Hosted by Lutheran educators and tech leaders, this podcast is dedicated to connecting and equipping Lutheran school teachers with the tools and insights they need to inspire students in technology-enriched classrooms. We showcase the incredible work being done by teachers around the world, highlighting innovative uses of digital tools that transform learning experiences for the next generation.
Fall has begun. Soon the leaves will start to change color and hopefully Las Vegas will finally start to cool down. But you know what else has started to cool down? Support for tech in schools, and while some of that concern is absolutely warranted, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Join us today as we preview our exciting new podcast season and discuss how to reclaim the technology narrative.
20 Jun 2026
Saying Goodbye to the 2025-2026 School Year
We have all said goodbye to the month of May! And for educators, that can bring with it a sense of either relief, maybe even a sense of joy! Or for others even a sense of sadness for the end of something excellent. The swimming pool is calling out to the souls of weary teachers looking for a recharge. While we here at TEC21 are meeting for our annual Facilitator's Academy in Seward, Nebraska. There is a lot of planning as we look forward to the 2026-27 workshop year, but there is also time to share inspiring stories of personal growth from this last year. We hope this episode gives you some space to look back on YOUR school year and count the blessings of a school year gone by!
1 Apr 2026
When Digital Tech Meets Our Analog Brain - with Dr. Yuji Fujiwara
School is all about learning. We all have content and learning objectives that we teach, and we assess to make sure our students, well, to make sure they “get it”. But what happens when the tech our students use every day can do everything we currently accept as evidence of learning? That’s the same question Dr. Yuji Fujiwara of Concordia Shanghai, has been wrestling with. And he’ll be joining us today to share his thoughts and research on this very topic.
Special Guest:
Dr. Yuji Fujiwara
STEM Coordinator, Concordia International School, Shanghai
Substack Link: https://jofujiwara.substack.com/ (https://jofujiwara.substack.com/)
18 Feb 2026
Things We Need to Stop Doing
Every year it seems there are more and more things we are told we need to do. On today’s podcast, we’re going to switch it up and talk about things we need to stop doing, or at least avoid doing too much. If you’re curious, stick around.
Notes & Links
Google slides and docs have some new gem features!
Gemini combined with Slides. New “Help me visualize” button.
Google docs has a gem for creating custom doc templates
Vibe Coding using Gemini and Google AI Studio (https://aistudio.google.com/)
Gemini Canvas (https://gemini.google/overview/canvas/)
Google AI Labs - GenType (https://labs.google/gentype)
TCEA Article: Five Tech Fads to Avoid (https://blog.tcea.org/five-ed-tech-fads-to-avoid-and-five-to-follow-instead/)
H-AI-H Model (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bHi6PXHcLKBeNvo4bhAUK5mxcJ2OT6sg/view?usp=sharing)
14 Jan 2026
Into the Future with Dr. Bernard Bull
If Marty McFly was to hop in the DeLorean today and go back 30 years, he’d end up in 1996. The internet was just starting to make it’s way into classrooms and we were all wondering what the future of education was going to look like in this strange new world. We’re at a similar point in history today with AI. And we are blessed to have a special guest in the studio today to help lead us into the Future
SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. Bernard Bull, President, Concordia University Nebraska
Notes & Links:
Studia Vitae (https://www.cune.edu/academics/graduate/continuing-education)
Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools (https://www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/)
Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulandflourishingschools)
Bull and Thread YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BullandThread)
16 Dec 2025
Christmas Special 2025
The hosts of TEC21 Connections explore the top ten technologies impacting Lutheran schools in 2025, including AI, handwriting, and 3D printing.
27 Nov 2025
Assess the Student, Not the AI
Educators explore assessment strategies that focus on student understanding rather than policing AI use, emphasizing meaningful homework and AI-resistant questions to promote genuine learning.
16 Oct 2025
To LEA and Beyond
The TEC21 Connections podcast team shares stories and lessons learned from the Lutheran Education Association Convocation 2025, highlighting teacher innovation and new educational technology.
18 Sept 2025
It's Google's World, We Just Live In It
Educators explore the pervasive influence of Google tools in Lutheran schools, discussing efficient usage, new features like Gemini integration, and practical tips for educators.
25 Jun 2025
Celebration Day - with Kyle Jane
Kyle Jane discusses the TEC21 Cohorts' Celebration Day, highlighting teacher learnings and future implementation plans in this interview episode.
13 Mar 2025
Faithfully Connected with Dr. Jake Hollatz
In Ecclesiastes, it says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to weep, a time to laugh
A time to keep silent and a time to speak
A time to be notified and a time to silence notifications
A time to look at screens, and a time for screens to be put away
Okay, I might have paraphrased a bit there. On today’s show we take a look at our connectedness - our connectedness to our devices and most importantly our connectedness to our God. Joining us on our journey today is author and principal Dr. Jake Hollatz who will help guide us as we strive to teach our children “how to be God’s faithful people in a digital world”
Cool Stuff
Brian - ChatGPT and Canva have hooked up! Eduaide a true powerhouse of AI school tools
Dennis - AI music generator: Suno.com Example: Samuel’s Song (https://suno.com/song/97da062f-bcc9-4ae8-ad4f-9674ab3a5932), written by AI based on the Bible Project video of 1st Samuel (https://youtu.be/QJOju5Dw0V0?feature=shared)
Rob - https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com/ (https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com/)
SPECIAL GUEST - Dr. Jake Hollatz
Principal at St. John’s Lutheran, Orange CA
Co-Author “Faithfully Connected (https://www.amazon.com/Faithfully-Connected-Integrating-Biblical-Principles/dp/0758659547)”
13 Feb 2025
Data Take the Wheel
How data-driven are you? In this episode of the TEC21 Connections Podcast, we decode the details of data—how to collect it, visualize it, and use it to design learning experiences and drive daily classroom decisions. From discovery to delivery, we’re dissecting the digital dashboard of data to determine how it directs, defines, and deepens learning. Join us as we welcome special guest Jonathan Orr, Director of Innovation and Continuous Improvement at Faith Lutheran Middle & High School in Las Vegas, to explore how "data takes the wheel" in education.
