Trending In Education

Bharat Krishna is the Managing Director at The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program), an organization that helps higher ed, research, and government partners foster integrity and professional advancement of their learners. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about recent trends in research, tech ethics, generative AI, and more. We begin by hearing Bharat's origin story, including stints at McKinsey and Kaplan where he and Mike got to know each other. He then describes the role CITI Program plays in helping educate folks on how best to do research and how to train folks on best practices once they're established. We hear how this has played out at CITI since Bharat has been there: first in response to Covid and now more recently with a new wave of generative AI that is presenting challenging business cases where ethics and innovation intersect. How do we build guardrails in a rapidly changing technology landscape? And what can we learn from the intelligence of animals or specul

Scott Miller is an Executive and Leadership Coach who focuses on Time Management. He's also the host of the Time-Task-Energy podcast. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about Scott's work coaching folks on time management with plenty of tips and insights along the way. We begin by hearing Scott's origins as a skydiving instructor and then a test prep coach. From there we learn how Scott flipped the script a bit by making time management the core focus of his coaching practice. How is procrastination like skydiving? What's the right way to experiment with techniques like eating the frog, bullet journaling, or the Pomodoro Method? And what exactly is the Paper Principle and why is it important in our tech-obsessed day and age? Listen in to find out about all of this and more. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on what's useful and emerging in the world of learning.

Dr. Jon Shelton is an Associate Professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. He returns to the podcast to join host Mike Palmer in a conversation about his new book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy. We begin by recalling Jon's previous appearance on Trending in Ed from September of 2020 and reflect for a moment on how much has transpired since then. From there, we launch into what drove Jon to write The Education Myth where he critiques the prevailing human capital lens that is applied to the purpose of education in America and instead outlines the promise of a renewed focus on social democracy. Jon shares his thoughts on what got us to this point in our political history and how a meritocratic focus on education as the primary social good in our society has led to alienation and disaffection from those for whom the current system is not working. We explore the long history of social democracy as an important counterpoint to the neoliberal

Host Mike Palmer is joined by Nancy our Virtual Cohost in a conversation about emerging trends in EdTech, Generative AI and more coming out of his recent trip to the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. We start by plugging Nancy into Chat GPT to connect Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to the emerging transformations powered by Large Language Models and Gen AI. Then Mike reflects on his embodied, human experiences of the conference as opposed to the benefits of digesting the content online. How does this relate to elements of human cognition that generative AI still struggles with? From there we explore what works best in person and how to adapt your approach to conferences to make the best of use of your time while you're there. Mike points to his three big themes from the conference: generative AI, a renewed focus on skills and skill development, and the blending of AI with human competencies through the rollout of online tutoring and related programs. We get a little bit meta as we demonstrate how human and can blend

Aneesh Sohoni is the CEO of One Million Degrees (OMD), a non-profit that accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the role community colleges and programs like his can play in opening pathways to opportunity for students in need. We begin by hearing Aneesh's story beginning with his parents' decision to come to America to build a life for their family. From there, we hear of the role community college played in his mother's career and how that connects to the work OMD is doing with students in the city of Chicago. We hear how their model works, connecting students with wraparound services like mentorship, skills training, financial assistance, and more. Furthermore, we learn how recent randomized controlled trials done in partnership with The University of Chicago's Inclusive Economy Lab are validating the results as we look for lessons on how to translate successes in Chicago with a broader movement across the

Dr. Eric Schickler is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley where he is currently working on a book about polarization in American politics. He joins host and fellow New College alum, Mike Palmer, in a discussion about what's happening at New College, what it says about the current state of higher education and politics in America, and what we can do about it. We begin by hearing Eric's origin story which in many ways began with his experiences at New College. That's where he discovered his passion for teaching and engaging with other students and faculty. This ultimately led to him earning his doctorate at Yale before landing at Berkeley where he's spent the majority of his academic career. Then Eric describes how a trend towards political polarization has taken root across America using the case of New College as an example. At a time when scoring political points on the national stage is more important than defending local institutions that are good for the community, i

Andy Pass is the Founder of A Pass Educational Group, an Elearning and Instructional Design services company. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how learning content development and instructional design are being transformed by generative AI tools like Chat GPT. We begin by hearing Andy's origin story which begins in a Jewish Day School where he discovered his love of teaching. Soon after, he discovered instructional design and sales while working for Pearson which led him to found A Pass in 2009. Then Andy provides his perspectives on how disruptive generative AI tools are changing how we think about doing content development through a new and improved symbiosis between human skills and the growing capabilities of learning machines. We conclude with thoughts on the future of work and the uniquely human qualities of critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration that will be critical as we navigate new waves of disruption. It's a free-ranging conversation about how learning deve

