We talk about engagement like it’s something we can flip on — a switch, an app, a strategy.
“What’s your engagement strategy?”

But after decades in the classroom, one truth keeps showing up:

Engagement isn’t something we create. It’s something that emerges.

Students don’t engage because lessons are flashy or entertaining.
They engage when the work matters, when they have ownership, and when their thinking is required.

In this episode, Dan challenges a common framing that impacts both classrooms and schools: we often treat engagement as a performance problem instead of a design problem. When we chase activity, speed, and surface-level participation, we confuse busy with engaged — and that’s where frustration, burnout, and disengagement creep in.

Through real classroom stories, analogies from sports and the arts, and practical reflection questions, this episode reframes engagement around cognitive demand, relevance, autonomy, and purpose — not compliance or quiet classrooms.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why engagement is often misread as entertainment or activity

• The critical difference between compliance and true engagement

• How cognitive demand and relevance drive student motivation

• Why some of the most engaged students don’t look compliant

• What teachers and administrators can design differently to support deeper learning

• Three reflection questions to reset how you think about engagement heading into the new year

This episode is especially timely for educators on break — not as another “do more” conversation, but as an invitation to rethink what’s worth designing in the first place.

We say we want more student engagement—but what does that actually mean?In this episode, I unpack why engagement has become one of the most overused and misunderstood goals in education. Drawing on current research, classroom experience, and insights from Building Thinking Classrooms, I make the case that engagement is often treated as a stand-in for learning—even though it’s easy to fake and hard to define.Instead, I argue for a shift in focus: away from how students look and toward what students are actually thinking about—and whether they truly own the work.This episode challenges common assumptions, offers practical classroom moves, and reframes what teachers and school leaders should be looking for if they want deeper learning to happen.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• A clear, current definition of student engagement and how it’s commonly understood today
• The difference between behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement—and why one matters most
• Why engagement is often measured, but thinking is rarely designed for
• How Thinking Classrooms reframes learning around visible thinking and ownership
• Why hands-on building and non-permanent thinking increase risk-taking and revision
• Simple classroom moves that shift the focus from engagement to thinking
• What administrators should look for instead of “on-task” behavior during walkthroughs

Key Takeaways:

• Engagement is a signal, not the goal
• Students can appear engaged without doing meaningful cognitive work
• Thinking leaves evidence—if the environment is designed to make it visible
• Ownership, agency, and revision matter more than participation and compliance
• Hands-on, erasable thinking lowers risk and deepens learning

Try This in Your Classroom

• Remove one engagement strategy from an upcoming lesson

• Add one thinking demand instead:
• Ask students to build their understanding
• Have them explain their choices
• Require them to revise their thinking
• Reflect on where thinking became visible—and where it didn’t

Reflection QuestionWhat would change in your classroom—or your school—if engagement wasn’t the goal, but thinking was?Join the ConversationIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague and let me know your takeaways.Tag me on social media using #WheresTheFunInThat and share:

• What does thinking look like in your classroom?
• What’s one way you’re moving beyond engagement?

About the ShowThe Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast explores teaching, learning, play, and thinking in real classrooms. We focus on practical ideas, honest conversations, and strategies that help teachers and students do deeper, more meaningful work.

EpisodeSummary

I return after a six-week break to recap MASSCUE and NYSCATE—two conferences that, despite being totally different, revealed the same message from educators everywhere:

Teachers want learning that is joyful, simple, hands-on, and usable tomorrow.

This episode highlights inside-session moments, hallway conversations, and even late-night trivia and Family Feud that turned into powerful professional learning. I also preview my upcoming FETC workshop, Design. Build. Play.Assess., happening January 11 at 8:00 AM.

•MASSCUE: The Spark

• Showing up as a Bills fan in Patriots territory
• Hands-on takeaways from sessions
• The real learning happening in hallway conversations
• After-hours chats that kept circling the same theme: “Give me something I can use Monday.”

• • NYSCATE: The Family ReunionWhy NYSCATE feels like coming home
• Trust, honesty, and real talk with “family”
• High-energy LEGO Serious Play + worksheet-busting sessions
• Trivia and Family Feud fueling meaningful conversations
• The deeper need for joy + manageable routines

• The Pattern Across Both Conferences

• Teachers everywhere are asking for:
• Joyful learning with clear structure
• Simple routines that work every day
• Assessment that shows thinking
• AI that supports—not complicates—teaching
• A sense of community and connection

• FETC Preview

• I give a sneak peek at the hands-on LEGOlearning lab he’s leading: Design.Build. Play. Assess. A practical, use-it-tomorrow workshop rooted in everythingteachers said all fall.

