ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • 4.9 (47)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast , your go-to podcast for insightful discussions on the intersection of AI and education! Hosted by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, and Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research & Innovation, this podcast explores the dynamic landscape of education technology.

  1. 2d ago

    Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here | