Wired Educator Podcast Episode 256: Using AI Effectively for Teaching and Learning

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future-facing conversation in education. It is already shaping classrooms, workflows, and expectations for both teachers and leaders. The real question is not whether AI belongs in education, but how it can be used wisely, ethically, and effectively.

In Episode 256 of the Wired Educator Podcast, I sit down with William Grube, founder of Gruvy Education, to talk honestly about the opportunities and challenges AI presents for teaching and learning. This conversation is practical, grounded, and focused on what educators actually need right now.

Listen to the episode

Wired Educator Podcast Episode 256: Using AI Effectively for Teaching and Learning
Show notes and full episode details:
https://gruvyeducation.com

Why This Conversation Matters

William partners with more than 300 schools and several state-level organizations, providing hands-on AI training that helps educators save time while keeping student learning authentic. Throughout our conversation, we explore what is working, what concerns educators most, and what schools must do to move forward responsibly.

Key ideas from the episode include:

• AI can save time and improve learning when used with intention.
• Concerns about rigor, shortcuts, and critical thinking are valid and must be addressed directly.
• Professional learning must be hands-on and practical, not theoretical.
• Teachers still need strong content knowledge to integrate AI effectively.
• The future of education blends strong instructional practice with smart use of AI tools.

As William explains, AI becomes powerful only when educators understand how to use it well.

Practical Takeaways for Educators

This episode offers clear, usable insights for educators and leaders, including:

• How AI can streamline administrative tasks and free up time for meaningful teaching.
• Why most teachers are already using AI tools in some form.
• How schools are creating AI policies that encourage innovation without fear.
• The importance of stepping back from constant AI news and updates.
• The role of mentors and role models in both personal and professional growth.

If AI feels overwhelming, this episode helps cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to AI in Education
• 01:21 William’s Journey From Student to AI Advocate
• 04:03 The Rise of AI in Education
• 08:34 Concerns About AI and Academic Rigor
• 11:42 AI as a Learning Tool
• 14:02 Hands-On Training for Educators
• 19:07 Practical AI Tools for the Classroom
• 29:55 Creating Effective AI Policies
• 40:28 Harnessing AI for Efficiency
• 43:20 The Importance of Role Models

Exclusive Course Access for Newsletter Subscribers

If this conversation sparked deeper questions or curiosity, I have created a course designed to help educators lead with clarity and purpose.

The Greatest Year of Your Life Course
https://www.skool.com/kelly-croy-7161/about

The course includes:

• A 130+ page digital workbook
• A two-hour video experience
• Highly effective templates for planning and reflection
• New content added every month

The course was originally priced at $79 per month. Newsletter subscribers can join for $29 per month until February 10. After that date, the discounted rate will no longer be available.

Join Us at the SEL Symposium on March 20

I would also love to invite you to the SEL Symposium on March 20. This event brings together educators focused on student wellness, leadership, and the human side of teaching.

Register here:
https://www.pccsd.net/apps/pages/?type=d&uREC_ID=570812&pREC_ID=1100998

A Book Worth Sharing

I want to highlight a wonderful new children’s book that blends empathy, problem-solving, and engineering.

Reno’s Toaster Trouble: A Story of Empathy and Engineering by Leah LaCrosse
https://amzn.to/4adpGT7

This is a meaningful story that reminds us why education is always about people.

Bring the Wired Educator to Your Event

If your school, district, or organization is looking for a keynote or professional learning session on leadership, AI in education, or building purpose-driven cultures, I would be honored to connect.

Book Kelly Croy for your event here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqs7wzEfoY2KTQ_UMiNVtjtIRK5IdiwVWl70o5UgEG_wnS8w/viewform

Thank you for listening and for being part of this community. It is always a great day to be a Wired Educator.

You are awesome!

Kelly

I would like to speak at your event!

I love opening day keynotes to school districts and conferences, workshops with leaders and any opportunity to help educators reignite their passion, build stronger connections with students and colleagues, improve instruction, and level up as leaders. I hope YOU will reach out to ME!

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker

Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelly_croy
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast  Twitter: @kellycroy and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

What if this year did not just happen to you, but you designed it on purpose?

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I reflect on the power of goal setting, intention, and personal growth for educators and leaders. This is not about resolutions that fade by February. It is about choosing focus, taking action, and building momentum in your work, your health, and your life.

I share my personal priority for the year with a strong focus on physical well-being and explain why choosing one clear priority can unlock progress in every other area. We explore why sharing goals creates accountability, why goal setting is an act of leadership, and how community and collaboration elevate the work we do in education.

