Human First, Tech with Purpose: Voice, Collaboration, and Better EdTech | Zareen Levien

What does it look like when EdTech starts with people instead of platforms?

Zareen Levien, Principal Educator at Padlet, joins Jeremy and David to explore how technology can amplify student voice, strengthen collaboration, and support learning without replacing the human connections that matter most.

Zareen shares her journey from Yahoo to the classroom and eventually to Padlet, along with lessons learned as a teacher, instructional coach, and district digital learning leader. The conversation tackles EdTech tool fatigue, safe digital learning spaces, student voice, feedback, collaboration, and why teachers remain essential even as technology becomes more powerful.

They also challenge the “myth of the independent learner” and dig into one of the biggest questions facing schools today: As AI becomes capable of doing more, what parts of learning should remain uniquely human?

Then, Zareen gets practical with ideas for using Padlet to build classroom community, facilitate peer feedback, support younger learners with Sandbox, make thinking visible in different ways, and move beyond the basic discussion board.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome to Integrate This!
0:55 Zareen Levien’s Journey from Tech to Education
3:17 Reaching Every Learner with EdTech
6:16 What Is the Right Role for Technology?
8:40 Avoiding EdTech Tool Fatigue
10:50 Creating Safe Digital Learning Spaces
15:09 Building Community Before Adding Technology
18:19 Amplifying Student Voice
22:51 The Myth of the Independent Learner
25:48 Why Collaboration Still Matters
28:44 Keeping Human Connection in an AI World
29:19 Talking with Students About AI
30:43 How Padlet Is Approaching AI
32:14 Practical Padlet Ideas for the Classroom
33:09 Building Classroom Community with Padlet
33:50 Peer Feedback and Productive Collaboration
35:02 Padlet Sandbox and Younger Learners
35:47 Creative Ways Teachers Are Using Padlet
37:07 Moving Beyond the Basic Discussion Board
39:07 Student Work, Portfolios, and What’s Next
40:39 Lightning Round
46:35 Closing Thoughts and Padlet Resources

RESOURCES

Padlet
https://padlet.com

Padlet Learning Resources & Webinars
https://padlet.tv

Have a Padlet success story or question?
hello@padlet.com

ABOUT INTEGRATE THIS!

Integrate This! is an EdTech podcast exploring the ideas, tools, people, and practices shaping teaching and learning. Join Jeremy Mikla and David Berner for conversations with educators, leaders, innovators, and creators working to make technology more meaningful in education.