ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

• Beyond the Vision: Building a Policy Infrastructure to Meet the AI Moment | Ep. 88

  In this episode of ChatEDU (Beyond the Vision: Building a Policy Infrastructure to Meet the AI Moment), Matt and Jonathan demo ChatGPT’s new voice mode, dig into AI labor-market news, tackle school chatbot safety, outline a four-point AI policy plan, and share a geothermal bright byte.Story #1: The Iceberg Index and the Clickbait ProblemA new MIT study maps AI’s impact across 151M workers and 32K skills, but headlines distort the findings. Matt and Jonathan unpack what the research really shows, why the hype misleads, and what Microsoft’s agentic AI struggles and Google’s hard-drive wipe say about how far autonomous agents still have to go.Story #2: Will My Job Survive AI? I Asked Gemini and ChatGPTMatt uploads his job context to ChatGPT and Gemini to see how each predicts his future. ChatGPT delivers sharp, personalized coaching, while Gemini stays vague under stricter privacy rules. Jonathan argues that “evolving, weird” jobs may actually be the safest and that both tools can drive real insight when used strategically.Story #3: AI Chatbots in Schools: A Practical Guide to Safety, Liability, and Mandated ReportingA new EDSAFE AI Alliance guide asks whether school chatbots should act as mandated reporters. As tools like Character.ai and MagicSchool spur more student disclosures, the guide lays out a four-part framework to flag, notify, assess, and act. Matt and Jonathan break it down and argue that child-protection protocols must extend into virtual spaces.Beneath the Surface: Jonathan’s Four Policy Shifts to Meet the MomentJonathan highlights four policy shifts for Connecticut:1. A Shared Vision of the Graduate: Replace 169 local skill frameworks with one statewide model.2. Lean Out the Curriculum: Use AI to refocus on power standards and durable skills.3. Accountability Beyond the Basics: Measure the competencies that matter in an AI-driven world, not just literacy and math.4. Policy Alignment with Practice: Bring state and local policies in reporting, AI-use rubrics, and more into sync with these instructional shifts.Matt says this may be the most consequential chapter of Jonathan’s career and possibly for education as a whole.Bright Byte: AI Uncovers Hidden Geothermal EnergyZanskar Geothermal used AI modeling to uncover a viable energy system in western Nevada, a site long thought tapped out. It’s the first breakthrough in 30 years and a clear reminder of AI’s power to tackle tough environmental challenges when used well.Links and ReferencesChatGPT’s voice mode no longer separate interfacehttps://tinyurl.com/4m3dtmcu‘6-7’ viral phrase may have a meaninghttps://tinyurl.com/4m3dtmcuMeasuring Skills-Centered Exposure in AI Economyhttps://tinyurl.com/2w8p6es7AI Agents Disasterhttps://tinyurl.com/2s3u3tb5Google’s AI Deletes User’s Hard Drivehttps://tinyurl.com/3n284ehtAI on Jobs in Five Yearshttps://tinyurl.com/42vtyvusAI Chatbots in Schoolshttps://tinyurl.com/yvntwfr6Professors using AI in course designhttps://tinyurl.com/yevrmbetDropout Hired at OpenAI After Learning PhD-Level AI with ChatGPThttps://tinyurl.com/ym7tt62tPoll: Americans Doubt Degree Valuehttps://tinyurl.com/3cvccufrNewCollege Major: A.I.https://tinyurl.com/35d32zhuGeothermal company makes big discovery using AIhttps://tinyurl.com/3fenuej7AnnouncementsThe Winter Micro-Credential cohort launches this January. Join educators from around the world for a six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics.EdAdvance is now offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district.Interested in Skills21’s free social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance SponsorThis episode is brought to you by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, helping educators and students build workforce-ready skills through innovation. Learn more at nextgenmfg.org.

