AmpED to 11

About AmpED to 11

Elevating AI in Education Welcome to AmpED to 11, the podcast where AI, education, and technology collide to reshape the future of learning. Hosted by EdTech experts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma, AmpED to 11 brings you the latest insights, trends, and strategies in AI-powered education. We believe that education should never settle for "good enough." Each episode is packed with cutting-edge news, expert interviews, and actionable insights that will keep you ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving world of EdTech. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or EdTech professional, AmpED to 11 equips you with the tools to integrate AI into education and drive innovation. What You Can Expect: AI in Education: Stay up-to-date with the latest AI tools and trends that are transforming classrooms and educational technology. Expert Interviews: Brett leads in-depth conversations with top educators, innovators, and policymakers to explore how AI is shaping the future of learning. Tech Updates: Rebecca delivers the latest news and updates in AI and education, providing insights into new developments and practical applications for educators. Actionable Tips: Get real-world strategies and tools that you can immediately apply in your classroom or EdTech business to enhance learning outcomes. Why Listen? In each episode of AmpED to 11, you’ll: Learn how AI is revolutionizing education and how you can stay ahead. Gain practical insights from leaders in education and technology. Discover AI-powered tools and strategies to implement in your classroom or EdTech business. Meet the Hosts: Brett Roer is an EdTech visionary who excels at uncovering powerful stories in education and building connections with innovators. He’s committed to bridging the gap between technology and educators to enhance learning. Rebecca Bultsma is an educator and tech strategist with a talent for breaking down complex ideas into actionable insights. She helps educators integrate the latest technology and AI into their teaching, improving engagement and outcomes. Who Should Listen? AmpED to 11 is perfect for: Educators and administrators looking to integrate AI into their teaching. EdTech professionals seeking the latest industry trends and tools. Tech enthusiasts interested in the role of AI in the future of education. Join Brett and Rebecca as they turn the dial on education and AI, bringing you inspiring conversations and actionable advice to drive innovation in the classroom. Stay informed, stay inspired, and stay ahead of the curve with AmpED to 11.

Publisher

Amplify and Elevate Innovation

Category

education · news · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Dec 2024

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

48 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Teaching student teachers to extend their thinking with AI feedback with John Schembari

   Brett Roer came in ready to talk about what an AI moratorium breaks. Rebecca Bultsma wanted to talk about what the rush toward AI already broke. He had just left a New York City middle school, two weeks into the year, trying to live inside a pause that showed up after the summer work was done. The curriculum is on screens. The approved tools are off. Students can still open an unvetted tool at home. Brett wants a way to teach this without getting students in trouble for the assignment. Rebecca will not let that scramble settle the question. Schools have stacked vendors, screens, and spending, and she thinks a pause might be how you find out which of it was ever for students. A moratorium, she argues, is only as useful as the year a school spends inside it. Brett wants the answer. She holds the question open on purpose. John Schembari, a school improvement consultant who advises student teachers at Brooklyn College, steps into that argument. Fire is his comparison for AI. He does not want teachers to become the AI police. He does think they have to teach the difference between AI that extends a student's thinking and AI that replaces it. Brett says that line pushed him in a way he was not hoping to be pushed. Do not stop there. Brett still has the Briarcliff story: students who once called AI rules a rollercoaster, and who now say there isn't one. A few of them add the line a policy memo never includes. They are not sure they need the AI their teachers just allowed. Then the guest takes the host chair, and the questions belong to Brett and Rebecca. In this episode, you'll hear: A pause, as it felt in one school two weeks into the year Where Brett and Rebecca refuse to land An equity question that is not about access Students who got clear rules and still hesitated The stretch where the hosts have to answer Subscribe to AmpED to 11, and stay through the chair switch. That is the part worth the rest of the episode.

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Why not all screen time is equal with Dewayne McClary

   How can state education leaders create consistent standards without limiting local innovation? Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma welcome Dewayne McClary, Deputy State Superintendent at the Virginia Department of Education, to explore the policies, partnerships and practical decisions shaping the future of learning across the commonwealth. Dewayne traces his path from teaching at the rural South Carolina middle school he once attended to leadership roles in Arlington Public Schools, DC Public Schools and Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools. He explains his approach of “creating floors and not ceilings”: setting a strong statewide standard while giving school divisions room to go further. In this episode, you’ll learn: How flexible seat-time policies can support competency-based learning Why micro-credentials should connect directly to what students need beyond the classroom What Dewayne means by designing systems at the margin Why auditing screen time can be more useful than debating it What AI cannot replace in education, explained through Dewayne’s muffin, icing and cupcake analogy How an AI-powered transportation tool changed his thinking about student tracking Who belongs in Dewayne’s “Ocean’s 11” network of trusted education leaders What happens when Dewayne takes the host chair and questions Brett and Rebecca Tune in for a candid conversation about innovation, AI, accountability and building education systems that give every learner a strong foundation without placing a ceiling on what is possible. Subscribe to AmpED to 11 and share the episode with an education leader in your network.

3. 

   14 Sept 2026

   The three horizons of education, according to Babak Mostaghimi

   When a superintendent told Babak Mostaghimi, “I think we’re Blockbuster Video, and Netflix is coming,” it became a warning, and an invitation, to rethink education before the future arrived. In this episode, Babak joins Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma to explore why improving the existing school system is no longer enough. He breaks down LearnerStudio’s three horizons of education, from the industrial factory model to a future designed around human flourishing, agency, and lifelong learning. They also unpack the growing tech clash in education: nostalgic humanists who want to remove technology altogether, techno-nihilists who want to automate everything, and the human-centered middle way between them. From screen time and AI literacy to creativity, collaboration, data sovereignty, and the skills students need for an uncertain future, the conversation asks a bigger question: Are we using AI to deepen humanity, or replace it? Midway through, Babak takes over as host and puts Brett and Rebecca in the hot seat. What you’ll learn: The three horizons of education, and why reform can only go so far Why changing the architecture matters more than adding new content or tools How the “swim, snorkel, scuba” framework explains different levels of AI literacy Why blanket screen bans and unrestricted technology use both miss the point How schools can design for agency, lifelong learning, and human flourishing Why the right questions may be more useful than one standardized AI policy Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation about redesigning education for the world students are already entering.

Who has been a guest on AmpED to 11

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sonn Sam
• Matthew Kennard
• Matt Winters
• Jeremy Shorr
• Marissa Sadler-Holder

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

7

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

9

Social presence

0

YouTube

63

Engagement

32