In this episode of Integrate This!, Jeremy and David welcome Donna Roper and Jen Hegna from AI4MN for a thoughtful conversation about artificial intelligence, education, and what it means to keep human connection at the center of rapid change.

Donna and Jen share the story behind the Minnesota Generative AI Alliance, now known as AI4MN, and how the group’s work has evolved from early conversations about generative AI into a broader statewide effort focused on responsible AI leadership, professional empowerment, human-centered design, and statewide coherence.

The conversation explores how Minnesota educators and leaders can prepare learners for a world shaped by AI while still prioritizing relationships, judgment, empathy, collaboration, and human agency. Donna and Jen also discuss why rural and under-resourced districts need to be part of the design process, why professional learning should empower educators rather than simply train them on tools, and why some things — especially relationships and human judgment — should never be outsourced to AI.

The episode also previews the upcoming AI Thought Leaders Summit in St. Cloud, an event designed to bring together K–12, higher education, workforce, and policy leaders to build shared language, strengthen collaboration, and help participants leave with agency, hope, and practical next steps.

Learn more at AI4MN.org.

In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast sits down with Dr. Nneka McGee -- math teacher turned chief academic officer, doctoral researcher, and one of the few educators who was building AI initiatives in schools before ChatGPT ever arrived on the scene. Nneka shares her journey from lugging around a 27-pound IBM computer as a kid to becoming one of the most thoughtful voices in the AI education space. The conversation covers why AI in education is decades older than most people realize, the ethics and terms of service concerns that slowed her down when others were rushing in, her AI Creative Framework, what schools are missing when it comes to young learners and AI, and why quantum computing might be the next big thing nobody in education is talking about yet. A rich, grounded, and genuinely fun conversation.

Learn more from Dr. Nneka McGee

Muon Global: https://muonglobal.com/founders-space

The Detour Degree: https://muonglobal.com/the-detour-degree

Resources at Muon Global: https://muonglobal.com/resources

In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast, hosts David Berner and Jeremy Mikla sit down with Dr. Jorge Valenzuela -- educator, author, PBL Works national faculty member, and founder of his own instructional coaching practice. Jorge shares his journey from the foster care system to computer science, into the classroom, through district leadership, and eventually onto national stages as a keynote speaker and consultant. The conversation covers his "PBL Plus" framework for project-based learning, how AI integration fits into -- not on top of -- strong teaching practice, what authentic professional development actually looks like, and why relationships are the foundation of everything he does. A rich, honest conversation about purpose, alignment, and what it means to keep teaching at the center of educational innovation. Follow Jorge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgedoespbl/ Check out Jorge's Website: https://www.lifelonglearningdefined.com/

In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast, hosts David Berner and Jeremy Mikla sit down with Thomas Riddle — award-winning educator, author of Imagineering Education, assistant director at Roper Mountain Science Center, and a man who once got a letter read by George Lucas. Thomas shares his 35-year journey through classroom teaching, school leadership, district curriculum coordination, and college instruction, and makes a compelling case that the principles Disney Imagineers use to design theme parks can — and should — be applied to schools. The conversation covers the power of storytelling in the classroom, designing learning spaces around curriculum (not the other way around), immersive student experiences, and what it looks like to run what some call "the educational Disneyland." Plus, the Indiana Jones connection you didn't see coming.

Watch the YouTube Interview Here: https://youtu.be/2VH5jJcc2vk

Check out the Timeless Heroes Documentary featuring Thomas on Disney+

Follow Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasriddle21/

Check out the Website: https://www.imagineeringedu.com/

Order the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP43S9WZ?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_YBY07DSYF8KZAMHDFRT9&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_YBY07DSYF8KZAMHDFRT9&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_YBY07DSYF8KZAMHDFRT9&bestFormat=true

In this episode of Integrate This, Jeremy and David welcome back Matt Miller, creator of Ditch That Textbook and author of the new book AI Literacy in Any Class. Matt shares what he’s seeing from inside the classroom as he teaches high school Spanish while continuing his work as an author, speaker, blogger, and edtech leader.

The conversation explores how teachers can build AI literacy without adding “one more thing” to an already full plate. Matt discusses the value of “by-the-way” AI literacy moments, why students need to practice critiquing AI outputs, and how teacher-led AI activities can help students understand AI’s role, usefulness, and limits. The group also digs into responsible use, the tension between preparing students for an AI-shaped future and maintaining academic integrity, and why human thinking should come before AI assistance.

They also discuss practical classroom ideas from Matt’s book, including the “Be the Bot” activity, the “Always Be Critiquing” mindset, and the Prompt & Ponder sections that help teachers personalize AI literacy for their own classrooms.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Matt’s book, AI Literacy in Any Class: https://ditchthattextbook.com/alac/

Ditch That Textbook newsletter: https://ditchthattextbook.com/join/

Ditch That Textbook: https://ditchthattextbook.com/

Matt Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ditchthattextbook/

In this episode of Integrate This EdTech Podcast, Jeremy and David talk with Hattie Strong from SchoolAI about what it really looks like to bring AI into schools in ways that are safe, practical, and genuinely helpful for teachers and students.

Hattie shares her journey from the elementary classroom to supporting schools through SchoolAI, and the conversation digs into what makes an AI platform truly pedagogy first. You’ll hear about safe student-facing AI, built-in guardrails, teacher oversight, differentiated learning spaces, AI literacy, and why the human element in teaching still matters most.

The episode also explores how schools can help teachers move from AI skepticism to confident classroom use, how SchoolAI supports implementation and professional learning, and why the best AI tools should act more like a thought partner or teammate than just another tool on the menu.

If you’ve been wondering how to approach AI in education without losing sight of good teaching, this conversation is a great place to start.

Links:

SchoolAI website: https://schoolai.com/

School AI Champions Community: https://schoolai.com/champions

Hattie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hattie-strong/

In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast, hosts Dave Berner and Jeremy Mikla sit down with Tara Nattrass, Chief Innovation Strategist at Lenovo and former innovation strategy leader at ISTE and ASCD. Tara shares her journey from elementary classroom teacher to education thought leader and makes a compelling case that the AI in education conversation needs to shift — away from tools and efficiency, and toward what learning is actually supposed to look like. The conversation covers competency-based learning, opportunity gaps, why teacher burnout must be addressed before student engagement can improve, how industry partnerships can reshape curriculum thinking, and the Lenovo AI Innovator Studio and Challenge. A thoughtful, big-picture episode for educators who want to think beyond the chatbot.

Connect with Tara: Tara Nattrass | LinkedIn

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VZY5JtERUic

In this episode of Integrate This!, we sit down with Sabba Quidwai for a thoughtful conversation about what schools are getting right — and wrong — about AI. Sabba shares how her own journey from classroom teacher to innovation leader has shaped the way she thinks about technology, agency, and the future of learning.

We dig into why schools need a compelling story for AI before they ever start with tools, why educators should stop thinking of AI as just a generator and start seeing it as a teammate, and how systems can use AI to scale strong instructional practices instead of just chasing the latest app.

Sabba also talks about coding as a new literacy, why voice may become one of the most important interfaces for learning, and how schools can better prepare students for a world where human and machine collaboration is becoming the norm.

This episode is full of big-picture thinking, practical insight, and a strong reminder that the future of AI in education has to stay deeply human.

Links:

• Designing Schools Podcast: https://designingschools.org/podcast/
• Designing Schools Website: https://designingschools.org/
• Sabba on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/