Every guest, one page.

A.M. Bhatt runs one of the only public-school quantum computing programs in the United States, opening access to advanced computing for high school students with no prior computer science background.

Aaron Makelky is a high school social studies teacher and AI-in-the-classroom advocate who now also partners with Descript to help educators tell better stories with audio, video, and AI. He's known for grounded, classroom-tested takes on agentic AI and creator tools.

Adam Sparks is an education researcher and former classroom teacher whose work translates academic findings on edtech and screen time into practical guidance for educators, families, and policymakers.

Alex Fairlamb is a UK educator and co-author of The Scaffolding Effect, writing and speaking widely about responsive teaching, retrieval practice, and the everyday craft of supporting learners.

Almar Tishenko is a 19-year-old co-founder of Reading Rooms, a platform reimagining how students read, write, and get feedback in classrooms where AI is now part of the conversation.

Andrew Tidswell works with Discovery Education in the UK, partnering with schools and trusts on adaptive learning programs that support — rather than replace — great teaching.

Ann Elise Record is an elementary math consultant and coach, co-author of the Fluency Doesn't Just Happen series, and the educator behind the Math Running Records and Math Intervention Matters communities. She helps teachers move students from counting to flexible, relational reasoning through manipulatives, coherent intervention, and joyful instruction.

Ashlee Livingstone is a breathwork coach who works with teachers, students, and adolescent athletes on nervous-system regulation. Her micro-practices — including her signature 'driveway breathing' — give educators fast, repeatable tools to come out of survival mode and hold space for struggling learners.

Austin Levinson works with Mega Minds to design CTE experiences that connect students with real industries, real practitioners, and real career pathways while they're still in K–12.

Becky Keene is an education consultant and the author of AI Optimism: A Guide to Redefining Artificial Intelligence in Education. She helps educators and leaders see AI as a tool that can transform learning, address equity and access, and prepare students for an unknown future — starting with practical first steps and a mindset of optimism over fear.

Beth Morris is a St. Vrain Valley educator exploring AI as a coach for her own practice and an idea-generator for students, while protecting the human core of her classroom.

Dr. Betsy Cooper is the founding director of the Aspen Tech Policy Hub and a leading voice on AI governance. She helps schools and public institutions take governance seriously from day one rather than after the headlines hit.

Dr. Boris Konrad is a neuroscientist at the Donders Institute and an international Memory Champion who studies how memory training changes brain connectivity. He trains memory athletes and educators in evidence-based memorization techniques.

Brooklyn Russell is an educator with St. Vrain Valley Schools and a frequent Vrain Waves collaborator, contributing classroom-tested perspective to conversations on AI, scaffolding, and instructional design.

Caleb Hurd is the founder of Chatperone, a child-safe AI assistant. A father of two and 20-year tech veteran, he built the product for his own kids first — long before pitching it to schools or investors.

Dr. Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international speaker, and former teacher whose work on blended learning shapes how thousands of schools design instruction. She helps educators use AI as a thought partner so they can be more available for human connection.

Charlie Huynh leads teaching and learning for OneSchool Global's North American region, building a Learning to Learn framework that helps students take accountability for their own learning and connecting classrooms across borders through programs like the Perfect Pitch Competition.

Dr. Chelsea Polis is a reproductive health researcher at the Guttmacher Institute whose work focuses on fertility awareness, contraceptive access, and the regulation of femtech. She advocates for evidence-based reproductive health information and stronger oversight of reproductive health technologies.

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is the founder of Decisive and a decision-sciences educator who teaches leaders and students how to make better choices in an era when AI answers before you finish the question.

Cooper Sved authored the Blaschke report for CoSN, exploring what the research actually says about screen use in schools and challenging common assumptions driving current conversations about screen time in education.

Courtney Groskin contributes to St. Vrain Valley's AI work, focused on keeping people — students, families, and staff — at the center of how the district adopts AI.

Dr. Dan Werb is an epidemiologist and author whose research focuses on the intersection of urban environments, animal health, and human disease. His books include City of Omens, The Invisible Siege, and Our Wild Familiars.

Dr. Daniel Winters is a district leader whose career spans coaching, school administration, and system-level direction. He reflects on how emotional intelligence shapes leadership decisions, the realities of opening new schools, and what it takes to sustain leadership in education over decades.

Debbie Tannenbaum is a school-based technology specialist in Fairfax County, an author, and a sought-after speaker on meaningful technology integration. She is best known for reframing 'screen time' as 'screen value' and championing creative, purposeful tech use in elementary classrooms.

