Edufuturists

Edufuturists

We are led to believe that the education system will continually evolve to meet the needs of learners and society. This has not happened. We need a revolution!

  1. 1 hr ago

    Stop calling it personalisation - The Truth About AI in Education with Laura Knight #359

    What if the biggest risk in AI and education isn't the technology at all, but the questions we've stopped asking?In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben and Steve sit down with Laura Knight, former teacher and leader turned AI and digital education consultant, to pull apart what "human-centred AI" actually means when you strip away the marketing gloss.Laura doesn't do easy answers. She talks about the innovation fatigue hitting schools right now, why nobody quite owns AI strategy in most organisations, and why the "personalisation" narrative sold by EdTech might be quietly building a two-speed education system. Ben and Steve push back throughout, including a proper debate on whether education was ever really less competitive than the tech sector in the first place.The conversation covers the teacher recruitment crisis, whether AI tutors are filling genuine gaps or replacing human relationships that matter, and what "joy" in the teaching profession could look like if schools stopped treating change as a race. It closes with quickfire questions that get properly reflective: what myth stops educators from changing, and what you'd actually tell a ten-year-old about why they have to go to school.Laura Knight is a former teacher and school leader who now runs her own consultancy working on digital and AI strategy in education. She works with schools, trusts, and systems around the world, alongside a growing body of work with parents and families. She is currently writing a book for Hachette on helping parents navigate AI and technology, and is soon launching her own podcast, Switched On Parents.We cover:- What a genuinely "human-centred" approach to AI in schools actually looks like- Why innovation fatigue is hitting teachers and leaders so hard right now- Who really owns AI strategy in a school, and why that's often nobody- Whether education was ever less competitive than the tech sector- Why "slice teams" with diverse voices build better innovation than one appointed lead- The problem with AI and "personalisation" as it's currently being sold- What schools and teachers add to the mix when information is a click away- The difference between AI replacing teachers and AI filling genuine capacity gaps- Whether AI can meaningfully help the teacher recruitment and retention crisis- Using AI to build more joy and professional satisfaction into teaching- Advocacy versus evangelism, and why being in the room matters- What today's AI debates might look ridiculous in five years' timeChapters00:00 Highlights00:46 Welcome to the episode01:47 Edufuturists community news (Uprising 2027 & Wolfpack)02:59 Introducing Laura Knight03:59 What "human-centred AI" actually means07:31 Innovation fatigue and the noise around AI in schools10:36 Who actually owns AI strategy in a school?14:30 Education vs EdTech: who's really competition-driven?17:24 Building diverse "slice teams" for real innovation20:00 The truth about AI and personalised learning22:58 What schools add when knowledge is a click away24:18 Replacing teachers vs filling real gaps with AI27:44 Can AI solve the teacher recruitment crisis?29:42 Using AI to bring joy back into teaching32:47 Advocacy, not evangelism: why being in the room matters38:56 What will look ridiculous about AI in five years?42:05 Quickfire Questions45:06 Laura's new book and upcoming podcastFind out more about LauraThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you. Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Wolfpack Community

  2. 24 Aug

    Smart + Heart: Why Character Beats Control in Leadership with Stephen Klemich & Dave Jones (#358)

    In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben and Steve sit down with Dave Jones and Stephen "Klem" Klemich to unpack Heart Styles, the character development framework built on 18 years of research into what really drives effective leadership, teaching and learning.Dave Jones is the founder of Uplift, a coaching and leadership consultancy based in High Wycombe, UK. He is an accredited Heart Styles practitioner whose career has spanned youth work, church leadership, and running a school hub for Oasis UK's multi-academy trust in South London, before moving into full-time leadership consultancy.Klem is the co-founder of Heart Styles, a global character development methodology now used across corporate, education and sporting organisations. Based in Sydney, Australia, he spent over 40 years in people development and 18 years researching the principles behind effective and ineffective leadership behaviour.We cover:- What Heart Styles is and the 18-year research behind it- Why fear and ego-driven pride quietly sabotage classrooms and leadership teams- The shift from fight and flight into flow, and what it does to the brain- Why humility, not control, is what actually builds trust and results- Moving schools and organisations from a parent-child dynamic to adult-to-adult culture- The "smart plus heart" model for raising a whole person, not just a result- Why celebrating mistakes builds nimble, high-performing teams- Klem's own story of undiagnosed dyslexia and the teacher who nearly broke himWhy listen? If you lead a team, a classroom or a school and you've ever wondered why "getting tough" only works for so long, this conversation reframes leadership and teaching around humility and love as performance drivers, not soft add-ons. It's a direct challenge to fear-based, exam-obsessed culture in education, backed by two decades of research and lived experience.Chapters00:00 Highlights00:40 Introductions03:06 Meet Dave Jones03:47 Meet Stephen "Klem" Klemich04:53 Klem's origin story: moving schools, undiagnosed dyslexia, and finding purpose07:28 Dave's path from youth work to Heart Styles11:15 What is Heart Styles?11:57 18 years of research: fear, ego, humility and love17:53 Fight, flight and flow explained26:59 Why leadership is shifting toward vulnerability28:01 From parent-child to adult-adult culture34:26 The energy of humility vs ego37:17 Why control-based leadership fails long term40:14 Bringing love into work and education41:39 Klem's dyslexia story: the power of encouragement45:18 Quickfire QuestionsRead Dave's blog post about the Heart Styles ModelFind out more about Heart StylesGrab a copy of Klem's book, Above the LineThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsJoin the Wolfpack CommunityWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book

