Trending In Ed Palmer Media

Mike Palmer speaks with Colleen Keating-Crawford and Elisabeth Booze from Teach for America's Reinvention Lab about their study, "Crossing the Canyon: Ethnographic Findings About Life After High School."
We explore youth perceptions of life after high school, discussing the pressure to attend four-year colleges and the growing skepticism about higher education. The conversation introduces a framework for understanding different types of support organizations can provide to youth, categorized as trail guides, transport helicopters, bridge builders, and mapmakers.
Key takeaways:


Youth are critically examining institutions and seeking authenticity in their post-high school journeys.

There's a need for a more cohesive ecosystem of support for young people transitioning to adulthood.

Organizations can use the presented framework to assess and improve their support for youth in local contexts.


We encourage listeners to check out the full "Crossing the Canyon" report and subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Mike Palmer welcomes Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Mindset Matters: The Power of College to Activate Lifelong Learning, to discuss the value of higher education in fostering growth mindsets. Dan shares his background and explains why he wrote the book, emphasizing the importance of appreciating what college offers to young adults during a formative time in their lives. We explore the five growth mindsets Dan identifies: discovery, creation, collaboration, mentorship, and striving. The conversation touches on how these mindsets prepare students for a rapidly changing world and work life.
We delve into the role of productive struggle, resilience, and overcoming imposter syndrome in college experiences, especially for first-generation students. Dan provides examples of students he mentored while President of Franklin and Marshall University who successfully navigated these challenges. The discussion also covers the importance of faculty mentorship and creating a supportive culture on campus.
Key takeaways:

Growth mindsets developed in college are valuable assets in today's fast-changing economy.

Faculty play a crucial role in helping students develop confidence and overcome challenges.

Investing in education at all levels is vital for national competitiveness and democracy.

Dan concludes with an inspiring message about the power each individual has to create their own education and growth opportunities.
Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on what's emerging in the world of education.

We kick off this special "Stepping Up" edition by welcoming back our virtual co-host Nancy to discuss the AI revolution happening in 2024. The episode explores what "stepping up" means in this new era of agentic intelligence and transformative learning technologies.
Host Mike Palmer reflects on recent conversations with guests like Brian Rosenberg, Dwayne Matthews, and students from the Marcy Lab School - all highlighting the importance of doing hard things, embracing cognitive surplus, and developing durable "brain-to-brain" skills. We also bring in conversations with Bror Saxberg and Charles Fadel to really round out the perspectives.
Nancy emphasizes that while AI tools are rapidly advancing, humans must step up by designing compelling experiences that leverage these technologies to drive motivation, vision and human will. We examine the transition of AI from a scientific phase to an engineering one, where the promise of personalization at scale is an emerging challenge.
Mike concludes with a highlight from the Palm Court Podcast featuring Dr. Jonathan White about getting comfortable with the messiness of working on real problems.
Three key takeaways:

Stepping up means identifying the winners and transformative use cases as agentic AI steps up (or falls short).

Developing "brain-to-brain" skills like empathy, collaboration and perspective-taking will be crucial for humans to thrive alongside AI.

We must get better at discerning problems and mapping the right AI/human tools to solve the messy, complex challenges ahead.


Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts to join us in stepping up to this new AI-enabled future of learning.

Dr. Jennifer Wells, the Director of Writing at New College of Florida, joins Mike Palmer to delve into the significance of writing skills in higher education and beyond. Jennifer shares her professional journey, highlighting the importance of fostering a culture of writing excellence and providing students with the necessary supports they need to learn and to put in meaningful effort into the writing process. You can learn more about Jennifer's writing school and the workshops she offers here.
We explore the challenges faced by students transitioning from high school to college, emphasizing the need for a shift in mindset towards writing as a process of thinking and refining ideas rather than having to be perfect right away. Jennifer underscores the value of embracing revisions, project management, and time management skills like Pomodoro, which are transferable to various professional contexts.
As AI writing tools continue to evolve, Jennifer provides insights into their potential impact on college admissions essays and academic writing. We discuss the importance of cultivating a human connection through writing and the role of educators in guiding students to develop their unique voices and perspectives.
Key Takeaways:

Writing is a fundamental skill that transcends academic boundaries, fostering critical thinking, resilience, and effective communication in both professional and personal spheres.

Educators should prioritize teaching writing as a process, encompassing revision, project management, and time management, to equip students with transferable skills for lifelong learning and success.

While AI writing tools can be useful in certain contexts, such as brainstorming and drafting, they cannot replace the human element of writing, which involves personal expression, nuanced thought processes, and the ability to connect with readers.


Concluding the episode, we emphasize the need for ongoing collaboration between secondary and post-secondary educators, as well as employers, to bridge gaps and align curriculum with the skills and dispositions necessary for students to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
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Bror Saxberg, the Founder of LearningForge, rejoins Mike Palmer for the thrilling conclusion of our learning science trifecta of episodes! In this mind-bending discussion, Bror dives deep into the transformative potential of AI in education and redefining human skills. He draws insightful parallels to fields like medicine, highlighting how a deeper understanding of "biology" can fuel innovation - in this case, uncovering how humans truly learn and stay motivated.
Bror envisions AI as the pen(cil) for drafting richer, more personalized learning experiences, from content production to adaptive tutoring. But he doesn't stop there, challenging conventional career trajectories. What if the path to becoming an expert editor or investment banker looked completely different in an AI-powered world?
Brace yourself as Bror expounds on the "badly designed" human brain and the urgency of prioritizing lifelong, transferable skills. Get ready to rethink everything from preschool curricula to that obsession with worksheets!
🧠 Key Takeaway: Don't spray tech on learning problems; understand the human learning "biology" first.
✏️ Key Takeaway: AI can revolutionize content creation and tutoring by personalizing to learners' contexts and motivations.
⚡ Key Takeaway: Prioritize building durable "brain-to-brain" skills like empathy, perspective-taking, and collaboration from an early age.
Bror leaves us inspired by AI's promise for more optimized, human-centered learning - if we have the foresight to plan accordingly. Get ready to redefine your own skills for the AI era!
Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of education.

Mike Palmer welcomes Eric Stano, Vice President of Consulting, Curriculum, and Product Strategy at Magic EdTech. We delve into Eric's fascinating journey in the world of educational publishing and content development, spanning over 30 years. You can check out Magic EdTech's blogs here.
Eric shares insights into his role at Magic EdTech, a digital services provider that partners with educational publishers and edtech companies. He explains how the advent of generative AI has disrupted and accelerated the content creation process, leading to the integration of AI architects and engineers into his team.
We explore the intricate dance between human expertise and AI-generated drafts, where subject matter experts and writers refine and enhance the AI-produced content. Eric emphasizes the importance of maintaining accuracy, accessibility, and an engaging writing style to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Throughout the conversation, we gain valuable insights into the evolving roles within content development, the potential for increased equity and personalization, and the challenges surrounding intellectual property and security in the AI-powered landscape.
Key Takeaways:

The content development process remains iterative, but AI serves as an accelerator, introducing new roles like AI architects who code pipelines to generate drafts.

Human expertise remains crucial for ensuring accuracy, addressing AI hallucinations, and infusing content with a human touch that resonates with learners.

As AI continues to reshape the industry, professionals must stay vigilant about intellectual property rights, security concerns, and the ethical implications of leveraging this powerful technology.

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