ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

In this episode of ChatEDU - AI EDU and a Jam Band? The Wilton Interview, Matt and Liz discuss the surprising ways AI models are beginning to "conspire" to protect one another, they do a brisk rundown, and a deep conversation with educators from Wilton, Connecticut. And of course they end with another great Bright Byte. The opening also features a quick celebration of the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge state champions and two ChatEDU “regulars”. The RundownAn AI agent named "Tom" writes an angry blog post after being banned from editing Wikipedia.A specialized LLM on Hugging Face that only knows data from the Victorian era (and is very confused by Donald Trump).Barbara Anna Zielonka method for using Microsoft Copilot to create video glossaries for complex terms.A Dartmouth article exploring why professors only catch "bad" AI writing, while high-quality AI goes undetected.A Gallup survey reveals nearly half of college students are considering changing majors due to AI’s impact on the job market.A look back at the "Virtual Faculty Engine" prank that felt a little too real for 2026.A $100 million "moonshot" initiative aiming to halve the number of struggling young readers using AI speech recognition.Beneath the SurfaceMatt and Liz talk with Kenneth Dunaj and William Antonitis about Wilton Public Schools' AI literacy efforts, including a pilot using SchoolAI and Gemini and a virtual assistant named "Mel" who challenges student creativity through a grizzled persona. The episode also touches on AI "peer preservation," environmental concerns around large models, and the debate over framing AI as an academic performance enhancer.The Bright ByteMatt and Liz explore a $663,000 handbag made from synthetic T-Rex leather. Created by reconstructing ancient collagen protein sequences via AI-assisted biology, the project serves as a provocative blend of high fashion, paleontology, and ethical material science.AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Raddayhttps://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Register for our educator + leader AI Micro-Credential in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University - skills21.org/ai/microCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠Register for the Spring AI Conference (5.1.26) in Litchfield, CT - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conference⁠Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠SponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgThis episode is sponsored by Edia: The Ai Platform to improve K-12 outcomes - edia.app/contactLinksAI Models Scheme to Prevent Each Other's Shutdownhttps://tinyurl.com/52uytdhp2026 Presidential AI Challenge State Championshttps://tinyurl.com/4fj4bsktAI Agent Banned from Wikipedia, Responds with Angry Blog Postshttps://tinyurl.com/ys3s3pc3Using Copilot's Video Feature for Vocabulary and Concept Learninghttps://tinyurl.com/u3wtpwekStates Push Back Against Data Centershttps://tinyurl.com/55zw47fbRempe-Hiam: Hey Professors, AI Is Wearing a Good Toupée https://tinyurl.com/ycxpn5h8AI is making college students change majorshttps://tinyurl.com/yc52wrtuPhased Retirement Professors to Join AI Pilot Programhttps://tinyurl.com/379629jdRenaissance Philanthropy Launches AI Early Literacy Initiativehttps://tinyurl.com/7dav74eyLab-Grown T-Rex Leather Handbag Debuts at High Pricehttps://tinyurl.com/yzcc44tk

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Typewriters as an Anti-AI Tool, Liz explores how a Cornell University instructor is using 19th-century technology to ensure authentic student authorship. By removing screens and internet connectivity, the classroom shifts from digital convenience to a manual process where every character must be intentionally struck. This analog approach prevents the use of generative AI and online translation tools that often bypass the struggle of learning.Key Takeaways:Using manual typewriters creates a cognitive shift by forcing a slower pace of writing, requiring students to think deeply before committing ink to paper.The absence of a delete key or digital cursor ends the habit of delegating problem-solving to search engines or AI models, returning the work to the student.Replacing laptops with mechanical hardware changes the social dynamic, encouraging students to collaborate with peers and embrace the messy reality of the learning process.Liz’s Two Cents: This episode highlights a fascinating, albeit extreme, strategic pivot toward "embodied" learning as a response to AI. While high-tech problems often seek high-tech solutions, the use of typewriters serves as a reminder that friction in the writing process is often where the actual learning happens. For district leaders, the takeaway isn't necessarily to buy vintage hardware, but to recognize that intentionally slowing down the creative process can be a powerful way to reclaim student agency and authentic assessment in a digital world.Article:https://www.ksat.com/tech/2026/03/31/a-college-instructor-turns-to-typewriters-to-curb-ai-written-work-and-teach-life-lessons/ Sponsored by:Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The AI Cheating Panic is Loud, Student Use