Podcast
ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast
Hosted by Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday · EN
Welcome to ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast , your go-to podcast for insightful discussions on the intersection of AI and education! Hosted by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, and Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research & Innovation, this podcast explores the dynamic landscape of education technology.
68episodes
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Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here | Ep. 118
4d ago00:59:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here, Matt and Liz open with the perils of being an author, including AI-generated knockoffs flooding Apple Books and Amazon with hallucinated covers and nonsensical content.The RundownGoogle added short-form vertical AI video to NotebookLM, and Gemini launched study notebooks, which generate a diagnostic quiz from uploaded materials and build adaptive lessons around the results.As AI automates routine tasks, an op-ed in The 74 argues employers increasingly value durable skills like collaboration and real-time problem solving, and that theater, debate, sports, and student government are where students actually build them.Lawmakers in 27 states have introduced bills this session covering classroom AI guidelines, guardrails, and AI literacy standards.The rapid expansion of AI data centers is placing massive strain on energy grids, with some districts forced to dim school lights to manage skyrocketing utility costs during summer heat waves.The episode examines the environmental costs of AI, noting that many data centers must rely on backup gas turbines during peak grid demand, which contributes to local air quality issues.The Beneath the SurfaceThe hosts compare two contrasting perspectives on the future of education. They analyze a Reddit-based study revealing an adversarial ecosystem of mutual distrust regarding academic integrity and student anxiety, and contrast this with the inspirational student-led innovation Liz witnessed firsthand at the ISTE conference in Orlando.The Bright ByteThe episode concludes by highlighting the Elephant Alert AI early detection system, which uses artificial intelligence to help local villages and forest departments prevent fatal human-wildlife encounters in India.Say hi to Matt on the road: NAESP - July 14thhttps://www.naesp.org/events/AESA - July 15thhttps://www.aesa.us/summer-leadership-conference/New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14thhttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceSay hi to Liz on the Road:Bridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge - July 21-22https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQGlobal Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchangeshttps://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHg AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshift SponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksAI-generated knockoffs of Joanna Stern's book keep appearing on Apple Bookshttps://tinyurl.com/45ehzuy3Google NotebookLM expands AI video features with 60-second shortshttps://tinyurl.com/3bjtbtkeIn the Age of AI, Everyone Should Be Hiring Theater Kidshttps://tinyurl.com/yc4uht2wLegislative Tracker: 2026 State AI in Education Billshttps://tinyurl.com/3xx4d89jThe AI boom is colliding with a new threat: Severe weatherhttps://tinyurl.com/59jdbas7They Welcomed 37 Data Centers to Town. Now Their Schools Have to Dim the Lights to Cut Energy Costshttps://tinyurl.com/2u4z8xtzEnergy Dept. Orders Data Centers to Tap Backup Powerhttps://tinyurl.com/5xm8wkteChatGPT vs Teachers vs Students: Large-Scale Analysis of Generative AI Discoursehttps://tinyurl.com/5ez949cuElephant alert! AI warning systems aim to avoid deadly clasheshttps://tinyurl.com/3n3xe7x3
Transcribe →How Queer Youth Navigate AI | Check-In 42
5d ago00:03:54Tap to summarize“In this ChatEDU Check-In: How queer youth navigate AI, Liz explores how LGBTQ+ young people interact with artificial intelligence tools, focusing on their ethical stances and unique use cases." This episode highlights a recent study examining the contrast between queer youth and their peers regarding AI avoidance, privacy, and support structures.Key Takeaways:LGBTQ+ youth are significantly more likely to be conscious abstainers, with 34% avoiding AI due to ethical and environmental concerns compared to just 13.5% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers.When queer youth do use AI, they are more likely to hide their usage from others, a behavior that correlates with higher reported levels of anxiety and isolation.AI tools often serve as a secondary support system for processing difficult circumstances, acting as a temporary substitute when human networks or healthcare resources feel unsafe or unavailable.Liz’s Two Cents: The reliance of queer youth on AI for guidance and support is not a testament to the strength of the technology, but rather an exposure of systemic weaknesses in our traditional human networks. For school districts, this highlights a critical need to create safer, more accessible real-world environments and healthcare resources so students do not have to turn to biased automated systems as a fallback for human connection.Article:“It’s there when people aren’t” What LGBTQ+ young people are finding in AI, and where they draw the linehttps://bit.ly/4wlL3e6
Transcribe →An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom | Check-In 41
