Catching Up: Human Connection, AI Hive Minds, and the Skills Gap

Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia unpack a wide-ranging set of ideas shaping the future of learning, from AI "hive minds" and youth relationships with AI to portraits of a graduate, durable skills, and real-world learning. They explore what it means to prepare students for a non-routine economy where judgment, collaboration, agency, and ownership matter more than ever. Along the way, they highlight innovative school models, reflect on new research and reports, and consider how education systems can better connect technical skills, human development, and future-ready experiences. Outline (0:00) Intro (13:13) School Spotlights (20:52) Preparing Students for the Non-Routine Economy (31:34) Durable Skills & Experience Matters Report (37:20) Human Expression (40:56) What's That Song? Links Watch the full video here Artificial Hivemind: The Open-Ended Homogeneity of Language Models (and Beyond) Youth, AI, and the Relationships That Shape Them Good Riddance to Regents Exams? Or Will Ending Them Leave a Void for N.Y. Grads? The Academies Of Hampton Amp Lab at Electric Works The Pearl Arts Innovation Institute Amp Lab at The Refinery 3Rivers Federal Credit Union Banking Internship Humanist Essay Harvard Medical School  

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks with Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO of Digital Promise, about the launch of the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations and what it will take to build New Pathways that are truly "unbounded." They dig into the barriers that keep learners from seeing and accessing opportunity (visibility, value, and recognition gaps), why pathways must be co-created with learners and communities, and how credentialing and learner records can better capture skills and verified experiences—from work-based learning to out-of-school learning. The conversation also highlights regional pathway design (including an Alabama cybersecurity example), lessons from P-TECH, and how emerging technologies like AI can support powerful learning grounded in agency, purpose, curiosity, and connection. Outline (00:00) Introduction (2:30) Barriers & Unbounded Pathways (5:39) Co-Creation & Credentialing (13:58) Cybersecurity Pathway & Alabama (16:07) Powerful Learning & Emerging Technology Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here TNTP Jean-Claude Brizard Digital Promise  

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with author and education advocate Ted Dintersmith to rethink what math should look like in a changing world—especially as AI makes rote procedures less relevant. Together they unpack the limits of test-driven instruction, the consequences of low math and data literacy for civic life, and why classrooms should prioritize estimation, statistics, probability, modeling, and real-world problem solving that builds confidence and curiosity. If we want future-ready learners, math has to move from gatekeeping to empowerment. Outline (00:00) Introduction & Math Education Background (05:52) Rote Skills vs. Relevant Math (11:21) Standardized Testing & NAEP Scores (17:10) Math Illiteracy & Real-World Consequences (22:57) Calculus vs. Statistics Debate (29:41) AI, the Future of Math Education & Takeaways Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here LinkedIn Ted Dintersmith Website  

Stephanie Malia Krauss returns to the Getting Smart Podcast for a conversation with Tom Vander Ark about her new book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World. Together they explore why so many adults and young people feel overwhelmed and depleted—and what it looks like to "rehumanize" school and home by protecting the essentials that help humans thrive. The discussion walks through body, mind, heart, and spirit essentials—from food, sleep, movement, and nervous system regulation to play, wonder, flow, connection, belonging, and contribution—offering practical, research-backed insights for educators, leaders, and parents navigating modern life. Outline (00:00) Introduction (02:02) The Journey Through Three Books (11:30) Body Essentials: Food, Sleep & Movement (21:38) Mind Essentials: Play, Wonder & Flow (29:32) Heart Essentials: Connection, Love & Belonging (35:18) Spirit Essentials: Celebration & Contribution Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here  How We Thrive LinkedIn  

Learning doesn't happen "in rows," and Kevin Stoller has seen firsthand how the right environment can change everything. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Stoller—author of Creating Better Learning Environments and host of the Better Learning podcast—about designing learner-centered spaces that support movement, choice, collaboration, and community connection. They explore why the term "classroom" can limit our thinking, how districts can better align facilities with instructional vision through a "learning space integrator," and what microschools, team-teaching models, and even museums and hospitality design can teach us about the future of learning spaces in an AI-enabled world. Outline (00:12) Introduction to Learning Spaces (05:09) The Power of Intentional Design (11:26) The Learning Space Integrator Role (18:59) Transforming Existing Spaces (26:30) Inspiration from Beyond the Classroom (30:12) AI, Flexibility, and the Future Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here LinkedIn Kay Twelve  