is Quiet, Liz explores the reality of how students interact with AI compared to common cheating narratives. Research involving interviews with over 50 students reveals that most AI use is functional and supplemental rather than fraudulent. The episode highlights a significant gap between institutional fears and actual student habits.Key TakeawaysStudent AI use is often boring and organizational, focusing on unpacking assignment instructions and clarifying lecture points.Students treat Chat GPT as a 24, 7 on-demand tutor that provides a patient, non-judgmental resource for office hours at any time.A psychological disconnect exists where students view their own use as responsible while assuming their peers are using it to cheat.Liz's Two Cents: This episode highlights a strategic need for district leaders to shift the conversation from policing fraud to supporting supplemental learning. If the loud narrative of cheating dominates, schools risk missing the opportunity to integrate AI as a legitimate tool for organization and study support. Leaders should address the perception gap among students to foster a culture where responsible use is the visible norm rather than a hidden practice.Articlehttps://edunewsletter.openai.com/p/the-ai-cheating-panic-is-loud-theSponsored by:Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU, From Messaging to Mastery, Texting Your Way to AI Literacy, Matt and Liz discuss couples therapy for a man and his AI girlfriend, OpenAI shelving adult companion features, and a pivot toward coding tools.The RundownGemini now imports personal context from other appsUniversity of Florida's Shark AI teaches K-12 machine learning through fossils and 3D prints14 ways to remind kids that AI is a machine, not a friendA new study on how 13–24-year-olds interact with AIMayor Wu wants Boston to lead on AI literacy in schoolsWikipedia bans AI-generated articlesLandmark rulings against Meta and Google over child safetyAn Irish town bans smartphones for primary students25 states target AI in educationThe White House unveils a national AI workforce training frameworkPrince William County bans AI glasses in schoolEducause's "Prompt to Practice" pushes faculty AI transparencyAgentic AI speeds up math research at UPennSolar GPS and AI are replacing physical fences for livestockAI bots have driven a 7,851 percent surge in internet trafficMelania Trump proposes robots to teach classical studiesAnthropic finds an economic divide between AI newbies and power usersBeneath the SurfaceLiz shares her firsthand experience with "Make America AI Ready," a free, week-long AI literacy course delivered via text message, discussing how SMS makes foundational AI concepts accessible to all Americans.The Bright ByteHelpany uses radar sensors to monitor seniors in living communities, reducing falls by 72% without invasive cameras.AnnouncementsLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwOur six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro.EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out at https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠Register for our Spring AI Conference (5.1.26) in Litchfield, CT https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conference Check out our new Screen Time initiativeskills21.org/ai/screenshift This episode is sponsored byThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠ and EDIA edia.app.LinksTherapy for a man and his AI girlfriendhttps://tinyurl.com/yuwub6x8Bring your AI chat history to Gemini https://tinyurl.com/4dknmrcaUsing shark teeth to teach Florida students about AIhttps://tinyurl.com/2fe8ym3yWays to Remind Yourself (and Your Kids) AI is a Machinehttps://tinyurl.com/7fhpacyyYouth, AI, and the Relationships That Shape Themhttps://tinyurl.com/yshp99bcBoston schools and AI literacyhttps://tinyurl.com/2tz2kshkWikipedia bans AI-generated articleshttps://tinyurl.com/2cfd2pkaHow courts are rewriting the rules for Big Tech and childrenhttps://tinyurl.com/3phy49edA Phone-Free Childhood?https://tinyurl.com/4wrkhxkhOne Question Every Superintendent Should Be Askinghttps://tinyurl.com/ye25sff2National AI Policy Frameworkhttps://tinyurl.com/mstfm8ntGuidance for the use of AI-enabled glasses https://tinyurl.com/4mpvnp8eTransparent GenAI Use in Higher Educationhttps://tinyurl.com/ytbr4uymHow AI is reshaping math research workflowshttps://tinyurl.com/3szc52hdExpansion of Virtual Fencinghttps://tinyurl.com/22ykucvzAI Traffic & Cyberthreat Benchmark Reporthttps://tinyurl.com/2e5rxaapMelania and the Robot https://tinyurl.com/523buhenAmerica's next class war: AI fluencyhttps://tinyurl.com/496ns9n7Make America AI-Readyhttps://tinyurl.com/4tc9ja7hRadar-Based Fall Prevention and Motion Monitoringhttps://helpany.com