Derek Tranchina is the creator of TrafficLiteEdu, a practical framework that helps schools bring clarity to AI use through a simple, shared language for what is acceptable, what is not, and what falls somewhere in between.

Ellie Fraser works with Discovery Education to bring adaptive learning into UK schools, with a focus on the day-to-day experience of teachers and pupils using the tools.

Eric Tao is the founder and CEO of Mega Minds, bringing real-world Career & Technical Education experiences into K–12 classrooms by connecting students with working professionals across industries.

Erika Sandstrom — better known online as the "Green Screen Gal" — is a media teacher and creator who helps educators bring video, calm, and joy into their classrooms without adding another thing to their plate.

Dr. Gina Tesoriero is a researcher and former middle school special education teacher whose dissertation work explores how young adults with special education experiences use AI tools like ChatGPT, and the ethical considerations of AI in special education settings.

Ian Rockey is part of the Discovery Education team in the UK, focused on how adaptive learning tools can fit into classroom routines and meaningfully impact teaching practice.

Dr. Inaya Jaafar is an educational psychologist with over 23 years of experience spanning middle school teaching, special services supervision, and elementary school administration. She has published research on educational technology, trauma-informed practices, and teacher resilience.

Isaac Pena teaches in St. Vrain Valley Schools and is part of the cohort of educators featured on Vrain Waves for their ongoing commitment to refining instruction in everyday practice.

Jack Churchill is an assistive technology leader, dyslexic learner, and great-grandson of Winston Churchill. He builds and advocates for tools that make reading, writing, and learning accessible — arguing that assistive tech isn't cheating, it's access.

Jason Kelsall is part of the St. Vrain Valley AI team and helps operationalize the ETHOS framework across schools, classrooms, and district systems.

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo is an infectious disease physician, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and now leads the Infectious Disease Society of America. She is a vocal advocate for evidence-based public health policy and scientific integrity.

Jeff Riley leads work at Day of AI and MIT RAISE, helping schools, families, and students engage with AI safely and ethically through curriculum and large-scale learning events.

Dr. Jennette Vanderpool is an education strategist with CDW whose experience as a teacher, administrator, and board member shapes her approach to efficient spending and smart decision-making in schools. She guides leaders on balancing innovation with responsibility in areas like AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable classroom modernization.

Dr. Jessica Evans has nearly 15 years of experience in higher education, specializing in assessment, accreditation, policy development, and strategic planning. She holds an EdD in Educational Psychology and Technology and is a member of the Steering Committee for Human Rights Educators USA.

Joe Ackerman is a St. Vrain Valley educator who treats AI as an enhancement tool — using it for inspiration, reflection, and planning while keeping student thinking firmly in the driver's seat.

Joe Merrill is a teacher, author, and the co-creator of the InterACTIVE Class series. He blends emerging AI tools with meaningful, student-driven creation to meet every learner where they are.

Dr. Joey Mendoza is a South Texas educator and CTE leader who works on the unglamorous moving parts — certifications, pathways, tutoring, attendance — that make Career & Technical Education actually work for students.

Jonathan De La Cruz is an instructional designer who works at the intersection of learning science and generative AI. He helps teams figure out what AI can productively draft — and what only a designer can decide.

Karle Delo is an AI Strategist at Michigan Virtual and a former district curriculum director. She helps schools across Michigan move past pilot fatigue into coherent, statewide strategy for AI in teaching and learning.

Dr. Kelli Erwin works with Learning.com to bring digital citizenship and computer literacy curriculum to K–12 schools nationwide. She focuses on what gets lost when students get devices without learning how to be thoughtful citizens online.

Dr. Kelly B. Renner is the Assistant Dean and Program Chair of Psychology and Social Sciences at Franklin University. Her research, speaking, and publications focus on burnout, motivation, and team building in educational and organizational contexts.

Dr. Kip Glazer is the principal of Mountain View High School and the author of Ready to Lead With AI. She helps school leaders move from anxious experimentation to confident, principled AI leadership.

Kristen Merrill is a teacher, author, and the co-creator of the InterACTIVE Class series. She designs classroom strategies that move students beyond passive consumption into authentic creation using modern tools.

Kyle Sumrow is the Director of Outreach at Tech My School and leads work on Relief Roster, a substitute-management and volunteer coordination platform built for the realities of today's staffing chaos.

Dr. Laura K. Spencer is Chief Academic Officer at Elite Academic Academy and a former President of CALIE through CUE. She shapes vision, culture, and responsibility at the field level, helping leaders pursue innovation without chasing trends — particularly in AR, VR, and AI-supported learning.

