SupportED Learning Podcast

Episode 30 - Google's Former Chief on The 7 Skills You'll Actually Need to Succeed in the AI Era

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488800/fan_mail/new] In this episode of the SupportED Learning Podcast, Dr. Joe Sebestyen sits down with Jaime Casap, Google's former Chief Education Evangelist, to explain why a kid from Hell's Kitchen raised on welfare ended up putting technology into the hands of 130 million students and teachers worldwide — and why most schools have wasted that technology. Jaime shares the framework that made him one of the most quoted voices in education: stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, and start asking what problem they want to solve. Dr. Joe Sebestyen and Jaime Casap discuss what schools, parents, and educators are getting wrong right now, including why "learning loss" after the pandemic was the wrong conversation, why project-based learning has been hijacked into busy work, how Chromebooks and AI tools are being used to run the same broken model with shinier technology, and the seven skills Jamie believes every student needs for the future. Jamie also explains why AI taking white-collar jobs is actually good news for education, why your kid doesn't need to go to Harvard, and the danger of low expectations syndrome — especially when we put it on ourselves. This episode is especially useful for parents trying to think clearly about their kid's path to college and career, K-12 teachers rethinking how technology fits in the classroom, school administrators leading change without chasing trends, and instructional coaches who want a clearer framework for what schools should actually prepare students for. Jamie gives a practical, honest playbook for parents and educators who want to focus on the things that actually matter. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on academic strategy, college prep, and the future of student success. 📲 Connect with them: jcasap.com [https://www.jcasap.com/]Instagram: @jcasap [Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcasap/] X: @jcasap [https://x.com/jcasap] Facebook: facebook.com/casap [https://www.facebook.com/casap] 📲 Learn more about us: supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/], @dr_joe_ap_exams  [https://www.instagram.com/dr_joe_ap_exams/?hl=en] Thanks for tuning in to the SupportED Learning Podcast with Dr. Joe Sebestyen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on education, critical thinking, and AI integration in learning. Visit our website at supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/] Remember to share this podcast with fellow parents and educators who are passionate about reimagining education for tomorrow's world. Until next time, keep supporting learning!

Episode 29 - Dr. Desiree Alexander on the #1 Mistake Parents Make With Their Kids' in Middle School

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488800/fan_mail/new] In this episode of the SupportED Learning Podcast, Dr. Joe Sebestyen sits down with Dr. Desiree Alexander, founder and CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, Google Certified Innovator, and author of Ready to Be an Educational Leader, to explain what schools are getting right and wrong about technology, AI, and digital safety. Dr. Alexander shares the philosophy behind two decades of training educators — no fluff, no selling, just discussion — and why every tech adoption in a school should start with one simple question: why. Dr. Joe Sebestyen and Dr. Desiree Alexander discuss the realities families and educators are facing right now, including the biggest mistake parents make as kids hit middle school, how to talk to students about AI without pretending it isn't here, why "expert" is a label people throw around too easily, and the system behind her 92% first-time pass rate for aspiring principals taking the SLLA exam. Dr. Alexander also explains why she's optimistic about the resistance facing public education right now, and why students have more power online than they realize. This episode is especially useful for school administrators evaluating EdTech purchases, aspiring principals preparing for licensure exams, K-12 teachers navigating AI in the classroom, and parents trying to keep middle and high schoolers safe online. Dr. Alexander gives a clear, practical framework for asking better questions about technology and helping students take control of their own digital lives. 📲 Connect with them: educatoralexander.com [https://www.educatoralexander.com/] Instagram: @educatoralexander [ https://www.instagram.com/educatoralexander/?hl=en] Facebook: @EducatorAlexander [https://www.facebook.com/EducatorAlexander] 📲 Learn more about us: supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/], @dr_joe_ap_exams [https://www.instagram.com/dr_joe_ap_exams/?hl=en]  Thanks for tuning in to the SupportED Learning Podcast with Dr. Joe Sebestyen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on education, critical thinking, and AI integration in learning. Visit our website at supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/] Remember to share this podcast with fellow parents and educators who are passionate about reimagining education for tomorrow's world. Until next time, keep supporting learning!

Episode 28 - Todd Nesloney on Why Education Is Under Attack and How Teachers Survive It