  --------  

  1:04:13

  --------

  1:04:13
• Vibe Coding from New Zealand | Ep. 87

  In this episode of ChatEDU (Vibe Coding from New Zealand) while Liz continues her adventure, Matt is joined by Yaron Overeem, a school principal from New Zealand and ChatEDU listener. He shares his experience with AI literacy, cultural preservation, and the rise of vibe coding. But first, a recent Futurism article details how an AI-powered teddy bear was pulled from shelves after giving dangerous instructions to kids. Matt and Yaron reflect on the risks of generative AI, especially when it comes to younger users.Story #1: AI in Career PathwaysNew CTE pilots in the U.S. are preparing high schoolers for AI-infused careers in agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing. Matt highlights a story out of South Carolina and asks how schools can support students in learning to build AI. Yaron shares how his students are beginning to explore how AI connects to broader industries and why it’s critical to go beyond job titles and explore industry ecosystems.Story #2: AI and Academic IntegrityAfter analyzing 85 episodes of ChatEDU transcripts in NotebookLM, Matt reveals that AI cheating and academic integrity rank among the top three most frequently discussed topics on the show, alongside bias and AI literacy. Yaron shares his own reflections from the faculty lounge and the classroom, including what happens when students and teachers start using AI to write communications. His solution: pick up the phone and talk.Story #3: Māori Language, Bias, and Data SovereigntyAs AI tools become widespread in education, cultural representation and linguistic accuracy are under scrutiny. Yaron unpacks a growing national conversation about how tools like ChatGPT and Gemini often misrepresent Māori culture and language, including his own example of an AI-generated image of Tangaroa that looked suspiciously like Jason Momoa. Teachers are concerned about misinterpretations, omissions, and inaccuracies when using AI in bilingual classrooms. Locally developed tools like Te Hiku Media’s Māori speech recognition system are offering promising alternatives, and the government is being pushed to consider Te Tiriti o Waitangi and data sovereignty in its AI policies.Beneath the Surface: Vibe CodingInspired by a past episode, Yaron began using Gemini AI Studio and Firebase to create custom classroom tools using only natural language prompts. From timers and reward systems to student scheduling, he has built tailored apps that meet his school’s needs without traditional coding. It’s a compelling example of what happens when educators apply creativity and curiosity to AI in practice.Bright Byte: AI Saving New Zealand’s BirdsMatt and Yaron look at how AI vision and genetic analysis are helping preserve endangered species like the flightless kākāpō. AI-enabled traps use computer vision to detect predators like rats and possums without harming native wildlife.Links & ReferencesAI-Powered Stuffed Animal Pulled From Market After Disturbing Interactions With Childrenhttps://tinyurl.com/5fn6uf8hAI Tutors in Early Reading Instructionhttps://tinyurl.com/3mdvj4zuBusinesses Want Employees With AI Skillshttps://tinyurl.com/wasm78jnMāori Culture, Language, and Data Sovereigntyhttps://tinyurl.com/3yhb7xkfImages made with AI recycle colonial stereotypes and biashttps://tinyurl.com/mvmnta5xNew Zealand is turning to AI and genetic research to save rare birdshttps://tinyurl.com/4ck3zn4eLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nnAmazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwAnnouncements & SponsorsCheck out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at ⁠[email protected]⁠The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in January - ⁠ ⁠⁠skills21.org/ai/micro⁠The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

  --------  

  1:02:35

  --------

  1:02:35
• The AI-Ready District - Inside a Superintendent’s Strategic Plan | Ep. 86