Dr. Lauren Fullmer is an educational learning-experience designer working at the intersection of social-emotional learning, equity, and mathematics. She supports educators in recognizing dyscalculia and designing classrooms where diverse learners build positive math identities.

Dr. Leslie Rutkowski is Professor of Quantitative Research Methodology at Indiana University. Her research focuses on international large-scale assessment models and methods, and she serves as chair of the PISA Technical Advisory Group.

Liesl McConchie is a cognitive-neuroscience educator, speaker, and author of Building a Positive Math Identity: A Brain-Science Approach. Her work helps teachers understand the emotional 'watercolors' students carry into math class and design experiences that build durable, positive math identities.

Lindsay LaPorte is a St. Vrain Valley classroom teacher whose practice focuses on building stronger learning for all ages through deliberate routines and reflective protocols.

Lindsey Shah is the Director of Content and Curricula at Parents as Teachers National Center. She supports the development of research-informed methodologies and resources that emphasize the importance of family engagement in early childhood education.

Lindy Hockenbary is a former classroom teacher turned K–12 EdTech advisor and host of Make EdTech 100. Based in rural Montana, she helps districts make AI literacy and digital literacy part of the work itself — not one more thing.

Lolita Rico is Coordinator of Innovation at Chula Vista Elementary School District. She advances digital citizenship as a foundation for student identity and wellness, approaches AI as a thought partner for teachers, and designs professional learning that avoids initiative fatigue while maximizing student impact.

Dr. Lord Giddie is the Director of Learning Experience Design at National Louis University, where he leads a team dedicated to innovating course design and instructional methodologies. He is a passionate advocate for the intentional use of AI in education to enhance course content creation.

Dr. Mark Hobson is a neuroscience and learning expert who translates brain research for educators — including the surprising overlaps between how the brain learns and how AI 'learns,' and what that means for teaching.

Marne Bender is a Montana school librarian and esports coach who uses the library and competitive gaming to reach students who don't see themselves in traditional school activities — building belonging, leadership, and digital skills along the way.

Marnie Stockman is co-founder and CEO of Lifecycle Insights and a former district leader. She works with schools on what it really means to graduate students who are 'ready' for life beyond school — not just finished with it.

Matt Miller is the author of Ditch That Textbook and a globally recognized speaker on creative, tech-rich teaching. He encourages educators to put on their 'Tomorrow Glasses' and engage AI with optimism, skepticism, and sound pedagogy.

Dr. Matt Moulton is part of the St. Vrain Valley AI team, helping build the district's ETHOS framework — Ethical, Transparent, Human-centered, Opportunity-focused, and Safe AI for schools.

Max Litvinenka co-founded Reading Rooms with Almar Tishenko while still a teenager, focused on tools that protect — rather than replace — student thinking in the AI era.

Melissa Morgan is the founder of Coraltalk, a conversational learning platform built on the idea that real learning comes from dialogue, not content consumption — and that AI should make conversations richer, not rarer.

Merissa Sadler-Holder is a high school French teacher who has become a leading voice for AI fluency in world language classrooms — refusing to cast technology as hero or villain and instead modeling thoughtful, daily use with students.

Dr. Michelle Eckler leads instructional technology for Stratford Public Schools, bringing classroom-tested perspective to district-wide decisions about devices, digital literacy, and student wellbeing.

Dr. Nadia Iftekhar is an alumna of the Educational Psychology and Technology program, specializing in instructional design and accessibility. She is the founder of Modal Education, an inclusive learning platform designed to support Deaf and Hard of Hearing students through visual, accessible math practice.

Natalie Wexler is an education journalist and author of The Knowledge Gap and The Writing Revolution. Her work explores the connection between background knowledge, writing instruction, and equity in American education — including the risks of over-reliance on generative AI.

Nick partners with Marnie Stockman on the 'Ready Beats Finished' work, bringing a leader's lens to portrait-of-a-graduate design and the everyday practices that move students toward real-world readiness.

Dr. Nicki Newton is a math educator, author of more than 20 books on guided math, math workshop, and number sense, and a sought-after consultant. Her work champions joyful, inquiry-based math teaching and a more vulnerable, curious posture in front of students.

Noelle Ellerson Ng is a policy expert who joins the IETL Podcast for federal updates, exploring how shifting political dynamics may impact school districts nationwide and what education leaders should watch closely.

Olivia Odileke is the founder of Spark Curiosity EDU and a regular Education Week contributor. She argues that the missing ingredient in modern classrooms isn't more technology — it's curiosity, and the conditions that protect it.

