Coach Thomas Tech

08/23/2026

A lot of what we call “change” in education is really just another thing added to the pile.
Another initiative.
Another framework.
Another expectation.
In my next Tech Ed Clubhouse conversation, Alyssa Sabbatino, NBCT Sabbatino and I get into what happens when schools stop chasing the next thing and start paying attention to what’s already working.
We talk initiative fatigue, Portrait of a Graduate, grading, AI, restorative practices, special-area teachers, and why authentic change usually doesn’t look like a checklist.
One line from the conversation keeps sticking with me:
Schools are full of people.
Seems obvious.
We don’t always act like it.
New episode coming soon.

08/17/2026

New episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse is live—and this is one I probably should have recorded a long time ago.
My guest is my friend Tim Needles.

Tim spent 25 years teaching art and STEAM and now works across his district as a technology integration specialist. He's an author, artist, creator, AI guy...and somebody who understands that none of those things matter much if we lose the human side of learning.

We talked about PBL. We talked about play. We talked about creativity. We talked about AI.
But the conversation kept coming back to something bigger:
What are we asking kids to actually DO with what they know?

Tim made a point that stuck with me. Some of the kids who have learned to play the traditional game of school really struggle when we give them an open-ended problem with no obvious right answer.
Meanwhile, some of the kids school labels as struggling suddenly thrive.

That should make us think.
We also get into controlled chaos, letting teachers learn alongside students, why we probably need fewer tech tools instead of more, using AI as a thought partner instead of an answer machine, and why hands-on skills may become even more valuable in an AI world.

And Tim gives us something that passes my Tuesday Test—a free, creative OK Go project you could actually try with students.

🎙️ New Tech Ed Clubhouse episode with Tim Needles — available now.
Give it a listen

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
Listen here: bit.ly/TechEdClubhouse

https://youtu.be/xn2wLCYXdY8

What happens when educators stop waiting for permission… and start ...

08/03/2026

AI in elementary school does not have to mean more screen time.

In this new episode of the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I talk with Tom Millinchip about what thoughtful AI and digital literacy can look like with younger learners—and why the real work is not getting more technology into classrooms.

It is helping students build judgment, curiosity, responsibility, and the ability to use these tools well.

We also discuss teacher resistance, professional judgment, project-based learning, outdated assessment practices, and what schools might look like if we stopped designing learning around content delivery.

Tom brings a practical perspective grounded in school leadership, digital literacy, and real classroom experience.

Listen now on Spotify and YouTube.

🎙️ Full conversation now live on The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast.

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
Listen here: bit.ly/TechEdClubhouse

https://youtu.be/xn2wLCYXdY8

What happens when educators stop waiting for permission… and start ...

08/02/2026

AI didn’t break education.
It exposed the parts that were already weak.
In this episode, I talk with Tom Millinchip about AI, digital literacy, project-based learning, teacher judgment, and what schools need to rethink before adding another tool or mandate.

We also get into a bigger question:

What would school look like if we stopped designing it around content delivery and started designing it around curiosity, judgment, community, and meaningful work?

New episode coming soon on the Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast.

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
Listen here: bit.ly/TechEdClubhouse

https://youtu.be/xn2wLCYXdY8

What happens when educators stop waiting for permission… and start ...

07/24/2026

🎙️ Full conversation now live on The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast.

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
Listen here: bit.ly/TechEdClubhouse

https://youtu.be/xn2wLCYXdY8