Free Resources Mentioned

• Fun LEGO warm-up: Build the Worst Superhero Ever!
• Build → Reflect → Share routine
• Simple AI workflow for hands-on lessons

Download link

Join the Conversation

Tag me at @coachthomastech and use #WheresTheFunInThat.

Explore more shows at xfactoredu.org. Want to be a guest—or know someone who should be? Reach out!

In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with the one and only Farmer Faubs — educator, content creator, and all-around EdTech firecracker — to talk about how creativity and community are redefining teaching. From her viral “Farmer Faubs” persona to her work with Book Creator, Kami, and the EduGuardians, Faubs brings practical strategies, a big heart, and a whole lot of “Yeehaw moments” to classrooms everywhere.

We dig into:

• How Farmer Faubs started on a whim with a cowboy hat and a vision

• The power of social media for teacher growth and connection

• Why AI and creativity must coexist in classrooms

• How to make PD sessions actually useful (hint: hands-on and follow-up!)

• Simple, ready-to-use templates and blended learning ideas teachers can apply tomorrow

• The story behind the EduGuardians movement and the power of authentic educator communities

If you’ve ever wanted PD with purpose, tech with heart, and learning that sticks — this one’s for you.

🧩 Key Takeaways

• “Meet teachers where they are.” Great tech starts with usability and simplicity.

• Blend hands-on with high-tech. LEGO, shoebox projects, and AI can live together.

• Keep the human in the loop. AI is a thought partner, not a replacement.

• Community matters. Connections through Twitter, LinkedIn, and conferences can transform your teaching career.

• Make PD that sticks. Give teachers something they can use tomorrow, not next semester.

🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned

Book Creator

Kami

EduGuardians (home page)

EduGuardians on X (Twitter)

👩‍🌾 Guest Info — Farmer Faubs

Farmer Faubs is an instructional coach, content creator, and creativity advocate. Known for her energetic farm-themed EdTech videos and practical classroom ideas, she’s passionate about helping teachers make learning engaging, meaningful, and fun.

📱 Follow her on social media: @farmerFaubs (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn)

⛳ Host — Dan Thomas

Dan Thomas is a veteran STEM educator, LEGO Serious Play facilitator, and host of The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, where common sense meets creativity in education.

🔗 Connect with Dan: @coachthomastech

🏷️ Tags

#EdTech #PBL #AIinEducation #Creativity #BookCreator #TeacherPD #EduGuardians #TechEdClubhouse #FarmerFaubs #WhereIsTheFunInThat

🔔 Call to Action

If you enjoyed this episode, follow, rate, and share The TechEd Clubhouse Podcast!

💬 Join the conversation on social media using #TechEdClubhouse and #YeehawMoments.

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse, Dan Thomas sits down with Laura Williams, founder of the Authentic Learning Alliance, to explore what authentic learning really looks like in schools. From chicken tractors to drone-powered science, Laura shares how schools can connect students to meaningful, future-ready work.

We dig into why traditional approaches fail too many students, how agile practices like Scrum and retrospectives build durable skills, and how teachers can bring authentic learning into their classrooms tomorrow.

• What’s not working in education—and how to fix it

• Defining authentic learning (beyond buzzwords)

• Real-world examples: selfie stations, chicken tractors, drones, and more

• Why process > product in student learning

• How to use Scrum, Kanban boards, and retrospectives in class

• Rethinking PD: agile professional learning that sticks

• Quick wins teachers can try right away

• Authentic Learning Alliance: authenticlearningalliance.org

• Book: The Improvement Game – Amazon link

• Follow Laura: @MrsWilliams21C | LinkedIn

• Host: @coachthomastech | coachthomastech.com

Try a Plus/Delta chart with your students tomorrow:

• Plus (+): What went well?

• Delta (Δ): What could we change?

Simple, fast, and powerful feedback that gets students reflecting on their learning.

👉 If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to follow, rate, and share The Tech Ed Clubhouse!

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Kyle Niemis, Head of Community at Wayground (formerly Quizziz). We dig into the bold decision to rebrand, the story behind the new name, and how Wayground is helping teachers balance student joy with academic rigor.

