In this episode of Trending in Education , host Mike Palmer sits down with Dr. Joshua R. Eyler, author of Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students and What We Can Do About It . We dive deep into the complex world of grading systems and their impact on students' learning and well-being. Dr. Eyler, who directs the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Mississippi, shares his journey from English professor to educational researcher. We explore the historical context of grading, ...
Sep 03, 2024•33 min•Season 9Ep. 648
In this episode of Trending in Education , we dive into the exciting world of immersive learning with Josh Reibel, CEO of Dreamscape Learn . We explore how virtual reality and cinematic storytelling are revolutionizing education, particularly in STEM fields. Josh shares insights on Dreamscape Learn's innovative approach, which combines Hollywood-style narratives with rigorous academic content to create engaging, interactive learning experiences. We discuss the company's origins, its collaboratio...
Aug 27, 2024•48 min•Season 8Ep. 647
In this episode of Trending in Education , host Mike Palmer welcomes back Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence , to discuss the evolving landscape of special education and teletherapy in schools. Kate shares insights on how Presence is leveraging technology to address the growing demand for special education services amidst staffing shortages. Kate explores the impact of the pandemic on teletherapy adoption and the subsequent shifts in perception. She discusses Presence's innovative approach to c...
Aug 20, 2024•31 min•Season 8Ep. 646
In this episode of Trending in Education , host Mike Palme r 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. ...
Aug 06, 2024•37 min•Season 8Ep. 645
In this episode of Trending in Education , Mike Palmer welcomes Katy Knight, President and Executive Director of the Siegel Family Endowment . We dive into the intersection of technology, society, and education, exploring how these elements shape our future. Mike references Katy's recent appearance on The Cusp with Paul Fain in the open. Katy shares her journey from Google to philanthropy, discussing the Siegel Family Endowment's focus on learning, workforce, and infrastructure. We explore the c...
Jul 30, 2024•32 min•Season 8Ep. 644
In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer and his AI co-host Nancy explore whether generative AI in education has entered the peak of inflated expectations or even the trough of disillusionment on the Gartner Hype Cycle . We discuss the origins of the Hype Cycle and its relevance to current AI trends. Then we dive into recent developments, including the LAUSD's experience with an AI chatbot and Scarlett Johansson's battle with OpenAI over the rights to her voice . These events highli...
Jul 22, 2024•16 min•Season 8Ep. 640
In this episode of Trending in Education , Mike Palmer delves into Mary Meeker's latest report from Bond Capital , " AI and Universities: Will Masters of Learning Master New Learnings ?" Palmer examines Meeker's insights on global market capitalization leaders, the accelerating adoption of digital platforms, and the U.S.'s dominance in machine learning models and AI investment in industry. He explores trends in education technology, student debt, and international academic performance rankings. ...
Jul 16, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 639
Mike Palmer speaks with Colleen Keating-Crawford and Elisabeth Booze from Teach for America's Reinvention Lab about their study, "Crossing the Canyon: Ethnographic Findings About Life After High School." We explore youth perceptions of life after high school, discussing the pressure to attend four-year colleges and the growing skepticism about higher education. The conversation introduces a framework for understanding different types of support organizations can provide to youth, categorized as ...
Jul 01, 2024•45 min•Season 8Ep. 638
Mike Palmer welcomes Dan Porterfield , President and CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Mindset Matters: The Power of College to Activate Lifelong Learning , to discuss the value of higher education in fostering growth mindsets. Dan shares his background and explains why he wrote the book, emphasizing the importance of appreciating what college offers to young adults during a formative time in their lives. We explore the five growth mindsets Dan identifies: discovery, creation, collaborati...
Jun 24, 2024•37 min•Season 8Ep. 637
We kick off this special "Stepping Up" edition by welcoming back our virtual co-host Nancy to discuss the AI revolution happening in 2024. The episode explores what "stepping up" means in this new era of agentic intelligence and transformative learning technologies. Host Mike Palmer reflects on recent conversations with guests like Brian Rosenberg , Dwayne Matthews , and students from the Marcy Lab School - all highlighting the importance of doing hard things, embracing cognitive surplus, and de...
