explains why mistakes and “messy drafts” are not problems to fix—but signs of authentic thinking and growth. Sponsored by...
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AI, Speakable, and the Future of Language Teaching
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Learning a new language can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! In this inspiring conversation, Spanish teacher Dawne Beck joins host Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) to share practical ways to create a low-anxiety, high-engagement classroom where students actually enjoy speaking another language. From using game-based learning and storytelling to integrating AI pronunciation tools like Speakable, Dawne explains how to build students’ confidence while keeping the focus on communication over perfection. She also discusses strategies for helping third-language learners and students who...
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ChatGPT, Mental Health and the Teen Tragedy We Can't Ignore
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
My students asked me about the Adam Raine wrongful death suit. Parents have asked me. So, I had to spend some time digging into the issues there and how I will be part of the solution. Part of protecting kids from their favorite 'homework helper.' We should all be concerned, and I look forward to continuing to learn and converse about the issue of our times as it relates to children. Show notes and resources:
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Why Teachers Must Learn to Say "No" (And How to Do It)
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Teachers often feel pressured to say “yes” to everything. Dr. Brad Johnson shares why assertiveness is the secret to avoiding burnout and thriving in your teaching career and how you can do it in a way that you're not considered negative. 3 Takeaways: • Assertiveness is about healthy boundaries, not aggression. • Saying “no” is essential to teacher self-care. • Administrators and teachers both benefit from assertive communication. Growth Reflection: How do you set healthy boundaries as an educator? Show Notes Link:
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A Cool Secret for Helping Kids Understand Math
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Too many kids see math as boring or irrelevant. Tinashe Blanchet shares how creative, real-world projects like scale models can help students engage deeply with math while still hitting standards. Read more: 3 Takeaways: • Scale models and PBL connect math to real life. • Measurement is often the weakest test area—but projects can fix that. • Teachers can start small with PBL, even in tight schedules. Growth Reflection: How have you used projects to make math more engaging? Show notes link:
info_outlineDr. Nicol R. Howard champions digital equity issues for children. What are those issues? How can we help? Today we take a dive into digital equity and the issues we should all consider -- and it is not just those with poverty who may not have access. Hear the surprising thing realized at the end of the show.
Related Resources
Closing the Gap: Digital Equity Strategies for Teacher Prep Programs,
Pre-order --- Closing the Gap: Digital Equity Strategies for the K-12 Classroom
Standing in the Gap: Empowering New Teachers Through Connected Resources
Journal pubs:
Howard, N.R. (2018). EdTech Leaders’ Beliefs: How are K-5 teachers supported with the integration of computer science in K-5 classrooms?. Technology, Knowledge and Learning. doi:10.1007/s10758-018-9371-2
Howard, N.R. & Ifenthaler, D. (2018). Integrating STEM Opportunities for Young Learners. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 23(2), 1-3. doi: 10.1007/s10758-018-9364-1
Nicol Howard, Ph.D. - Bio As Submitted
Nicol R. Howard, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Redlands. She has served as an educator in various capacities over the past 19 years. She has taught at the high school level (9th – 12th grades and Special Education), grades K through 5, and she was a Program Specialist in Personalized and Blended Learning. Nicol has also taught in the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University.
Nicol is the outgoing co-chair for ISTE’s Digital Equity Network, and she is the past chair for the American Educational Research Association’s Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning SIG. Her research foci are equitable uses of technology in K16 classrooms, STEM Education opportunities and achievement, and teacher education concerns. Her writing has appeared in the Corwin Connected Educators Series Standing in the Gap: Empowering New Teachers Through Connected Resources, Urban Education Journal, International Journal of Educational Technology, EduCause, Edutopia, and eCampus News.
Blog: https://www.nicolhoward.com
Twitter: @nicolrhoward