Kyle shares:

• Why Quizziz rebranded as Wayground

• How Wayground hits the sweet spot between fun gamification and serious assessment

• The power of student accommodations and differentiation at scale

• Their new PhET Simulations partnership for science classrooms

• Where AI fits into real-time feedback and student growth

• What’s next for Wayground as schools return this fall

We also dive into big-picture questions around time-saving tools vs. authentic learning, student choice, and how to help every kid succeed—not just the ones at the top of the leaderboard.

🎥 Watch the full video version on YouTube here: [Insert YouTube link]

• Twitter/X: @KyleNiemis

• Wayground: https://wayground.com

• Wayground YouTube: Wayground Channel

• Twitter/X: @coachthomastech

• YouTube: Coach Thomas Tech

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, follow, rate, and share The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen. Let’s keep building fun, purpose, and creativity into learning.

In this episode of The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast, I sit down with Leena Salah from Canva to explore how this powerful platform is transforming classrooms. From Magic Activities that generate higher-order thinking tasks to Canva Code that lets teachers and students build custom widgets without writing a line of code, Canva is redefining creativity, engagement, and authentic learning.

Here’s what we dig into:

• 🚀 The newest Canva tools for educators, including Magic Write, Magic Media, and Magic Activities

• 💡 How Canva Code empowers teachers and students to design interactive tools with simple prompts

• 🎨 Practical classroom applications that save teachers time and boost student engagement

• 🌎 Why Canva is more than an edtech tool—it’s an industry-ready skill for students’ futures

• 📚 The hidden gems inside Canva Design School that every teacher should know about

Leena also shares insights on Canva’s AI integrations, their growing teacher community, and how Canva is helping educators bridge the gap between creativity, equity, and access.

Whether you’re new to Canva or already using it daily, this conversation is packed with strategies, use cases, and inspiration to take your teaching to the next level.

• Try Canva for Education: canva.com/education

• Explore Canva Design School: canva.com/designschool

• Connect with the Canva EDU community: canva.com/communities

If this episode sparked some ideas for your classroom, don’t keep it to yourself!
👉 Follow The Tech Ed Clubhouse Podcast on Spotify (or wherever you listen).
👉 Hit that ⭐ rating to support the show.
👉 Share this episode with a fellow educator who needs a fresh dose of creativity in their teaching toolbox.

Follow me on X/Twitter: @coachthomastech
Join the conversation with the hashtag #TechEdClubhouse

🔗 Links & Resources📣 Call to Action🔥 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Episode Overview

In this episode of the TechEd Clubhouse, Dan Thomas sits down with Todd Bloomer, veteran school leader, author of The Blueprint: Survive and Thrive as a School Administrator, and now Director of School Leadership for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Todd shares his no-nonsense approach to school leadership: why being visible matters more than being stuck in the office, how culture is built in small daily interactions, and why equity—not just equality—matters in schools. From his 29 years in education to his transition into principal coaching, Todd brings passion, practical wisdom, and stories that resonate with anyone in education.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• People Before Paper – Why principals and leaders must be present with students and staff, not buried in emails.

• Culture Is Not a Program – How consistent small interactions shape school culture more than any purchased initiative.

• Equity Over Equality – The importance of treating students fairly by giving them what they need, not necessarily the same thing.

• Leadership in the Gray – Why effective principals live in nuance, not black and white rules.

• Coaching the Next Generation – Todd’s work helping current and future principals find their blueprint for success.

• • Why Kids Really Come to School – The role of social connections, belonging, and recognition in student motivation.

  Key Quotes

• • “Positivity + Visibility + Reliability = Trust.” – Todd Bloomer

  • “You can’t lead from your office. Culture is built in the hallways, classrooms, and cafeterias.”

  • “Fair isn’t always equal—every student needs something different to thrive.”

• Resources and Links

  • 📘 Todd’s Book: The Blueprint: Survive and Thrive as a School Administrator – Amazon Link

• • 🌐 Todd’s Website: toddmbloomer.com

  • 📱 Follow Todd on Instagram & TikTok: @todd_bloomer_author

  • 🔗 Connect with Todd on LinkedIn

  • 🌍 Blog & Resources: coachthomastech.com/blog

  • 🐦 Twitter: @coachthomastech

  • 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

  • 💬 Join the conversation with hashtag #TechEdClubhouse

  
  

  
  

  If you’re a school leader, teacher, or aspiring administrator—this conversation will leave you fired up and ready to lead with heart. After listening, share your biggest takeaway with us on social media using #TechEdClubhouse, and don’t forget to leave a review to help more educators find the show.