Homeschooling with Technology

366: Teaching Geopolitics and World Affairs to Teens Teaching teens about geopolitics and world affairs can feel intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, Meryl van der Merwe shares practical tools and creative ideas for helping homeschool students understand current events, global conflict, geography, and media literacy in ways […] The post Teaching Geopolitics and World Affairs to Teens appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

365: Padlet Arcade for Learning Fun New Here? If you love practical homeschool tech ideas, start here: More Homeschooling with Technology episodes Project-based learning ideas for homeschool Creative online tools for students Browse all homeschool tech resources In this episode, Meryl explores Padlet Arcade — a game-based learning branch of the popular Padlet platform. She […] The post Padlet Arcade for Learning Fun appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

364: What’s New in NotebookLM NotebookLM has graduated from Google Labs beta into a fully featured, standalone tool — and it has grown dramatically. In this episode, Meryl walks through all nine features currently available in the Studio panel, explaining how homeschool parents can use them to save time and how students can use them […] The post What’s New in NotebookLM appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

363: Gems – Your Custom Homeschool Co-Teacher   Google’s Gemini platform now includes a powerful feature called Gems. In this episode, we explore how Gems allow you to create customized AI assistants that can help with homeschooling tasks again and again without rewriting prompts each time. Meryl explains what Gems are, how they compare to […] The post Gems: Your Custom Homeschool Co-Teacher appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

362: Avoiding tech burnout with Melissa Muir In this episode, Meryl is joined by Melissa Muir from Think Curio to discuss an important topic for homeschool families: avoiding tech burnout. While both Meryl and Melissa love educational technology and use it extensively in their teaching, they recognize the need for balance. With recent studies showing […] The post Avoiding tech burnout appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

361: Homeschooling with Gemini In this episode, we look at how homeschoolers can use Gemini and why it’s worth adding to your tech toolkit — even if you already use ChatGPT. Organization & Workflow “My Stuff” dashboard to quickly access everything you’ve created Model options (Fast, Thinking, Pro) depending on the depth of response you […] The post Homeschooling with Gemini appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

360: Free Tech Tools Through Your Library In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, Meryl interviews Melissa Brander from Pocket Homeschool about the many free technology resources available through your local library. Most homeschool families think of the library as a place for books. But today’s libraries offer far more — including digital tools, streaming […] The post Free Tech Tools Through Your Library appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

359: How to Make Beautiful Presentations Presentations are a skill students will use again and again—in middle school, high school, college, and eventually the workplace. In this episode, learn about tech tools that can help homeschoolers (and parents!) create attractive, effective presentations without needing advanced design skills. Tools Covered in This Episode 1. Google SlidesA […] The post How to make beautiful presentations appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

358: 5 Free Homeschool Resources That Still Hold Up in 2026 with Melissa Muir Melissa is a longtime homeschool mom of four, a licensed teacher, and the founder of Curio. She shares five free homeschool resources her family still uses regularly today—resources that have stood the test of time and continue to work well for […] The post 5 Free Homeschool Resources That Still Hold Up in 2026 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

357: Winter Olympics Resources for Your Homeschool The Winter Olympics are almost here, and if your family will be watching, why not turn that excitement into meaningful learning? In this episode, I share a collection of fun, engaging, and mostly free Winter Olympics resources you can use with elementary through high school students—before and during […] The post Winter Olympics Resources for Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

356: Pixar in a box   In this episode, we explore Pixar in a Box, a free, self-paced course created by Pixar in partnership with Khan Academy. Pixar in a Box gives students a behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar films are made. Lessons are taught by Pixar professionals and connect animation to math, science, art, and […] The post Pixar in a box appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

355: Vibe Coding – What It Is and How Homeschoolers Can Use It Vibe coding is a brand-new term, coined in early 2025 by former OpenAI researcher Andrej Karpathy, and it describes a radically different way of creating software—by describing what you want instead of writing traditional code. In this episode, you will learn what […] The post Vibe Coding appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

354: New Year, New Tools   Episode Goal Choose one tech tool from this list to explore intentionally in 2026. The 10 Tools Featured   1. ChatGPT and Gemini AI assistants that homeschool parents can use for planning, teaching, and daily life. Ways to use them include: Rewriting articles at a child’s reading level Creating […] The post New Year, New Tools appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This is a rerun of episode 210 – you can find the original show notes here.   The post Replay: Taking Holiday Photos with Storytelling in Mind appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This is a rerun of episode 162 – you can find the original show notes here. The post Replay: Digital Christmas Cards appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

353: An AI-Powered Holiday Season   Learn how to make this an AI-Powered Holiday Season! If the holidays feel overwhelming, especially for moms carrying the mental load, AI can help you offload decisions, plan your days, generate gift ideas, create activities, and more. 1. Use AI to Create a Manageable Holiday Schedule Tools like ChatGPT […] The post An AI-Powered Holiday Season appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

