Author: Palmer Media

Dr. John Giordano joins Mike to explain how he founded Semester For Change to help students and families navigate the transition from High School to the right career path for them. John shares the story of his career in Fine Arts Education that bridges from high school into colleges with strong ties to the community throughout. John describes his own experiences over the past year which led to him forming an alternative to a year of traditional higher education in these chaotic times. Semester For Change builds on John and team’s experiences helping a diverse cross-section of students make choices…

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Dr. Daniel Harrison joins Mike to talk about his latest book, Live at Jackson Station. We hear how Dan became a Sociology Professor at Lander University in South Carolina before we dive into the importance of storytelling as Dan tells the story of Jackson Station, a legendary blues bar in Greenwood, South Carolina in the 1980s and early nineties. We learn about the tolerance and diversity of the music scene at the bar before things take a “True Crime” turn with a bush ax attack in the parking lot at 3am. Along the way Dan and Mike muse about the…

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Mike welcomes Anurupa Ganguly, Founder and CEO of Prisms of Reality, a Virtual Reality solution for teaching K-12 algebra. As a student, teacher, and administrator, Anurupa was consistently frustrated by students’ lack of deep conceptual understanding of math and science. Find out how she’s leveraging the cutting-edge technology of VR to deepen and accelerate math learning in middle school. Anurupa describes what’s involved in creating compelling VR experiences to provide emotional resonance and conceptual depth as she describes her vision for the future for Prisms. It takes a cross-disciplinary team of game designers, developers, UX, product, and content stakeholders to…

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Geoff and Sky Marietta join Mike to discuss their book, Rural Education in America. We hear the Mariettas’ story from rural roots to meeting at Teach For America in the Navajo Nation, to Harvard Yard, and then finally to Harlan County, Kentucky, where Sky and family have deep roots. We look at how rural America is perceived both from the outside in and also from the inside in as we learn the critical role education plays in knitting together rural communities. It’s an eye-opening conversation that will help broaden your understanding of the problems, opportunities, and perspectives that drive rural…

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Ron Reed and Greg Rosenbaum, from SXSW EDU return to join Mike just before SXSW EDU 2021 begins on March 9th. You can learn more about the conference at https://www.sxswedu.com/ We talk through our history together with this being the third time Ron and Greg have joined us on the show. We take time to reflect on the challenges and transformations of the past year and get their thoughts on the opportunities around moving online and the shifts in thinking required to make the most of the online format. Greg talks about the shift from “serendipity to intention” and Ron…

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In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer welcomes Alden Do Rosario, founder of Custom GPT AI, and Dr. Phil Hendrix to discuss the emerging landscape of custom chatbots and AI in higher education. We explore the origins of Custom GPT AI and delve into a white paper co-authored by Dr. Hendrix on the adoption of AI in universities. The conversation covers various aspects of AI implementation in educational settings, from individual faculty use to university-wide applications. We discuss the importance of responsible AI, addressing concerns about hallucinations and misinformation. The guests share insights on how custom GPTs…

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Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler joins Mike to talk about her work in access, Universal Design, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Sheryl shared how she got involved with accessibility in the early days of home computing and how that has evolved into her role at the University of Washington today. We talk about her book, Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Ed, and other great resources for educators who want to build products and courses that can be easily accessed in usable ways by the diverse range of learners who are out there. It’s a rollicking deep dive into an emerging…

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Kathleen Almy, CEO of Almy Education, joins Mike to talk about her experiences as an author, as math faculty, and most recently as a consultant helping community colleges develop effective and scalable developmental math programs that drive completion rates and student success. After hearing Kathy’s origin story, we explore the challenges and opportunities endemic to math education in 2021. Then we look ahead through the pandemic response and on into the years ahead. To learn more about what Kathy and team are doing, check them out at AlmyEducation.com If you like what you’re hearing, subscribe wherever you get four podcasts…

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Dr. Terri Givens returns to the show to talk about her newly released book Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides and its implications in higher education and society more broadly. We touch on Terri’s personal story and how it taught her to be vulnerable and to get comfortable in her own skin. This involves empathy for yourself, your family, and your neighborhood as you progress to take action to effect change which is the radical part of Radical Empathy. We dive into Terri’s perspectives on Higher Education and Education Leadership as a black woman confronting structural racism…

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Dr. Jacqueline Bhabha is FXB Director of Research, Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health, the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School, and an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Dr. Bhabha joins Mike to talk about her new book, A Better Future: The Role of Higher Education for Displaced and Marginalized People that explores the critical importance of access to tertiary education to displaced and marginalized populations. We dive into the challenges faced by refugees, immigrants, and other marginalized groups in gaining…

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