What if AI could actually make your classroom more human?

In this episode of AmpED to 11, we sit down with Jessica Paulsen, President of Innovation and Impact at LEAP Innovations, and Roberto Vargas, Managing Director of IT and Data Systems at Distinctive Schools, to unpack a provocative question: If AI can already do many of the tasks we’ve traditionally assigned in school, what new kinds of learning should we be designing—learning that only humans can shape, feel, and experience?

Jessica and Roberto are at the forefront of human-centered, AI-integrated education. From personalized learner profiles powered by NotebookLM to co-created AI handbooks designed with students, their work isn’t just about adopting technology—it’s about redesigning systems that truly serve kids. We dive deep into how educators can thoughtfully integrate AI while preserving authenticity, amplifying agency, and centering students’ stories.

And we don’t shy away from the hard stuff. We question whether “personalized learning” has gone too far. We push past easy efficiency wins to examine real transformation. And we explore how teacher prep, policy, and mindsets must evolve—fast—if we want equity and humanity to remain at the heart of schools.

What you’ll learn:

1. Bold strategies for integrating AI without losing your humanity
2. Why student co-design and voice is the missing piece in most AI policies
3. How Distinctive Schools is using NotebookLM to build living learner profiles
4. Why data transparency and digital trace ethics must be part of AI rollouts
5. Tangible ways to redesign PD around mindset shifts, not one-off tools
6. How dialogue, storytelling, and even “vibe planning” are the future of learning

Hosted by Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma, this episode will shift how you think about AI—not as a replacement for teachers, but as a power tool for unleashing what makes us most human in the first place.

Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

What happens when a heart-to-heart gets a digital co-pilot?

In this bold, boundary-pushing episode of AmpED to 11, Rebecca and Brett dive deep into the tangled intersection of AI and human connection with three trailblazers from the Rithm Project—a visionary effort aiming to preserve humanity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Michelle Culver (Rithm Project founder and former Reinvention Lab lead at Teach For America) is joined by Rithm Fellows Bomi Akarakiri and Cyra Alesha, both powerhouse youth advocates working at the sharp edge of policy, mental health, and emerging tech. Together, they bring passion, clarity, and a whole lot of nuance to one of the most urgent questions in education right now: If AI is becoming a co-author of our relationships, what does that mean for how we connect, collaborate, and care?

The crew doesn’t just talk about this—they play The AI Effect: a provocative card-based game that sparks unflinchingly honest discussion around AI use cases—from romantic chatbots and AI grief companions to whether students should use AI to write friendship speeches. Every round stirs disagreement, vulnerability, and even some unexpected revelations. And that’s the point.

You’ll learn:

1. Bold ways to explore AI's impact on relationships and student well-being
2. How educators and students can use tools like The AI Effect to build critical AI judgment, together
3. Why pretending to be more “human” with AI might actually cost us authenticity
4. What real trust and transparency look like in a world of synthetic friends and smart lenses
5. How to support young people in developing emotional regulation and empathy in an AI era
6. Why “it depends” is the most radical answer in education today

This isn’t your average policy talk or tool review—this is a deep, decidedly human conversation that leaves you feeling more connected, more curious, and honestly, a little more hopeful.

Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.

Who says AI doesn’t belong at the holiday table?

In this festive, future-forward “11 Days of Xmas” special episode of AmpED to 11, hosts Brett Roer and Rebecca Bultsma are joined by Amplify & Elevate Innovation insiders Serena Reynolds and Versha Munshi-South for an unfiltered round of rapid-fire AI questions—plus some unexpected hot takes, tech confessions, and painfully relatable truths from parents, former principals, and teenage kids alike.

It’s part AI year-in-review, part prediction party, and part support group for educators on the front lines of the AI evolution. Buckle up.

From Versha’s candid insights on leading innovation while parenting “AI-resistant” teens, to Serena’s Notion automations that would make any productivity nerd weak in the knees, to Rebecca’s bold new use of Gmail agents that literally email her strategic summaries while she’s sleeping—this episode is for anyone thinking: How do I even keep up anymore?

(Wondering what to ditch in 2025? Rebecca serves up the ultimate poetic rant on why AI detectors must die.)

They dive into:

1. Bold visions for AI in 2026—staffing models, literacy requirements, and teen-built study agents
2. Why “the Christmas tree effect” of edtech overload has to stop
3. Rebecca’s mind-blowing automations using Google Workspace agents
4. Equity warning: How kids with access are using AI to personalize learning—and who’s being left behind
5. Why “horizontal” AI learning won’t cut it—and how to teach for vertical transformation instead
6. “When is enough enough?”—The AI spiral we’re all trapped in (and how to get out)

Plus, get the inside scoop on the game that sparked 40,000+ students to weigh in on AI—and why every school leader should be playing it in 2026.

Brett, Rebecca, Serena, and Versha bring the insight, humor, and raw honesty that make AmpED to 11 more than just a podcast. It’s a lifeline for bold educators navigating this messy, magical age of AI.

Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.