EdTech Adventures

About EdTech Adventures

Welcome to EdTech Adventures. Join us as we explore the role of technology, STEM, and creative play in education. With expert guests, we’ll discover how learning is always an adventure.

Publisher

CodeCombat

Category

education · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Jun 2022

Latest episode

1 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jul 2026

   AI Literacy in the Classroom with Sonia Spindt

   AI is already shaping how students learn, create, and solve problems, but many educators are still asking the same important question: “How do we use it without losing critical thinking, creativity, and authentic learning?” In this episode, Sonia Spindt, Senior Curriculum Developer at CodeCombat, discusses how schools can approach AI in thoughtful, practical ways. She shares what she is seeing across K–12 education, from schools already experimenting with AI to those still deciding when and how students should use it, and explores how educators can set clear expectations for responsible classroom use. Sonia also discusses teacher use of AI, student expectations, the AI Assessment Scale, emerging CSTA standards, and why clear learning goals should come before introducing new tools. She explains how AI can support deeper learning when students use it to evaluate outputs, interpret results, troubleshoot, and make meaningful decisions. The conversation also highlights CodeCombat’s AI literacy framework and AI HackStack, including how they support technical skills, critical evaluation, problem-solving, and classroom visibility. Throughout the episode, Sonia encourages schools to give students guided opportunities to explore AI safely, creatively, and responsibly. About Our Guest Sonia Spindt is a Senior Curriculum Developer at CodeCombat, where she helps create engaging computer science and AI learning experiences for students and educators. She brings years of classroom experience in computer science, data science, and machine learning, with a focus on making complex technical concepts approachable and meaningful for learners.

2. 

   28 Jan 2025

   Professional Play with Matt Barinholtz

   Why is it important to make time for play, both with students and with educators? Matt Barinholtz, Founder & CEO of FutureMakers (https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/), is passionate about creating playful hands-on learning and encourages educators to find ways to play! FutureMakers' mission is to spark playful hands-on learning focused on educators confidently integrating engineering, tinkering, making, and play in their lessons. In this conversation, Matt describes how he was inspired to found FutureMakers and recognizes that tangible creative experiences, project-based learning, and play are essential tools for learning. Throughout this conversation, Matt shares his thoughts on effective professional learning, active listening, confronting yourself when you say “I never will…”, and learning to let learners lead. He encourages educators to spend time thinking about why am I doing this in the first place? What’s the joy? And where’s the play that got me involved? When reflecting on the future of EdTech, Matt discusses the role of AI and stresses the importance of critical thinking and focusing on how we’re solving critical thinking problems and helping learners develop their own solutions that work and feel the most natural and human. “How are we applying our brilliance and our genius and our joy? Make the experience happen. Make it tangible. Make it project-based. They will always remember it. You’re going to be the person that allows them to explore and tinker and play and they’ll remember you and they’ll first and most importantly remember their joy.” - Matt Barinholtz About Our Guest Matt is a maker-educator who builds experiences that connect young makers, educators and youth workers to traditional skills, creative technologies, and serious play. For the past 20 years, Matt has sparked playful hands-on learning in community and educational settings, serving employment readiness initiatives and initiating groundbreaking juvenile justice work. In 2012, Matt founded FutureMakers (https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/) to increase access to hands-on learning in disinvested PK-8 classrooms in greater Washington, DC. Matt is a Chicagoland native and long-time Baltimore resident and believes small hands with big ideas deserve real tools, opportunities to explore, and coaches who care - in their neighborhoods and schools.

3. 

   6 Feb 2024

   Equity-Centered Design with Sheryl Cababa

   Why should we care about equity-centered design in education? What impact does it make? In today’s episode, Sheryl Cababa, Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial (https://substantial.com/edtech), shares her experience and advice on how we can practically and effectively design learning experiences with equity in mind. Sheryl shares how she became interested in education and design research and discusses her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (https://www.gatesfoundation.org/) using design thinking and equity-centered design to inform investment strategies. She discusses some of the key principles to follow when practicing equity-centered design. Her book, Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/85389664), explores these concepts with examples from her work in education. In conclusion, Sheryl shares her thoughts on how equity-centered design could impact the future of EdTech and her advice for exploring equity-centered design. She encourages involving students in the design and development process, saying “Engage your students. Empower them to help you design what they’re going to be learning.” - Sheryl Cababa Recommended Resources from the Interview Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/85389664) About Our Guest Sheryl Cababa is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Insights, Design + Development Studio, Substantial (https://substantial.com/edtech), and a multi-disciplinary design strategist with more than two decades of experience. Her recent work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation includes leading student voice research to inform the K-12 Balance The Equation Grand Challenge. Her book, Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/85389664), was released in early 2023.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

4.4 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

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

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.