My 30 Hot June AI and Edtech Tools and EduNews Show (June 2025)
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Release Date: 06/19/2025
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? đ˛ In this inspiring episode, mathematician and educator Dan Finkelâfounder of âjoins 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. đ Show Notes & Links: 𧲠Sponsor: Todayâs episode is sponsored by...
info_outline
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 AIâwithout 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 âAI lesson generators,â 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...
info_outline
6 Ideas for Teaching Writing Now with Nancy McCabe
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Teaching writing can feel challenging in todayâs world of short attention spans and AI-generated textâbut it doesnât 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 âmessy draftsâ are not problems to fixâbut signs of authentic thinking and growth. Sponsored by...
info_outline
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 doesnât 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 studentsâ confidence while keeping the focus on communication over perfection. She also discusses strategies for helping third-language learners and students who...
info_outline
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:
info_outline
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 âyesâ 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 ânoâ 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:
info_outline
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 areaâbut 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_outline
Richard Culatta: What an AI-Ready Graduate Really Looks Like
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
AI didnât break assessmentsâit revealed just how flawed they already were. Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, shares how schools can prepare AI-ready graduates, address bias, and rethink what learning really looks like. Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e912 3 Takeaways: ⢠Assessments werenât broken by AIâthey were broken already. ⢠An AI-ready graduate needs strong human skills like storytelling and problem-solving. ⢠Addressing bias requires both human awareness and AI tools for cross-checking. Growth Reflection: How should schools redefine assessments in the age of...
info_outline
Building Cybersecurity Skills in Schools: The Student SOC
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Cyber attacks on schools are growing. Auburn Universityâs Jay James shows how student-led cybersecurity operations prepare learners and protect campuses. 3 Takeaways: ⢠Student SOCs give real-world, hands-on cybersecurity training. ⢠AI tools like Microsoft Security Co-Pilot mentor students in real time. ⢠K-12 schools can start small with focused projects and grow from there. Growth Prompt: How do you prepare studentsâor staffâfor real cybersecurity threats? Show notes link:
info_outline
Low Morale or Toxic Culture? Solutions with Stand Tall Steve Bollar
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
Staff morale slipping or culture feeling off? In minutes, Stand Tall Steve Bollar shares quick, no-cost moves to lift school climate, empower staff, and unite your campus. Full links + guest bio: . Follow the 10 Minute Teacher for weekly classroom-ready tips. 3 Takeaways ⢠Run a 7-week student-to-staff micro-challenge to build relationships fast. ⢠Use five levels of decision-making to boost empowerment and morale. ⢠Choose shared âanchorsâ to align subcultures and reduce toxicity. Growth Prompt Which micro-move will you try firstâlearn names, compliment shoes, thumbs-up...
info_outlineReady for a deep dive into the latest AI tools and education headlines? In this special extended news episode, Vicki Davis shares 15 cutting-edge AI tools including Gemini's new video parsing capabilities, Claude Opus 4's powerful features, and Perplexity Labs' research tools, plus 15 critical news stories every educator needs to know. From AI ethics and security warnings to practical classroom applications, this episode delivers real classroom tech use insights you can implement immediately.
Subscribe for weekly teacher-tested edtech tips and join the conversation at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e904
I'm also including vocabulary and links at the show notes. This week's show includes the vocabulary:
- smishing
- vishing
- multimodal conversational AI
- deep fake
- rage-bait cinema
- LOTS (Living off Trusted Services) attack
- Passkeys
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
This vocabulary and links to resources are included to help educate you and to give you a resource that you can use with students about this particular topic.
A Personal Update from Vicki
As school got out, my son got married and I had quite a few speeches here in Georgia, so I ended up with 2-3 weeks of news/tool content to share, so I just put them together on my radio show this week and for you on this longer-than-normal episode.
I appreciate the grace while I'm in the summer months and recovering and I hope you take care of yourself and recover as well. We need the rest so we can be our best! And stay tuned next week for some amazing ISTE 2025 episodes - whether you're going or not, I want you to see the cool things happening!
As always, I want you to feel included, informed, and helped to keep up in practical ways as things are changing.