Episode 214: AI, Balance, and Rethinking Tech in the Classroom with Kasey Bell

What happens when one of the biggest voices in edtech starts asking harder questions about… edtech?

In this episode, Meghan sits down with Kasey Bell, educator, author, and founder of Shake Up Learning, to talk about the evolving role of technology in the classroom—and why balance matters more now than ever.

From her early days as a middle school teacher to becoming a leader in instructional technology, Kasey shares how her work has shifted from simply integrating tools to helping teachers save time, think critically, and protect what matters most for students.

This conversation dives into AI, classroom tech, student well-being, and the growing tension between innovation and responsibility.

• The real story behind Shake Up Learning and how it grew from one blog post
• Why technology should support teaching—not dominate it
• The biggest misconception about classroom tech: you don’t have to use it for everything
• How AI is transforming teacher workflows—and saving serious time
• Why Kasey is cautious about student use of AI tools (for now)
• The impact of social media and device-based childhoods on student behavior
• What teachers are seeing: “These kids are different”
• The need to bring back face-to-face communication and human interaction
• Why creativity may matter more than ever in an AI-driven world

“Just because it’s new doesn’t mean we should immediately embrace it—especially when it comes to kids.”

• Must-try tool: Claude
• Stop doing: Grading everything
• Start doing: Learning AI
• Myth to bust: Every student doing the same thing at the same time

This episode pushes us to rethink:

• Are we using tech because it’s effective—or because it’s there?
• Are we preparing students for the future—or overwhelming them in the present?
• Are we protecting kids online the same way we protect them offline?

• Website: Shake Up Learning
• Podcast: The Shake Up Learning Show
• Focus: Practical, time-saving tech strategies for teachers

No Name Paper: A Teacher Podcast
Where teaching is more than one size fits all.

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