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488800/fan_mail/new] In this episode of the SupportED Learning Podcast, Dr. Joe Sebestyen sits down with Todd Nesloney, former National Elementary Principal and Teacher of the Year, bestselling author, and Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership at TEPSA, to explain why most schools are working on the wrong problem. Todd shares how he went from classroom teacher to principal of a 90% free-and-reduced-lunch school overnight, and how a simple idea — that every human wants to feel seen, valued, and heard — became the foundation for turning a struggling campus into a nationally recognized model. Dr. Joe Sebestyen and Todd Nesloney discuss the practices that actually move the needle, including the Hats Off Cards initiative that transformed campus behavior with 22-second phone calls home, why culture work takes things off your plate instead of adding to them, and what authentic leadership looks like when you stop trying to project a plastic smile. Todd also explains why "remember your why" is some of the worst leadership advice circulating right now, why education is under attack on multiple fronts, and why he'd tell his first-year-principal self to shut up and listen more. This episode is especially useful for school principals, new and aspiring administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers trying to stay in the profession during a hard stretch. Todd gives a clear, honest framework for building school culture, supporting burnt-out staff, and remembering that the biggest changes usually happen in the quiet little moments. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on academic strategy, college prep, and the future of student success. 📲 Connect with them: toddnesloney.com [https://www.toddnesloney.com/]Instagram: @techninjatodd [ https://www.instagram.com/techninjatodd/?hl=en] Facebook: @ToddNesloney [https://www.facebook.com/ToddNesloney] 📲 Learn more about us: supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/], @dr_joe_ap_exams  [https://www.instagram.com/dr_joe_ap_exams/?hl=en] Thanks for tuning in to the SupportED Learning Podcast with Dr. Joe Sebestyen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on education, critical thinking, and AI integration in learning. Visit our website at supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/] Remember to share this podcast with fellow parents and educators who are passionate about reimagining education for tomorrow's world. Until next time, keep supporting learning!

Episode 27 - The Most Overrated Trend in EdTech: Why AI Doesn't Belong in Your Classroom Yet | Tom Mullaney, Instructional Coach

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488800/fan_mail/new] In this episode of the SupportED Learning Podcast, Dr. Joe Sebestyen sits down with Tom Mullaney, PD consultant, and instructional coach, and creator of digital escape rooms, to explain why schools have spent the last decade chasing innovation for its own sake — and what classroom teachers should be doing instead. Tom shares how his work designing digital escape rooms grew out of trying to make social studies more engaging, and how a decade of coaching has made him more skeptical of EdTech, not less. Dr. Joe Sebestyen and Tom Mullaney discuss the practices and pitfalls shaping classrooms right now, including how to build a digital escape room, why "windows and mirrors" matter in social studies, and how to use technology to give students voice, choice, and opportunities to argue ideas. Tom also explains why generative AI is the most overrated EdTech trend, why K-12 has become the dumping ground for failed tech products like Chromebooks, and why an AI grading student essays is a waste of everyone's time. This episode is especially useful for social studies teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators evaluating EdTech purchases, and educators trying to think clearly about AI in the classroom. Tom delivers a clear, research-grounded framework for slowing down, looking at limits and harms first, and remembering that the mission is to educate children — not to be innovative. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on academic strategy, college prep, and the future of student success. 📲 Connect with them: https://www.tommullaney.com/ [https://www.tommullaney.com/]YouTube: @TomEMullaney [https://www.youtube.com/@TomEMullaney] 📲 Learn more about us: supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/], @dr_joe_ap_exams [https://www.instagram.com/dr_joe_ap_exams/?hl=en] Thanks for tuning in to the SupportED Learning Podcast with Dr. Joe Sebestyen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on education, critical thinking, and AI integration in learning. Visit our website at supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/] Remember to share this podcast with fellow parents and educators who are passionate about reimagining education for tomorrow's world. Until next time, keep supporting learning!

Episode 26 - Why Schools Are Stuck in the 1900s | Eric Sheninger, Aspire Change CEO

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2488800/fan_mail/new] In this episode of the SupportED Learning Podcast, Dr. Joe Sebestyen sits down with Eric Sheninger, digital leadership expert and founder of Aspire Change, to explain why most schools are still preparing students for a world that no longer exists. Eric shares how a student calling school "a jail" flipped him from tech skeptic to digital leadership advocate, and shaped a philosophy built on small shifts, evidence over hype, and chasing growth, not perfection. Dr. Joe Sebestyen and Eric Sheninger discuss the shifts schools need to make, including the Seven Pillars of Digital Leadership, the Voice, Choice, Path, Pace, and Place framework for personalized learning, and the two questions every educator should ask before using any technology. Eric also explains why AI is the most overrated trend in EdTech, why handing students devices won't fix learning, and why pedagogy has to come before tools. This episode is especially useful for school administrators leading change, teachers rethinking tech integration, and district leaders preparing students for a future that keeps shifting. Eric gives a clear, practical framework for leading change with evidence and helping students build the skills they actually need. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on academic strategy, college prep, and the future of student success. 📲 Connect with them Website: ericsheninger.com/aspire-change-edu [https://ericsheninger.com/aspire-change-edu/]ericsheninger.com [https://ericsheninger.com/] Instagram: @esheninger [https://www.instagram.com/esheninger/] Get your own book now: amazon/Eric-C.-Sheninger [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Eric-C.-Sheninger/author/B00DXGGGUQ?shoppingPortalEnabled=true] 📲 Learn more about us: supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/], @dr_joe_ap_exams  [https://www.instagram.com/dr_joe_ap_exams/?hl=en] Thanks for tuning in to the SupportED Learning Podcast with Dr. Joe Sebestyen. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on education, critical thinking, and AI integration in learning. Visit our website at supportedtutoring.com [https://supportedtutoring.com/] Remember to share this podcast with fellow parents and educators who are passionate about reimagining education for tomorrow's world. Until next time, keep supporting learning!