Jun 19, 2024•24 min•Season 8Ep. 636
Dr. Jennifer Wells , the Director of Writing at New College of Florida, joins Mike Palmer to delve into the significance of writing skills in higher education and beyond. Jennifer shares her professional journey, highlighting the importance of fostering a culture of writing excellence and providing students with the necessary supports they need to learn and to put in meaningful effort into the writing process. You can learn more about Jennifer's writing school and the workshops she offers here ....
Jun 13, 2024•34 min
Bror Saxberg, the Founder of LearningForge , rejoins Mike Palmer for the thrilling conclusion of our learning science trifecta of episodes! In this mind-bending discussion, Bror dives deep into the transformative potential of AI in education and redefining human skills. He draws insightful parallels to fields like medicine, highlighting how a deeper understanding of "biology" can fuel innovation - in this case, uncovering how humans truly learn and stay motivated. Bror envisions AI as the pen(ci...
Jun 10, 2024•48 min•Season 8Ep. 634
Mike Palmer welcomes Eric Stano, Vice President of Consulting, Curriculum, and Product Strategy at Magic EdTech . We delve into Eric's fascinating journey in the world of educational publishing and content development, spanning over 30 years. You can check out Magic EdTech's blogs here . Eric shares insights into his role at Magic EdTech, a digital services provider that partners with educational publishers and edtech companies. He explains how the advent of generative AI has disrupted and accel...
Jun 03, 2024•30 min•Season 8Ep. 633
We hear from two recent graduates of the Marcy Lab School - Xhesika Malecaj and Jason Paulino. The Marcy Lab School is an innovative one-year program in Brooklyn that serves as an alternative to traditional college for low-income students interested in coding and tech careers. Xhesika and Jason share their origin stories and what drew them to Marcy Lab School after dissatisfying experiences at traditional 4-year universities. We learn that the program's focus on developing resilient and transfer...
May 30, 2024•25 min•Season 8Ep. 632
In this episode, Mike Palmer engages in a fascinating discussion with Charles Fadel, the Founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign and author of Education for the Age of AI . We delve into the intersections of artificial intelligence and education, exploring the implications of AI's rapid advancement and the need for curriculum redesign to make education more relevant. Charles shares his unique perspective, drawing from his diverse background in engineering, working at Cisco, and leading a t...
May 28, 2024•35 min•Season 8Ep. 631
Mike Palmer and Dr. Siva Kumari, CEO of College Possible , delve into the challenges of making college accessible and attainable for underserved students. We learn about Dr. Kumari's inspiring journey from defying societal norms in India to pursue higher education, to her roles at prestigious institutions like Rice University and the International Baccalaureate. Together, they explore College Possible's innovative model, which pairs AmeriCorps members as near-peer mentors with high school and co...
May 23, 2024•33 min•Season 8Ep. 630
Mike Palmer explores the profound impact of AI on education and the urgency to rethink our approaches with Dwayne Matthews the Founder of TomorrowNow Learning Labs , who offers an "eagle's eye" view of the converging technologies disrupting the learning landscape. We dive into unlocking "stranded brilliance" – how we might leverage AI to democratize access to quality education globally. Dwayne compels us to plan for the "cognitive surplus" emerging from these innovations and strategize ways to h...
May 20, 2024•36 min•Season 8Ep. 629
Mike Palmer picks the brain of Erica Halverson , a theater artist turned education professor at the top-ranked University of Wisconsin-Madison. She's also the host of the Arts Educators Save the World Podcast . Halverson passionately makes the case that the arts should transform how we approach teaching and learning across all disciplines. Drawing from her background running an arts education non-profit and her current artist residency program called Whoopensocker , Erica stresses the need to up...
May 16, 2024•36 min•Season 8Ep. 628
In this engaging episode, Mike Palmer sits down with Matt Wilkerson, the founder and CEO of Extern , to discuss his innovative approach to bridging the gap between education and the workforce. Wilkerson shares his fascinating journey, from his early career aspirations to the pivotal experiences that inspired him to create Extern, a platform that offers remote "Externships" – short-term, structured work experiences designed to equip students with real-world skills and hands-on experience. Through...
