Beyond the Essay: AI, Google Vids, and the Modern English Classroom

Calculated Ownership: Empowering Students with AI Feedback

What happens when students move from waiting for feedback to owning their progress? In this episode, we visit Meadow Glen Middle School to see how educators Jenny Farmer and Neil Nadkarni are leveraging AI tools like Brisk, Gemini, and NotebookLM in the math classrooms. Discover how AI-driven instant feedback and student-led Success Trackers are redefining classroom roles, allowing teachers to provide deeper analysis while students take the lead in their own learning journey. Featuring insights from Lexington One students on the power of the "digital roadmap."

Beyond the Essay: AI, Google Vids, and the Modern English Classroom

What happens when you swap a traditional five-paragraph essay for a video production suite? In this episode, host Jennifer Hethcox sits down with English teacher Karlee Reeves and students Clancy and Elijah from The College Center. They dive into a recent project where students used Google Vids and AI tools to research and communicate complex environmental issues like pollution and drought. We explore the "engagement gap," the challenges of mastering AI-generated voiceovers, and why "making mistakes" is a critical part of the modern grading rubric. Whether you're an educator looking to innovate or a parent curious about AI in schools, this episode shows exactly what a future-ready classroom looks like.

Animating History: Using Adobe Express & Generative AI to Transform Group Projects

Are your students stuck in the "Google Slide" rut? Want to change up how group work functions in your class and engage all students? In this episode of Tech This Way, we explore how to replace static presentations with dynamic, tech-driven micro-products through a new group work system. Host Jennifer Hethcox joins Instructional Coach Cynthia Capers and Social Studies teacher Georgia Workman at Lexington High School to break down a high-tech workflow for the history classroom. They discuss leveraging Adobe Express and Generative AI to have students create animated historical figures, analyze primary sources, and produce digital propaganda. Tune in to learn how these specific digital tools can solve the "free-rider" problem in group work while increasing student engagement and rigor.

The Human Element: How AI Unlocks Creativity and Connection in World Languages

In the rush to integrate technology, do we lose the human connection? Not in Senior Leo Cortez’s classroom. In this episode, we explore how AI is actually creating space for what matters most: relationships. We sit down with Senior Cortez and his students to discuss how tools like Gemini and Adobe Express are handling the heavy lifting of lesson planning and standards unpacking. This shift allows Senior Cortez to step away from his desk and reconnect with his students, while giving learners the "creative freedom" to explore language in new, immersive ways. Join us to hear how Lexington High School is using technology to bring the focus back to the people in the room.

Independent Learners: How TCC Students Use AI to Own Their Future

Are you truly ready for life after graduation? In this episode of Tech This Way, host Jennifer Hethcox visits The College Center (TCC) to chat with AVID Site Coordinator Dr. Cox and three impressive sophomore students—Haley, McKenzie, and Trinity. Discover how these students are using AI tools like Gemini to: * Explore career paths they never considered. * Create personalized study guides and receive instant feedback. * Build the confidence to navigate college applications and financial aid. Tune in to hear why Dr. Cox believes AI isn't a shortcut, but a powerful tool for building Independent Learners and Critical Thinkers.