Notes & Links
Episode 205 - Data Take the Wheel with Jon Orr
Cool Stuff to Share
The TPACK model is a powerful tool for self analysing the use of technology within the Content and Pedagogy of your lesson planning.
Brisk has added ability to analyze images
Google Maps
Gulf of America
Notes and Links
Special Guest: Jonathan Orr, Director of Innovation and Continuous Improvement, Faith Lutheran Middle & High School, Las Vegas
Talking points:
The importance of data in education
Data-driven decision making at schools
Using AI to interpret data
Kids are not data points in the eyes of God!
29 Jan 2025
Two, Four, Six, Eight, Who Wants to Collaborate?
Two, Four, Six, Eight, Who Wants to Collaborate? Remember back in school when your teacher told you, “This is going to be a group project.” Did you get excited with anticipation? Or did you dread the thought of having to work with your classmates. (I was definitely the latter.) On today’s show we’re going to offer some help for those of you like me who find collaboration cringy and offer some tech tools to transform these tasks into something:, “T double-E double-R double-R double-I double-F double-I double C, C, C!” on Season 2, Episode 4 of the TEC21 Connections Podcast.
Notes & Links
Cool Stuff to Share
ShadowMap (https://shadowmap.org/)
Snorkl.app (https://snorkl.app/)
Eduaide (https://www.eduaide.ai/)
Christmas Train Layout Video - YouTube (https://youtu.be/xEyggRY6f6g)
Collaboration Notes and Links
Apple Freeform (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/freeform/id6443742539)
Mural (https://mural.co/)
Canva Whiteboard (https://www.canva.com/online-whiteboard/)
Google Spaces (https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/11219858?hl=en)
Google SmartChips and Building Blocks - You probably already see them at the top of your screen when you start a new doc, but you can also get to them by going to the INSERT menu and looking for SMART CHIP or BUILDING BLOCKS. Finally, you can insert them directly into a doc by typing @ and looking for them in the pop-up menu.
12 Dec 2024
Christmas Show
Twas the podcast before Christmas and all through the school
Every teacher was searching for that most perfect tool
A tool to engage every bright youthful mind
But an app or a site can be quite hard to find
So here are some experts who can do the job
Our podcasting team: Dennis, Brian and Rob
We’ll share teaching strategies, apps, tools, and sites
To fill your digital stockings with techie delights.
Join us as we gather round the virtual tree
On TEC21 Connections, Season 2, Episode 3
Mentioned on this show:
Apps
Google Drive - Scan to PDF
ProCreate (for iOS only)
Classroom Screen
Web Tools
TinkerCad
Shapr3D
iCivics
Common Sense Media
Mission US
Strategies
“Three before me”
Socratic Seminars
Making Memes, Imagine social media posts or TicToc from historical figures
Matt Miller at Ditch That Textbook has a really good set of Instagram story templates (https://ditchthattextbook.com/infographic/instagram-stories-template/).
Antimatter.systems (https://antimatter.systems/)
IMGFlip.com (http://imgflip.com) (Be Careful, not every image was fully vetted, but a great one place stop to create easy memes)
22 Nov 2024
Digital Assessment
How can we know what you know if we don’t know what you don’t know? In today’s show we’re asking “What is assessment?” And how are digital tools like EdPuzzle and Kahoot or AI tools like Brisk and ChatGPT reshaping the way we measure what students really understand. Join us as we dive into dynamic digital assessments, and explore how tech is transforming the way we track, test, and truly connect with student progress.
Notes & Links
Episode 201 - Digital Assessments
What did you learn this month?
Rob - Example of a student using AI in a REALLY productive manner (Using ChatGPT to do a character analysis of his 19 chapter novel).
Brian - Digital Hall Passes
Dennis - BlueSky, like the twitter we used to know.
Digital Assessment
GUEST INTERVIEW: Dr. Marci Nuoffer & Students Liana and Kinnley, from Faith Lutheran High School, Las Vegas
Student Project: The 7 Days of Creation (https://www.canva.com/design/DAGUa_mw6Q4/2e7styf6xxP-UPxlfTBO_A/watch?utm_content=DAGUa_mw6Q4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor)
31 Oct 2024
AI Policies, Practices, and PD
AI use in the classroom - is it a headache or an opportunity? Should we block it or embrace it? From saving time with smart tools to tackling cheating concerns, let’s explore how teachers can embrace AI, leverage it for learning, and use it to empower students as we share a few tips, tricks, and just a little bit of tech magic!Welcome to a new episode and a new season of the TEC21 Connections Podcast!
Cool Things Learned This Month
Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview (https://blog.tcea.org/google-notebooklms-audio-overview/)
Canva Magic Tools
Google adds Tabs to Docs
AI Notes
What AI Can Do Today (https://whataicandotoday.com/)
Tools to Save Teachers Time
Brisk
Diffit
Tools for Student Productivity & Creativity
Adobe Express
Canva
Thoughts, Comments, Questions, Complaints, Criticisms or Donuts?
Contact us at: podcast@tec21connect.com (mailto:podcast@tec21connect.com)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 2 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
4
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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