Deirdre Quarnstrom: Deirdre Quarnstrom is VP, Engineering for Education and leads Microsoft’s AI-enhanced learning product portfolio and strategy. She started her work in education, bringing Minecraft Education to students and educators around the world. Deirdre also serves as a Director on the board of the Block by Block Foundation and is a founding partner and advisor at Reaction, a social impact VC fund.
Trey Davis: Trey Davis is the Chief Information Officer for Broward County Public Schools, the sixth largest K-12 school district in the United States, accountable for technology strategy and operations district-wide. Over his 35-year career, he has worked in both public and private sectors and founded multiple technology startups. He has worked in all major operating markets worldwide, with multiple residencies in France, Germany, South Africa, and the United Kingdom with Lotus Development and IBM.
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Contact me for speaking & training related to AI, AI and the law, Cybersecurity, SEL, STEM, and more! bit.ly/thriveineduPD
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In this episode of the ThriveinEDU podcast, I share the importance of reflection in personal and professional growth. Reflection is essential for understanding our experiences and improving our practices. Rachelle shares practical strategies for incorporating reflection into daily routines, engaging students and colleagues in the process, and avoiding isolation by building connections with others. The episode concludes with a reminder of the impact reflection can have on our work and the importance of continuous learning.
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Career-connected learning opportunities for our students and preparing them for the future.
Does innovation require technology?
Some questions to consider and ideas to explore in our classrooms.
A quick episode with some tips about AI literacy, protecting one's data, developing policies, and other considerations when it comes to AI.
About Rachelle
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About Jagriti
Jagriti Agrawal is a co-founder of Kira where she’s channeling her background in AI to help teachers unlock student potential. Before starting Kira, she built automation software for the Mars 2020 rover mission at NASA—but it was the pull toward building something with real-world impact in classrooms that brought her to education. She’s passionate about making powerful tools accessible to every teacher and student.
Sign up: https://bit.ly/rachelle-get-kira
X: https://x.com/Kira_Learning
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/kira-learning/
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Dr. Matthew Rhoads is a dynamic EdTech and instructional leader, specializing in AI and technology integration, co-teaching and inclusion strategies, instructional coaching, and data-driven leadership. With extensive experience across TK-20 education, he coaches teachers, manages learning applications, and leads technology initiatives for a consortium of Adult Education Schools. Dr. Rhoads has written 10 influential books on instructional coaching, tech integration, educational leadership, and co-teaching. He also lectures at San Diego State University and works closely with doctoral students at Concordia University Irvine, supporting the next generation of educational leaders.
Most recently the 2025 CCAE Southern Adult Education Service Award Winner and the 2020 San Diego CUE Tech Innovator of the Year, Dr. Rhoads is dedicated to creating equitable and inclusive classrooms. Connect with Dr. Rhoads on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/matthew-rhoads-ed-d-95772120), join the conversation on Twitter (@mattrhoads1990) or Threads/Instagram at DrRhoadsEdu.
https://matthewrhoads.com/books/
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Bruce Jackson — Tech Innovator with a Mission for Inclusion
As CTO and Co-Founder of Kai’s Education, I’ve dedicated my career to making technology an open door, not a barrier. Growing up with ADHD and partial blindness, I know firsthand how traditional learning can leave students behind. That experience drives my mission to create tools that make coding, STEM, and creative problem-solving accessible to all learners — regardless of their starting point.
Before Kai’s Education, I founded 3D Printing Systems, bringing cutting-edge manufacturing tools into classrooms and industry. At Kai’s, I lead the design and development of our award-winning products — Kai’s Clan and KaiBot — blending robotics, AR/VR, and screen-free coding to turn classrooms into immersive, hands-on learning spaces.
Recent highlights:
Driving product innovation that has won Common Sense Top Pick for Learning and Smart AI Toy Award.
Partnering with Apple, Project Lead The Way, and global accessibility leaders to ensure inclusive learning experiences.
Expanding Kai’s Education’s reach to schools in the U.S., Europe, and beyond.
For me, it’s never just about teaching kids to code — it’s about building confidence, sparking curiosity, and giving every student the tools to create their own future.