I also highlight exciting updates to the podcast, a powerful professional learning opportunity in social-emotional learning, and ways you can continue growing long after this episode ends.

Episode Takeaways

It is important to have intention and take action.
Goal setting is leadership, not just personal growth.
Sharing goals creates accountability and momentum.
Choosing one priority increases focus and clarity.
Physical well-being fuels professional effectiveness.
You can start fresh any day of the year.
Community and collaboration strengthen education.
Innovative tools improve learning and sharing.
Social-emotional learning is essential.
Consistency matters more than perfection.

The Greatest Year of Your Life Course

Join my course here:
https://www.skool.com/kelly-croy-7161/about?ref=39319fa9311b45d6a2d867898975888e

When you join, you receive this course and all future courses and content. New content is added every month.

Free Workbook Sample

Here is a 14-page sample from the 135-page workbook, including a powerful template you can use while listening to this podcast:
https://kellycroy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/14-Page-of-135-Sample-of-The-Greatest-Year-of-Your-Life-Workbook-by-Kelly-Croy-.pdf

Want a larger sample of the workbook?
Sign up for my newsletter here:
https://chipper-teacher-8587.kit.com/kellycroy

Social Emotional Learning and Mental Wellness Symposium
Hosted by Port Clinton City Schools
Created & Organized by Joe Miller

SEL Symposium Website:
https://www.pccsd.net/apps/pages/?type=d&uREC_ID=570812&pREC_ID=1100998

Register Here:
https://forms.gle/ZoSL9Rxu34d4dpxRA

Morning Keynote Speaker
Casey Cuny
SEL, AI, and the New Era of Rigor Through Relationships

2024 California Teacher of the Year
National leader in social emotional learning and artificial intelligence

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dz6W1-pIjI

Afternoon Keynote Speaker
Kurt Russell
Many Rivers to Cross

2022 National Teacher of the Year
Expert in student-centered instruction, inclusive curriculum, and advocacy

Breakout Speakers Include

Paul LaRue, President of the State Board of Education
Chris Monsour, 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year
Danee Pinckney, 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year
Mark Lowrie, 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year
Award-winning authors
Licensed professional clinical counselors
School resource officers

Bring a team of teachers, counselors, or administrators to save even more. Each attendee receives access to all keynotes and breakout sessions, a continental breakfast, lunch, and 6.5 contact hours.

Join us on March 20 in Port Clinton, Ohio for a day that will positively impact you and your colleagues and send you back to your school with practical ideas you can use immediately.

Order My Books

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kelly-Croy/author/B076MYK9WB?isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=49175a34-693e-40af-9569-e1030e60bcd9&linkCode=sl2&tag=kelcro-20&linkId=c5e49c26b5baeecbe22834895e743af0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Explore All of My Creative Work
https://linktr.ee/kellycroy

I Would Love to Speak at Your Event

I love opening day keynotes for school districts and conferences, leadership workshops, and any opportunity to help educators reignite their passion, build stronger connections, improve instruction, and level up as leaders.

Yes, let’s make it happen here:
https://forms.gle/Svsgd4pug4KxvGXj7

Thanks for listening, and here’s to building the greatest year of your life starting right now.

You are awesome!

Kelly

Innovation is one of the most overused and misunderstood words in education today. It gets tossed around in mission statements and tech plans, but rarely do we pause to define what it truly means in our day-to-day work as educators and leaders.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe: innovation isn’t a tool, a title, or a trendy initiative. It’s a mindset.

It’s the mindset of someone who’s curious, who questions assumptions, who sees problems as opportunities. It’s a way of thinking that pushes us to ask not “What can we add?” but “What can we change?” and “What can we improve?”

Innovation Starts with Listening

If we want to innovate, we have to start by listening, not just to experts, but to the most important voices in the building: our students.

Innovation isn’t about buying more devices or chasing the next big trend. Sure we need great tools and professional learning, but it’s more than that! It’s about designing schools that work better for the people inside them. That means creating schedules that allow for true collaboration among staff. It means allowing students to show us how they learn best. It means building in time and space for experimentation and feedback.

Ask your students:

• What parts of school help you learn?

• Where do you feel most engaged?

• When do you feel heard?

Then ask your staff:

• What do you wish you had more time for?

• What’s something small we could try that might lead to big change?

That’s where innovation begins.

