Class Tech Tips

08/21/2026

📋 Accessibility should be the starting point of your process, not the last box you check.

🎙️ In this bonus episode I talk with Alper Donmez, VP of Quality Assurance at Jotform, about building accessible forms for your school community.

🔍 We get into what their built-in accessibility checker catches, and some of it will surprise you.

⌨️ Alper shares how the team supports users who navigate with screen readers and keyboards.

🤝 I'm excited to partner with Jotform for this post.

🎧 Give it a listen on your favorite podcast app!

Making forms accessible with Alper Donmez of Jotform and tips for creating inclusive school forms with built-in accessibility tools.

08/20/2026

📝 What does writing look like in your classroom during the first few weeks of school?

✨ Whole-class writing sessions can build stamina and community at the same time.

⏱️ Students write in short bursts, then read and vote on their classmates' work anonymously.

🎒 I saw this in action at ISTE and I think it's the perfect fit for community building and writing practice!

🤝 I'm excited to partner with We Will Write for this post.

👉 Read the post for three low-prep back to school writing activities you can run during the beginning of the school year!

Try these back to school writing activities to build a writing routine, lower the stakes for students, and set classroom culture in week one.

08/18/2026

📝 Lesson planning should feel like a practice you own.

🎧 In episode 384 of the Easy EdTech Podcast, I chat with Lori Cohen, education consultant, coach, and author of The Science of Lesson Planning.

🤖 She shares her human first, human last approach to using AI as a planning companion.

🍎 Plus, how simple rituals can make planning feel sustainable instead of overwhelming.

👉 Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts! https://classtechtips.com/2026/08/18/science-of-lesson-planning-384/

08/14/2026

✏️ What if your students greeted you at the door asking to write?

🎧 On a bonus episode of the Easy EdTech Podcast, I chat with WeWillWrite co-founder Erlend Klouman Høiner and fourth grade teacher Bonnie Watson.

⏱️ We dig into how short, live writing bursts put every student on equal footing, from the very first weeks of school.

📈 Bonnie also shares how using the same prompt in September and spring makes student growth visible to kids and their families.

🤝 I'm excited to partner with We Will Write for this episode.

🔗 Listen in, then create a free account to try it with your students!
https://classtechtips.com/2026/08/14/back-to-school-writing-bonus/

08/13/2026

🤖 Are you teaching AI literacy this year?

📚 TypeTastic's new AI Literacy lessons for grades 3 to 5 help students understand what AI is, where it shows up, and how to think critically about what it generates.

🎮 The lessons are game-based, and were built for teachers without a tech background, which means you can jump right in.

🤝 I'm excited to partner with TypeTastic (Taito Learning) for this post.

✨ You can try it free with an extended three-month trial of TypeTastic School Edition.

Looking for AI literacy lessons? Here is a teacher-friendly, game-based way to help elementary students understand AI and think critically.

08/11/2026

🎨 One of my favorite AI activities takes about two minutes and needs little prep.

🔍 I show an AI generated image I made and ask everyone to guess the prompt that made it.

💡 I've used it with thousands of educators in workshops and webinars, and it sparks such good conversation every time.

📘 In this episode I also share an excerpt from the second edition of EdTech Essentials on three reasons to try AI images.

🛠️ Plus hear about the tools I actually reach for when I'm creating an image.

🎧 Episode 383 of the Easy EdTech Podcast is out now.

Introduce AI Images with a quick, engaging “guess the prompt” activity that sparks meaningful AI literacy conversations.

08/06/2026

📚 Differentiation is one of the most important parts of a teacher's day, and one of the most time consuming.

🧠 Diffit lets you type in a topic, drop in a link, or upload a PDF, then builds the reading, vocabulary, and graphic organizers around it.

💬 The new chat experience means you can keep refining until it actually fits your students, instead of settling for the first thing you get back.

🤝 I'm excited to partner with Diffit for Teachers for this post and to share two resources you can adapt for your own classroom.

🎁 I created two remixable resources you can open right now, one on vermicomposting and one on narrative writing planning.

✨ Try it for free, more details in the post!

Differentiate instructional materials in minutes with Diffit, plus two remixable resources you can adapt for your students.

08/04/2026

📞 In this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Deborah Higdon and Dr. Chacko Abraham, co-authors of The Dad Difference, about engaging fathers with intention.

💡 They share the message: fathers are partners, not guests, and the invitation has to be intentional from day one.

🗣️ We talk through no-cost strategies like "phone father first," father-friendly language, and choosing the right communication tools to reach every family.

📅 They share ideas you can put these ideas into action during the very first week of school.

🎧 Listen to the Easy EdTech Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or tune in here: https://classtechtips.com/2026/08/04/father-engagement-382/

07/30/2026

✍️ What if writing time in your classroom felt like a team sport instead of a solo assignment?
🤫 Picture a room that goes quiet to write, then comes alive when it is time to share.
📺 That is what WeWillWrite does. Every student writes on the same prompt, then the class reads, reacts, and votes anonymously on the big screen.
🤝 I'm excited to partner with WeWillWrite for this post.
📖 Check out today’s new blog post! Collaborative writing activities for the classroom, plus how to run your first session in about five minutes. You can start a free trial and try one ready-made back-to-school set with your students.

07/28/2026

📚 Can you use AI behind-the-scenes to help students become stronger readers?

🎧 In episode 381 of the Easy EdTech Podcast, I share practical ways to use AI to support readers in any content area, not just ELA.

🔊 Audio companions, text-to-speech, and AI-powered podcasts that make texts more accessible.

🎭 Plus interactive reading activities like quizzes, visuals, and reader's theater scripts you can create in minutes.

👉 Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts, or right here on the blog!

Use AI in the reading classroom to create audio, quizzes, visuals, and activities that support readers across content areas.