  In this episode of ChatEDU (The AI-Ready District - Inside a Superintendent’s Strategic Plan), Matt is joined by Westport, CT Superintendent Tom Scarice, stepping in while Liz is away in Costa Rica. They open with a quick hit about an AI app that creates avatars of deceased loved ones, raising questions about ethics, grief, and whether some tools should even be built. From there, Matt and Tom dig into the biggest stories of the week and then take a deep dive into Westport’s bold new plan for AI in public education.Story 1: Gemini’s Vibe CodingMatt tests Google’s new vibe coding features in Gemini 3 to build a real-time tracker for Westport’s strategic plan and an app that recognizes facial emotion. Both tools are built in under five minutes. Tom reflects on how this lowers the barrier to coding and brings creative problem solving into the hands of every student and teacher.Story 2: The Teacher Training GapA new EdWeek report finds that half of U.S. teachers have now received some AI training, but most sessions are still short and surface level. Matt and Tom compare experiences from Connecticut and beyond, highlighting the importance of embedded professional learning and why leadership modeling matters more than one-off exposure.Story 3: Google’s Personalized TextbooksGoogle’s Learn Your Way platform tailors textbook content to student interest and reading level. Matt and Tom explore whether this boosts student agency or simply repackages old formats. They discuss how AI can support personalization while still protecting instructional coherence and equity.Story 4: Smarter AI Powered Reading AssessmentsAI tools like Amira now provide real-time reading feedback using natural language processing. Tom explains why formative assessment matters and how systems that reveal student thinking can improve instruction. They also flag risks of outsourcing too much teacher judgment to automation.Beneath the Surface: A Strategic Plan for the AI EraTom walks through Westport’s 92-page strategic plan, which integrates AI across ethics, personalization, instruction, leadership, and even drama class. With sections on algorithm audits, professional learning, and operational efficiency, the plan offers a blueprint for leading through complexity. Matt and Tom break down how the plan was built, what it prioritizes, and what other districts might take away.Bright ByteGoogle DeepMind’s SynthID now embeds invisible watermarks into AI-generated images, audio, video, and text. Matt calls this a seatbelt moment for AI safety and a promising tool for combating deepfakes and supporting academic integrity.Links & ReferencesAI App Creates Avatars Of Dead Relatives Sparks Backlashhttps://tinyurl.com/mpjrm57cTeacher AI Training Has a Long Way to Gohttps://tinyurl.com/2att7m9sGoogle Reinvents The School Textbook With AIhttps://tinyurl.com/4uttcv74AI-Powered Assessmenthttps://tinyurl.com/48yyc3msMeta is about to start grading workers on their AI skillshttps://tinyurl.com/24sycbt4SynthID: A Tool to Watermark and Identify Content Generated Through AIhttps://deepmind.google/models/synthid/Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD (use code RADDAY30 for 30% off until December 5th): https://tinyurl.com/bde652nnAmazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwAnnouncements & SponsorsCheck out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at ⁠[email protected]⁠The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in January - ⁠ ⁠⁠skills21.org/ai/micro⁠The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