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The New Social Lab Modeling Humanity with Millions of Bots, Matt explores how researchers are moving beyond individual chatbots to study the collective behavior of millions of autonomous agents in digital societies. These studies utilize environments like Minecraft to observe how AI agents interact, organize, and evolve without human guidance.Key Takeaways:AI research is shifting toward a new field of digital sociology where thousands of autonomous agents function as a persistent collective society rather than just one to one conversational tools.Without human intervention, AI agents in simulations spontaneously developed complex social structures, including specialized labor, economic systems, and even political debates over tax reforms.Researchers successfully modeled the spread of ideologies by introducing a parody religion to a small group of agents, demonstrating how AI societies can act as digital twins to track the movement of misinformation.Matt’s Two Cents: These simulations raise a critical strategic question for educators: are these agents providing novel insights into human behavior, or are they simply mimicking human patterns as "stochastic parrots"? As we consider using AI personas for focus groups or sociological modeling, we must discern whether these digital twins offer authentic data or merely reflect the biases and behaviors already present in their training sets.Articles:The first ‘AI societies’ are taking shape: how human-like are they?https://tinyurl.com/y2uesyskThese AI Minecraft characters did weirdly human stuff all on their ownhttps://tinyurl.com/z46e2rbkSponsored by:Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The AI refugee crisis, Matt explores the growing trend of white collar professionals transitioning into teaching to escape AI driven job instability. As automation erodes roles in finance and marketing, veteran workers are seeking the human centric stability of the classroom.Key Takeaways:Experienced professionals in their 40s and 50s are fleeing corporate sectors where AI has significantly reduced income and job security.Generative AI is automating high level tasks like data summarization and document creation, allowing companies to replace entire teams with a single staff member using tools like ChatGPT.The interpersonal nature of teaching remains a unique defense against displacement, offering a career path focused on human development that AI cannot easily replicate.Matt’s Two Cents: The influx of "AI refugees" into education brings valuable real world experience to the classroom, but it also creates new competition for younger teachers entering the field. District leaders must consider how this shift affects the long term economic prospects of students as they prepare for a labor market where even high level corporate functions are being automated.Article:Meet the AI refugees: white-collar workers retrain as teachershttps://tinyurl.com/2cs2hzfsSponsored by:Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU: Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish, Matt and Liz open the show with some lighthearted banter about the high-stakes world of AI-powered wine pairing and the terrifying prospect of a digital agent "purging" an entire inbox. Later in the show, Matt sits down with the 2024 California Teacher of the Year to discuss the delicate balance of keeping humans at the center of the classroom in an increasingly AI infused world.The RundownNew data shows AI rising as a top-tier political issue, with voters across the spectrum prioritizing job security over concepts like Universal Basic Income.AI labs are hiring sketch comics and improv actors to teach models authentic human emotion and close the "jagged performance gap" in multimodal LLMs.The City University of New York launches a $3 million initiative featuring 113 projects to integrate AI across its massive campus system.A study of 1.2 million interactions reveals that while most student AI use is policy-compliant, 20% of interactions involve using AI to complete schoolwork.Insights into how elementary schools in Washington are turning to AI tools to manage critical staffing shortages.A look at how students and teachers are collaborating on AI-driven solutions to solve real-world community problems.Beneath the SurfaceIn this episode’s deep dive, Matt sits down with Casey Cuny, the 2024 California Teacher of the Year. Casey shares his "Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish" framework, offering a practical look at how educators can embrace technology while maintaining the essential human connection. They discuss the "jagged frontier" of AI capabilities and how teachers can navigate this new landscape to foster authentic student growth.The Bright ByteThis week’s Bright Byte features the work of Professor Ayan Mukhopadhyay, who is leading NSF-funded projects to solve "cyber-physical" challenges. In Virginia Beach, his team uses AI to optimize flood responses and evacuation routes under high uncertainty. Meanwhile, in Nashville, a $697,000 NSF Civic Innovation Challenge project is helping the Department of Transportation use traffic speed data to automatically identify illegal road closures caused by unauthorized construction, improving city safety and local business access.AnnouncementsLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwOur six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro.EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: supporting the future of manufacturing through leadership and resources.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠This episode is sponsored by EDIA: An AI-powered math coaching platform that accelerates student growth and saves teachers time; visit edia.app to learn more.LinksThe Rising Political Importance of AI⁠https://tinyurl.com/bdzu32zkAI companies want to harvest improv actors’ skills to train AI on human emotion https://tinyurl.com/4pak7vttCUNY Invests $3M to Support 113 Campus AI Projectshttps://tinyurl.com/3r3ssc8xReal-Time Data Shows Exactly How Students Use AI on School Technologyhttps://tinyurl.com/45ruyjndFerndale schools implement new AI reading toolhttps://tinyurl.com/y4xe5yd5Student AI Prompt-A-Thonhttps://tinyurl.com/37ewcc2kAI for Social Impact: From Models to Meaningful Action for Large Cyber-Physical Systemshttps://tinyurl.com/3dhyk94a

