Author: Palmer Media

Paul Fain, the founder of ⁠Work Shif⁠t and author of ⁠The Job ⁠newsletter, returns to ⁠Trending in Education ⁠ for a look at the state of workforce development in 2026. He describes a challenging environment for early-career professionals where emerging technologies are driving significant shifts in hiring and job stability. While four-year degree holders often dominate the media discourse, Paul emphasizes the critical need to report on non-degree workers, particularly those in clerical and administrative roles who face high risks from automation. The episode also explores the rise of “Generation Tool Belt”, characterized by a growing interest in skilled trades…

How do we prepare Gen Z for a workforce being reshaped by Artificial Intelligence? Recorded live from the National Youth Apprenticeship Summit in Alexandria, Virginia, this episode explores the “Wild West” of the modern innovation economy and the vital role of youth apprenticeships in building future-ready career pathways. This special episode is made possible by our sponsors: ⁠CareerWise⁠, a leader in high-quality modern youth apprenticeship systems, and ⁠PAYA (Partnership for the Advancement of Youth Apprenticeship)⁠, a collaborative initiative assisting partners in developing robust apprenticeship programs across the U.S.. Host Mike Palmer is joined by three experts to discuss the intersection…

In this episode, host Mike Palmer welcomes back Dr. Eddie Watson to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in higher education. Following the release of the second edition of his book, ⁠Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning⁠, Eddie shares insights from working with nearly 200 campus teams on transitioning from AI-resistant assignments to AI-integrated pedagogy. ⁠Here’s the link to Eddie’s first appearance⁠. Key Takeaways: Beyond Academic Integrity: While cheating remains a concern, the conversation is shifting toward AI literacy as an essential learning outcome to prepare students for an AI-integrated workforce. The…

In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Sunanna Chand, Executive Director of the ⁠Reinvention Lab at Teach For America (TFA⁠). As the leader of TFA’s future-of-learning R&D engine, Chand is tasked with a formidable challenge: bridging the gap between a 19th-century education system and the demands of the 21st-century world. The conversation explores the Lab’s “Radical Departures” framework, a mental model designed to shift the paradigm of how we define the why, what, where, and how of learning. Chand challenges the false dichotomy between academic rigor and student engagement, arguing for a “both/and” approach…

Host Mike Palmer interviews Joshua Jones, CEO and Founder of ⁠QuantHub⁠, an AI company focused on education and skills development. Jones, who previously co-founded the data science consulting firm StrategyWise, explains that QuantHub originated as an internal tool before spinning out to focus on delivering micro-learning chunks that target individual learners’ specific needs. Jones offers sharp insights into the AI revolution: he argues that the focus has shifted from data science to tech literacy, including AI literacy, and understanding the “art of the possible.” He emphasizes that successful AI implementation requires human factors and change management, noting that smart models will…

AI permeates K-12 education, but the rush to adopt new tools often bypasses critical questions about equity, bias, and human connection. On this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath, co-authors of the new book ⁠Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Cultivating Justice and Joy⁠. Together, they dismantle the “myth of inevitability” surrounding EdTech and explore how educators can reclaim agency in the face of rapid technological change with AI. From the historical resistance of Sojourner Truth to the concept of the classroom as a “Home…

Dr. Adam Gamwell returns to Trending in Education to explore the evolving collision of anthropology, artificial intelligence, and the human experience. Since ⁠his last appearance in 2019⁠, the technological landscape has seen seismic transformations—from the pandemic to the explosion of generative AI. Host Mike Palmer and Adam discuss why the anthropological imagination is more critical than ever for navigating these changes. Adam details his transition from predicting trends to actively building AI tools with his organizations, ⁠Anthrocurious⁠ and ⁠Clueful⁠. He argues that anthropologists must move beyond critique and become makers to ensure human context remains central to technological development. The…

In this special on-location episode, Mike Palmer visits the headquarters of The Urban Assembly (UA) in New York City’s Financial District to sit down with David Adams, CEO of The Urban Assembly and host of the Innovations in Public Education podcast. We explore how David and his team have evolved from designing 22 high-performing schools in NYC to “designing tools” that solve critical constraints in public education. David breaks down his “Theory of Constraints”—analyzing how barriers like time, knowledge, and resources limit school outcomes—and how UA is using Artificial Intelligence to dismantle them. The centerpiece of this innovation is Project…

Mike Palmer returns to the Thanksgiving table to serve up a side of applied neuroscience. Powered by the recently released Gemini 3, he examines the “gratitude cocktail,” a potent neurochemical mix of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin that mimics the effects of antidepressants and strengthens social bonds. Beyond the chemistry, Mike explores the psychological framework of⁠ The Gap and the Gain⁠ by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. He explains how measuring progress against an ideal future creates unhappiness, while measuring against the past generates resilience and satisfaction. The conversation shifts from theory to practice, detailing why gratitude stories are more…

In this special episode, we welcome back Lindsay Whorton, President of the Holdsworth Center, to discuss her new book, A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles. We dive into why the current model for school leadership is unsustainable and explore a new framework for building capacity and driving results in Texas public schools and beyond. The Holdsworth Center is a nonprofit focused on building and strengthening leaders for Texas public schools. Texas educates 10% of the nation’s children, and the challenges faced there—like high teacher turnover and the increased complexity of the principal and superintendent roles—reflect…