explAInED

All right, welcome to explAInED! We are thrilled to host Adam Sparks, co-founder and CEO of Short Answer, back on the podcast for a deep dive into the evolving world of educational technology. We discuss the current pressures and aspirations surrounding edtech, exploring Adam's aspirational vision for a future that combines self-paced, mastery-based instruction with AI affordances like scalable oral assessment to actualize best practices. Adam shares his view that the debate needs more nuance, arguing that lawmaker frustration is often misdirected toward removing tools like Chromebooks rather than focusing on critical reforms like standardizing Data Privacy Agreements. Finally, we unpack the concept that technology is simply an "amplification of human intent" and look at critical, often overlooked arguments for edtech, including its power to support neurodivergent students and reduce teacher burnout

In this episode we welcomed AI and education expert Dawn Taylor to the explAInED Podcast. Drawing on her background with dyslexia, Taylor discusses the immense potential of AI to support individuals with special educational needs, emphasizing that AI fundamentally changes the learning process. We explored the challenge of education systems quickly adapting to AI shifts. Dawn talked about the challenges of eliminating technology in schools, noting that relying solely on traditional modalities can set children up to fail. Her advice for institutions struggling with adoption: diagnose the source of discomfort and start small with safe tools to address the fear of AI.

Welcome to explAInED! This week we sit down with Josh Blumberg of the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) to discuss the state’s newly released comprehensive guidance on Artificial Intelligence implementation in schools.This episode dives into:Grade-Band Recommendations: Learn the AOE's specific framework for student AI use, which ranges from limited interaction (no direct contact) in PreK-2 to fostering AI fluency and its use as a cognitive assistant in high school. Middle school focuses on tailored, education-specific apps, avoiding open-ended chatbots.Mitigating Cognitive Offloading: Discover practical strategies for teachers to address students using AI to complete assignments. The key shift involves assessing the learning process—such as through writing conferences or requiring code explanations—rather than relying solely on the final product.Personalized Learning & Support: Josh Blumberg explains how AI can amplify Vermont's commitment to Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) by helping students reflect on their learning and enabling schools to analyze PLP data for better class planning.Policy and Practice: Hear what district leaders should do to provide staff with approved, data-private AI tools, and why encouraging open discussion among teachers is vital for successful implementation. The discussion also covers balancing the urgency of AI adoption with concerns over student screen time and the necessity of developing deep content expertise.Josh Blumberg, bringing a background in software development, edtech, and high school teaching, emphasizes that the guidance is a framework, and the real work now begins in supporting schools with implementation, professional development, and strategic planning.

Today, we are diving deep into the intersection of literacy, pedagogy, and the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.Joining us is a scholar who has been at the forefront of educational technology for over a decade. He is a researcher and faculty member at Mount Saint Vincent University—where he also earned both his Master’s and PhD. You likely know him as the voice behind the widely influential platform Educators Technology, which has been a staple resource for teachers since 2012.His latest work tackles one of the biggest questions in modern schooling: how do we integrate Generative AI without losing our pedagogical soul? He’s the co-author of the upcoming book, The BEARA Framework for Pedagogical Integration, and is currently finishing a second volume on AI-enabled assessment.Enjoy learning from Dr. Med Kharbach.

In the latest explAInED episode, we’re joined by Vera Cubero, a visionary leader in AI and education at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, who discussed her role in leading the state’s AI framework after the 2022 launch of ChatGPT revealed the immediate need for educational change.We discussed the necessity of instructional redesign, shifting the focus from basic AI literacy to prioritizing durable human skills like critical thinking and judgment. Vera introduced the concept of the knowledge architect, where educators use AI to customize resources for their specific students, and explained how Micro PBL 2.0 leverages AI to make project-based learning more manageable and standards-aligned.We also explored the North Carolina AI Solv-a-thon, a pitch contest that empowers students to use AI to solve real-world community challenges. After a slow start last year, this year’s Solv-a-thon had 25 competing teams from middle and high schools throughout North Carolina, with students developing solutions for issues like homelessness, DMV backlogs, and protecting local wildlife.Addressing the difficult mindset shift regarding the cheating narrative surrounding AI use, Vera argued that we must move past a "blocking and banning" mentality to ensure students are prepared for a future workforce where AI is ubiquitous. Finally, she shared her goals for scaling these pilots statewide and using portfolios to promote metacognition and reflection on AI use to capture the actual process of learning.

