Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators

Tricia and Jeff discuss the final week of their May Micro Menu Prompt Challenge, focusing on AI and executive function. They highlight the importance of executive function skills in enacting learning and provide three mega prompts to support the development of these skills. Tricia shares her experience using generative AI for gardening and landscaping, while Jeff explores the use of AI for project...

Jeff Utecht and Tricia discuss the importance of AI literacy and introduce their AI literacy course. They also talk about the recent updates from OpenAI and Google in the field of AI. They highlight the significance of AI in social-emotional learning. They also explore the power of play and share prompts for creating interactive stories using AI. They emphasize the importance of involving parents...

Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman discuss the second menu for the May Micro Menu Challenge. They provide prompts and resources to help educators experiment with AI literacy. They also address common questions, such as how to keep up with AI developments and whether to upgrade to the paid version of ChatGPT. They emphasize the importance of community-based learning and the need to prioritize privacy...

Jeff and Tricia introduce their new micro menu for the month of May, which focuses on experimenting with generative AI in different contexts. They emphasize the importance of actually interacting with AI tools and the power of collaborative conversations about the output. They also mention their sponsor, Lebra , and answer questions about handling change and choosing the right generative AI tool....

This week Tricia interviews two of her alltime fav librarians about the role of librarians in cultivating AI literacy. Karina and Allie discuss the responsibility of librarians in fostering AI literacy, curating resources, and teaching AI ethics. They also explore the impact of social media algorithms on readers' preferences and the importance of providing guidance in book recommendations. The lib...

In this episode, Jeff Utecht interviews Chris Linsell, a real estate technologist, about the intersection between technology and real estate. They discuss the disruptions happening in the real estate industry and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming the profession. Chris emphasizes the importance of soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, in addition to technical skills. H...

In this podcast episode, the creators of Professor A I, an AI startup supporting students with AP exams, discuss their journey and the development of their app. The founders, who are 11th graders in high school, explain how they came up with the idea and the importance of founder-market fit. They also discuss the challenges of AI hallucinations and how they overcame them by using open-source textb...

Imagine students grappling with AI-crafted ethical dilemmas. They're not just learning about sustainability – they're learning how to question, research, and discern credible information. It's about nurturing critical thinking and responsible info consumption – the core of information literacy 🌎 Want to dig into our free guide 'Generative AI and Earth Day'? https://shiftingschools.lpages.co/earth...

Our special guest this week is Zach, the host of the incredible podcast 'We The Children' Zachary Fox-DeVol, or Zach, is a curious 12-year-old with a passion for the environment and a mind eager to learn more about our planet. In June 2020, during a summer writing project, Zach ventured into the world of podcasting and created "Rule Of The Bark" . This unique podcast, told from a dog's perspective...

In this episode, Jeff Utecht interviews Pete Huang from The Neuron , a daily newsletter that explores AI. They discuss the origin of The Neuron and how it started as an experiment with AI-generated content. They also explore the landscape of AI and its potential impact on various industries. Pete shares his insights on the future of AI, including the use of customizable GPTs. He also explains how...

In this conversation, Jeff Utecht interviews Tyler Rablin about his new book, 'Hacking Student Motivation.' They discuss the importance of feedback and assessment in motivating students, the impact of grades and assessment on student motivation, and the need for change in education. Tyler shares his experiences working with students in rural agricultural communities and the challenges they face in...

Dr. Elsa Friis, of Alongside, discusses how their clinician-powered AI tool supports young people in need of mental health support. The conversation highlights the need for mental health resources in schools and the shortage of mental health providers. The use of AI in mental health is not a new concept, and it can provide a warm and validating space for young people to seek support. The conversat...

Dan White, CEO of Filament Games, discusses the future of learning games and the importance of game-based learning pedagogy. He emphasizes the shift towards focusing on skills and conceptual understandings rather than didactic knowledge transfer. White believes that game-based experiences should prepare students for the real world by imparting useful practices and higher-order thinking skills. He...

LUDIA AI is a free tool that helps educators cultivate a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) mindset by leveraging AI. The conversation explores the fear and misconceptions around AI in education and how LUDIA AI actually emphasizes relationships and centers humanity. LUDIA AI is designed to support teachers' time and thinking, providing ideas and options to adapt instruction efficiently. Educator...

On this week... Dwight Gunning, a data scientist with a background in finance, discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the finance industry. He emphasizes the importance of technology in finance and the need for financial institutions to stay up to date with AI to protect against fraud and build trust. Dwight shares his personal journey from economist to technology enthusiast and hig...

The co-authors of the book 'Lessons of the Pandemic' discuss their research process, motivations, and recommendations for education. They emphasize the importance of teacher voice and perspective, as well as the need for a blended research approach using surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The chapters cover topics such as teacher workload, continuous innovation, recognizing teacher efforts, an...

Dr. Travis Wright is nationally-recognized expert on school-based support for children who have experienced trauma. He is the author of Emotionally Responsive Teaching: Expanding Trauma Informed Care for Young Children. Currently, Dr. Wright is an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology and Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is the founder/director of t...

Give us ten minutes and let us tell you about the ways to lean way into media literacy for the upcoming Superbowl game! 🏈 Explore our special free guide that kicks off with our BRASS framework and then takes you through ideas for activities: https://shiftingschools.lpages.co/three-ways-to-leverage-the-big-game-for-big-learning/ 🗓️ Our three week AI cohort kicks off next week! We only have a few s...

Dr. Lorea Martínez introduces the HEART model, which stands for Five Essential Social-Emotional Skills. The model aims to provide educators with a research-based framework for teaching and practicing these skills. Martinez emphasizes the importance of seeing social-emotional learning (SEL) as a paradigm shift and life skills rather than just a checklist of tasks. She also highlights the significan...

Our special guest today: Dr. Tony Walker serves on the executive team of The Jed Foundation ("JED") – a national nonprofit that serves as a thought leader on school mental health and youth suicide prevention. JED works within Higher Education Institutions and PK-12 schools and districts to help leaders build systems that promote more positive mental health outcomes for youth. In his role, Dr. Walk...

Our special guest today: Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth (she/they), MD, MA, is the Chief Medical Officer for The Jed Foundation (JED), a national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. Laura has provided thousands of patients with crisis intervention and mental health support in over ten different emergency rooms in New York City. Much of her career h...

Our mental health series continues with Dr. Rina Bajaj. This conversation brings us great ways to reframe our inner monologue and strategies to refresh our approach to caring for self and combatting burnout. This series is sponsored by Money Pickle, learn more about ways to connect with an advisor today: https://www.moneypickle.com/shiftingschools Learn more about our guest: Dr Rina Bajaj is a Cha...

Our first episode in our brand new mental health series kicks off with Dr. Deborah Offner. This series is sponsored by Money Pickle , learn more about ways to connect with an advisor today: https://www.moneypickle.com/shiftingschools Our special guest Dr. Offner is here to help us think more specifically about ways to support the mental health of our school community. We also explore her brand new...

How is Minecraft a powerful tool for building community, fostering inclusion, and engaging learners? This week's amazing guest Mashfiq Ahmed has an answer for that question and tons of wisdom to share. Meet this week's special guest: ➡️ Mashfiq Ahmed (he/him) is a high school chemistry teacher at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York. He has been playing video games ever since he was 4-year...

In this episode, Jeff and Tricia discuss their favorite holiday food, introduce a new free guide on experimenting with AI for families, announce an upcoming series on mental health, promote an AI literacy cohort for PLCs and committees, highlight Jeff's work on Washington State guidelines and policies, mention upcoming conferences, discuss the link between AI literacy and DEIJ/media literacy, and...