  --------  

  1:12:05

  --------

  1:12:05
• From ChatGPT to Chat Group GPT? | Ep. 85

  In this episode of ChatEDU (From ChatGPT to Chat Group GPT), Matt and Liz open with Kim Kardashian blaming ChatGPT for tanking her law exams and Dr. Radday publishing a Fulbright piece on AI hallucinations. From there, they run through agentic cheating, Amazon vs. Perplexity, shifting labor demands, a prompt drop, a gems hack, the new edugems.ai library, federal AI grants, AI bubble warnings, a Gamma update, and NotebookLM’s new Deep Research features. They go Beneath the Surface to look at ChatGPT sliding into 20 person group chats, and close with a Bright Byte on Google’s new Earth AI.RundownTech companies don’t care that students use AI agents to cheatAI firms and LMS platforms shrug as agentic tools automate coursework and flood professors with AI generated apologies.Amazon sends legal threats to PerplexityAmazon tells Perplexity’s Comet agent to stop bot browsing the site and bypassing ads.The Boss Has a Message: Use AI or You’re FiredSome companies now cut workers who refuse to adopt AI tools.Microsoft resumes hiring with full AI focusThe new roles all center on human AI collaboration.Remote Labor IndexReal world testing shows frontier agents can automate only a tiny slice of complex remote work.Prompt DropA step by step walkthrough prompt that quizzes understanding before advancing.Gem HackA URL tweak forces gem copies so colleagues don’t overwrite your instructions.edugems.aiA growing collection of teacher friendly gems for inspiration and customization.FIPSE Federal AI GrantsOne to four million dollar projects supporting AI integration in higher ed. Deadline tight.AI Bubble WatchJ.P. Morgan says the industry may need $650B annually to justify investment.Gamma’s growthProfitable, lean, and now valued at $2.1B. A rare AI business that actually works.NotebookLM updatesDeep Research arrives with support for Sheets, images, Drive URLs, and more.Beneath the SurfaceChatGPT group chatsUp to twenty people plus the bot in a shared thread. Use cases include study groups, capstones, and planning teams.Bright ByteGoogle Earth AIGoogle fuses satellite data, population data, and Gemini reasoning into a environmental intelligence platform used by WHO Africa and others.Links and ReferencesPrompt Drophttps://www.skills21.org/promptsGemini Gems hackhttps://tinyurl.com/2hmr2k4dCollege students “apologized” using AIhttps://tinyurl.com/muksx346Kim Kardashian blames ChatGPT for failing aw school testshttps://tinyurl.com/snnync85Companies don’t care that students use AI agents to cheathttps://tinyurl.com/5n92vpzyAmazon sends legal threats to Perplexityhttps://tinyurl.com/wenryn6tUse AI or You’re Firedhttps://tinyurl.com/mpducds4Microsoft will hire again, but with AI-first approachhttps://tinyurl.com/yrmmxkzdMeasuring AI Automation of Remote Workhttps://tinyurl.com/hjr5pxz9Applications for New Awardshttps://tinyurl.com/2pyuedtdJ.P. Morgan Bubble Concernshttps://tinyurl.com/f72was8nWe Didn't Start the Fire Bubble Parodyhttps://tinyurl.com/5fe7srb7Gamma Raises Aims to Rival PowerPointhttps://tinyurl.com/bde527edNotebookLM adds Deep Research and more source typeshttps://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-deep-research-file-types/ChatGPT group chatshttps://tinyurl.com/yvax4ajmGoogle Earth AIhttps://tinyurl.com/2x4h5wxsLearning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD (use code RADDAY30 for 30% off until December 5th): https://tinyurl.com/bde652nnAmazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwAnnouncements & SponsorsCheck out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at ⁠[email protected]⁠The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in January - ⁠ ⁠⁠skills21.org/ai/micro⁠The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

  --------  

  58:21

  --------

  58:21
• Unlocking Student Passions with PIPs and AI | Ep. 84

  In this episode of Chat EDU (Unlocking Student Passions with PIPs and AI), Maria Frederick, a library media specialist, discusses her experiences with Personal Interest Projects (PIPs) and the integration of AI in education. She shares insights on how PIPs allow students to explore their passions, develop essential skills, and engage in meaningful learning experiences. The conversation highlights the importance of reflection, the role of authentic audiences, and the impact of AI on creativity and critical thinking. Maria emphasizes the need for educators to guide students in using AI responsibly and effectively, while fostering a supportive environment for project-based learning. This interview also connects directly to the ideas in Dr. Elizabeth Radday’s newly released book, Learning They'll Love, which showcases how PIPs can drive authentic engagement and meaningful learning.TakeawaysPIPs allow students to dive deep into their passions.AI can enhance the learning experience but should be used responsibly.Reflection is crucial for solidifying learning outcomes.Authentic audiences increase student engagement and motivation.Managing projects outside the classroom requires clear communication and support.Parent involvement can significantly impact student success in PIPs.Students often surprise educators with their diverse interests.PIPs can lead to long-term skills development and interests.Starting small with PIPs can lead to greater student engagement.Learning They'll Love: Engage Students, Meet Standards, and Spark Creativity with Personal Interest Projects - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn  (use code RADDAY30 for 30% off until December 5th): ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nnAmazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwAnnouncementsCheck out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at ⁠[email protected]⁠The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - ⁠ ⁠⁠skills21.org/ai/micro⁠SponsorThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

  --------  

  1:01:54

  --------

  1:01:54

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast