TEC21 Connections

When Digital Tech Meets Our Analog Brain - with Dr. Yuji Fujiwara

School is all about learning.  We all have content and learning objectives that we teach, and we assess to make sure our students, well, to make sure they “get it”.  But what happens when the tech our students use every day can do everything we currently accept as evidence of learning?  That’s the same question Dr. Yuji Fujiwara of Concordia Shanghai, has been wrestling with. And he’ll be joining us today to share his thoughts and research on this very topic.   Special Guest:  Dr. Yuji Fujiwara STEM Coordinator, Concordia International School, Shanghai Substack Link:  https://jofujiwara.substack.com/ [https://jofujiwara.substack.com/]

Things We Need to Stop Doing

Every year it seems there are more and more things we are told we need to do.  On today’s podcast, we’re going to switch it up and talk about things we need to stop doing, or at least avoid doing too much. If you’re curious, stick around. Notes & Links   Google slides and docs have some new gem features!  * Gemini combined with Slides. New “Help me visualize” button. * Google docs has a gem for creating custom doc templates Vibe Coding using Gemini and Google AI Studio [https://aistudio.google.com/]  Gemini Canvas [https://gemini.google/overview/canvas/] Google AI Labs - GenType [https://labs.google/gentype] TCEA Article: Five Tech Fads to Avoid [https://blog.tcea.org/five-ed-tech-fads-to-avoid-and-five-to-follow-instead/] H-AI-H Model [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bHi6PXHcLKBeNvo4bhAUK5mxcJ2OT6sg/view?usp=sharing]

Into the Future with Dr. Bernard Bull

If Marty McFly was to hop in the DeLorean today and go back 30 years, he’d end up in 1996.  The internet was just starting to make it’s way into classrooms and we were all wondering what the future of education was going to look like in this strange new world.  We’re at a similar point in history today with AI.  And we are blessed to have a special guest in the studio today to help lead us into the Future SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. Bernard Bull, President, Concordia University Nebraska Notes & Links: Studia Vitae [https://www.cune.edu/academics/graduate/continuing-education] Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools [https://www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/] Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulandflourishingschools] Bull and Thread YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@BullandThread]

Christmas Special 2025

In this Christmas special episode of TEC21 Connections, the hosts discuss the top 10 technologies that have significantly impacted Lutheran schools in 2025. They explore various themes including the rise of AI in music and video, the resurgence of handwriting, advancements in battery technology, the accessibility of CAD and 3D printing, the role of smartphones, and the influence of publishing tools like Canva and Adobe Express. The conversation also highlights the integration of AI in educational tools and the profound impact of ChatGPT on learning.

Assess the Student, Not the AI

If you are like many teachers in November of 2025, you are probably at your wit's end dealing with students using Generative AI and "homework helper" tools inappropriately.  Policing students' work at home and their temptation to push the "easy button" to get the homework done with little or no thought to learning, is a daunting task. How appropriate and timely that this month's topic is "Assessment".  On our show today we'll be examining the concept of "What is assessment?" and drilling down to strategies you can use to make homework more meaningful in the age of AI. Notes & Links: Make Homework Relevant Again * Emphasize Process, Not Product * Craft "AI Resistant" Questions - AI can help you do this * Use "Wrapper Activities" - Bell Ringers, Exit Tickets * Move Beyond Text-Only Assignments * “Old School” oral presentations, pencil & paper Designing Plagiarism Resistant Assessments [https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/designing-plagiarism-resistant-assessments] https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/designing-plagiarism-resistant-assessments T.R.U.S.T. * Transparency * Real world application of knowledge * Universal Design for Learning * Social Knowledge Construction * Trial & Error Project Zero - Harvard Graduate  School of Education https://pz.harvard.edu/ [https://pz.harvard.edu/]