Ronel Schodt — Empowering the Next Generation of Creative Learners
As CEO and Co-Founder of Kai’s Education, I’m on a mission to make learning feel less like instruction and more like discovery. Our tools blend robotics, coding, literacy, math, and creative play to help all students thrive — from emerging readers and math-averse learners to neurodiverse students and those left out of traditional models.
I believe computer science shouldn’t be a luxury or an afterthought — it should be part of every child’s toolkit for thinking, creating, and solving real-world problems.
Recent highlights:
Keynote speaker at Electrify Aotearoa 2025, sharing our journey scaling an edtech startup globally.
Workshop facilitator on creative coding and cross-curricular integration for young learners.
Leading Kai’s Education’s U.S. expansion, now growing in Texas, Utah, and New York.
Forging partnerships with Apple, Common Sense, and the American Printing House to support accessible learning for all.
In my role, I focus on:
Vision & culture — driving our mission and strategy.
Sales & growth — building sustainable revenue through district partnerships.
Partnerships — working with institutions, investors, and educators to ensure our solutions are relevant, accessible, and loved.
We’re not just selling robots — we’re unlocking confidence, curiosity, and creative thinking in the next generation.
Website: kaiseducation.com
LinkedIn: Bruce Jackson ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-jackson-nz/) & Ronel Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronel-schodt-a6a07411/
Email: info@kaiseducation.com
For schools: book a demo directly via our site.
Social: @kaiseducation on all major platforms.
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Always enjoy having Thomas and Thomas on the show! Great work they are doing with Eduaide for educators! Hope you enjoy this episode and sign up to use Eduaide. Then share it with other educators!
Thomas Hummel is a middle school science teacher and soccer coach. He is the Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Eduaide.
Thomas Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of Eduaide.Ai, where he is building an end-to-end instructional design platform for teachers enabled by generative AI. His work integrates cognitive science, instructional design, and the history and philosophy of education to translate research into practical tools for the classroom. A former classroom teacher and non-profit director, he has maintained a consistent focus across roles: creating systems that support effective teaching and account for the complexities of how people think, learn, and develop over time.
More about Eduaide
Eduaide on LinkedIn
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Contact me for speaking & training related to AI, AI and the law, Cybersecurity, SEL, STEM, and more! bit.ly/thriveineduPD
Interested in a sponsored podcast or collaboration? Contact me! Rdene915@gmail.com
About Dr. Will
Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D., aka Dr. Will, is a District Instructional Technologist, edupreneur, and host of The Dr. Will Show Podcast. Featured on Forbes.com, EdSurge, and more, he helps K–12 educators go digital through coaching, PD, and online learning. He’s also the director of the documentary The Edupreneur: Making the Impact and the Income and author of The Edupreneur: Your Blueprint to Jumpstart and Scale Your Education Business.
Watch the film: [Vimeo OnDemand]
Get the book: [EduMatch Publishing Store]
Connect on LinkedIn
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Sign up for the webinar: bit.ly/kiraweb
Moderator: Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth
Panelists:
Jeff Bradbury: Author: Impact Standards: Designing District Systems that Power K12 Learning and Founder of the TeacherCast Educational Network
Rick Gaston, Head of Teacher Professional Development at Kira
Courtney Morgan, Teacher Professional Development Manager at Kira
Description: AI is changing the way we teach and learn — but not all students (or teachers) feel ready to embrace it. In this interactive session, we’ll tackle the “elephant in the room” by addressing AI skepticism head-on and showing how educators can use AI to support, not replace, authentic learning.
Our panel will share practical strategies for:
Introducing AI in ways that build trust and confidence
Using AI to personalize learning without sacrificing rigor
Guiding students to think critically about AI-generated content
Saving time on prep while deepening instructional impact
Whether you’re curious, cautious, or already experimenting with AI, you’ll leave with ready-to-use ideas, examples you can adapt tomorrow, and a clear picture of how AI can meet every learner exactly where they are.