Leadership Is Innovation in Motion

As leaders, our role is not to have all the answers. It’s to create the conditions where great ideas can grow. That might mean protecting collaborative planning time, encouraging risk-taking, or simply asking better questions.

Sometimes, innovation looks like:

• Reimagining the master schedule so teachers have common planning time across departments.

• Letting go of a long-standing tradition because it no longer serves students.

• Piloting a new tool, but tying it directly to instructional goals and student creation and expression. 

Create a Culture of Beta Thinking

We have to build cultures where “unfinished” is celebrated and failure is seen as feedback and the pathway to a big accomplishment. Borrowing from the tech world, I call this “Permanent Beta.” It’s the mindset that nothing we do is ever final. We’re constantly testing, learning, and refining.

In a school culture of beta thinking:

• Teachers are encouraged to share what’s not working, not just what is.

• Leaders model vulnerability and curiosity.

• Success is measured not just by outcomes, but by reflection and iteration.

A New Lens on Innovation

Innovation doesn’t mean reinventing everything. It means paying attention to the details that matter. It’s giving yourself and your team permission to evolve. It’s making time for the conversations that challenge old assumptions.

Let’s stop thinking of innovation as a one-time event, someone else’s responsibility, or a new gadget.. Let’s start thinking of it as a slow, steady redesign of the way we teach, lead, and learn.

That’s real innovation.

You are awesome!

Kelly

I would like to speak at your event!

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker

Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast  Twitter: @kellycroy and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

I have a running playlist that ranges from Ludacris to Luke Combs and Bruce and Bon Jovi to OutKast with a lot in between. I find it a great way to keep my mind occupied while running. And the other day was a 5k that is a new beginning for me.

Little back story – former fat kid that grew into a fat adult who lost weight (like 80+ pounds.. twice!) and put it back on after health issues and setbacks (including an Achilles repair surgery 2 years ago). But between watching my son run the NYC Marathon earlier this month to the other day’s (albeit not great) 5k, I’ve been re-inspired in so many ways!

Back to today…. a 5k in the books at the slowest I’ve ever done (including one this past summer with crazy hills). But rather than feeling down about it, I had the following ah-ha moments along the way:

1.) It’s My Life (Bon Jovi) – it is my life and I get to CHOOSE how I let stress and other things impact me. I can choose to get stressed or remember that whatever it is likely won’t matter a year from now. What does matter is at home under my roof.

2.) Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma (Luke Combs) I was lucky enough to get to see Luke Combs this summer with my daughter, who is a big fan! He sings: “I got saved in the same Red River, the same Red River tryna drown me. It ain’t knocking me down, I’m standing my ground with the whole world falling all around me. I keep running, but I’m standing still; Pray for peace, but I need thе thrill. So I keep chasing that same old devil down the samе old dead-end highway.” Oof. This one definitely describes my relationship with running. It is what I used to lose weight before but damn if it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to kill me now! So, I’m gonna keep chasing it; keep looking for the thrill that’s in it and try to remember that each subsequent time won’t try to kill me quite as much…

3.) Rosalina (Bruce Springsteen) at a point in this song, The Boss references the swamps of Jersey. And while I was running on the trail in Trumbull next to the river it reminded me that whether in the swamps of Jersey, the trail in Trumbull or the classroom in Bridgeport – we’re all in this together. Teachers around the world all face challenges, but in supporting each other and building each other up, we in turn build up ourselves. Remember that as loud as the naysayers are, there is an even louder crowd of cheerleaders out there rooting for you. It’s just sometimes hard to hear them above the noise. And sometimes you need to cheer for yourself too!

There were other moments on the run that made me smile (the beautiful river), frustrated me (uggg smokers on the trail 😡) and even made me laugh (just when I thought the dog was going to be good, he managed his way out of the harness – a 7-year-old dog that still fancies himself a puppy 🤣). And isn’t that like teaching? Our days run through a range of emotions that would give acting coaches a run at their money! But at the end of the day, I’m reminded of a message that’s a big part of Race4Chase – a kids triathlon organization that my family is involved with. Each year at the beginning of the finale event where 500+ kids swim, ride and run in honor of a Sandy Hook Angel, there is a minister who prays and reminds the kids that they can do hard things! It’s just we have to keep moving. We all do. So, here’s to the moving, the learning and the growing. Let’s finish 2024 strong!

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/235ff9b9486042e1829998c5eb707221sune?ref=dm_sh_OZuKbEenh6GwwBZHm03mJY86B