1w ago00:03:36Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom, Liz explores a professor's decision to award perfect scores and cancel a final assignment after discovering widespread AI use. The episode highlights the growing tension between authentic student learning and AI detection in education.Key Takeaways:A professor gave all students full credit to avoid becoming a punitive detective focused on surveillance rather than teaching.Outsourcing academic writing to AI deprives students of essential long-term communication, reasoning, and advocacy skills.The unearned perfect scores were intended as a severe warning about future professional and personal consequences rather than a reward.Liz’s Two Cents: When grading becomes an adversarial game of AI detection, the core purpose of teaching degrades. If education is treated as a purely transactional exercise where students use shortcuts, educators cannot be expected to care more about the learning process than the students themselves. District leaders must confront how AI integration threatens to shift the focus from genuine feedback to counterproductive policing.Article:Professor gives his class perfect scores after realizing most were cheating on their final papershttps://bit.ly/4giwL9E
Transcribe →Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way) | Ep. 117
2w ago01:04:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way), Matt and Liz kick it off with an informal pop quiz distinguishing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) from Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and then Artificial Slider Intelligence (ASI-2 - as in burgers). They dive into a study from NPJ Science of Food detailing this new ASI coined by Ethan Mollick where researchers utilized a two-stage generative AI diffusion model to analyze human food data and successfully generate optimized, nutritious, and sustainable burger recipes.The RundownThe state passed a comprehensive piece of artificial intelligence legislation establishing a statewide AI academy and a higher education alliance, while requiring every public school district to integrate computer science and AI into its curriculum.A major sweep of ecosystem updates from Orlando includes new Gemini features like study notebooks and expanded exam prep, alongside fresh Chromebook tool locks and massive google.org funding investments for non-profits like AIEDU.Spurred by a listener tip and an analytical piece in Wired Magazine, the hosts discuss a growing European movement to establish localized tech platforms and break free from a reliance on American big tech infrastructure.The Beneath the SurfaceHigh school English teacher and Connecticut Teacher of the Year semifinalist Kate Avcollie joins the show to discuss her classroom strategies for shifting student focus away from simple compliance and toward authentic cognition. She details how she utilizes custom chatbot "Gems" as structured interventions to pressure test student ideas, requiring them to unpack and annotate their logic. This process ultimately makes student thinking entirely visible and elevates classroom rigor during live evaluations like Socratic seminars and shark tank presentations.The Bright ByteThe episode closes with a positive look at Intercept, a new 500 million dollar philanthropic initiative aiming to eliminate common respiratory infections like colds and the flu. The project relies heavily on advanced AI protein design tools like AlphaFold to engineer specialized molecules and create broad spectrum treatments without harmful side effects.AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshift LinksThe Visible Thinkerthevisiblethinker.comGenerative artificial intelligence creates burgershttps://tinyurl.com/mw4cjy2wConnecticut AI law could reshape how students learn from kindergarten to collegehttps://tinyurl.com/5n6nekdpGoogle for Education Launch Guide: ISTE Orlando 2026https://tinyurl.com/37uu4nvkGoogle.org is funding three long-term partners on education and AIhttps://tinyurl.com/4txc8caxPatricia Rootsaerthttps://tinyurl.com/yc62h3pcCIV AIwww.civai.euEurope Is Fed Up and Wants Its Own AIhttps://tinyurl.com/3n8kk24hIntercept: Ending Respiratory Infectionshttps://tinyurl.com/mrxxfbk5
Transcribe →Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA | Ep. 116
3w ago01:06:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA, Matt and Liz kick it off with a hilarious look at the "In the Weights" web app, a tool that reveals how people are represented inside AI models when offline. They discover that the app identifies their boss, Jon Costa, as a prominent Brazilian funk singer from Rio de Janeiro known by his stage name, John John.The RundownOverture Games, an after-school program in Chicago and Boston, teaches elementary students foundational AI concepts with paper and pencil instead of screens.The National Council of Teachers of English released a first-of-its-kind framework guiding ELA educators on critical thinking and ethical AI integration.A group of UK teenagers trained a private AI model on two decades of past exam papers to predict up to 90% of their national exam questions.Norway introduced a near-total ban on generative AI for elementary students while allowing cautious, supervised use for secondary learners.A grant-funded partnership between The College of New Jersey and Mercer County Technical Schools trains high school students in AI and robotics for the workforce.A German court ruled that Google is legally liable for misinformation appearing in its automated AI search summaries, rejecting traditional free speech protections for the technology.48 state attorneys general are examining OpenAI regarding model sycophancy and related platform problems for consumers and citizens in the US. Anthropic announced a 150 million dollar national fellowship program to place 1,000 early career professionals inside American non profit organizations to expand AI infrastructure.The