Episode 04: The Heart Behind the Hardware: Conversations With Alabama’s Tech Leaders

In this episode of Driving Education, Katie and Aubrey ride along with Alabama’s top tech leaders to explore how instructional technology is really about people—not devices. You’ll hear from Angie Clark, Katie Maddox, and Molly Evans as they share stories of innovation, collaboration, unplugged backups, 3D printing prosthetics, and the human connections that make teaching powerful. Their message is clear: technology can enhance learning, but it will never replace the relationships that change students’ lives.

Angie Clark, Region 7 Technology in Motion Specialist;
Katie Maddox, Director of Instructional Technology for Chilton County Schools; and
Molly Evans, Enrichment Specialist for Hoover City Schools.

• The evolution of classroom technology (iPads, Google Classroom, Chromebooks)

• What technology can and cannot replace

• The importance of in-person collaboration among tech leaders

• How Alabama’s edtech network (ALET & ATIM) supports schools

• Building teacher confidence and encouraging risk-taking

• Preparing for outages with unplugged backup plans

• Real-world learning through 3D printing and biomedical engineering

• Why students need to “see themselves in the real world”

• The balance between innovation and student safety

• Human connection as the foundation of all teaching

Key Quote:
“Technology can enhance teaching — but it will never, ever replace the human behind it.”