In this episode of ChatEDU (Viral or Villain - Is the AI Backlash Just Beginning?), Matt and Liz open with travel updates from Liz’s time at ISTE/ASCD, shoutouts to listeners met on the road, and a quick prompt hack before diving into three big stories shaping the tension between AI’s rapid adoption in schools and growing backlash in society. From AI-powered literacy tools to global assessment changes and the tension between usage and resistance, this episode explores what happens when AI goes v...
Jul 11, 2025•57 min
In this episode of ChatEDU ( Check Please: Is Your AI Paying Off? ) Matt and Jonathan open with updates about Liz’s at ISTE/ASCD. From there, they tackle a practical and philosophical look at AI’s rapid growth, job impacts, classroom adoption, and hidden trade-offs as leaders rethink what to automate. The episode closes with a bright byte on how AI is helping India map heat risks, proving that machine learning can drive real-world climate adaptation. Story #1: The AI Resume Arms Race Matt and Jo...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Brain Rot or Brain Stretch? Rethinking Rigor in the Age of AI), Matt and Liz kick things off with a little sarcasm, a Meta AI privacy disaster, and the debut of a new segment: “Liz is Freaking Out.” From there, they dig into three big stories about AI's impact on student well-being, meaningful learning, and what really happens to your brain when you outsource thinking to a chatbot. Plus, a Bright Byte that dives deep—literally—into ocean conservation. Story 1: Mental ...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr
In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Ate My EdTech Stack), Matt and Liz open with a failed product demo, a viral subway AI romance, and some studio chaos before diving into three stories with big implications for classrooms and edtech. They explore how Canva is reinventing itself, why Estonia wants students to use their phones more, and how AI may soon reshape the entire edtech ecosystem. A bright byte on AI and bridge building closes the episode with impact. Story 1: Canva Becomes an AI Suite Canva i...
Jun 20, 2025•55 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Academic Earthquake: When AI Passes Peer Review), Matt and Liz open with a quirky AI challenge: generate Liz’s perfect romantic partner. The results are strangely consistent, but the fun quickly turns to focus. They dive into three big stories shaping the future of work, education, and research. From job evolution to classroom AI to a paper written entirely by an agent, this episode tackles the jagged edge of AI's impact. A bright byte on flood prediction closes thing...
Jun 13, 2025•57 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Nice Try, Tech Bro: Schools Aren’t Daycare and AI Isn’t in Charge), Matt and Liz dive into three stories shaping the future of learning and tech. They start with a prank, then cover an Axios AI survey, Google’s new Beam tech, and a hot debate over whether Duolingo’s CEO dissed teachers. It’s a fast ride across the AI-in-education frontier, ending with a bright byte that’s both mathematically sharp and eco-smart. Plus, a welcome to sponsor zSpace. Story 1: Axios Survey...
Jun 06, 2025•56 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (What are we protecting? AI, learning, and the myth of the good old days) , Matt and Jonathan return to the ChatEDU studio while Liz globe-trots her way to ASCD authorship, to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they dive into NASA’s spring guidance warning that generative AI is too unreliable for mission-critical applications, and unpack what that means for education, ethics, and expectations. Then, they go beneath the surface with ...
May 30, 2025•54 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Screens, Hallucinations, and Steak Sauce), Matt and Liz return from a cross-country swing through Wyoming and Oregon to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they explore Sam Altman’s generational breakdown of how people use ChatGPT and what Gen Z’s habits reveal about the skills schools value. Then they go Beneath the Surface with a fiery New York Times op-ed from Jessica Grose that says AI is destroying critical thinking in K–12. Wi...
May 23, 2025•1 hr
In this episode of ChatEDU (AI... But for Who?) , Matt sits down with guest co-host and longtime friend Dan Noyes to examine the overlooked side of the AI boom: who it benefits, who it leaves behind, and what equity really means in the age of intelligent machines. With Liz traveling for work, Dan joins the pod to share his experience as a digital inclusion leader, bringing both humor and hard truths to the mic. In the News: AI at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG Matt and Dan unpack an April article from ...
May 16, 2025•59 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Scroll State vs. Flow State: The Battle for Student Attention), Matt and Liz explore the growing tension between distraction and deep learning in the age of AI. They kick things off with a rapid-fire roundup of AI safety updates affecting students, then turn to Israel’s bold bet on AI avatars in education. Finally, they go Beneath the Surface with a provocative Time Magazine piece by “CatGPT” that asks whether AI is the scapegoat—or the solution—for our fraying attent...
