Edtech Insiders

Samuel Madden is a Distinguished Professor of Computing at MIT’s College of Computing. He leads MIT’s Data Systems Group and DSAIL, researching databases, distributed computing, and AI systems. An ACM Fellow, he co-founded Cambridge Mobile Telematics and has received several major research awards. Dr. Eric Klopfer is Professor and Director of the Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Educatio...

Bryden Sweeney-Taylor is co-founder and Executive Director of Outer Coast , a place-based liberal arts institution in Sitka, Alaska. He co-founded Matriculate and previously led college access initiatives at America Achieves. He is an alumnus of Deep Springs and Harvard College. Hosted by Matthew Rascoff This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series , featuring conversations...

Michael S. Roth ’78 became Wesleyan University ’s 16th President in 2007. An intellectual historian, author, and curator, he continues to teach undergraduates while advancing liberal education, accessibility, and diversity. His books include Beyond the University (2014), Safe Enough Spaces (2019), and The Student (2023). Hosted by Matthew Rascoff This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherE...

Tara Graham is Executive Director of the CrunchLabs.org Foundation , where she leads the development of Class CrunchLabs, a free, NGSS-aligned science curriculum for grades 3–8. She brings more than 15 years of experience across product development, partnerships, and education initiatives, including leadership roles at Barnes & Noble Education and Course Hero. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This...

Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they cover the latest developments in edtech, from a major student data breach and AI safety concerns to edtech acquisitions, education policy, and the future of learning with AI. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:21] Education Testing Service data breach impacts California students [00:14:24] Common Sense Media tests ChatGPT’s teen safety protections [00:18:4...

Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin on Edtech Week at Columbia Teachers College in New York City as they explore how AI is reshaping teaching, learning, student success, and higher education operations. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:04] AI implementation and student perspectives [00:06:52] Rethinking AI in education from productivity to pedagogy and student creation [00:09:51] AI-powered assess...

Natasha Singer has covered tech industry influence in schools for The New York Times for more than a decade. Her school tech reporting helped prompt California to enact a landmark student online privacy law. Her new book is "Coding Kids: Big Tech's Battle to Remake Public Schools" . In a review, The New Yorker called the book "an even-tempered yet withering narrative of how the...

Mallory Dwinal-Palisch is the President of Craft Education , a nonprofit division of Western Governors University that is developing the ecosystem platform for enabling work-based pathways across higher education and the workforce. Mallory has devoted her career to merging education with tech innovation. Her work streamlines regulatory data and addresses labor shortages, unlocking opportunities fo...

Michael Feldstein is Chief Strategy Officer at 1EdTech , where he helps shape an open, trusted, and interoperable edtech ecosystem. With more than 30 years in educational technology, he has also led the Empirical Educator Project, co-founded Argos Education, and founded the eLiterate blog. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why AI, interoperability, and cybersecurity are increasingly connec...

Join host Ben Kornell as he speaks with edtech leaders about AI in English language teaching, the future of learning and work, and expanding access to computer science and AI literacy. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:10] Dr. Evelina Galaczi , Director of Research at Cambridge University Press & Assessment and Ana Petersen , a language educator in Florida on AI in English language teaching [00:19...

To celebrate 500 episodes of Edtech Insiders , Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell are joined by Reed Hastings for a special conversation about AI, education, and the future of learning. They explore the potential of AI-powered tutoring, the changing role of teachers, the future of assessment, and what schools could look like in the years ahead. Reed Hastings is the co-founder of Netflix and Chairman of P...

Dacia Toll is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Coursemojo , an AI teaching assistant designed to help students make meaningful reading gains. A former teacher and principal in New Haven and founder of Achievement First, Dacia brings a deep focus on instructional quality, student outcomes, and what it takes to improve learning at scale. Coursemojo has now expanded to more than 85 school districts, from...