352: The Hour of AI Code.org has transformed its annual Hour of Code into the Hour of AI, offering a wide variety of free, interactive activities that help students understand artificial intelligence—not just coding. Some of the resources we tried out are: 1. AI Quests An interactive, story-driven adventure that teaches real-world Artificial Intelligence applications. […] The post Hour of AI appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

351: STEM Gifts That Build Skills Meryl discusses why STEM gifts matter for kids and teens—and how choosing the right ones can build creativity, problem-solving, and curiosity. Whether you’re catching Black Friday sales or shopping any time of year, today’s episode is packed with practical ideas for skill-building gifts. Why Choose STEM Gifts? Early exposure: […] The post STEM Gifts That Build Skills appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

350: Learning Real-World Skills Through Game Creation with Matt Dalio of Endless Studios In this episode, Meryl van der Merwe talks with Matt Dalio, founder of Endless Studios, about why game creation—not just game playing—can equip teens with powerful, real-world skills for future careers. Matt shares: His Backstory and Mission How early experiences living in […] The post Learning Real-World Skills Through Game Creation appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

349: AI Companions: The Hidden Danger for Teens We explore the alarming rise of AI companion usage among teenagers and the serious risks these tools pose. While AI can be incredibly useful for education and productivity, AI companions designed to fulfill emotional and social roles present unique dangers that most parents are unaware of. What […] The post AI Companions: The Hidden Danger for Teens appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

348: How a Teen Uses Tech to Master Time Management Host Meryl van der Merwe chats with teen guest, Mishe Breetzke, about how she learned to manage her time more effectively using technology. Mishe, a homeschooled student from South Africa, who is in Meryl’s online Computer Applications class, shares how she realized that feeling “too […] The post How a Teen Uses Tech to Master Time Management appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

347: BaseCampEd: Building Community and Connection for Homeschoolers Host Meryl van der Merwe talks with Morgan Bergstrom, creator of the BaseCampEd app, a new tool designed to help homeschool families build community and connection. Morgan shares how her own homeschooling journey and frequent military moves inspired her to create a platform that makes it easier […] The post BaseCampEd: Building Community and Connection for Homeschoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

346: AI and Critical Thinking In this episode, Meryl is joined once again by Critical Thinking in the Digital Age instructor Stephanie Simoes to explore how AI is impacting students’ ability to think deeply and critically. The two discuss an MIT study that sparked widespread concern, the concept of cognitive offloading, and how parents can […] The post AI and Critical Thinking appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

345: Listener Favorites: Our Top 5 Most-Downloaded Episodes Revisited In this special birthday edition of Homeschooling with Technology, Meryl Van der Merwe looks back at the five most downloaded episodes of all time! This episode is part of the 12 Days of Homeschool Gold celebration for the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s birthday — complete with […] The post Listener Favorites: Our Top 5 Most-Downloaded Episodes Revisited appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

344: 12 Homeschool Tech Hacks In this special birthday episode, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, here are 12 homeschool tech hacks that will make your homeschool more efficient, engaging, and fun! Bonus: Celebrate the 12th Birthday of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network with giveaways, bonus mini-episodes, a treasure hunt, […] The post 12 Homeschool Tech Hacks appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

343: New Ways to Use Canva for Homeschooling Canva continues to be one of the most versatile and homeschool-friendly tools available. In this episode, I’m joined again by Rebecca Brinkman, teacher of the Graphic Design with Canva class at show sponsor FundaFunda Academy. We explore the latest Canva updates for 2025 and how you can […] The post New Ways to Use Canva for Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

342: Building Worlds in Unreal Engine   In this episode of we welcome back repeat guest, Matthew Jurison, a high schooler, teaching assistant at FundaFunda Academy, and tech enthusiast. Matthew shares how he first discovered Unreal Engine, why he chose it over other platforms like Unity and Roblox Studio, and why it’s a powerful, free […] The post Building Worlds in Unreal Engine appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

341: Using Google Translate in Your Homeschool Google Translate isn’t just for travelers trying to decipher a menu abroad—it can also be an incredibly useful tool in your homeschool. In this episode, you will learn creative ways to integrate both the browser version and the mobile app of Google Translate into everyday learning. What you’ll […] The post Using Google Translate in Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Episode 340 — Video Scholarship Tips (with Monica Matthews) Looking for video scholarship tips that actually work? In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, scholarship expert Monica Matthews shares practical video scholarship tips for high school (and younger) students—how to hook judges fast, align your story with a sponsor’s mission, film with simple lighting and clear […] The post Video Scholarship Tips appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

339: Online Hide and Seek Game 🎧 Prefer to Listen? Want the quick walkthrough? Listen to this episode while you plan your next online learning activity. New Here? If you love practical homeschool tech ideas, start here: More Homeschooling with Technology episodes Project-based learning ideas for homeschool Creative online tools for students Browse all homeschool […] The post Online Hide and Seek Game appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