May 09, 2025•55 min
As educators convene for the EdAdvance Spring AI Conference, this episode is sponsored by Kiddom , the AI-powered curriculum platform helping teachers save time and improve outcomes with high-quality instructional materials and human in the loop tools. In this episode of ChatEDU (AI for All: A National Plan to Teach America’s Youth), Matt and Liz open with a deep dive into lesson design bias, unpack a new wave of AI agents in higher ed, and explore the implications of a bold new executive order ...
May 02, 2025•50 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Beyond the Bot – When a High Schooler Rewrites NASA’s Playbook) , Matt and Liz explore AI’s growing role in schools, cities, and culture. From prompt politeness and energy costs to anime selfies and a Google AI giveaway, AI is everywhere. They wrap with a teen whose AI research is changing how we see space. Story 1 – Please, Thank You, and Power Drain Matt and Liz discuss whether courtesy helps or hurts, citing a Waseda study linking impolite prompts to more bias and ...
Apr 25, 2025•55 min
In this episode of ChatEDU (Dear AI – Why We’re All Talking to Robots in 2025), Matt reunites with Liz after her trip to Ireland to unpack a shift happening in real time— (em dash on purpose) AI is moving beyond utility and entering emotional, educational, and existential territory. From new research tools that rethink how we teach synthesis, to universities baking AI into their business programs, to Reddit users turning to bots for therapy—(2nd em dash) this episode dives into how and why we’re...
Apr 18, 2025•56 min
Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (Murder, She Prompted: High School English with AI Twists) , Matt sits down with guest co-host Joanne Mumley to explore the unexpected and creative ways AI is reshaping the high school English classroom. With Liz off knitting in Ireland, Joanne steps in to share her powerful blend of innovation, curiosity, and care as both a teacher and department head in Connecticut. In the News: Character AI and the Rise of AI Companionship Among Teens Matt and Joanne discus...
Apr 11, 2025•58 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Flipped Out: How AI Might Save the Flipped Classroom) , Matt and Liz explore three views of AI intelligence, spotlight student-led projects using AI in real-world STEM challenges, and revisit the flipped classroom model through the lens of AI support. Plus, a new AI weather tool could make forecasting more accessible than ever. In the News: Three Views on AI Intelligence A recent meme study found AI consistently created humorous, shareable content—but lacked...
Apr 04, 2025•55 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU ("Spring Tool Time with Abbe Waldron"), Matt and Liz welcome back one of their most popular guests: Abbe Waldron, a professional learning specialist at EdAdvance. Abbe shares her spring picks for the most effective AI tools in K–12 education. From lesson planning to curriculum development, she offers real-world insights into how teachers and students can meaningfully integrate AI. In the News: UK Higher Ed Stress Test Matt and Liz unpack a recent UK survey on...
Mar 28, 2025•52 min
ChatEDU Episode 50: AI Cut My Work Week by Seven Hours Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Cut My Work Week by Seven Hours), Matt and Liz celebrate the show’s 50th episode with a look at AI’s growing impact on education. They explore China’s national push for AI education, Google’s latest personalization updates for Gemini, and key findings from the 2025 Carnegie Education Report. Plus, they highlight an exciting AI-driven breakthrough in wildfire detection. In the News China’s AI Education ...
Mar 21, 2025•55 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Turnitin's Big 180 – From AI Detector to AI Platform), Matt and Liz explore Turnitin’s surprising shift from an AI detection tool to an AI-assisted writing platform and what this means for educators and students. In the News: - The Humanities Strike Back: Notebook LM’s editorial director makes the case for why humanities degrees are more relevant than ever in the AI era. - AI Writing Takes Over: A new study from Stanford and Emory reveals just how much AI-ge...
Mar 14, 2025•39 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (ChatGPT Goes Nationwide – Will Other Countries Follow Estonia's Lead?), Matt and Liz explore the first national adoption of ChatGPT-EDU in Estonia's schools and what it could mean for AI in education worldwide. Before they get started, Matt and Liz explore some ink blots and have a great convo with Maya and Miles, a new research AI voice model well worth checking out. See link below in the show notes. In the News: - Vibe Coding: What happens when AI takes on...
Mar 07, 2025•49 min
Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (Career Dreaming with Liz – Google's New Gen AI Career Counselor), Matt and Liz explore how AI is shaping career exploration, with a deep dive into Google’s new experimental Gen AI Career Counselor. In the News AI Literacy Resource Update from Stanford – A look at the newly updated CRAFT AI literacy resource collection, which provides educators with classroom-ready AI teaching tools. OpenAI Research on ChatGPT in College – A new study reveals how students are ...