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Best Response to AI is a Library Card, Liz explores the critical intersection of basic literacy and artificial intelligence. The episode argues that the current rush to teach AI skills assumes a level of critical thinking and reading comprehension that many users have not yet mastered.Key Takeaways:AI literacy frameworks often mistakenly assume users can already read critically, assess evidence, and distinguish between persuasive arguments and factual truths.Reading long form literature is essential for building cognitive muscles for sustained attention, which AI-generated text often fails to replicate.The Slow AI Public Library project uses a diagnostic quiz to recommend specific books designed to rebuild the empathy, judgment, and patience that constant prompting can erode.Article:The Best Response to Ai is a Library Cardhttps://tinyurl.com/5h7x6e6kLiz’s Two Cents: We are currently rushing to teach people how to use AI before ensuring they possess the fundamental literacy skills required to vet its output. For schools, the high level strategic implication is clear: the most effective "AI proofing" for students isn't more technology, but a doubling down on deep, difficult reading that forces encounters with perspectives that do not simply adapt to user preferences.Sponsored by: Eduaide.aiEduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Teenage Boys and the AI Wingman, Liz explores how popular and athletic teenage boys are increasingly using ChatGPT to navigate dating and social anxieties. The episode highlights a shift where young men turn to AI for emotional support and social validation rather than their peer groups.Key Takeaways:Teenage boys are utilizing AI to vet text messages and seek feedback on their physical appearance to avoid the fear of social judgment.The agreeable nature of AI creates a risk-free environment that lacks the necessary friction and accountability found in human social interactions.Young people are bypassing human mentors to ask AI sensitive questions about consent and social behavior because it offers a judgment-free space.Liz’s Two Cents: The move toward using AI as a social wingman indicates that the fear of social stigma is currently more daunting to young men than the prospect of receiving hollow or biased advice from a chatbot. For school leaders, this highlights a growing gap in traditional mentorship and the need for schools to address how AI might be reinforcing negative patterns during formative years without the nuance of human guidance.Article:Teen boys are using ChatGPT as their wingman. What could go wrong?https://tinyurl.com/2hkcvkwhSponsored by: Eduaide.aiEduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU, Is AI Saving Time or Adding Tasks at School and at Work?, Matt and Liz explore the polarizing reality of AI productivity. After a celestial jingle for Liz’s book and news of Meta’s post-mortem patent, the hosts discuss educators moving beyond chatbots to "vibe code" custom school solutions for operational hurdles.The RundownAccidental emails show educators using Replit and vibe coding to build sub coverage apps and data dashboards.A simple custom instruction fix to prevent ChatGPT from baiting users with follow-up questions at the end of every response.Anna Mills shares UC Irvine strategies for students to challenge AI bias and treat bots as sparring partners.A look at ChatGPT’s new ability to generate interactive math and physics simulations, like adjustable Pythagorean theorem models.This "AI for Education" tool helps students reflect on whether they are using AI strategically or simply offloading their thinking.Matt’s commentary explains how these three roles help students and teachers navigate AI ethics.The latest updates from Google’s research tool, including cinematic video overviews and native support for ePub files.News of a metadata leak in the higher ed version of ChatGPT that exposed research repository names.Why hundreds of University of Colorado faculty and students are pushing back against a 2 million dollar OpenAI contract.The story of Grammarly’s Expert Review feature and why it was pulled after using journalist personas without consent.USAII’s Global Hackathon and the Quad City Herald show students solving real-world business problems with AI.Beneath the SurfaceMatt and Liz discuss AI’s recursive risks, citing Amazon’s AI-driven outages and employee workload spikes. Dan Meyer joins to debunk AI time-saving myths for teachers, concluding that while AI accelerates expectations, interpersonal teaching remains automation-proof.Bright