May 13, 2024•43 min•Season 8Ep. 627
Host Mike Palmer goes in-depth on the "some college, no degree" crisis with Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp Education . A startling 41 million American adults - roughly 1 in 6 - have some college credits but no degree. Crews powerfully argues that ignoring this population exacerbates enrollment, workforce, and wage gaps across society. ReUp takes an innovative approach, partnering with universities and state governments to re-engage stopout students and support degree completion. Their statewide "marke...
May 09, 2024•36 min•Season 8Ep. 626
In this lively conversation, host Mike Palmer catches up with Dr. C. Edward Watson, Vice President for Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities . Eddie shares insights from his new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning , exploring the practical implications of generative AI tools like ChatGPT on higher education. We dive into the pressing challenges AI presents, from academic integrity concerns to the need for developing AI li...
May 06, 2024•38 min•Season 8Ep. 625
Host Mike Palmer rounds out our coverage of the ASU+GSV Summit with two shorter conversations recorded in San Diego with Diana Hughes and Sunil Gunderia from Age of Learning , the company behind educational products like ABCmouse and the classroom offerings MyMathAcademy and MyReadingAcademy . First we learn about Diana's background designing empathetic video games and how that translates to creating engaging educational experiences. She provides insights into blending AI with human instruction,...
May 02, 2024•22 min•Season 8Ep. 624
Recorded while at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, Joel Podolny, CEO and founder of Honor Education , joins host Mike Palmer to explore the importance of human connection in online learning environments. Joel shares his unique background, spanning from academic leadership in sociology and business management to roles at Apple University and Yale, and how these experiences have shaped his perspective on transformative learning. Key Takeaways: Honor Education is focused on creating a platform that...
Apr 29, 2024•28 min•Season 8Ep. 622
In this episode, we hear from Marshall Poe, founder and editor of the New Books Network, a podcasting network unlocking expertise and expanding access to learning. As a former Russian historian, Marshall recognized the gap between what experts know and what the public understands. He saw podcasting as a way to bridge this divide. The New Books Network started as an experiment in 2007 and has since grown into a vast network with over 150 podcasts and a thousand hosts. Marshall views the network a...
Apr 25, 2024•39 min•Season 8Ep. 622
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...
Apr 22, 2024•32 min•Season 8Ep. 621
In the episode Mike Palmer hosts Erika Blumenthal, the Chief Operating Officer at Benefits Data Trust (BDT) , and Daniel O'Donnell, the Associate Director of Higher Education at BDT. We discuss the organization's mission to help individuals access social safety net benefits in the U.S., with a focus on supporting college students and how they use a Chatbot named Wyatt to communicate benefits to higher ed students. Erika and Daniel share their professional backgrounds and how they ended up at BDT...
Apr 18, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 620
This episode of Trending in Ed explores the explosive growth of AI in classrooms and workplaces. Host Mike Palmer interviews Tim Dasey, author of Wisdom Factories: AI, Games, and the Education of a Modern Worker , about the implications of these rapid changes. We discuss how AI can support novice learners, the potential risks and biases within AI systems, and the need for critical thinking skills to successfully interact with AI. Dasey emphasizes the importance of adapting our approach to educat...
Apr 15, 2024•35 min•Season 8Ep. 619
In this engaging episode, Mike Palmer talks with Jean Desravines, CEO of New Leaders , about developing representative leadership in K12 schools. Jean shares his powerful origin story of how education and mentorship saved his life, allowing him to escape a dire path. We learn how New Leaders identifies and develops the next generation of transformative school leaders, with a focus on leaders of color. Jean provides fascinating insights into what makes an effective school leader, likening the rol...
Apr 08, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 618
Dr. Ken Carter is a Psychology Professor and the Founding Director of Emory's new Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement . He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about bridging the gap between academic research and the public through new initiatives to help academics translate their work for general audiences. Ken shares his own path from aspiring to be a TV anchorman to becoming a clinical psychologist skilled at making complex concepts accessible. The conversation then shifts to psy...
Apr 04, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 617
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...
Apr 02, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 616