Feb 28, 2025•54 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Taking the Wheel – How Students and Teachers Are Driving AI in Schools), Matt and Liz explore how educators and students are leveraging AI to enhance learning, rather than being passive recipients of AI-driven tools. From workforce trends to assessment feedback, they break down the latest research and real-world applications of AI in classrooms. In the News: - AI in the Workforce: A new study reveals how AI is reshaping productivity, benefiting younger, high...
Feb 21, 2025•51 min
Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (The Kids Are Not All Right – Teens, Trust, and AI), Matt and Liz explore the complex relationship between teens and AI. They cover a groundbreaking AI deployment in higher education, unpack new research on AI’s surprising social biases, and dive into a revealing study on how teens view technology and trust in the age of AI. In the News: 1. OpenAI and Cal State’s Massive ChatGPT Rollout The California State University system is launching the largest deploymen...
Feb 14, 2025•48 min
Episode Summary In this episode of ChatEDU ( No Copyright for AI – The Line Between AI Help and Human Work ), Matt and Liz celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast before diving into major developments in AI and education. They explore Harvard’s latest research on AI in project-based learning, three new AI startups pushing boundaries beyond chatbots, and a landmark ruling from the U.S. Copyright Office that redefines what counts as human-created work in the age of AI (and what it tells ...
Feb 07, 2025•52 min
In this episode of ChatEDU, "Bots Gone Bad: Why Educators Should Pay Attention," Matt and Liz explore concerning developments in AI-driven chatbots and their implications for students and educators. In the News: Two new studies highlight different perspectives on AI in education. One study from Nigeria claims AI tutors significantly improved student performance, while another found an AI bot successfully completed a graduate course without detection. What does this mean for education? The World ...
Jan 31, 2025•48 min
ChatEDU Episode 42: Exploring AI and Project-Based Learning (From the Elevate Education Podcast) In this special crossover episode of ChatEDU, Matt and Liz join Jason Firestone of the Elevate Education Podcast from Jeffco Public Schools in Golden, Colorado. This lively conversation dives into how AI and project-based learning (PBL) are transforming K-12 education. From real-world applications to ethical use, they discuss the challenges, successes, and the future of integrating AI into classrooms...
Jan 24, 2025•37 min
ChatEDU Episode 41: AI Whisperers in the Classroom – Teachers Already Have the Tools In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Whisperers in the Classroom – Teachers Already Have the Tools), Matt and Liz explore AI hallucinations in science, OpenAI’s O3 reasoning model and its implications for coding education, and why teachers are uniquely equipped to master generative AI in the classroom. Getting Started: Matt and Liz reflect on January blues and share a fun wintertime AI prompt to beat the seasonal dold...
Jan 17, 2025•46 min
Distributed Cognition: The Human-AI Partnership Transforming Healthcare Learning | Ep. 40 In this episode of ChatEDU, hosts Matt Mervis and Liz Radday explore the significant impact of AI-powered assistive technology for students with disabilities, presenting inspiring stories and emphasizing the ethical considerations of AI in education. Additionally, the duo features an intriguing segment on AI-enabled human-whale “communication” led by Dr. Brenda McCowan's Whale SETI team. They even highlight...
Jan 10, 2025•42 min
Flipping the Script: English Class Post-ChatGPT In this episode of ChatEDU (Flipping the Script: English Class Post-ChatGPT), Matt Mervis and Liz Radday kick off 2025 with special guest Jonathan Costa. They unpack a fascinating story about alignment faking by the Claude AI model from Anthropic, drawing parallels to personal life decisions and their long-term impacts. Next the hosts also explore a new study about AI and conspiracy theories and then a second meta study about the efficacy of genAI ...
Jan 03, 2025•44 min
AI in 2025 - What’s Next for Education In this episode of ChatEDU (AI in 2025 - What’s Next for Education), Matt Mervis and Liz Raddy reflect on the emerging trends and future of AI in education as they prepare to ring in 2025. They discuss Liz's cautious venture into making prank calls and then dive into Niantic Labs' creation of a large geospatial model from Pokemon Go data. The conversation shifts to the use of AI for anticipatory monitoring of student well-being and its ethical implications....
Dec 27, 2024•49 min
The AI Firehose - End of Year News and Updates Join Matt and Liz in this episode of ChatEDU as they explore critical AI developments. They dive into the potential of AI as a brutally honest mentor, discuss new tools like Google's Gemini 2.0 and Harvard's free AI dataset, and address serious concerns such as the rise of non-consensual intimate imagery in schools and the environmental costs of AI. They also unpack OpenAI's '12 Days of Shipmas' while reflecting on how AI impacts policy, literacy, a...
Dec 20, 2024•44 min