  3. 17 Aug

    Best Bits Part 17: The Conversations Still Bothering Us Weeks Later (#357)

    Seven episodes, one big question: are we still having the same education arguments in 2026 that we were having a decade ago? In this episode, we sit down for our bi-monthly review, running back through seven recent Edufuturists conversations, pulling out the best bits, the sharpest provocations, and the ideas that are still bothering us weeks later. From AI governance and permanent exclusion to kind leadership and adaptive teaching, this is the highlight reel of the highlight reel. We cover: - Why higher education keeps struggling to translate research into real technology decisions (Sara De Freitas) - Teaching computing without a single computer in the room, and why "play" is doing a lot of heavy lifting as a word in education (Shahneila Sayeed) - How one FE college built an AI agent to solve an admin problem nobody asked it to solve (Chris Loveday) - The permanent exclusion pipeline, and the long-term cost of putting a child "out of sight, out of mind" (Stephen Steinhaus) - Whether youth unemployment is a skills problem, a work-experience problem, or something education needs to own (Alex Lovitt and Stephanie Loeck) - AI literacy for students, teachers and parents and whether your school is quietly breaking the EU AI Act (Matthew Wemyss) - Why "adaptive teaching" might be the most honest description of what good teachers have always done (Andrew Young) - A late detour into Joanna Povall's Kind Leadership, and the real difference between being kind and being nice Why listen? If you only have time to catch one Edufuturists episode this month, this is it. Ben and Steve compress seven full conversations into 45 minutes of the arguments, contradictions and best lines, so you can decide which full episodes are worth your time, and walk away with the throughlines connecting all of them: too much curriculum, not enough trust, and an AI conversation education still hasn't caught up to. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:56 Welcome and Intros 05:23 Is HE ready for education technology? 08:51 Teaching computing without computers 16:02 AI beyond teachers and students 21:26 Blowing up the permanent exclusion pipeline 28:14 Is youth unemployment a crisis? 30:35 AI literacy, governance and the EU AI Act 36:05 Is school worth getting out of bed for? 40:23 Kind leadership vs nice leadership 43:33 Recommended reads and the Edufuturists Wolfpack 46:46 Close Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book Join the Wolfpack Community

  4. 10 Aug

    The Hardest Part of Teaching Isn't Workload with Grant Wootten (#356)

    What if the biggest problem in schools isn't teachers resisting change, it's that they're never given enough safety to try it? In this episode, Ben and Steve are joined by Grant Wootten, founder of Edusfere, to unpack why so much of a teacher's best work disappears the moment they leave a classroom and what it would take to stop the cycle. Grant spent a decade teaching in Southeast Asia, first with a nonprofit in rural Thailand and then at an international school in Bangkok, before founding Edusfere: a platform built to capture and preserve the instructional knowledge teachers create every day. He's recently relocated to the UK to lead Edusfere's expansion into the UK market. We cover: - Why teachers become "islands" and how decades of instructional knowledge gets lost every time someone leaves the profession - The real reason schools resist change and why psychological safety, not disruption, has to come first - What Grant believes is genuinely the hardest part of being a teacher today - Why EdTech should meet teachers where they already are instead of chasing flashy new features - A live debate: should the teacher or the learner sit at the centre of EdTech design? - Whether human-to-human "formation" is automatically better than a machine's and a story that complicates the answer - Why fear of conflict is quietly holding back adoption in education - How to bring your most resistant, most experienced teachers along for the ride Why listen? If you've ever watched brilliant teaching disappear into a filing cabinet or a departing colleague's laptop, this conversation names the problem precisely and makes the case that fixing it isn't about ripping up what works, but about giving teachers the safety net to build on it. Expect a genuinely sharp disagreement about whether AI or humans should sit at the centre of education, and a story from Ben that will make you think twice about assuming human-led always beats machine-led. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:30 Welcome back and the Wolfpack community update 03:25 Meet Grant Wootten: from Thai classrooms to EdTech founder 05:25 What is Edusfere and why target the UK market 07:53 Teachers are islands: the knowledge that gets lost every year 08:48 Ben's story: planning in silos at school 10:26 The hardest part of being a teacher today 15:51 Creating psychological safety before disruption 23:51 The role of EdTech in driving culture change 29:27 Should the teacher not the learner be at the centre? 33:26 Is human formation always a force for good? 38:36 Why we're afraid of conflict, and what it costs education 41:42 Bringing veteran, resistant teachers along 46:36 Three quick-fire questions with Grant Find out more about Edusfere Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you. Ben & Steve x Check out all about Edufuturists Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book Join the Wolfpack Community

