A Year of EdTech

Our For the Love of EdTech podcast, which isall about education, technology, and how the two can come together in the classroom to benefit students and educators alike, recently celebrated two major milestones in the last few months: a year of production and the ability to earn graduate credit by listening.
The show is hosted by Kara Hutchinson and Caryn Kelley, two educators with a love for creativity and technology. Both work for the Southwestern Ohio Instructional Technology Association (SOITA), which is part of Public Media Connect with CET and ThinkTV. The mission at SOITA is to provide area educators instructional technology services that will assist them in optimizing student learning and achievement. The staff includes full-time consultants responsible for teaching workshops and graduate classes on curriculum integration, productivity tools, and 21st century skills.
“Hosting the podcast has been so much fun for us,” Kara said. “It is always interesting to hear how people find their way into education or work with educators. We are able to learn about aspects of education we may not be very familiar with as well as share topics or tools that we are.”
The hosts have spent more than 25 episodes not only informing the listeners, but also learning things themselves along the way as they explore these new technologies.
“No matter what, each interaction is a learning opportunity that fills a curiosity as a lifelong learner.” Kara added
The show has also partnered with Teacher Campus and Ashland University to help educators receive graduate credit just for listening to the show, which can help teachers with renewing licenses and furthering their own careers. If you’re an educator and would like to learn more about how you can benefit from this special offer, just visit our website here: https://fortheloveofedtech.org/earn-graduate-credit/.
Here are some of our listeners’ favorite episodes:

Making Math Fun Using Roblox with Jon Goga
Episode #16
May 5, 2022
This is the final episode of the first season of our For the Love of EdTech podcast! Listen in as hosts Kara and Caryn sit down with Jon Goga from Brainy Spinach to discuss how Roblox can be used as an educational tool in the classroom and how technology can make sometimes “hated” subjects fun.
Learn more, read the transcript and Guest Bio

Promoting Literacy Using YouTube with Nikhita Bhatia
Episode #12
March 10, 2022
Getting young learners engaged can be difficult, even for the most seasoned professionals. Our special guest today, Nikhita Bhatia, has addressed this problem with the creation of her YouTube channel, “Me Time with Niki,” which aims to promote literacy through the use of storytelling with her puppet named Chico!
Learn more, read the transcript and Guest Bio

Taking the First Step (with Matt Gerberick)
Episode #2
October 7, 2021
Taking the first step in using technology in the classroom as a learning tool can be challenging. But EdTech doesn’t have to be scary! In this episode, Matt Gerberick, the newest addition to SOITA, joins us to talk about starting small, taking a chance, and trying something new.
Learn more, read the transcript and Guest Bio

Reasons to Love INFOhio and Your Library with Lori Lee
Episode #15
April 21, 2022
Did you know you can borrow everything from DVDs to Cricut machines at your local library? Learn about those resources and INFOhio on today’s brand new episode of our podcast “For the Love of EdTech.”
Learn more, read the transcript and Guest Bio

Technology with Littles with Liz Curtis
Episode #21
October 6, 2022
Using tech with littles can seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. Liz Curtis joins us to discuss ways to use tech with younger students and how teachers can approach this sometimes overwhelming idea.