Patrick Wyman is a historian and author of Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. He is also the creator of The Fall of Rome and Tides of History podcasts, known for making deep history accessible and vivid.

Dr. Paula Cushanick — known to thousands as Dr. C on TikTok — is an educator and creator who pushes back on one of edtech's most stubborn myths: that usage data equals impact.

Pejman Salehi is Vice President Academic at Conestoga College, where he leads work on how esports, gaming, and immersive technologies reshape higher education — building digital skills, strengthening collaboration, and increasing student engagement while keeping equity and future readiness at the center.

Dr. Pooja Agarwal is a cognitive scientist and co-author of Powerful Teaching and Smart Teaching, Stronger Learning. Her work translates the science of learning into bite-sized practices teachers can use tomorrow.

Rachel Ball is a UK educator and co-author of The Scaffolding Effect. She argues that real teachers are hunters of student understanding, not hopeful fishers of mastery.

Rob Dickson is the Chief Information Officer for Wichita Public Schools and a recognized voice in purposeful digital leadership. He shares how trust, collaboration, and strong relationships form the infrastructure that makes lasting EdTech impact possible.

Robert Dunlop is a middle school classroom teacher and coauthor of You've Got This: Finding Happiness and Success in Your First Years of Teaching, offering practical, compassionate guidance for new teachers building confidence in their first years.

Robert Kaplinsky is a math educator, author of Open Middle Math, and co-creator of the Open Middle problem library used by teachers worldwide. He works with schools and districts on professional learning that centers student thinking and meaningful problem-solving.

Ru Marshall is an author and artist whose book American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda pulls back the curtain on one of the 20th century's most fascinating literary frauds, revealing the real lives, lies, and losses buried beneath the myth.

Dr. Samantha Tackett is a faculty member at Florida State University and Director of the Proactive Referral & Engagement Program. Her research focuses on students' academic recovery and the retention of first-generation and underrepresented student populations.

Sean Flynn is a St. Vrain Valley educator using AI as a thought partner — for students as a brainstorming generator and for himself as a coaching tool — without losing what makes his classroom his own.

Sean McLaughlin leads UK community and partnerships for Adobe for Education. He works with schools, MATs, and government partners to use Adobe Express and purposeful AI to put creativity at the center of learning.

Sophie Withey is part of Discovery Education's UK team, working alongside schools and MATs to make adaptive learning a practical, supportive part of classroom life.

Dr. Stacy Hawthorne is a district leader and national speaker who helps K–12 systems lead with learning first and technology second. She partners with school systems across the country to design forward-leaning programs that put student possibility ahead of compliance.

Dr. Stephanie Grach is a physician at Mayo Clinic whose research and clinical work focus on complex chronic conditions, including Long COVID. She advocates for individualized patient care and evidence-based treatment.

Dr. Steve Webb brings experience and insight on the real-world implementation challenges and opportunities that districts face at the intersection of school safety and technology, including surveillance systems, access controls, and emergency communication tools.

Suzanne Dailey is an instructional coach and coauthor of You've Got This: Finding Happiness and Success in Your First Years of Teaching. She focuses on supporting new teachers with classroom management, routines, and tech habits that reduce stress instead of adding to it.

Tara Thomas is a registered lobbyist for AASA, The School Superintendents Association, providing federal policy updates focused on the issues that matter most to K–12 education leaders.

Ted Dintersmith is the author of Aftermath and What School Could Be, producer of three Sundance education films, and a tireless advocate for reimagining school in an age of machine intelligence. He argues that math education must shift from rote mechanics to the powerful ideas adults actually use.

Tim Belmont teaches Language Arts and coordinates technology at Lyndhurst High School. He builds programs that give student voice a real stage — podcasting, publishing, and public speaking included.

Tim Needles is a STEAM teacher, K–12 Technology Integration Specialist, and ISTE author who explores the intersection of art, technology, and student voice — championing concept-driven tool selection and using digital tools to democratize creativity in classrooms.

Tisha Richmond is a veteran CTE educator, instructional technology coach, and author whose framework for Career & Technical Education centers joy, identity, and human connection alongside skill-building.

Tricia Starzynski is a St. Vrain Valley educator who continually refines her instructional practice through small, intentional shifts in language, error analysis, and reflection.

Valerie Brock leads curriculum for Day of AI, the MIT RAISE initiative bringing AI literacy to millions of K–12 students worldwide. Her work focuses on what AI literacy actually means for young learners — well beyond prompt engineering.

Wendy Schuller is a master teacher whose work on scaffolding is grounded in empathy — observing students closely, responding precisely, and bridging them toward independence.