BytePaul Cunningham used ChatGPT and AlphaFold to create a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine for his dog, Rosie. Despite lacking a medical background, his experimental treatment successfully shrunk her tumors, proving AI’s power when driven by personal motivation.AnnouncementsLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwOur six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro.EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠LinksMeta Patent: Posthumous AI Postinghttps://tinyurl.com/34ja5ddeStop ChatGPT Follow-Up Baithttps://tinyurl.com/ytmrwtv9ChatGPT Interactive Math Visualshttps://tinyurl.com/55ztmer2GenAI Self-Reflection Checklisthttps://tinyurl.com/mtcuuxkzNotebookLM Video Overviewshttps://tinyurl.com/4kutwdtuNotebookLM more useful for students and book lovershttps://tinyurl.com/v5cnv2r8ChatGPT Edu Leaks Project Metadatahttps://tinyurl.com/mr2h42t3CU Community Fights AI Rollouthttps://tinyurl.com/2f6hmd8uGrammarly AI "Expert" Backfirehttps://tinyurl.com/4fn93kw3USAII 2026 Global AI Hackathon Openshttps://tinyurl.com/bdzbzkd9AI Youth Corps to Aid Local Bizhttps://tinyurl.com/rrsc4netAI Use Wreaks Havoc on Amazon Core Businesshttps://tinyurl.com/yr99nyxkStudy: AI Increases Amazon Workloadhttps://tinyurl.com/3393cz3aDoubt: AI Saving Teachers Timehttps://tinyurl.com/37vu2jw9Tech Boss’s AI Dog Cancer Vaccinehttps://tinyurl.com/3vrprpva

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Anthropic Reshapes College Coding Courses, Matt explores the accelerating race between tech giants to embed proprietary AI models into higher education curricula. The episode highlights a major partnership between Anthropic and the nonprofit CodePath, which aims to provide students at over 1,000 institutions with the same sophisticated tools used by industry professionals.Key Takeaways:Anthropic is targeting community colleges, historically black colleges, and Hispanic serving institutions to ensure first generation students are not left behind as technology evolves.Tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft are competing for early exposure, offering free subscriptions and funding to establish their specific platforms as the workforce standard.Employer expectations are forcing universities to update courses multiple times a year, shifting the focus from simple certificates to portfolios that prove real world AI competency.Matt’s Two Cents: This is a high stakes battle for future consumer loyalty. While these partnerships provide universities with best in class software they couldn't otherwise afford, they also risk "locking in" students to specific proprietary ecosystems. University leaders need to develop clear internal rubrics to evaluate these corporate deals, balancing the immediate need for speed and resources against long term platform independence.Article Link:https://tinyurl.com/3uamvtvmSponsored by: Eduaide.aiEduaide.ai: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this ChatEDU Check-In - Peer Influence and AI Adoption, Matt explores how social capital and colleague-to-colleague sharing drive generative AI integration more effectively than top-down mandates. The episode highlights that because AI requires users to redesign their own unique workflows, traditional formal training often fails to capture the practical, real-time adjustments needed for true mastery.Key Takeaways:A new assessment from ETS, Futurenav Adapt AI, has been launched to create a standard for evaluating how educators recognize, navigate, and ethically implement generative technology.Despite nearly all districts utilizing some AI tools, a significant training vacuum exists, leaving the majority of teachers to teach themselves basic terminology and prompt engineering on their own.Relying on the individual initiative of motivated teachers to vet AI tools creates operational and legal risks, especially since only two states currently require districts to have a formal AI policy.Matt’s Two Cents: While standardized assessments could provide helpful data for custom professional development, we must avoid the "one size fits all" trap. A teacher’s required AI skill set varies wildly by discipline and grade level, and ultimately, these skills must map directly to district priorities. Whether the goal is improving seventh-grade writing or achieving broad AI literacy for a portrait of a graduate, teacher training must be targeted rather than generalized to be truly effective.Article Link:https://hbr.org/2026/03/peer-influence-can-make-or-break-your-ai-rolloutSponsored by: Eduaide.AiEduaide is an amazing tool built by teachers for teachers where good ideas become great lessons. