Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

Nancy, our virtual cohost, returns to the show for a thought-provoking discussion with host Mike Palmer and our Founding CoHosts Dan Strafford and Brandon Jones. The wide-ranging conversation explores topics like building rapport in the age of AI, the rapid evolution of virtual assistants, and potential applications and ethics concerns around novel technologies like digital twins. We exchange view...

Dr. Phil Hickman joins host Mike Palmer for a wide-ranging conversation on education, technology and the future of work. Dr. Phil explains how his diverse background led him to found Plabook, an edtech company using AI to teach reading and literacy. He provides a vision for preparing youth with skills like critical thinking, creativity, and the adaptive ability to continually learn in a fast-chang...

Get ready for a blast from the past! The "OG" squad is back together as founding hosts Mike Palmer, Brandon Jones, and Dan Strafford reunite for this special throwback episode. Join us as we reminisce about the early days of the show and reflect on trends in ed tech and AI since 2016 and especially of late. Hear our takes on augmenting human intelligence, riding the AI wave, and avoiding the Uncan...

Jean Eddy, President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA) joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about empowering students through career exploration beginning in middle school. Jean highlights the ideas touched on in her new book, Crisis-Proofing Today's Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow's World. We learn Jean's professional origin story, having spent m...

Sean Michael Morris, Vice President of Academics at Course Hero, joins host Mike Palmer to discuss how generative AI is impacting higher education. As an expert in online education and faculty development, Sean provides insights on integrating these technologies thoughtfully, rather than seeing them as threats. He explains his concept of critical digital pedagogy, which encourages critical thinkin...

Professor Natalia Kucirkova joins Mike Palmer to talk about her fascinating research exploring how engaging children's senses can impact learning. Originally from Slovakia, Natalia found inspiration from her grandfather, who nurtured her love of reading and storytelling. This passion led Natalia to Norway, where she now researches children, technology, and literacy.   A key focus of Natalia's work...

The rapid emergence of AI tools like ChatGPT is sending shockwaves through education. Host Mike Palmer talks with Alex Kotran, Founder and CEO of nonprofit The AI Education Project, about this technology tidal wave and what it means for education. Alex shares his origin story, from politics to pivoting into AI back in 2015. He started aiEDU in 2019 to get ahead of the coming AI disruption. Since t...

Andy Temte is an experienced executive and business author who recently penned The Balanced Business: Building Organizational Trust and Accountability through Smooth Workflows. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about creating effective management operating systems. Andy stresses defining organizational purpose and vision as foundational. With AI disrupting jobs, he argues learning budget...

In our kickoff to Season 8 of Trending in Ed, host Mike Palmer welcomes Melissa Griffith and Dan Strafford back to the show to discuss the 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies. We reflect on how the hype cycle framework can be applied to understand the trajectory of any new technology or cultural phenomenon. We debate whether the current hype around AI will lead to an "AI winter" as e...

Nafez Dakkak is the Founder of bldr. ventures and the writer behind Nafez's Notes on Substack. He joins host Mike Palmer in a lively discussion exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging tech can enhance learning by making thinking visible.  We consider how play, games, and hands-on learning could engage students' intrinsic motivation and unlock new learning potentials. Nafez shares insigh...

Dr. Mark Windschitl, Professor of Science Education at the University of Washington, joins host Mike Palmer to discuss his new book Teaching Climate Change: Fostering Understanding, Resilience, and a Commitment to Justice. Drawing from his experience as a teacher and researcher, Dr. Windschitl advocates for more support to equip K-12 teachers to teach this interdisciplinary topic. You can learn mo...

Kareem Farah is the CEO and Co-Founder of The Modern Classrooms Project. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about innovative approaches to teaching and learning. You can learn more about their approach here. Kareem explains how he started out in finance but pivoted to become a math teacher. After teaching traditionally for several years, he realized it was not meeting his students' needs....