  5. 3 Aug

    Is kindness a weakness in school leadership? with Joanna Povall (#355)

    Is kindness in school leadership a weakness, or is it the one thing that actually stops your best teachers walking out the door? In this episode of the podcast, Ben Whitaker and Steve Hope sit down with Joanna Povall, principal, COBIS lead improvement partner, and author of Kind Leadership: Leading Schools with Empathy, Honesty and Impact. Joanna has spent 30 years in education across the UK, France and the UAE, including running a school through genuine crisis conditions in Abu Dhabi, and now carries out school accreditation visits everywhere from Tokyo to Ascension Island. We cover: - Why Joanna wrote Kind Leadership after coming close to burnout in a school that turned toxic almost overnight - The difference between being nice and being kind, and why people confuse the two - - The Al Capone quote that shaped the whole book, and what it reveals about legacy and leadership The CHASE framework: Communication, Honesty, Accountability, Self-esteem and Ego - What COBIS accreditation actually looks like when it's done as a relationship, not an inspection - Whether leaders can be both liked and respected - Why teacher and headteacher retention is a leadership problem before it's anything else - Being kind to yourself, and the story behind the now-famous red jacket If you lead people, manage a team, or have ever worried that being kind makes you look weak, this conversation will change how you think about it. Joanna makes a compelling, funny, and occasionally uncomfortable case that kindness and accountability were never opposites. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 02:20 Welcome to the Edufuturists Podcast 04:14 Meet Joanna Povall: from Manchester to Abu Dhabi 06:11 Moving into international school leadership 08:53 A melting pot of cultures and communities 11:14 Inside COBIS: what accreditation really looks like 14:23 Why accreditation should build relationships, not fear 20:10 Introducing the book: Kind Leadership 20:41 The toxic experience that inspired the book 25:38 Kindness vs weakness: the Al Capone question 32:41 The CHASE Framework explained 37:31 The red jacket story: kindness to yourself 39:11 Can leaders be liked and respected? 48:48 Being kind to yourself as a leader 54:00 Quickfire Questions Grab a copy of Joanna's book Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you. Ben & Steve x Check out all about Edufuturists Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book Join the Edufuturists Wolfpack

  6. 27 Jul

    Is school actually worth getting out of bed for? with Andrew Young (#354)

    In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, we chat with Andrew Young, social sciences teacher, co-director of a Teaching School Hub in York, and author of Adaptive Teaching: Culture to Classroom, published by Crown House. Andrew has spent 14 years in education, from an unexpectedly early stint as deputy head of sixth form in London to his current role co-leading a hub supporting 250 schools a year across coastal, rural and urban North Yorkshire.We cover:- Why adaptive teaching depends on the local context a school sits in, not a one-size-fits-all playbook- What an inclusive classroom actually looks like when you strip away the jargon- Why high challenge has to be matched with high support, and how "we" beats "me"- The exam overload facing GCSE students and what it's doing to cognitive load- Why the curriculum needs more breadth: arts, dance, computing, AI and citizenship- The hidden financial barriers that stop disadvantaged pupils accessing enrichment- Why success shouldn't be measured by grades alone, and what schools can do instead- The four ingredients of adaptive teaching: culture, brains, teaching and curriculum- The danger of deficit language and labelling pupils by what they can't doIf you've ever wondered why some pupils switch off from school entirely, or you want practical ways to make classrooms work for every learner regardless of the label attached to them, this conversation gives you a genuine framework rather than another vague call to "differentiate more."Chapters00:00 Highlights01:53 Welcome to the podcast04:46 Andrew Young joins the show05:26 Andrew's journey into teaching08:12 Life as a Teaching School Hub co-director10:20 Why context matters for adaptive teaching15:57 Socialisation, homeschooling and alternative paths22:24 What does an inclusive classroom actually look like24:46 High challenge, high support and the power of "we"31:13 Rethinking a one-size-fits-all curriculum32:37 "Too many vegetarians dining in steakhouses"35:02 Assessment overload and broadening the curriculum37:21 Enrichment, disadvantage and hidden barriers41:34 Alternative pathways and shifting what success means44:03 Milestones, character and personal development47:23 The four ingredients of adaptive teaching53:37 Labels, deficit language and cognitive load55:19 Quickfire questions57:31 Wrap up and where to find the bookGrab a copy of Andrew's bookThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Edufuturists Wolfpack