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Victoria Andrews sits down with student leaders from Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technology (NEAT) to explore what happens when a Portrait of a Graduate becomes more than a poster on the wall. Kaylyn Rosado, Connor Mawhiney, and Anna Montero share how student voice shaped their school's learning model—from a student ambassador program and community interviews to classroom practices that build collaboration, empathy, and confidence. The conversation also highlights NEAT's flexible STEM-focused pathways (including aviation, biotech, robotics, coding, and advanced manufacturing), dual enrollment opportunities, and a clear message for school designers everywhere: involve students early, often, and authentically—because agency changes everything. Outline (00:00) Introduction & Student Introductions (04:06) Student Ambassadors & Community Engagement (09:54) Pathways & Career Exploration (16:55) Personal Growth & Student Development (20:44) Advice for School Leaders Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies  

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore what's changing in education—and what should change next—through the lenses of infrastructure, accountability, and emerging technology. They discuss a "smart city" view of transportation and connectivity, unpack new research on how parents respond to grades vs. standardized test data, and examine a Florida study on how school choice competition impacts performance. The conversation then shifts to the Future of Tech and Work, including AI agents and the incentive structures shaping major AI companies—ending with a clear call to invest in "relational infrastructure" so that human connection, trust, and agency grow alongside AI. Outline (00:00) Welcome & Overview (03:23) Infrastructure & Mexico City (08:36) AI Agents & Moltbook (13:37) Parents, Grades & Testing (18:28) School Choice Study (38:26) Bottom-Up Innovation Framework (47:08) What's That Song? Links Watch the full video here Interpreting Performance: Evidence on Signal Weighting in Human Capital Investment In These Districts, Students Get an English Credit for On-the-Job Internships What actually determines AI's impact on humanity? Incentives, value networks, and the forces shaping AI's future. The CHOICE We Make: The Critically Human Skills That Define Our Future Welcome to the Era of Relational Intelligence Can't Get There from Here: A Framework for the Start, Spread, and Scale of Bottom-Up Innovation in Education Low-Earning Degrees Will Soon Lose Access to Federal Loans—Is Yours on the List  

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles talks with Kelly Coffin, superintendent in Farmington Hills, Michigan, about what it really means to "go slow to go fast" in district transformation. Coffin shares how leaders can build trust and capacity through co-design with educators closest to students, stay connected through daily visibility and listening routines, and "test the system" for readiness without defaulting to top-down control. The conversation centers on authentic leadership—grounded in clarity of vision, coherence, and the courage to be vulnerable in public—so teams don't just implement change, they own it. Outline (00:00) Introduction (04:08) Leadership Evolution (08:35) Daily Leadership in Action (15:15) Building Trust and Capacity (17:18) Advice for New Leaders (28:26) The Bravest Leadership Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here LinkedIn Farmington Public Schools  

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Victoria Andrews sits down with Eric Wearne of Kennesaw State University and the National Hybrid Schools Project to explore what research is revealing about hybrid models (often 2–3 days on campus and 2–3 days at home), including facilities and regulatory challenges, who teaches in these settings, and why learner-centered culture matters. They also dig into trust, access, and equity—highlighting creative solutions like support-day staffing and community partnerships—plus how expanded options could reduce conflict and better match learners to environments where they can thrive. Outline (00:00) Introduction (03:45) National Hybrid Schools Project (08:07) Facilities and Teacher Hiring (14:33) Learner-Centered Design (18:34) Addressing Access and Equity (24:04) Finding and Choosing Schools Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here LinkedIn Samuel Everett School of Innovation What Happens When Public School Districts Embrace Hybrid Schools? | The 74 Julian Charter Schools  

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of Frameworks Institute, to explore the critical role of narrative in education reform. They discuss how framing and storytelling can combat fatalism, foster engagement, and create systemic change in education. Together, they dive into the challenges of building cohesive education narratives, the importance of youth-led movements, and the potential of shifting education's focus from future preparation to fostering community and well-being in the present. Tune in to learn how innovative messaging can shape the future of learning and inspire action. Outline (00:12) Introduction & Framework Institute (08:35) The Education Narrative Challenge (10:58) Understanding Cultural Mindsets (16:15) Narrative Strategy & Movements (36:33) Reimagining Education's Purpose (44:21) Vision for Transformed Education Links Watch the full video here LinkedIn Frame Works Institute The 74: We Keep Rolling Out Good Ideas Without the Story. That's Why They Stall