Beneath the SurfaceMatt talks with MasterClass founder and CEO David Rogier about generative AI and education: how language models are reshaping business, challenging the traditional MBA, and creating new opportunities and risks for organizations.The Bright ByteThe episode closes with Dr. Francesca Dominici's Harvard National Institute of Health lecture on her lab's foundation model, which merges health records, census data, and US Medicare data to forecast extreme-weather adaptation while reckoning with data-center energy use.AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshiftSponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksMasterClass Executivehttps://mstr.cl/ExecutiveChatEDUIn the Weightshttps://tinyurl.com/4xdktpdhAfter-school program teaching kids to use ai without screenshttps://tinyurl.com/ya3r7htrArtificial Intelligence English Language Arts Framework for ELA Teachers in Grades 6-12https://tinyurl.com/4tsfhscaHow a group of teens might have just used AI to accurately predict this year’s exam questionshttps://tinyurl.com/2v5hn2dcNorway imposes near ban on AI in elementary schoolhttps://tinyurl.com/ynxer75eTCNJ and Mercer County Technical Schools launch AI and robotics dual enrollment pathway to build New Jersey’s future workforcehttps://tinyurl.com/5n8bw5ckA Court Has Ruled That Google Is Liable for False Statements Generated by AI Overviewshttps://tinyurl.com/5akf55xyOpenAI Investigated by Coalition of State Attorneys Generalhttps://tinyurl.com/bp9c8uv7Reducing Burden, Increasing Impacthttps://tinyurl.com/2sb4yprvIntroducing Claude Corpshttps://tinyurl.com/2syyz8rdAI: Solution or Obstacle for Healthy Adaptation to Extreme Weather Events?https://tinyurl.com/573f553m
Transcribe →How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 2 | Check-In 40
3w ago00:03:56Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Teens, Tweens, and AI Part Two: AI Use Outside of School, Matt explores how youth are interacting with artificial intelligence platforms outside the classroom for personal, social, and emotional reasons. The discussion centers on data from the 2026 Common Sense Media study, highlighting both the risks of social isolation and the potential for productive tool use.Key Takeaways:Frequent AI use correlates with increased feelings of social isolation among teenagers, suggesting digital platforms may be replacing traditional face-to-face coping mechanisms.Youth are increasingly bypassing peers and adults, relying on automated systems for personal advice, health queries, and long-term life guidance.A significant literacy gap exists, as only about one third of students realize AI cannot distinguish between fact and fiction, leading to unearned trust in chatbot accuracy.Matt’s Two Cents: While schools have heavily focused on creating policies around AI cheating, there is a glaring oversight regarding AI literacy and general digital fluency. District leaders need to recognize that students are turning to AI as life coaches and health advisors without understanding how these systems work. Because nearly half of students have never discussed AI with their families, districts must expand their instructional focus beyond academic integrity to help students critically evaluate AI outputs and safely navigate these tools outside of school.Article:A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AIhttps://tinyurl.com/f8s35yyz
Transcribe →How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 1 | Check-In 39
3w ago00:04:30Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: The Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens (2026), Matt explores how students are leaning on AI to complete their schoolwork. A substantial majority of children are incorporating these automated platforms regularly into their daily routines. This rapid integration is fundamentally changing how students approach their assignments both at home and within the classroom.Key Takeaways:An overwhelming 85 percent of kids who utilize AI use it for homework, with 30 percent of high school students relying on it on a daily basis.Students facing academic difficulty, particularly regarding focus and persistence, report a significantly higher frequency of turning to AI for help.Schools are prioritizing plagiarism prevention and policy disclosures over deeper digital literacy, leaving half of students without training on how to evaluate information accuracy.Matt’s Two Cents: The speed of AI adoption is drastically outpacing institutional instruction, leaving a dangerous gap in student fluency. While districts are quick to lay down restrictive guardrails and policy guidelines, they are failing to have meaningful adult conversations with students about navigating these tools safely. School leaders need to move beyond simple acceptable use boundaries and actively teach students how to question and verify automated output, transforming AI from a blind shortcut into an intentional learning coach.Article:A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AIhttps://tinyurl.com/f8s35yyz
Transcribe →Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI | Ep. 115
