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Trending in ED AI

Trending in ED AI

Written by: Palmer Media
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 Join host Mike Palmer and his virtual CoHost, Nancy, as we draw from amazing conversations with AI experts, unpack what's new and emerging in AI, and keep it all connected to its impact on learning. Join us as we aim to learn as fast as the world is changing. And that's pretty fast! Visit us at Trending in Ed - AI for more!Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Andrew Sliwinski on LEGO's AI and CS Product Experience

    Andrew Sliwinski on LEGO's AI and CS Product Experience
    Feb 14 2026
    In this episode of ⁠Trending in Ed AI, Mike Palmer welcomes Andrew Sliwinski, Global Head of Product Experience for ⁠LEGO Education⁠, on the day of a major product launch. Together, they explore the intersection of physical play and artificial intelligence, revealing how LEGO is redefining AI literacy for the next generation. Andrew shares his winding career path from tutoring in Detroit to directing Scratch at MIT and serving on the board of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The conversation dives into ⁠LEGO Education’s new Computer Science and AI curriculum⁠, a hands-on, privacy-first platform designed for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. 🧱 They discuss moving beyond screen-based learning to collaborative, physical experiences—like building a dancing robot owl to understand machine learning. Andrew explains why we should stop teaching kids to just tread water with AI tools and start helping them understand the "black box" through first principles like data, probability, and bias. 🤖 Whether you are an educator or a parent, this episode offers a unique look at how "learning through play" prepares children to be the architects of the future. 🎓 Time Stamps: 0:00 - Introduction: A Big Day for LEGO Education 1:15 - Andrew’s Journey: From Detroit Classrooms to MIT Scratch 2:55 - The Legacy of Mindstorms and the Genesis of AI at LEGO 4:45 - Launching the New K-8 Computer Science & AI Curriculum 6:10 - Learning Through Play: Only the Best is Good Enough 9:15 - Shifting AI Literacy from "Use" to "Understanding" 11:40 - Collaboration vs. "Maze Solvers": The Power of Hands-On Teams 14:30 - Children as Role Models: Learning from the Next Generation 17:30 - Vocational vs. Defensive Perspectives on AI Education 22:15 - Passing the "Substitute Teacher Test" 24:00 - Dancing Owls & Machine Learning: Cool Things You Can Build 25:50 - Screen-Free Tech: Starting AI Concepts in Kindergarten 29:20 - Solving the Privacy Puzzle: Local Data & No Accounts 36:30 - Durable Skills: Data, Statistics, and Probability 39:30 - Closing Thoughts: Handing Kids a Screwdriver for the Black Box Stay ahead of the curve in education! ⁠Subscribe⁠ wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode of Trending in Ed AI. 🔔
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    41 mins
  • Teaching with AI in Higher Ed with Dr. C. Edward Wilson

    Teaching with AI in Higher Ed with Dr. C. Edward Wilson
    Feb 14 2026
    In this episode, host Mike Palmer welcomes back Dr. Eddie Watson to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in higher education. Following the release of the second edition of his book, ⁠Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning⁠, Eddie shares insights from working with nearly 200 campus teams on transitioning from AI-resistant assignments to AI-integrated pedagogy. ⁠Here's the link to Eddie's first appearance⁠. Key Takeaways: Beyond Academic Integrity: While cheating remains a concern, the conversation is shifting toward AI literacy as an essential learning outcome to prepare students for an AI-integrated workforce. The "Calculus" of Cheating: In high-stakes environments, students often feel a competitive disadvantage if they don't use AI. Pedagogical Transparency: If faculty ban AI for specific assignments, they must explain the "why" (e.g., building foundational skills) to encourage student compliance Backward Design: Eddie advocates for starting with the desired learning outcome and engineering assignments and instruction from there. Learning to Write vs. Writing to Learn: AI’s role should differ based on whether the goal is mastering writing mechanics or using writing to process course content. Durable Skills: While technical skills like prompt engineering may change quickly, mindsets like metacognition and critical thinking remain essential. "Ground Truth" Bots: Using tools like NotebookLM or Small Language Models (SLMs) allows students to interrogate specific, vetted data sets like OER textbooks. Efficiency vs Engagement: The episode concludes with a look at the "Efficiency vs. Engagement" binary. While institutions may use AI to automate grading and increase class sizes, the real opportunity lies in reinvesting saved time into "signature pedagogies"—mentoring and fostering a sense of student belonging, which are the greatest predictors of student success. Quotes: "The one who does the work is the one who does the learning. How do we make sure our students are doing the work, because that's where the learning occurs?" — Eddie Watson Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome Back 00:55 - The Innovation Cycle: Second Edition of "Teaching with AI" 01:41 - Eddie Watson’s Background & Role at AAC&U 03:32 - The Shift: From Academic Integrity to the World of Work 05:10 - Complexity of Academic Integrity & Student Pressures 07:42 - Evolving Assessment Strategies & Motivation to Cheat 10:55 - Backward Design: Aligning AI with Learning Outcomes 12:54 - Writing to Learn vs. Learning to Write 14:43 - Agentic AI & Modernizing Assessments 18:50 - Creating "AI-Resistant" vs. AI-Transparent Assignments 24:43 - Developing a Meta AI Literacy Model 28:00 - Durable Skills: Metacognition & Managing AI 33:50 - Custom Chatbots, SLMs, and Ground Truths 46:40 - The Future: Efficiency vs. Engagement 49:00 - The Human Element: Mentorship & Student Belonging 51:00 - Closing Remarks ⁠Subscribe to Trending in Ed⁠ wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an insight-filled conversation like this one.
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    53 mins
  • AI-Powered Learning in the Flow of Work | Michael Ioffe CEO of Arist

    AI-Powered Learning in the Flow of Work | Michael Ioffe CEO of Arist
    Oct 7 2025
    Michael Ioffe is the CoFounder and CEO of Arist, an AI=powered enterprise learning platform that delivers just-in-time instructional content via SMS. We hear Michael's back story, dropping out of Babson College to pursue a Thiel Fellowship allowing him to become a serial entrepreneur who was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 list. We also hear what led Michael to start Arist with a focus on frictionless learning in the flow of work, delivering innovative learning interventions for Fortune 500 companies. Michael shares his belief in the importance of agency as perhaps the most critical super skill to impart to learners as we prepare for an AI-powered future of work. Hear how a sharp, innovative entrepreneur is launching an AI-powered learning platform designed to work with a rapidly changing world of work. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation like this one.
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    34 mins
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