Powered by Kira Learning (blurb)This session is presented in partnership with Kira, an AI-powered teaching and learning platform that helps educators save time, personalize instruction, and engage every student. Learn more at kira-learning.com
About Michelle
Michelle Manning is an Instructional Technology Integration Specialist with over 30 years of experience in education. She is passionate about using technology to enhance the curriculum, making personalized lessons accessible for all students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge.
As a presenter and featured speaker at international conferences, Michelle shares her expertise with educators, helping them integrate technology into their classrooms. She emphasizes the role of technology as a digital assistant, empowering educators to save time and transform their teaching practices.
Connect with Michelle
https://www.facebook.com/ManningTechTalk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manningtechtalk/
https://www.instagram.com/manningtechtalk/
https://bsky.app/profile/manningtechtalk.bsky.social
https://www.threads.net/@manningtechtalk
https://www.tiktok.com/@manningtechtalk
https://www.youtube.com/@ManningTechTalk
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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About Valerie
Valerie Brock is the Curriculum Director at Day of AI, where she leads the development of engaging, age-appropriate AI literacy resources for educators and students.
Before joining Day of AI, she served as a Computer Science Education Manager with NYC Public Schools, supporting teachers in integrating computer science across classrooms citywide. Valerie began her career as a special education teacher for grades K–8, where she focused on blending technology with student interests to create meaningful learning experiences. A passionate advocate for AI education, she has also developed early childhood curricula to help young learners understand the impact of AI on their daily lives.
Valerie holds a B.S. in Childhood Education, an M.S. in Special Education from St. John’s University, and a School Building Leader certificate from the College of St. Rose.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brock-valerie/
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Learn more about Frederick:
Frederick "Rick" is an ISTE Certified Educator, Trainer, and ISTE Certified Instructional Leader, a Google for Education Champion that is a member of the Certified Innovator (#NYC19 cohort), Trainer, and Coach communities, the founder and leader of GEG Minnesota Metro Area, a GEG Mentor, a co-president of CSTA-MN, a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert from 2020-2025, a Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow from 2022-2025, and an Adobe Creative Educator Innovator that is passionate about leveraging technology to make the daily work of educators more efficient, their teaching more engaging, and their lives more fulfilling.
He earned his BA in music education from the University of Minnesota at Morris with majors in trombone and voice, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Arts Integration from Lesley University, and a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology from Mankato State University including Graduate Certificates for Digital Educator, Technologist, Educational Technology in the Classroom and Computer, Keyboard, and Related Technology. He has been an educator in ISD #271, Bloomington Public Schools, since 1998. He is available for professional development, teacher trainings, speaking engagements, and educator-to-educator connections.
Frederick "Rick" Ballew
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Kelli Chavez is an educator at Beehive Science and Technology Academy who is passionate about student learning and exploring new ideas in her classroom. We talk about her use of Socrait.
Socrait is a voice-enabled class assistant designed by a teacher who understands the demands of the job.Socrait helps with this by automating some of the time-consuming (yet essential) aspects of teaching. Tasks such as taking attendance, logging behavioral incidents, tracking student participation, recording praises, reminders, warnings, and even drafting personalized follow-up emails to families are important and can take away valuable time from our students.
https://socrait.com/getting-started/
https://x.com/Socrait_PBC
https://socrait.com/about/
https://socrait.com/alpha100/
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Bio: Alyssa Faubion, known as Farmer Faubs, is a passionate educator, innovator, and advocate for creativity in the classroom. As District Growth Manager at Book Creator, she brings over a decade of experience transforming teaching and learning through cutting-edge technologies. Alyssa has presented at leading conferences, including FETC, AIR Show, ISTE, and served as a keynote speaker at MACUL, showcasing how edtech can spark creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Connect on X: @farmerfaubs
Bio: Jessica Faubion has been an educator for 14 years, spending 12 of those years teaching in El Paso, Texas, where she taught Language Arts, Dyslexia intervention, Gifted & Talented, Math, and Science. She now teaches 8th-grade U.S. History in Kentucky. Jessica strives to create engaging learning experiences that spark curiosity in all students. She believes in meeting learners where they are and inspiring them in unique ways. A strong advocate for project-based learning, Jessica designs opportunities for students to explore historical concepts through creative, hands-on projects that promote critical thinking and collaboration.--
Connect with Jessica: on X @Jess_faubion
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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About Mati
Mati is currently Co-Founder & COO at School In One, an EdTech App (Endeavor ScaleUp 2025 Miami-based) operating in the USA as a SaaS or "SIS" (Student Information System) for K12 schools (kindergarten to 12th grade). The platform also operates back in LatAm, with +700,000 users, 40 full-time employees, $2.5M ARR, and +800 schools in 120 different cities. The team raised $500K from one Investor in LatAm for the US market expansion.