Julie Lammers is the SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility at American Student Assistance (ASA), an organization that is committed to increasing opportunity for young people to have the tools necessary to plan for postsecondary and career success. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about exposing young people to a variety of potential career pathways as early as possible in their educational journeys. We begin by hearing Julie’s origin story which centers around her opportunity to intern for Teddy Kennedy while still in college. From there we get into some questions. How can we provide opportunities for career exploration beginning in middle school and how can we allow for real work experience through internships and other programs for high school students? How do you reach Gen Z by developing media that reaches them where they are? We cover all of this and get Julie's perspectives on the disruptions to the future of work powered by generative AI and more as we learn what she and team

Sudhir Krishnaswamy is the CTO of Barnes & Noble Education Digital Student Solutions where he leads the team that designs Bartleby Write and related products focused on writing help. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how best to design online writing help products in light of emerging technology like Chat GPT. We hear how Sudhir was drawn to computer programming early in his career and how he's held a series of senior technology roles across various education companies most recently focusing on online writing help. Sudhir describes what's involved in building writing help products and how this has been transformed by machine learning and artificial intelligence. We learn of the role AI can play in helping humans write better while steering clear of the pitfalls of thinking AI is more than a tool for human advancement right now. There's talk of stochastic parrots and magic eight balls in a free-flowing exploration of the future of writing help that you won't want to miss! Subscribe to Trending

Sakina Pitts is the Principal of The Newark School of Fashion and Design and Giselle Morell is the Head of Customer Engagement at N Ventures at The New School of Social Research. The duo joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the recent launch of NSFD in partnership with N Ventures as they look to expand access to students through entry points, pathways, and relationships in the fashion industry. We hear Sakina's origin story as a student growing up in Newark who had a love for fashion and education that has culminated in her role as the Principal of the school as it has come to life over the past few years. Then Giselle shares how she took a chance leaving a safe, corporate gig to align her career with her mission and passion by joining the N Ventures group at the New School. From there we explore what's involved in launching the school and building partnerships that make an impact on the lives of students and the community. We explore how opening up pathways and relationships in the world of fashion

Bryan Alexander is an award–winning, internationally known futurist, researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of higher education’s future. He's the author of the recent book Universities On Fire: Higher Education in Climate Crisis which forms the foundation of this episode. Bryan joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how to use futures thinking to explore climate-related scenarios with special attention to higher education. We begin by reflecting back on Bryan's previous appearances on the podcast back in 2020 soon after the release of his book Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education. Among the scenarios in that book, he explored how a pandemic might affect higher education before Covid hit. From there we touch on his recent blog post looking at the new Apple+ series Extrapolations. As we bring up examples from science fiction and its sub-genre of climate fiction, Bryan describes the power of scenario-baseed thinking in preparing ourselves for uncertain futur

Jennifer Granick is the surveillance and cybersecurity counsel with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. She litigates, speaks, and writes about privacy, security, technology, and constitutional rights. She is the author of the book American Spies: Modern Surveillance, Why You Should Care, and What to Do About It and is an alum of New College of Florida along with host Mike Palmer. She joins Mike in a conversation about her work with the ACLU, her perspectives on the current situation at New College, and her thoughts on education and the future of work in light of the emergence of generative AI and Chat GPT. We begin by hearing Jennifer's origin story, beginning in New Jersey before studying at New College as an undergraduate on her way to becoming a lawyer. From there we hear how she began studying the Internet in its infancy in the 90s helping to create Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society. Since then she's become increasingly involved in civil liberties relating to emerging te

Heather Combs is the CEO of StraighterLine, a platform that provides affordable access to college credit through online courses. Heather joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the disruption we've witnessed to traditional models of higher education in recent years and the role StraighterLine is playing in this transformation. Heather begins by describing her background in business transformation and software development that provides sharp perspective into developing online products that tap into new and emerging markets. We explore how for many learners the traditional models of the academic schedule and synchronous classes just don't make sense. We discuss how credentialing and skills-based learning are providing opportunities to move quickly and work with industry to keep pace with the accelerated rate of change. Heather shares her thoughts on the transferability of learning credentials and the need for better solutions for learning records similar to what is happening with medical records. It's an

Joel Kupperstein is the Senior Vice President of Product Strategy at Learning A to Z. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about teaching, writing, and emerging tools like Chat GPT and generative AI. Joel shares his roots as a teacher from a family of teachers who began in the classroom in Los Angeles before moving to Product Strategy on the commercial side at leading EdTech companies like Learning A To Z. We explore how the design of assignments and assessments will need to evolve as large language models empower teachers and students to become more efficient and creative with their learning endeavors. Joel shares his advice to teachers and other learning professionals as we reflect on the awakenings in recent years and how they relate to new AI tools like Chat GPT. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of learning.