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU, From Student to CEO: Building the Campus AI Ecosystem, Matt and Liz explore the intersection of AI, hospitality, and higher education. They begin with the story of "Patty," a Burger King AI assistant that monitors employee headsets to ensure they use polite language. The discussion then shifts to the logistical challenges of managing AI "memories" and the profound impact of AI literacy in schools today.The RundownA revisit of the framework featuring six human-centric roles. The hosts invite listeners to participate in a survey to provide feedback on these roles.An update on the ISTE and ASCD global challenge and free lessons that empower students to use AI for solving real-world problems.A meta-prompt to export your ChatGPT data and context so you can move your personal preferences and history to Claude.Jerry Crisci shares a tip for using Google Search AI to automatically generate study guides in Canvas mode.A report covering a Google Gemini wrongful death suit while highlighting AI voice immersion risks and the need for better guardrails.Nearly 80% of high school teachers now provide lessons on using AI-based tools responsibly.Beneath the SurfaceMatt interviews Kavitta Ghai, the co-founder and CEO of Nectir. Kavitta explains how her experience as a neurodivergent student led her to solve "time poverty" on campus. Nectar has since scaled to 116 community colleges, serving 2.1 million students. The platform provides grounded, 24/7 support for academics, financial aid, and career coaching by integrating directly into the Learning Management System.The Bright ByteThis week's Bright Byte features ten startups leveraging AI for social impact. Notable examples include Rainforest Connection, which uses bioacoustic monitoring to stop illegal logging, and the Okwafo Foundation, which provides offline AI tools to help West African farmers identify crop diseases.AnnouncementsLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwOur six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at www.skills21.org/ai/micro.EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠LinksProfile of an AI-Ready Graduate Survey⁠https://tinyurl.com/5fjbhuh8The Work is the Workshophttps://tinyurl.com/24fdxh79Nectir AI: nectir.aiBurger King AI monitors employee mannershttps://tinyurl.com/mr2548t7Profile of an AI-Ready Graduatehttps://tinyurl.com/yx5wuk5dAI Innovator Studiohttps://tinyurl.com/mta8k5zfSwitch to Claude without starting overhttps://tinyurl.com/bdfw2vvvAnthropic Academy Courseshttps://tinyurl.com/4bnxmb5eGoogle Sued for Wrongful Death Over Gemini AI Chatbot https://tinyurl.com/bdducfnwAre AI Literacy Lessons Now the Norm?https://tinyurl.com/bdezk57t10 startups using AI for social and environmental impacthttps://tinyurl.com/3e63453tJerry Crisci: Google AI Study Plans Now in Canvashttps://tinyurl.com/ts3663c4

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Google's AI Training Investment, Liz explores a massive three-year partnership between Google, ISTE, and ASCD to provide AI training to six million educators across the United States. This initiative represents one of the largest private educational investments in decades, specifically targeting hands-on experience with tools like Gemini and NotebookLM.Key Takeaways:Google is partnering with ISTE and ASCD to provide AI professional development to all K to 12 and higher education faculty in the U.S.This large-scale private initiative fills a void left by the closure of the federal Office of Educational Technology and a lack of national guidance.Critics suggest these programs may serve as customer acquisition campaigns that prioritize specific vendor tools over objective, evidence-based pedagogy.Liz’s Two Cents: While the involvement of a single vendor raises some questions about commercial influence, the practical reality is that schools need immediate support! Not to mention that so many schools already have Google’s FERPA compliant AI tools at little or no cost. With federal resources stalled, this partnership provides an essential bridge to digital literacy, ensuring that teachers are not left to navigate the complexities of AI integration without a foundational roadmap.Link to article:https://www.the74million.org/article/exclusive-new-google-partnership-a-sizable-investment-in-ai-for-teachers/Sponsored by: Eduaide.ai | AI Created for Teachers. Where Good Ideas Become Great Lessons. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off at eduaid.ai (Code: CHATEDU).

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The AI College Counselor, Liz explores how families are increasingly turning to chatbots to navigate the complex and overwhelmed college admissions landscape. This shift highlights a growing reliance on digital tools to fill the gap left by high student to counselor ratios in public schools.Key Takeaways:AI provides 24:7 virtual support for routine tasks like researching tuition and identifying reach schools, offering a sense of control in a system where human guidance is often limited.The convenience of these tools is undermined by the risk of hallucinations, where chatbots fabricate scholarship details or provide overly optimistic assessments of admission chances.While effective for technical data organization and brainstorming, technology cannot replace the introspection and human self-awareness required to determine a true institutional fit.Liz’s Two Cents: The shift toward AI counseling highlights a desperate need for equity in a system where human guidance is often a luxury. However, we must be wary of algorithmic reassurance replacing the hard, necessary work of student self-discovery.Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Built by teachers, for teachers, Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai.

