What's your dream project? In this episode of the UX of EdTech podcast, hosts Alicia Quan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia2joy/) and Sarah Mondestin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmondestin/) explore their dream EdTech projects and the values behind them.
Join us as we talk about products that inspire us, people who motivate us, and boy band posters we grew up with. We talk about the intersection of traditional and non-traditional edtech products, children's books, kids building things, and the importance of accessibility when creating products. Also, what is our favorite edtech tool?
EdTech Product Inspo (https://uxedtech.substack.com/p/edtech-product-inspo) (Article)
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UX of EdTech (https://www.uxedtech.com/) is a design studio that cultivates learning, creativity, and play.
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12 Nov 2025
EdTech perspectives from a National Teacher of the Year
This is a must-listen for those who want to get into the mind of a teacher.
Alicia Quan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia2joy/) and Sarah Mondestin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmondestin/) interview Missy Testerman (https://missytesterman.com/), the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. Missy shares her journey from aspiring to be a teacher from a young age to becoming a specialist in teaching English as a second language in Rogersville, Tennessee.
Reflecting on her career, Missy discusses the importance of face-to-face teaching, the integration of technology in education, and the challenges and rewards of being an educator.
The conversation also explores the role of AI in classrooms, the importance of reducing non-instructional tasks for teachers, and the balance of motherhood and a teaching career. Missy emphasizes the value of interacting directly with students and shares her experiences with mentors, technology, and personal anecdotes about balancing work and family life.
Follow Missy on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-testerman-b7343388/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/missytesterman2024ntoy/?hl=en), and her website (https://missytesterman.com/).
Chapters
00:15 - Missy's Early Inspiration
01:22 - Missy's Teaching Journey
06:49 - Early Tech in Education
12:32 - First Year Teaching Challenges
15:19 - Tech Tools in Modern Teaching
24:49 - Digital Natives and Tech Integration
25:42 - AI in Education
27:09 - Face-to-Face Teaching vs. Tech
30:15 - The Role of Language in Child Development
31:47 - EdTech Trends and Teacher Workload
35:44 - AI's Impact on Education
43:33 - Balancing Work and Motherhood
Follow us
UX of EdTech (https://www.uxedtech.com/) is a design studio that cultivates learning, creativity, and play.
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ux-of-edtech) ↗︎ Substack Newsletter (https://uxedtech.substack.com/) ↗︎
6 Nov 2025
Leading the design of reading products at Microsoft Edu
Alicia Quan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia2joy/) and Sarah Mondestin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmondestin/) interview Alex Darrow (https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrow/), Principal Designer at Microsoft Education.
Alex discusses his journey from a childhood love for gaming to leading the design of innovative reading tools at Microsoft. He shares his experiences working on reading products, including the development of the Reading Coach and Reading Progress tools that have become essential in classrooms, especially during the COVID pandemic. Alex highlights the importance of observing children's learning processes and emphasizes creating engaging, gamified educational experiences.
The episode also features a special guest, Alex's daughter Zoe, who provides her perspective on her dad's work and shares valuable advice for designers creating educational tools for kids.
Chapters
01:13 - Early Gaming Influences
03:04 - Career Journey and Academic Background
05:07 - Transition to Microsoft and EdTech
10:02 - Voice User Interface Design
12:11 - Hackathons and Product Development
19:17 - Reading Progress and COVID-19
27:01 - Future of Reading Coach and Gamification
31:34 - AI Hype vs. Panic: Where Do You Stand?
32:21 - The Role of AI in Education
33:57 - Advice for EdTech Designers
34:14 - Personal Literacy Journeys
38:01 - The Impact of Reading Progress and Flipgrid
42:02 - Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions
49:03 - Special Guest: Zoe's Perspective
👋 Follow us
UX of EdTech (https://www.uxedtech.com/) is a design studio that cultivates learning, creativity, and play.
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ux-of-edtech) ↗︎
Substack Newsletter (https://uxedtech.substack.com/) ↗︎
Who has been a guest on UX of EdTech
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Annabel Blake
Michelle Lee
Julia Wilkowski
Hayes Raffle
Ethan Pierce
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
16 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
82
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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