Summer Learning, Digital Citizenship, and Back-to-School Joy with Otis Pierce

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, Andrew Easton welcomes Otis Pierce of ESU 7 back to the show for a summer learning recap and a some fun back-to-school conversation. Together, they reflect on ideas and experiences that shaped their thinking heading into the 2026–2027 school year, including takeaways from the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, the evolving conversation around digital citizenship, and the need for thoughtful local decision-making around screen time, AI, and technology use in schools. Otis shares insights from Kristen Mattson’s framing of digital citizenship as preparing young people for full participation in an ever-evolving digital world, while Andrew connects that work to Nebraska’s broader digital citizenship efforts, including digital safety, digital well-being, media and information literacy, and social responsibility. The conversation also explores the nuance needed when discussing screen time and technology in education. Rather than treating devices as simply good or bad, Andrew and Otis consider how technology can support learning when used with intention, while also acknowledging real concerns around distraction, addiction, and student well-being. The episode closes with a look ahead to the school year, including the importance of helping educators understand AI as a tool that can support their work when used well. Otis highlights prompt writing as a key skill for educators and leaders, and Andrew points listeners toward Nebraska resources connected to digital citizenship, AI, and SupportED. Resources Mentioned: Future Ready Nebraska Conference: https://nefutureready.com/ Edvolve Digital Citizenship Framework: https://www.teachdigcit.com/framework Nebraska Digital Citizenship Symposium: https://bit.ly/NEDigCit SupportED: https://nesupported.org/