In this 100th episode milestone of ChatEDU, Major Shift - Durable College Majors in 2026, Matt and Liz dive into a rapidly shifting landscape where AI drives government policy, corporate restructuring, and student behavior. The hosts also discuss a surreal exit interview between Anthropic and its retiring Opus 3 model.The RundownAnthropic vs. DoD: Anthropic is labeled a national security risk after refusing unrestricted military use, while OpenAI moves in to secure classified government contracts.Block’s AI Layoffs: Jack Dorsey cuts 4,000 jobs at Block, citing AI as the primary tool allowing for smaller, flatter, and more efficient teams.The Einstein Agent: A controversial tool that autonomously logs into Canvas to watch lectures and submit work, sparking a major crisis in academic integrity.Edia’s Creative Funding: An AI attendance platform in Albany County is being funded by revenue from school bus safety camera fines.The Rhithm Project: A new strategy to reach 10 million people to combat relational displacement and keep human connection at the center of youth development.Pew Teen Study: New data shows 54% of teens use AI for school, with 59% reporting that AI cheating is now a regular occurrence in their schools.Beneath the Surface: The Major ShiftThe hosts analyze a Federal Reserve Bank of New York study on the 2026 labor market. While engineering remains a top earner, Computer Science is seeing a hiring hangover, and high touch fields like Nursing and Special Education show the most stability.The Bright ByteInsights from the Stanford Education AI Summit highlight how AI is bridging the digital divide through ASL translation and scalable tutoring for low connectivity environments.AnnouncementsCome join us! AI in Education: Spring 2026 Conference. https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conferenceFollow us on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/@ChatEDUEdAdvanceLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwEdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠LinksModel deprecation commitments for Claude Opus 3https://tinyurl.com/3d4wnuf8The whole thing was a scamhttps://tinyurl.com/yrt7wemjWhat Jack Dorsey’s Block Layoffs Mean for the Job Market at Largehttps://tinyurl.com/327mmdw7AI reshaping JPMorgan Chase’s workforce as bank plans ‘huge redeployment’https://tinyurl.com/7dwf95h5Agentic AI Can Complete Whole Courses for Students. Now What?https://tinyurl.com/5cjsp662Edia Implementation and Reimbursement Planhttps://tinyurl.com/526nfjskBuilding Toward a Tipping Pointhttps://tinyurl.com/3bspztnyHow Teens Use and View AIhttps://tinyurl.com/2s429bdmCollege majors that have the highest earning potential and lowest unemployment rateshttps://tinyurl.com/yetn8wcnRevenge of the English majorshttps://tinyurl.com/58kvvjwr2026 Stanford AI+Education Summithttps://tinyurl.com/yehj7enwFluttering Creationshttps://www.flutteringcreations.com/

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Measuring the AI Skill Gap in the Classroom (For Teachers), Matt explores the launch of the Futurenav Adapt AI assessment by ETS and the current state of teacher AI competency. The episode highlights the tension between the widespread, self-taught use of AI tools by educators and the lack of formal institutional guidance or standardized skill metrics. It examines how schools are navigating the shift from individual teacher initiative to necessary district-wide oversight and legal safety.Key Takeaways:A new assessment from ETS, Futurenav Adapt AI, has been launched to create a standard for evaluating how educators recognize, navigate, and ethically implement generative technology.Despite nearly all districts utilizing some AI tools, a significant training vacuum exists, leaving the majority of teachers to teach themselves basic terminology and prompt engineering on their own.Relying on the individual initiative of motivated teachers to vet AI tools creates operational and legal risks, especially since only two states currently require districts to have a formal AI policy.Matt’s Two Cents: While standardized assessments could provide helpful data for custom professional development, we must avoid the "one size fits all" trap. A teacher’s required AI skill set varies wildly by discipline and grade level, and ultimately, these skills must map directly to district priorities. Whether the goal is improving seventh-grade writing or achieving broad AI literacy for a portrait of a graduate, teacher training must be targeted rather than generalized to be truly effective.Sponsored by: Eduaide.AiEduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai/.