4w ago01:02:30Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI, Matt and Liz open with a wild legal story out of Mississippi, where a federal judge canceled a trial and disqualified all four lawyers after attorneys on both sides were caught using generative AI that cited fabricated court cases.The RundownMatt and Liz celebrate the regional winners at the White House, including educator Anne Win and her AP Biology students' AI work.A free new resource using real-world AI scenarios and the SEE framework to help families and educators navigate AI in education.Google partners with ISTE and ASCD to launch free, self-paced micro-credentials for teachers, including intro courses on Gemini, NotebookLM, and vibe coding.Meta launches a $115M academy to train local workers in data center construction, alongside a similar $50M Google program.OpenAI selects 26 university innovators for its inaugural cohort, giving them model access and $10,000 grants to build solutions from disaster detection to audio learning games.The hosts look at Google's experimental "Dream Beans" photo feed, "momfluencers" pitching ChatGPT as a co-parent, and Hasbro's AI Mr. Potato Head.Google's CEO delivers a Stanford commencement address avoiding AI entirely, following recent graduation walkouts and protests.A recent Wired investigation finds that Elon Musk's Grok still generates non-consensual explicit deepfakes of prominent women.Anthropic complies with US government regulations by blocking access to its Mythos and Fable models for non-Americans and foreign employees within the country.While NAEP showed slight literacy gains for nine-year-olds, an Axios report highlights millions of low-literacy adult workers using AI to mask reading and writing gaps.The Beneath the SurfaceMatt and Liz dig into the Genesee Valley BOCES "Teaching About AI" report, which lays out eight provocations and argues that librarians are the most vital leaders for district-wide AI integration.The Bright ByteMayo Clinic researchers have validated an AI model that scans routine CT scans to flag pancreatic cancer up to three years before diagnosis, roughly doubling specialists' early-detection rate.AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshift LinksPresidential AI Challenge Championshttps://tinyurl.com/yt55wrjuSEE GenAI Literacy Snapshothttps://tinyurl.com/yt2fxr3rGoogle AI Educator Series on Teaching with AIhttps://tinyurl.com/2pzdfse2Meta launches $115 million data center job guaranteehttps://tinyurl.com/3wrv43meGrowing the next generation of American workershttps://tinyurl.com/ytbp7jn5OpenAI names first ChatGPT Futures class to back student AI projectshttps://tinyurl.com/mpb6amc4Momfluencers Are Pitching AI as a Better ‘Coparent’ Than Menhttps://tinyurl.com/36dzrmycHasbro to license AI versions of Mr. Potato Headhttps://tinyurl.com/2x27mz3mBill C-34, the Safe Social Media Acthttps://tinyurl.com/mupadpn9Google CEO skips AI in Stanford commencement addresshttps://tinyurl.com/4746h6reGrok Is Still Hosting Sexualized Deepfakeshttps://tinyurl.com/mttanc48Students show gains in reading and mathhttps://tinyurl.com/yrwc4vj5AI is masking America's "post-literate" workforcehttps://tinyurl.com/jt2ke2ejTeaching About AI: A Report for the K-12 Fieldhttps://tinyurl.com/zfkthmzuMayo Clinic AI detects cancer 3 years before diagnosishttps://tinyurl.com/5dpbk4bt
Transcribe →Duck Duck Go | Check-In 38
4w ago00:02:36Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Why Users Are Moving to DuckDuckGo, Liz explores how user backlash against Google's major artificial intelligence search overhaul is driving significant traffic to alternative platforms." This shift highlights a growing consumer demand for traditional search experiences that prioritize user control over automated summaries.Key Takeaways:Google is transforming its traditional link-based search engine into a conversational engine that prioritizes AI-generated overviews, causing user dissatisfaction.DuckDuckGo has seen a major surge in traffic and mobile app downloads, growing up to 18 percent week-over-week as users seek out search options without forced AI integration.While DuckDuckGo does offer its own private AI tools, its core appeal lies in giving users strict privacy protections and the ultimate choice in whether or not they interact with the technology.Liz’s Two Cents: Users are pushing back against forced AI integration, showing that they value choice and control over automatic automation. For school district leaders, this serves as a critical reminder that when introducing new technologies, providing clear options to opt-out or choose traditional methods can significantly reduce user friction and building trust.Article:DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Searchhttps://bit.ly/4xdzuqF
Transcribe →Learning Stall | Check-In 37
4w ago00:03:47Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Reality of the Learning Stall, Liz explores a computer science professor's experience with an undergraduate student who used an AI agent to complete a research project. The student relied entirely on the AI tool, leaving him completely unable to explain the logic of the code or notice critical flaws in the research methodology. This scenario highlights how automated tools can create an illusion of progress while halting actual learning.Key Takeaways:Invalid Experimentation: The AI generated the code, training data, and test data, creating a closed simulation that made the study scientifically invalid, which the student failed to notice.Stalled Skill Development: Over-reliance on large language models prevents students from learning fundamental, discipline-specific skills, such as navigating and reading raw computer code.The Illusion of Flawlessness: AI is optimized for user satisfaction and compliance, which can easily mislead inexperienced users into believing fundamentally flawed work is perfect.Liz’s Two Cents: Generative AI removes the productive friction and tension necessary for true learning, creating a dangerous feedback loop where students mistake easy completion for actual understanding. School leaders must design learning experiences that require students to engage with basic fundamentals, ensuring automated tools do not bypass the cognitive struggle required to build genuine skills.Article:The Anatomy of a Learning Stallhttps://bit.ly/4dY7fEX
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