338: Supporting Your Teen in Online Classes   Online classes can be a fantastic way for teens to learn — but only if parents know how to support them well. Every year, many parents are surprised mid-semester when they discover their teen is failing an online class. The truth is: this can be avoided with […] The post Supporting Your Teen in Online Classes appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

337: Homeschool AI Hacks: How to Write Prompts That Work In today’s episode, learn how to write better AI prompts for homeschooling—tips, examples, and hacks to save you time and spark creativity in your lessons. Core Elements of a Strong Prompt Role – “Act like a veteran homeschool mom with 10 years of experience.” Grade […] The post Homeschool AI Hacks: How to Write Prompts That Work appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

336: 10 Tech Tools to Make Writing Fun Are your children complaining that writing isn’t fun? Transform writing time into creative fun with these 10 tech tools—each designed to spark imagination and ease the writing struggle. 1. Story Dice Tool: Story Dice Description: Roll virtual icons and weave them into a story—great for melting the […] The post 10 Tech Tools to Make Writing Fun appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

335: How Homeschoolers Can Use Brisk AI In this episode, we look at Brisk Teaching, a powerful ( free for most things) AI Chrome extension designed for educators — and incredibly helpful for homeschoolers. You’ll discover how to: Use Brisk’s “Inspect Writing” tool to check your child’s writing history and detect copy/paste Create auto-graded quizzes […] The post How Homeschoolers Can Use Brisk AI appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

334: Creating an AI Policy for your Homeschool We explore why every homeschool family should consider developing an AI policy—and how to do it. As AI tools become more prevalent, it’s no longer a question of if teens are using them, but how. Meryl explains how teens often approach AI differently than adults and why […] The post Creating an AI policy for your homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Episode 333: Using Media in Foreign Language Learning In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, host Meryl van der Merwe is joined by two of FundaFunda Academy’s language teachers—Sebastian (French) and Suzette (Spanish)—to discuss how media can enhance the foreign language learning experience. You’ll discover: 🎵 How music supports vocabulary retention and pronunciation🎬 How to […] The post Using Media in Foreign Language Learning appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

332: Engineering Exploration at Home In this episode, guest Mariselle Gonzalez, a former semiconductor engineer, talks about engineering exploration at home. She offers practical ways homeschool parents can spark their child’s interest in engineering—no tech degree required! What We Cover in This Episode: Mariselle’s journey from electrical engineering to teaching and curriculum design The many […] The post Engineering Exploration at Home appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Episode 331: Scavenger Hunts That Bring Local History to Life In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe revisits a topic she first explored back in episode 41 — scavenger hunts! But this time, she brings fresh insights from her recent European adventures, where she completed three different app-based scavenger hunts in Belgium and France. […] The post Scavenger Hunts That Bring Local History to Life appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

330: How I Use AI to Kickstart Creativity Use AI to kickstart creativity—yes, it’s possible! In this episode, Meryl van der Merwe shares seven practical ways she uses AI tools like ChatGPT to spark and support creative thinking. Hopefully, this will give you ideas on how you can use AI as a helpful collaborator when […] The post How I Use AI to Kickstart Creativity appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

329: Teaching Students to Navigate Social Media Teaching students to navigate social media is more important than ever as teens face a constant stream of information, misinformation, and online pressures. In this episode, Meryl Van der Merwe is joined by returning guest Stephanie Simoes, founder of CritiKid, a platform dedicated to teaching kids critical thinking. […] The post Teaching Students to Navigate Social Media appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

328: Useful Technology in Homeschooling Special Needs High Schoolers with Melody Durham In this episode, Meryl chats with homeschool mom, Melody Durham, who shares the tech tools that have helped her dyslexic high schooler succeed. From smart pens to speech-to-text software, Melody explains what’s worked, why it’s made a difference, and how to advocate for […] The post Useful Technology in Homeschooling Special Needs High Schoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

327: Fun group games to play online Whether you’re on a long trip, stuck indoors on a rainy day, or trying to connect with faraway family, group games to play online can be a great way to build memories and share laughter. In this episode, Meryl shares the games her Science Olympiad team enjoyed during […] The post Fun group games to play online appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

326: Why Scratch is the Perfect First Programming Language to Learn In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe is joined by returning guest Matthew Jurison, a homeschool teen. Together, they explore why Scratch is an ideal language for beginners learning to code. What You’ll Learn: How Scratch compares to text-based languages like JavaScript and […] The post Why Scratch is the Perfect First Programming Language to Learn appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Gamified Chess with Duolingo In this episode, we explore Duolingo’s newest addition—chess, which of course is gamified the way their languages are. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why Duolingo has added chess and how it fits into their gamified platform How Duolingo teaches chess step-by-step, making it accessible even for beginners How gamified challenges […] The post Gamified Chess with Duolingo appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.