Jane Oates is the President of WorkingNation, an organization that highlights career transitions and lifelong learning through media stories. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about motivating anxious workers and embracing AI. Oates predicts growth in healthcare, education, and green energy jobs. She advises acquiring human skills like creativity that AI can't replicate, and continuousl...

Jim Hollis founded Calculus Roundtable to make higher-level math classes like calculus more accessible, especially for minority students who face barriers. His hands-on, experiential approach aims to change the perception that math is intimidating or only for some people. Instead of lectures and worksheets, students do creative, collaborative projects making rollercoasters and video games that rel...

Michelle Cheang is the Program Director of the Catalyze Challenge. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the career-connected learning grants offered through Michelle's organization. Catalyze aims to fund innovation in career exposure and preparation for ages 11-22 through grants, shared learning, and storytelling. Michelle explains how Catalyze takes an equity lens, seeking to expand...

Mike Palmer and Robin Naughton explore coding and robotics for kids with Michelle Acaley, Senior Director of Product at Sphero. They discuss how Sphero's coding toys teach critical thinking, collaboration, and grit through play. Michelle shares how products like Sphero's Indi allow kids 4-8 years old to learn coding concepts by directing a robot car activated by colored tiles. She explains how Sph...

Inspired by architect Buckminster Fuller and the Kindergarten movement, Mike Acerra designed Lux Blox to reimagine the building blocks of learning. Co-founder and President of Lux Blox, Acerra brings an interdisciplinary background spanning art, architecture, physics, and education. His unique system aims to develop children's spatial skills, creativity, and confidence through intuitive play with...

Reuben Ogbonna is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Marcy Lab School. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about why he founded the school and how they are reimagining post-secondary education to design pathways for students traditional higher education has left out. We begin by hearing how Reuben's upbringing in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his experience with Teach for America in...

Note: the following show notes were created using Anthropic's Claude.ai - It seemed a propos after all: How should we prepare students for a rapidly automating world? On this episode, host Mike Palmer explores that question with Dr. Tim Dasey, author of Wisdom Factories: AI, Games, and the Education of the Modern Worker. Dasey explains why traditional educational models focused on expertise are be...

Mike shares his thoughts coming out of the Smithsonian Institution's National Education Summit that was recently held in Washington, DC. We hear what it's like to bring a 4-year-old to an education conference and learn more about the Palm Court Podcast whose launch is coinciding with the release of this episode! We reflect back on Dr. Monique Chism's previous appearance on Trending in Ed before di...

Tony Wan is the Head of Platform for Reach Capital. He is also one of the CoFounders of EdSurge. He rejoins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about what it's like to write and think about venture capital in Ed Tech at a time when AI is everywhere. We begin by hearing Tony's thoughts on writing while experimenting with GPT where he was able to train a bot to write like him. What does this mean for...

Tom Adams is The Chair and Co-Founder of Pedago Studios and the President and Co-Founder of Quantic Business School. He's also the former CEO of Rosetta Stone. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the strategic approach he and team are taking in building new learning programs informed by the impending revolution in interactive learning. We hear how Tom got his start in the early days...

Alan Safran is the CEO and Chair of Saga Education and AJ Gutierrez is its Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer. They join Mike Palmer in a conversation about the work they are doing at Saga to bring evidence-based high-impact tutoring interventions to students who need them. We begin by hearing how Saga got started and how AJ and Alan met. AJ shares his personal experiences in school when he w...

Dr. Jorge Petit is a Psychiatrist with extensive experience leading non-profit organizations focused on social justice and helping those who society has left out. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about leadership lessons from the giving professions, the challenges inherent in serving those in need, and how broader trends in education and the broader culture may impact the future of work...

Beth Rudden is the Founder and Chairwoman of Bast AI. She’s also the Co-Author of AI for the Rest of Us. She rejoins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the risks and opportunities with generative AI based on her extensive experience with data science at IBM and now out on her own. We begin by learning what motivated Beth to write the book. Representation matters and we need broader adoption...