Kyle Li is an interaction and learning designer based in New York City where he's an Assistant Professor of Design Technology at Parsons School of Design. He joins host Mike Palmer to discuss his experiences working with students exploring design and emerging technology. Kyle shares how he is fulfilling his mission to bridge the gap between higher education and emerging tech by working on projects like the partnership Parsons has formed with Roblox, the gaming platform used by millions of kids. He shares his advice for learning professionals who are trying to motivate rising talent while staying relevant in transformational times. Don't miss this deep dive into the intersection between emerging platforms, user-generated content, user-centered design, and the future of education. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on what's emerging in the world of learning.

Host Mike Palmer is joined live at SXSW EDU by Dr. Tolonda Tolbert, Elliot Felix, Dr. Robin Naughton, and a live audience as we reveal our Learning Trends March Madness Brackets for 2023. We meet Tolonda, Elliot, and Robin briefly as Mike welcomes, family and friends into the conversation. He shares the show's history with March Madness and our previous junkets to Austin to record episodes at SXSW EDU. From there, we hear from each of the panelists as they introduce their four trends for the brackets ranging from Tolonda's experience as a Co-Founder of Eskalera, Elliot's perspectives from consulting and writing How to Get the Most Out of College, and Robin's takes on libraries and emerging technology as a Web and Digital Services Librarian at Queens College. It's an eclectic assortment of new ideas worth tracking in the world of learning that you don't want to miss! We conclude with audience questions and answers from the panelists in a free-flowing conversation about what's bubbling up in the learning zeitge

To celebrate the kickoff of our Learning Trends March Madness Brackets, host Mike Palmer introduces Nancy his Virtual CoHost who runs through a ChatGPT-powered simulation of our Learning Trends Tournament for 2023. But fear not, we're just getting started. All of this coincides with our live panel at SXSW EDU in Austin that kicks off the podcast stage. Then as a special bonus we share a conversation Mike had with SXSW EDU Founder Ron Reed and its Senior Director Greg Rosenbaum during our first visit at the conference back in 2019. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com and follow us @TrendinginEd on Twitter all month as we launch polls to let you help decide which trends survive and advance in pursuit of the coveted number 1 spot in our Learning Trends Winner for 2023. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts for more sharp takes on what's emerging in the world of learning.

Dr. Robin Naughton is an Assistant Professor and Web and Digital Services Librarian at Queens College in New York. She specializes in Human-Computer Interaction and User-Centered Research with a focus on mental models of libraries and library websites. She joins her husband, our host, Mike Palmer, in a conversation to set the stage for their live panel at SXSW EDU with Dr. Tolonda Tolbert and Elliot Felix on Monday, March 6th at 11:30am in Austin. If you're at SXSW on Monday, we'd love to see you. If you can't make it, don't worry, we'll be sharing the panel as an upcoming episode soon. Robin shares her takes on what's emerging in learning based on her experiences as a Librarian and as an Educator as we gear up for our trip to SXSW with our 4-year-old son. We talk about Chat GPT and Generative AI and even check in with Nancy our Virtual Cohost as we begin to shape up our March Madness brackets which will be revealed as part of the panel. We also touch on Elliot's book and Tolonda's company as we get ready to

Osnat Benari is a product and leadership coach for companies and professionals. She has over 20 years of product management experience working for companies like Diligent, Verizon Media, WeWork, and BBG Ventures. She has been named one of the top product-led growth influencers. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about her book, Starting From Scratch: Managing Change Like Your Career Depends on It. In a free-flowing conversation, Osnat walks us through the steps outlined in the book beginning with adopting a learning mindset. Then we learn how resilience and letting go are so critical for success in disruptive times. From there, she shares stories of how she’s navigated through downsizing, layoffs, and reorgs in her career. We talk about using our instincts and sensing when change is coming to allow us to assert our agency to pursue a professional roadmap for ourselves. We even touch on quiet quitting. If you're interested in how product thinking and agile practices can be applied to your career grow

Jonny Coreson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Everprep, a platform designed for professionals who want to share their expertise with learners seeking to pass exams to earn credentials. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the “Long Tail” of Test Prep and how he’s building a SaaS solution to empower both providers and preppers alike to achieve their goals and dreams. We hear Jonny’s “origin story” which begins in the Navy where he built a successful prep product with Bluejacketeer to prepare sailors for the Navy-Wide Advancement Exam. This was born of he and his Co-Founder’s experiences helping Navy Corpsman and showed the power of designing by sailors for sailors. After selling Bluejacketeer to Kaplan, he’s now founded Everprep to extend the idea to all kinds of test-based credentials and certifications. We talk about the power of ChatGPT and generative AI in test prep content generation and muse a bit about the power of learning science and the future of assessment and more in a free-flowing conver