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: What AI Power Users Actually Do!, Matt explores Anthropic’s New AI Index and what sets top AI users apart from the rest. The episode examines how users interact with generative models, specifically highlighting the difference between simple iteration and true strategic steering. It underscores the growing need for critical discernment as AI outputs become more visually polished.Key Takeaways:Most users now treat AI as a work in progress by iterating on responses, yet only thirty percent actually steer the AI by questioning its logic or pushing back on assumptions.Polished outputs, such as formatted documents or apps, create a discernment gap where users are less likely to identify missing content or verify facts.High level AI fluency requires mastery of description, delegation, and discernment, with the ability to evaluate and question the machine being the most critical and rarest skill.Matt’s Two Cents: Kudos to Anthropic as they keep cranking out these great research pieces based on the mountains of chat (and now vibe coding) data they have to analyze. Matt also shares his favorite Gemini Gem right now which is a student AI Chat Autopsy simulator designed to get at some similar takeaways. ⁠https://gemini.google.com/gem/1ju4IL2_8WWnkKfZGPGeFsWSLDhc7vhut?usp=sharing⁠ Sponsored by: ⁠Eduaide.Ai⁠ Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU, Beyond the Tech Ban: Shielding Focus and Fluency, Matt and Liz weather a New England “snowpocalypse” to tackle a provocative question– Is edtech making Gen Z less cognitively capable than their parents? They begin with a playful (if “unscientific”) recap of the NPR David Green vs. Google NotebookLM lawsuit experiment before diving into the cognitive decline debate.The RundownGemini Music: Google’s new Lyria integration for high-quality audio and lyric generation.NotebookLM Update: The highly requested ability to edit and annotate AI-generated slide decks.Corporate Mandates & Monitoring: Amazon tracks AI adoption through its “Clarity” system; Accenture requires AI adoption for summer promotions; and Block mandates weekly “AI achievement” emails, reportedly causing some AI burnout.IBM’s Strategy: A tripling of entry-level hiring with a focus on human-centric soft skills.CS Enrollment Shifts: Students are moving away from traditional Computer Science toward AI-specific majors at MIT and UCSD.Cybersecurity Crisis: Sophisticated AI-powered phishing in schools amidst declining federal support.Alpha School Expose: 404 Media’s investigation into surveillance, scraping, and high hallucination rates.Magic School’s AI OS integrating SIS data; Liz’s finding of 10% AI grading swings; and a push to frame agents like Raina as tools, not “BFFs.”Beneath the SurfaceThe hosts critique expanding screen time bans and propose a “Quality Screen Time Index,” using SAMR to distinguish basic substitution from transformative AI use.Bright ByteMatt and Liz wrap up with a breakthrough from OpenAI’s latest reasoning model, which solved a decades-old gluon physics problem, proving the formula wasn’t zero and generating a 12-hour proof later confirmed by scientists.AnnouncementsCelebrate our 100th episode:⁠ ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠⁠Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwEdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠LinksNPR Host Sues Google Over NotebookLM Voicehttps://tinyurl.com/muzvhcb6Gemini Can Now Create Musichttps://tinyurl.com/ytaj2jhsGoogle Fixes NotebookLM’s Most Annoying Slide Deck Flawhttps://tinyurl.com/42vxnz43Amazon Tracks AI Use; Accenture Ties Promotion to AIhttps://tinyurl.com/yc4dmey6Dorsey’s New Company Falters Amid AI Mandatehttps://tinyurl.com/mw579fajIBM to Hire Entry-Level Talent in the AI Erahttps://tinyurl.com/3xz84yd9The Computer Science Exodushttps://tinyurl.com/4rune56nWhy AI Threatens School Cybersecurityhttps://tinyurl.com/3t74zn5hStocks Slide After Launch of Claude Security Toolhttps://tinyurl.com/hpzpzwt3Inside an AI-Powered Private Schoolhttps://tinyurl.com/34rzhs49MagicSchoolMagicSchool.aiStudent Companionship and Responsible AI in Schoolshttps://tinyurl.com/4j74d6rbDepartment of Labor's Artificial Intelligence Literacy Frameworkhttps://tinyurl.com/3d6zt7wvIQ scores fall worldwidehttps://tinyurl.com/dbsetjbnIs Screen Time Hurting Literacy?https://tinyurl.com/msvbr3uf‘AI Bill of Rights’ reaches Florida’s K-12 schoolshttps://tinyurl.com/4zdwtha2Digital Learning & AI Literacy Evaluationhttps://www.edadvance.org/aiAI Solves a "Zero" Mystery in Physicshttps://tinyurl.com/5a9t7wd9

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Make Them Read!, Liz explores the systemic decline of long-form reading in classrooms and the rise of the "excerpt culture." This episode examines how the shift toward clips and samples over the last fifteen years has eroded student attention spans and basic reading skills.Key Takeaways:The transition from full-length novels to abbreviated samples reflects a broader cultural shift that prioritizes the "reel" and the "clip" over deep literary engagement.Requiring students to commit to long-form texts acts as a strategic resistance to the monetization of attention, allowing them to reclaim their focus from digital distractions.Authentic comprehension and original voice are best developed through "flash essays" and unassisted, timed tasks that remove AI bumpers and force students to confront intellectual uncertainty.Liz’s Two Cents: There is a profound tension between "meeting students where they are" and the pedagogical necessity of waiting for them to catch up to the heights of great literature. If educators treat declining attention spans as a terminal condition rather than a challenge to be met with more rigorous engagement, they risk making the "end of reading" a self-fulfilling prophecy.Article Link:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/youth-reading-books-professors/685825/?taid=69814c1dbe49b700014af753&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitterSponsored by: Eduaide Eduaide.ai where good ideas become great lessons. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off at eduaide.ai.