Episode 331: Erik Parsons

from My EdTech Life · host Dr. Fonz Mendoza

Learning, Agency, and EdTech | Erik ParsonsIn this episode of My EdTech Life, I reconnect with the brilliant Erik Parsons, better known as The PhDad on TikTok, for a bold conversation on what really matters in education. We dig into behaviorism vs. developmentalism, and how too many classrooms are still operating on compliance over collaboration.From Chromebooks as babysitters to the over-promise of AI-powered personalized learning, we question the transactional mindset that keeps students locked out of agency. Erik shares how improvisational theatre, playground culture, and student discourse can reshape how we think about learning and how the classroom should feel more like a community than a factory.We also break down the risks of cognitive offload when students rely on AI to do the thinking for them. Are these tools helping or harming? What does it really mean to teach with students, not to them?Whether you’re a K-12 teacher, higher ed faculty, or policy maker, this episode challenges you to stop, think, and ask yourself: Are we preparing learners or performers? 00:00 – Welcome Back, Erik Parsons: The PhDad Returns 02:45 – The Story Behind "The PhDad" and TikTok Content 06:00 – Behaviorism vs. Developmentalism Explained 12:30 – The Power of Play, Agency, and Classroom Discourse 18:00 – What Developmentalism Looks Like in a Tech-Rich Classroom 24:00 – Are We Managing Students or Empowering Them? 30:00 – When Tech Becomes a Distraction Instead of a Tool 35:15 – Rethinking the Teacher's Role in EdTech 38:30 – Improvisation in Learning: From Theater to Classroom 43:00 – Personalized Learning or Programmed Learning? 48:20 – What Happens When Students Only Care About the Grade 51:00 – The “Banking Model” of Education and Why It Fails 55:00 – The Real Dangers of AI: Cognitive Offload and Student Dependency 01:01:00 – Supporting Neurodivergent Students with Ethical AI 01:05:00 – Final Thoughts: From Performers to Learners 🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if this sparks your thinking.A huge shoutout to our sponsors who make this work possible: 📚 Book Creator 🎓 Eduaide.ai 🗣️ YellowdigStay Techie!Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator.Support the show

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