Author: BelieveAgain

Mike Palmer and Virtual Cohost Nancy are back to talk about our 23 Learning Trends for 2023. We divide the trends up into three groups: Emerging Technology, Durable Mindsets, and New Sets and Settings, and dive in. How does Chat GPT and Generative AI fit into the equation? What are the Mindsets that equip us to thrive in disruption? And how will the new and different contexts for learning impact our thinking about the emerging post-pandemic learning ecosystem? Listen in to find out. Don’t miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com…

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Mike Palmer takes us on a whirlwind tour through the recent ASU+GSV Summit and AIR Show in San Diego. We hear the buzzing energy of the events as Mike shares his hot takes and insider scoops fresh off the ground. The AI Revolution Show provided an intriguing glimpse into the new AI-powered products aiming to “supercharge” teachers’ capabilities. Mike lauds the vision of positioning AI not as a replacement but as an empowering force operating “behind the teachers” to enhance their impact. As Mike tours the exhibitor floor, we get the inside scoop on promising platforms like Kyron Learning, and…

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High rates of superintendent vacancies have caught the eye of concerned lawmakers in at least one state.Wisconsin legislators passed a bill to expand the pool of superintendent candidates by waiving state requirements for the role.But Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, a former district and state superintendent, recently vetoed the measure, which would have allowed districts to hire superintendents who do not have state licenses. He cited concerns that unlicensed candidates would not have the experience or training to work with children and lead complex school systems.“This concept is a non-starter,” Evers said in a March 29 statement.The veto comes as many…

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Esther Lee has over 14 years of experience in learning, culture building, DEIB, and leadership development across different industries. She returns to the podcast to join host Mike Palmer to share her wisdom around how to navigate layoffs in the current market on both sides of the impact. You can check out her recent LinkedIn article to get more from her on this topic. We learn how Esther is telling her story while building community and relying on her network to get through the challenges of reductions in force. She’s taken great risks throughout her career to impact different types…

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The politics of education today look very different from those of the Bush-Obama years, when Democrats for Education Reform got its start. The bipartisan consensus that informed policies like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top has given way to a polarized environment. What’s that mean for would-be school reformers, especially in the shadow of a presidential contest between two hugely unpopular candidates? I thought I’d reach out to Jorge Elorza, the CEO of DFER and a former two-term mayor of Providence, R.I., to get his take on the Democratic agenda, school choice, and the education landscape. Here’s…

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Beth Rudden, the Chairwoman and CEO of Bast.ai, rejoins host Mike Palmer for a conversation about ChatGPT and other large language models as we enter a new phase of readily accessible generative AI tools. Why is ChatGPT prone to mansplaining? How might this relate to the Dunning Kruger effect? And how might a more ecological understanding of an “honorable harvest” as described in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer help us rethink our relationship with data and its harvesting? We tackle all of this and more in a free-wheeling conversation with a Data Science and AI thought leader who draws…

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Beth Rudden is the CEO and Chairwoman of Bast.ai, a company that leverages emerging technology to build custom conversational AI tools or CATs for clients. Prior to founding Bast, Beth worked at IBM for 20 years, founding their Data Science practice and working with numerous clients to design and implement large scale solutions leveraging machine learning and training folks in data science. We hear Beth’s origin story and draw from her experience at IBM and beyond to paint the picture of a new era of accessible AI for all that is just emerging. This conversation was recorded just before the…

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Dr. Jennifer Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and school wellness specialist who is focused on pediatric well-being. Founder of the Umbrella Project and author of The Umbrella Effect, she is creating a profound paradigm shift in the understanding of our personal well-being and that of our children. Jen joins host Mike Palmer in a discussion of developing coping skills in children, parents, and schools so that we’re better equipped to endure trauma and ideally grow in the process. Beginning with the premise that all kids will encounter rain in their lives, how do we help them develop the skills they need…

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Dr. Patricia Okker is the President of New College of Florida, the innovative honor’s college in the Florida system. She joins host and New College alum Mike Palmer to talk about what makes a New College education unique and how a liberal arts education can prepare you for the world of work and community engagement. Note: this episode was recorded in December prior to the recent appointments to the Board of Trustees. We hear Pat’s origin story, beginning in New Jersey before spending many years at the University of Missouri where she was Dean of the College of Arts and…

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Dana Gastich French is the founder and lead consultant for UpRiver Education, a company focused on multilingual learners and the educators who teach them. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how an asset-based, inclusive understanding of English language learning is the key to overcoming the challenges that ESL continues to face in the US and beyond. We hear Dana’s origin story which begins with studying abroad in Chile where she learned how it felt to not be comfortable with the language of record. From there, she connects her experiences as an ESL and bilingual teacher, instructional coach…

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