Author: BelieveAgain
In our kickoff to Season 8 of Trending in Ed, host Mike Palmer welcomes Melissa Griffith and Dan Strafford back to the show to discuss the 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies. We reflect on how the hype cycle framework can be applied to understand the trajectory of any new technology or cultural phenomenon. We debate whether the current hype around AI will lead to an “AI winter” as expectations aren’t met, or if investment and development will power through any disillusionment based in part on Eric Siegel’s HBR article on the topic. We explore how individuals can take…
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday weighed a potentially groundbreaking case as it took up the state attorney general’s request that it undo a contract that would allow the first religious charter school in the nation to open this fall.“This case is not about the exclusion of a religious entity from government aid, which would implicate the free exercise of religion,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond told the court during a compelling 90-minute argument session. “Rather, it is about the state creation of a religious school which unequivocally establishes religion. … St. Isidore has promised to be ‘Catholic in every way,…
Andy Temte is an experienced executive and business author who recently penned The Balanced Business: Building Organizational Trust and Accountability through Smooth Workflows. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about creating effective management operating systems. Andy stresses defining organizational purpose and vision as foundational. With AI disrupting jobs, he argues learning budgets can no longer be discretionary. Companies must invest in upskilling talent. Learning has intrinsic motivational benefits similar to R&D. Later, we discuss marrying organizational health with continuous improvement for smooth workflows that minimize waste while respecting people. Andy advocates applying approaches like Lean and Agile beyond…
In this eye-opening episode, host Mike Palmer dives into the alarming rise in chronic absenteeism among U.S. students, as highlighted by a recent New York Times article. The conversation pivots to explore how AI-powered chatbots and personal virtual assistants like “Ed” from AllHere are being leveraged to combat this issue, getting notice for their work in the LA Unified School Disctrict. Mike revisits his insightful 2021 interview with AllHere’s founder Joanna Smith, who discusses the company’s innovative use of conversational AI to foster engagement and support student achievement beyond the classroom. The episode also features a lively exchange with the…
The rapid emergence of AI tools like ChatGPT is sending shockwaves through education. Host Mike Palmer talks with Alex Kotran, Founder and CEO of nonprofit The AI Education Project, about this technology tidal wave and what it means for education. Alex shares his origin story, from politics to pivoting into AI back in 2015. He started aiEDU in 2019 to get ahead of the coming AI disruption. Since then, the pace of change accelerated with advances like ChatGPT and other LLMs. Educators have reacted with bans, excitement, and overwhelm. Ultimately, Kotran argues teachers need training and support to thoughtfully integrate…
Professor Natalia Kucirkova joins Mike Palmer to talk about her fascinating research exploring how engaging children’s senses can impact learning. Originally from Slovakia, Natalia found inspiration from her grandfather, who nurtured her love of reading and storytelling. This passion led Natalia to Norway, where she now researches children, technology, and literacy. A key focus of Natalia’s work involves sensory reading, like using smell, and how it can boost outcomes. Natalia explains how smell remains an underutilized sense in education, though it powerfully connects to memory and emotion. She envisions immersive, embodied reading experiences that stimulate all the senses and is…
In January, I ran the 2024 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, identifying 200 of the nation’s most influential education scholars. In recent years, I’ve followed up by reaching out to the Edu-Scholars with an informal query soliciting some thoughts and insight regarding research, practice, and policy. As always, I found the results instructive and thought I’d share a few highlights.I asked about the most illuminating academic article they’d read on education last year and the study that had the biggest impact over the past decade. Raj Chetty’s work was the most commonly mentioned; other responses mostly alluded to broad themes,…
Sean Michael Morris, Vice President of Academics at Course Hero, joins host Mike Palmer to discuss how generative AI is impacting higher education. As an expert in online education and faculty development, Sean provides insights on integrating these technologies thoughtfully, rather than seeing them as threats. He explains his concept of critical digital pedagogy, which encourages critical thinking about how digital tools like AI shape teaching and learning. We explore perspectives on risks and opportunities presented by AI tools such as ChatGPT. Sean stresses the importance of preserving human agency and creativity amidst these new technologies. We discuss ways educators…
Jean Eddy, President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA) joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about empowering students through career exploration beginning in middle school. Jean highlights the ideas touched on in her new book, Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. We learn Jean’s professional origin story, having spent most of her career in higher education supporting young people, starting in financial aid and working her way up to chief operating officer at a university before joining ASA. From there, we hear how ASA has pivoted its mission to get ahead of student…
Get ready for a blast from the past! The “OG” squad is back together as founding hosts Mike Palmer, Brandon Jones, and Dan Strafford reunite for this special throwback episode. Join us as we reminisce about the early days of the show and reflect on trends in ed tech and AI since 2016 and especially of late. Hear our takes on augmenting human intelligence, riding the AI wave, and avoiding the Uncanny Valley. Learn what’s new from Brandon and Dan in their current ventures in behavioral health, emerging media, and more. You’ll also get a sneak preview of our upcoming…