Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

In this thought-provoking episode, Mike Palmer welcomes education journalist Laura Pappano to discuss her new book School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics and the Battle for Public Education. Laura shares her experiences attending Moms for Liberty summits, witnessing alarming rhetoric portraying public schools as indoctrination centers. She also touches on the work she is doing at the New...

Edward Hanapole leads the media and entertainment practice at Alvarez and Marsal. He brings a unique perspective to his conversation with host Mike Palmer, having worked across major media sectors including education, publishing, and broadcast. We discuss how media companies are adapting to direct-to-consumer models in a post-pandemic world. Edward notes they are having an "existential moment" rea...

Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Anthology, joins host Mike Palmer for an edtech discussion informed by Bruce's extensive IT background and higher ed governance along with his vision for the growth of the platform. With over four decades across enterprise software, data infrastructure, fintech (financial technology), and cybersecurity, Bruce brings valuable outside perspective to leading this major edtech p...

Dr. John Harnisher, who leads the education practice at DataKind joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how data science can drive social impact in education. Having known each other for over 10 years, we have an engaging conversation reflecting on John's journey in the learning field. John gives us an inside look at DataKind's mission of bringing data science and AI capabilities to social...

In this episode, host Michael Palmer welcomes back Dr. Bror Saxberg, Founder of LearningForge, to continue their exploration of learning and its implications for the future. We dig into core concepts like working memory vs long-term memory, deliberate practice and the 10,000 hour rule, and what the latest research reveals about differences (and similarities) in learning rates. Dr. Saxberg emphasiz...

In this week's episode of Trending in Education, Ryan Craig, author of the new book Apprentice Nation: How the "Earn and Learn" Alternative to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America, joins host Mike Palmer to dive into how "earn and learn" models like apprenticeships can bridge the growing experience gap facing young workers seeking their first good job. Craig makes a compellin...

Get pumped! The Trending in Education crew is heading to SXSW EDU 2024 to kick off the podcast stage in style. Mike Palmer will be joined by his dream team of past guests - his wife, information scientist Dr. Robin Naughton, enterprise strategy expert Melissa Griffith, and AI authority Beth Rudden. This all-star panel will break down the top trends for 2024 and launch their annual March Madness br...

In this episode of Trending in Education, we explore how to keep students, teachers, and parents connected in the learning process. Our guest is Matt Given, CEO of Seesaw, an edtech platform focused on early childhood education. We refer to this white paper from Seesaw during the conversation. Given explains how Seesaw aims to capture the tactile, joyful moments of real-world learning through phot...

In this episode of Trending in Education, we talk with Brian Rosenberg, author of the new book Whatever It Is, I'm Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Rosenberg is the President Emeritus of Macalester College and a Visiting Professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. We discuss the paradox of why higher education, which often speaks of transformation, is actually highly...

On this week's episode of Trending in Education, we chat with Nicolle Merrill about conversation design, AI literacy, and preparing for the impacts of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Nicolle is the founder of The Boring AI Company, where she teaches organizations about AI. But Nicolle also has hands-on experience designing conversational AI, having worked on chatbots and voice assistants...

How can higher education evolve to better prepare graduates for the rapidly transforming world of work? On this episode, host Mike Palmer talks with Brandon Busteed, the newly appointed CEO of BrandEd, about the future of colleges and universities in bridging the gaps between education and career readiness. They discuss today's challenges facing higher ed, including rising costs, student debt, dou...

In this episode of Trending in Education, we speak with Michael Strawser, an associate professor of communication at the University of Central Florida. He provides insights and practical tips on delivering effective instructional communication. Strawser explains how the field of instructional communication examines how communication impacts learning in all instructional contexts. He notes that cle...

In this special episode, host Mike Palmer is interviewed by Dr. Whitney Green from Kiddom about the use of AI and ChatGPT in the classroom. We discuss how AI and generative technologies like ChatGPT came about through advancements in computing power and neural networks. While some educators have concerns about introducing these technologies too quickly, Mike and Whitney explore the potential benef...

In this week's episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer has an enlightening conversation with learning science expert Bror Saxberg. As founder of Learning Forge, Saxberg knows a tremendous amount about how learning happens in the brain, and he shares his wisdom in this episode by applying that knowledge to parenting. Resources cited in this episode: The Brain Story from the Palix Foundat...

Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Co-Founder and CEO of the kids' podcasting company Tinkercast, joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about learning, podcasts, and how to reach children and their grown-ups with compelling educational content. We begin by hearing Meredith's background creating educational media for children at places like Sesame Workshop and PBS Kids Sprout. After recognizing the declin...

Geoffrey M. Roche is the inaugural Director of Workforce Development at Siemens Healthineers. He joins host Mike Palmer to explore the intersection of healthcare and education, discussing emerging trends related to the healthcare workforce. Geoffrey outlines some of the pressing challenges facing healthcare employers today, including recruitment, retention, and upskilling issues exacerbated by the...

In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer interviews Tade Oyerinde, the founder and chancellor of Campus.edu, an organization providing accessible pathway programs powered by professors from top universities. Tade shares how his unconventional homeschooling background and later experiences meeting impoverished adjunct professors sparked his interest in transforming higher educatio...

Eunice Ofori has a unique background, hailing originally from Ghana where she was an educator for 20 years. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2011 when her husband began his PhD program, intrigued by the American education system and efforts to provide accommodations for students with disabilities. This was lacking in Ghana and a key motivator for Eunice. She went on to pursue her own PhD research on...

Melissa Turnbaugh is a Partner at architecture firm PBK where she serves as National Education and Innovation Leader. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how architects approach designing K-12 learning spaces in a rapidly changing world, emphasizing the need for flexibility and personalization. Turnbaugh outlines emerging trends like outdoor classrooms along with integrating artific...

To kick off the end of year holiday season and wrap up Thanksgiving, we reflect on the importance of gratitude and why and how we should cultivate it. We might even warm some cockles along the way. Mike explores the neuroscience showing gratitude boosts dopamine, serotonin, and mood based on an article by Kayla Barnes. We feature sound from Matthew Palmer and Robin Naughton to make it a real famil...

Michael J. Feuer is Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University and the author of Can Schools Save Democracy? Civic Education and the Common Good. He joins host Mike Palmer in an insightful discussion about the role of education in addressing some of society's biggest challenges including threats to democracy, polarization and more.  Feuer explain...

In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer speaks with Bryon Pierson Jr, founder and CEO of EDUrain, a company aiming to provide better housing solutions for college students. Bryon shares his personal background, having struggled to find stable housing as a foster care college student who moves 7 times and has 22 roommates. This inspires him to start EDU Rain, which partners with...

Sienna Daniel and Sean Segal join host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the work they are doing at Escalate, a company focused on upskilling frontline workers. Sienna and Sean share their backgrounds in education and workforce development, explaining how their experiences led them to start Escalate. We discuss the high costs of frontline worker turnover and how upskilling can help retain employ...

Mike Palmer is joined by Virtual CoHost Nancy to explore the Biden administration's new Executive Order on artificial intelligence and its prominent focus on AI and education. Nancy provides a narrated reading that simplifies the order for a hypothetical 5-year-old listener before we find our sweet spot at a 5th-grade level. We discuss the order's aims to develop AI responsibly, including setting...

In this episode, we explore ways to find balance amidst overwhelming AI trends. We kick things off with visionary Don Carson from Mighty Coconut Studios speculating about the imminent arrival of prompt-driven VR worlds that might resemble the Holodeck from Star Trek. Then we dig into the first key concept - the extended mind. Elliot Felix explains philosopher Andy Clark's theory that thinking exte...