Over the last few years, he helped +300 startups internationalize in Miami, with an accelerator that Mati co-managed until October 2023, owned by businessman Moishe Mana. During that moment, He structured strategic alliances with Dell for Startups, Wilson Sonsini, Zendesk, Delta & LatAm Airlines, Marriott, Deel, and acceleration, internationalization, and local economy promotion programs with Microsoft, IDB, ProChile, ProColombia, Uruguay XXI, Ingenio Incubadora, Ganesha Lab, etc., bringing $1M ARR and growing the team from 2 to 8 people.
Learn more about Mati on LinkedIn.
Instagram: School In One
LinkedIn: School In One
About Rachelle
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In this pop-up episode, I share some tools to explore for educators.
And School In One, an all-in-one platform! Schedule a meeting with Mati Barbero to learn more and tell him that Rachelle recommended School In One: https://calendar.app.google/GKBeBXAzJ4U8RRX37
About Rachelle
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About Vernon
Vernon Wright, also known as @TheWrightLeader, is a multifaceted professional whose work spans across speaking, mentoring, serving on boards, authoring, leading, and educating. He has shared insights gleaned from his diverse experiences with audiences at various levels, from regional to national, and has been featured on over 50 podcasts.
Vernon is a sought-after and dynamic speaker who frequently shares his expertise and insights at a wide range of educational conferences, including prestigious events such as TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association), Learning Forward Texas, the IDCC (Instructional Design Coaching and Consulting) Leadership Conference - ESC Region 10, and TCASE (Texas Council for Administrators of Special Education). Soon, Vernon will expand his reach when he speaks at the Leadership EDIT Conference in Kansas City in June, on the convergence of leadership, empathy, trauma-informed practices, and more.
His speaking engagements and workshops focus on assisting educational institutions and organizations in developing strong synergies among their teams and building high-performing, collaborative cultures that foster innovation and success. Vernon's ability to connect with his audience and share actionable strategies has made him a popular and respected figure in the education community.
In addition to his speaking engagements, Vernon has also been involved in significant collaborative projects within the educational technology sector.
Notably, he played a key role in the former joint venture between Microsoft EDU and CUE Inc. (Computer-Using Educators), where he contributed his expertise to the development and implementation of innovative educational technology solutions.
Vernon is dedicated to mentoring others in their pursuit of excellence and invites you to connect with his work at TheWrightLeader.com.
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/thewrightleader
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewrightleader
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewrightleader/
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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About Maria
Maria is the CEO of Socrait, PBC, bringing 30 years of experience in education, including classroom teaching, online learning design, and EdTech innovation. After the sale of Coursetune, where she was co-founder and CEO, Maria just wanted to go back to teaching and embarked on an “adventure” into K-12 education as a teacher at Beehive Academy of Science and Technology. Her current work focuses on leveraging AI and advanced technologies to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in education today. Maria lives in Utah, where she enjoys hiking in slot canyons, camping in a tiny trailer, and being walked by her two huskies.
Links AI Detective Game
https://socrait.com/getting-started/
https://x.com/Socrait_PBC
https://socrait.com/about/
https://socrait.com/alpha100/
About Rachelle
Educator, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Attorney, and Author
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Ronil Dubal is an 11th-grade student in San Jose, California. He is the founder of Studysnap, a free AI-powered app that helps students study productively.
Description of Studysnap: Studysnap turns pictures of textbook pages and handwritten notes into interactive practice quizzes and flashcards.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronildubal/Learn more about Studysnap: https://studysnap.app/
About Rachelle
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