George Siemens is a prominent learning theorist and digital education researcher serving as the Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) , he co-founded SNHU's AI-learning platform. He is widely known as the pioneer of the learning theory Connectivism and for creating the first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Hosted by Matthew Rascoff This episode is pa...

Jennie Magiera is the Global Head of Education Impact at Google , a bestselling author, and former teacher, coach, administrator, and professor. Chanel Johnson is an educator with 15+ years in K–12, STEM, and EdTech. She is a Google Certified AI Educator and Innovator and currently teaches 8th grade science. Hannah Ketteman is Senior Instructional Consultant for AI at Texas A&M University-Cent...

In this episode, Alex Sarlin speaks with leaders and finalists from the Global EdTech Prize about expanding access to education, supporting underserved learners, and using technology and AI to drive meaningful impact around the world. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How Edtech is expanding access for underserved and displaced learners.  New approaches to assessment, literacy, and learnin...

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they interview leaders from Flint, AskSia, and 2U about AI literacy, personalized learning, responsible AI adoption, and the future of higher education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:15] Sohan Choudhury , Founder of Flint , on AI literacy for teachers and responsible AI adoption in schools [00:15:10] Celine Xu , Co-founder and COO of AskSia , on personaliz...

This episode is produced in partnership with Microsoft. Deirdre Quarnstrom leads Microsoft ’s AI-enhanced learning product portfolio and strategy. She started her work in education bringing Minecraft Education to students and educators around the world. Deirdre also serves as a Director on the board of the Block by Block Foundation and is a founding partner and advisor at Reaction, a social impact...

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy and Vision Steward and board member of TED, two global nonprofits that provide free education to 200+ million people worldwide. Sal is the author of The One World Schoolhouse and Brave New Words, and the co-author of Teaching Students to Use AI Ethically & Responsibly. His forthcoming book, Job Shock, examines how AI will transform the future of...

Dan Wang is the Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School and Co-founder of CAiSEY , a voice-first AI discussion platform that helps students develop critical thinking through conversation. Johanna Chouraqui leads instructor onboarding, user research, and operations at CAiSEY, bringing nearly a decade of experience in K-12 education and learning design. 💡 5 Things...

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down the biggest stories shaping AI safety, tutoring research, equitable access to AI, and how educators are using AI in the classroom. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:07:16] AI safety concerns grow as Anthropic researchers and executives question the pace of frontier AI development [00:12:42] AI alignment, self-improvement, and multi-agent systems r...

Dr. Michael J. Sorrell is the longest-serving President in Paul Quinn College ’s 154-year history. A nationally recognized higher education leader, he has been named one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders and received numerous awards for his innovative leadership and commitment to students and communities. Hosted by Matthew Rascoff This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series...

Victoria Lansdown is the founder of North Star AI Enablement , helping schools, Edtech companies, and nonprofits adopt AI in practical, human-centered ways. A former educator, she has led AI-for-educators programs at Google and contributed to UNESCO’s AI competency framework discussions. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why effective AI adoption starts with a problem, not a tool . How edu...

Kristin Vincent is VP of Product at Learning Commons , where she leads teams focused on scaling proven teaching and learning practices. She has spent 20 years building Edtech products, including leadership roles at Pearson and K12.com/Strive. Brian Johnsrud , PhD is OpenAI ’s Global Head of Educational Engagement. A former K-12 teacher, college lecturer, and education technology researcher, he foc...

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they unpack New York City and Los Angeles school AI restrictions, the launch of a new AI tutor from Aristotle, and how Salesforce is supporting educators, students, and career pathways in the AI era. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:57] AI, cognitive offloading, and the future of learning [00:06:21] New York City restricts student-facing AI tools in schools [...

Nils Gilman is Senior Advisor to the Berggruen Institute , an intellectual historian by training and a widely published essayist on the future of higher education and AI's impact on work and learning. His writing has appeared in Noema, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and many other venues. He holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph. D. from UC Berkeley. Hosted by Matthew Rascoff This episode is part of...