logo
episode-header-image
Jul 23
1h 16m

Episode 330: Tisha Poncio & Rick Butterw...

Fonz Mendoza
About this episode

Digital Portfolios, Feedback Culture, and Rethinking Readiness with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth

In Episode 330 of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Tisha Poncio and Rick Butterworth, authors of Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders. This conversation is all about transforming classrooms by prioritizing neurodiversity, digital portfolios, and building real-world readiness through entrepreneurial thinking.

We dig into what it really means to shift from compliance-based learning to authentic student voice, how educators can reframe feedback, and why every learner deserves space to reflect, create, and grow.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome and intros
 03:10 – Tisha and Rick’s origin story
 06:35 – The real message behind Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders
10:45 – What digital portfolios can unlock in the classroom
14:20 – Why feedback culture needs to change
19:00 – Classroom examples of student voice in action
25:10 – Rick’s take on workplace readiness and how schools miss the mark
29:40 – Branding, identity, and giving students ownership
35:15 – Practical steps to empower neurodivergent learners
42:50 – Why educators should embrace their inner entrepreneur
50:00 – The question: “What’s your EduKryptonite?”
58:00 – Closing thoughts and reflection

🛠️ Learn more about Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders: Inspire Your Students to Succeed in School and Beyond. 

🙏 Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting meaningful conversations in education:
 Book Creator, Eduaide.ai, and Yellowdig

🎧 Listen to more episodes at: https://www.myedtech.life/

Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator.

Yellowdig is transforming higher education by building online communities that drive engagement and collaboration. My EdTech Life is proud to partner with Yellowdig to amplify its mission.

See how Yellowdig can revolutionize your campus—visit Yellowdig.co today!

Support the show

Up next
Aug 3
Episode 331: Erik Parsons
Learning, Agency, and EdTech | Erik ParsonsIn this episode of My EdTech Life, I reconnect with the brilliant Erik Parsons, better known as The PhDad on TikTok, for a bold conversation on what really matters in education. We dig into behaviorism vs. developmentalism, and how too m ... Show More
1h 30m
Jul 16
Episode 329: Building with Purpose with Eduaide
Ep.329 Building with Purpose with Eduaide In this episode, I welcome back two familiar voices: Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel, the powerhouse team behind Eduaide.AI. This isn’t just another conversation about AI. It’s a grounded, honest discussion on what it means to build tec ... Show More
1h 20m
Jul 10
Episode 328: Job Christiansen
AI in Schools: Innovation or Illusion? | Ep. 328 with Job ChristiansenIs AI making classrooms smarter—or just noisier?In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Job Christiansen, a fellow cautious advocate, educator, and instructional technology specialist, to ask the har ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
AI Use Case Series: AI in Education [AI Today Podcast]
Using AI in education can have a dramatic impact on students and teachers alike. In this episode of AI Today hosts Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer discuss how AI is being applied in education and learning. AI powered education Indeed, AI-powered learning is really exciting peopl ... Show More
18m 3s
Jun 2024
Why AI Could Be the Best Teacher You Ever Have w/ Sal Khan
AI is accelerating at a dizzying pace and you’ve got to be prepared for what’s to come. It’s not a matter of if, but when… and it’s going to be sooner than you expect! In this electrifying episode, we’re discussing the boundless potential of artificial intelligence and its transf ... Show More
54m 18s
Aug 2024
The TED AI Show: Sal Khan says AI won’t destroy education -- but there’s a catch
Cheating has never been easier with the rise of AI like ChatGPT. It's definitely something to worry about, but what do we know about the upsides of AI in education? Khan Academy founder Sal Khan says education won't destroy our kids' brains, but we have to integrate AI the right ... Show More
36m 5s
Feb 2025
AI - State of Nation with Technologists Andreas Frangeskides And Will Snow
🔍 Key topics include: • The impact of AI on business, culture, and creativity• Ethical considerations in the rapidly advancing AI landscape• The U.S.-China AI arms race and its global implications• AI for social good: Can technology drive positive change?• The importance of huma ... Show More
35m 44s
Sep 2024
The Road to Autonomous Intelligence with Andrej Karpathy
Andrej Karpathy joins Sarah and Elad in this week of No Priors. Andrej, who was a founding team member of OpenAI and former Senior Director of AI at Tesla, needs no introduction. In this episode, Andrej discusses the evolution of self-driving cars, comparing Tesla and Waymo’s app ... Show More
44m 16s
Jun 20
All Things AI • BEP x SEND7 • Part 2 - BEP 137
Part One: ​​https://www.spreaker.com/episode/all-things-ai-part-one--66659818In this special bonus episode of the Business English Podcast, host Rob collaborates with Stephen of Simple English News Daily (SEND7) to discuss the current and future implications of artificial intelli ... Show More
17m 6s
Aug 2024
809: Agentic AI, with Shingai Manjengwa
Agentic AI is revolutionizing the tech landscape, and Shingai Manjengwa from ChainML is here to tell us why. Discover how AI agents are becoming an integral part of our lives, automating tasks like travel bookings and daily inspiration. Shingai explains the power of multi-agent s ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 2024
Sal Khan says AI won’t destroy education — but there’s a catch
Cheating has never been easier with the rise of AI like ChatGPT. It's definitely something to worry about, but what do we know about the upsides of AI in education? Khan Academy founder Sal Khan says education won't destroy our kids' brains, but we have to integrate AI the right ... Show More
36m 5s
Apr 2025
Co-Intelligence — Using AI to Think Better, Create More, and Live Smarter
The era of artificially intelligent large language models is upon us and isn't going away. Rather, AI tools like ChatGPT are only going to get better and better and affect more and more areas of human life.If you haven't yet felt both amazed and unsettled by these technologies, y ... Show More
57m 46s