  7. 20 Jul

    Is your school already breaking the law? EU AI Act, Deepfakes & AI Literacy w/ Matthew Wemyss (#353)

    In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben gets to sit down with AI pioneer and award-winning school leader Matthew Wemyss to unpack what AI literacy actually looks like when you stop treating it as a bolt-on subject and start building it into lessons teachers are already planning.Guest introMatthew Wemyss is Assistant School Director at the Cambridge School of Bucharest, a former Edufuturists AI Pioneer award winner, and founder of the AIDucation conference. He's the author of AI guides for teachers, students and (soon) parents, and creator of the AI Lit Kit - a tool that maps AI literacy activities directly onto existing lesson plans and curriculum standards.We cover:- Life inside a British international school in Bucharest and what makes international school culture different- Growing the AI Education conference from three workshops to hundreds of attendees, and what's next for 2027- Writing AI guides for teachers, students and now parents and why the tools change but the principles don't- Inside the AI Lit Kit: turning existing lesson plans into AI literacy opportunities without adding a new initiative- Navigating the EU AI Act, evolving deepfake definitions, and what schools are legally responsible for- Why "just try it and see what breaks" beats waiting for permissionWhy listenIf you're a school leader, teacher or parent trying to work out how AI literacy, compliance and everyday classroom practice actually fit together, without piling another initiative onto an already packed calendar, this conversation gives you a practical, grounded way to think about it, from someone living the compliance side and the classroom side at once.Chapters00:00 Highlights01:53 Welcome and Edufuturists updates03:59 Matthew's route into teaching09:03 Life in a British international school in Bucharest20:29 Building the AI Education conference25:53 Writing AI guides for teachers, students and parents30:36 Inside the AI Lit Kit38:30 Is AI illiteracy the real problem?42:39 EU AI Act, deepfakes and AI governance in schools49:34 Quick-fire questions53:12 Wrap-up and what's nextGrab a copy of Matthew's new AI book (which he wrote with Ben!)Check out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Wolfpack - our annual membership

  8. 13 Jul

    Is youth unemployment a crisis? with Alex Levit and Stephanie Loeck (#352)

    In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Alexandra Levit and Stephanie Loeck for a conversation about whether youth unemployment is really a "crisis" and what we should be doing about it either way. Alexandra Levit is a workforce futurist who has spent over two decades tracking the disconnect between what education provides and what employers actually need. Stephanie Loeck is VP of Strategic Development at GPS Education Partners, a nonprofit that bridges education and industry through work-based learning, a model borne out of a very real local talent 'crisis' rather than theory. Together they've co-written Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning, and their combined lens - one futurist, one practitioner - is exactly what makes this conversation land. We cover: - Whether youth unemployment is a genuine "crisis" or a slower-moving "wicked problem" - The demographic cliff, labour shortages, and the "twindemic" reshaping the future workforce - Why this is as much a moral and equity issue as an economic one - The "presentist" trap - why business adapts fast and education doesn't, and what that costs young people - Why "preparing young people for work" is the wrong goal and what to aim for instead - AI, curiosity, and the "four A's" of authentic work-based learning- Real examples of applying work-based learning thinking to your own kids' choices Whether you're a parent, teacher, school or college leader, or someone shaping policy around education and work, this episode will change how you think about what young people actually need to be ready for their future. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:16 Welcome to the podcast 02:49 Meet the guests 03:09 Alexandra Levit: workforce futurist 06:12 Stephanie Loeck: GPS Education Partners 09:27 Crisis or wicked problem? 13:07 The moral and equity crisis underneath it all 14:34 Presentism: why business and education move at different speeds 17:00 Why GPS Ed was built to solve a real local talent crisis 20:43 Inside the Make School Work framework 27:27 Anxiety, agency, and what work-based learning is really for 30:24 Preparing young people for the world, not just for work 34:33 AI, UBI, and the future of work 40:48 Applying work-based learning to your own kids 43:13 Curiosity beyond employment 45:55 AI and the four A's of work-based learning 50:28 Quick fire questionsThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about Edufuturists Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book

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About

We are led to believe that the education system will continually evolve to meet the needs of learners and society. This has not happened. We need a revolution!

Information

  • Creator
    Edufuturists
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    417
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Edufuturists
  • Show Website
    Edufuturists

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