Monday, March 3, 2025

Podcast Spotlight: Innovator Insights

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "Innovator Insights" podcast from GAT Labs.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is hosted by Scott Fisher and is described as follows:

Exploring the minds and journeys of today's innovators to inspire tomorrow's leaders. Every episode tells the story of an innovator-someone who has faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and carved a new path in industries like technology, business, education, and beyond. Through their triumphs and setbacks, we uncover the heart of what it means to lead, to innovate, and to shape the future.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:
  • How my journey from math teacher to tech integration specialist shaped my approach.
  • The challenges of limited resources and how creativity with existing tools can break barriers in education.
  • The role of AI in personalizing learning and providing teachers with actionable insights.
  • And more!
Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.


🔊 Listen to the Episode




🔗 Connect with the Podcast

🧰 Episode Resources

📋 Episode Summary

Thanks to ChatGPT, here are the main topics covered during the episode. You can listen to the podcast to get all the details.

Journey into Education & Technology
  • Started as a math teacher with a passion for simplifying complex concepts.
  • Transitioned to an EdTech role due to his natural inclination toward technology and problem-solving.
  • Became a technology integration specialist in the late 90s when schools first adopted computers and the internet.
Innovation Through Necessity
  • Faced budget cuts early in his career, forcing creative use of existing technology.
  • Became an early adopter of Google Apps for Education (now Google Workspace).
  • Created a homepage construction kit for teachers to build classroom websites before easy tools like Google Sites existed.
Philosophy on Technology in Education
  • Technology is a tool, not the goal – should be used to enhance student learning, not just digitize traditional methods.
  • Encourages teacher creativity in repurposing tools for unique classroom applications.
  • Believes in teaching adaptability over specific software skills—students should be able to learn any tool, not just one brand.
AI’s Role in the Future of Education
  • AI is more than just a time-saver—it has the potential to transform education.
  • Excited about personalized learning, where AI can provide real-time, adaptive support for every student.
  • Highlighted oral assessments using AI (e.g., Snorkl) as a game-changer for student feedback and deeper engagement.
Staying Ahead in EdTech
  • Uses RSS aggregators to collect insights from top EdTech blogs.
  • Follows newsletters and social media communities to stay updated.
  • Engages in Google’s educator programs (Google Champions, Certified Trainer, etc.).
Advice for New Innovators
  • Share your work freely—even if it's not perfect, others will build on it.
  • Embrace collaboration—learning from others helps refine ideas.
  • Find balance—passion is important, but so is personal well-being.
Current & Future Projects
  • Focused on advancing AI’s impact on education beyond basic automation.
  • Developing a new keynote on leveraging AI for deeper learning.
  • Continuing to create and share EdTech resources via his blog, YouTube, and social media.

Post by Eric Curts
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