The Academic Platypus Will See You Now: Teaching With AI, Not Against It, with Dr. Michelle KassorlaChatGPT-3 dropped and gave the academic world an existential crisis—but not for Dr. Michelle Kassorla, the "academic platypus" and Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University! Instead of panicking, Dr. Kassorla and her colleague Eugenia Novak Shinova completely redesigned their classes to teach with AI.Join us as Dr. Kassorla breaks down her revolutionary teaching strategies:Why the time for the "sage on the stage" is over.How she flips Bloom's Taxonomy on its head (starting with "create").Why AI should be framed as "a friend that lies all the time."The profound benefits of AI for ESL and disabled students.How to fight the dreaded "AI voice" and maintain human connection in an age of algorithms.Plus, learn about the power of shared vulnerability, the importance of submitting your AI chat logs, and the best LinkedIn hashtags for educators in the AI space! If you're a teacher at any level, you do not want to miss this incredibly impactful conversation.

Episode Summary:In this special episode, Michael, Shaun, and Renee bring together two deeply impactful national voices in AI + Education: Makiri Pugh and Kunal Dalal.Makiri Pugh shares his work building an AI-powered network based belief systems, culture, governance, and protecting people. His charter network scaffolds AI through mandatory FERPA/ COPPA cybersecurity-informed AI training, integrates AI into MTSS and instructional strategy, and is normalizing usage into sustainable practice across campuses. The upcoming release of an “AI Coaching Framework” is intentionally structured to help leaders verify whether teachers are actually internalizing AI-supported improvements vs just copy/paste compliance. In the second half of the conversation, the team shifts into a powerful and very different kind of AI conversation with Kunal Dalal. Dalal talks about sovereignty, his newest edition of his book,  Our Incredible Fragile Moment, and the urgency for families, schools, and communities to own the AI narrative. Dalal discusses his work developing a local LLM in partnership with an indigenous community, introduces the idea of AI swarms and agentics, and makes the case for distributed AI models as an antidote to centralized, corporate-controlled systems. He also unpacks “The Great Unplug” and emphasizes the role adults, especially those who remember life before social media, play in guiding younger generations to think critically and reclaim their own mental autonomy. Both guests land on the same point: AI is only worth doing if it strengthens humanity, sovereignty, curiosity, and connection.

We’re back!Season Two of explAInED opens with Michael Berry, Shaun Langevin, and Renee Langevin diving into the realities of AI in education. Michael shares how he’s using AI to translate global frameworks into consistent standards and proficiency scales, while the group reflects on the challenges of time, teacher perceptions, and the often-confusing EdTech landscape when trying to incorporate AI use into the curriculum.The team also unveils the work they are doing outside of the podcast. Michael and Renee share how the explAInED team are holding monthly virtual webinars for parents and caregivers on all topics surrounding AI use. These sessions are recorded for broader access and will continue throughout the school year. The team also highlights their upcoming partnership with the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative, in which they will offer virtual workshops this fall for both work-based learning educators and school leaders seeking to design AI guidelines within existing policies.

Episode Title: What Is AI, Really? Episode SummaryIn this special Caregiver Edition of the explAInED podcast, Renee Langevin, Michael Berry, and Shaun Langevin sit down to talk directly with parents and caregivers about one of the biggest questions in education right now: What is AI, really?With humor, honesty, and plenty of real-world examples, the team explores what AI is (and isn’t), how it shows up in everyday life, and what families should know about its risks and possibilities. From toothbrush thought experiments to concerns about privacy, bias, and mental health, this episode focuses on awareness. The message: kids need strong human superpowers like empathy, adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking to thrive in an AI world, and parents can play a vital role by learning alongside them.Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or just overwhelmed by all the AI talk, this conversation offers a parent-friendly, no-jargon guide to starting thoughtful conversations at home.

Episode Summary:In this episode, the explAInED team is joined by Dr. Adam Phyall, Director of Professional Learning and Leadership at Future Ready Schools and co-host of the Undisrupted podcast. A former high school science teacher turned instructional technology leader and longtime advocate for equity-driven innovation, Adam shares how his journey into edtech began with a love for creative media, and how it continues to center joy, purpose, and student voice.Adam describes AI as “this generation’s internet,” a transformative force that will amplify whatever practices and mindsets are already in place. When used with care, AI can extend student creativity, deepen inquiry, and support more responsive teaching. But when misused or rushed, it risks amplifying disengagement and inequity.Adam also stresses that successful AI integration starts with people. Schools must involve students, families, and educators in the process, not just as stakeholders, but as co-designers. From his own kids’ summer writing projects powered by AI image generators to district-wide planning conversations, he models how to keep humans at the center of technology decisions. Adam shows us that with the right mindset and support educators can lead this moment with confidence, and even a little fun.Mentions & ResourcesFuture Ready SchoolsUndisrupted Podcast with Adam Phyall and Carl HookerAI by Design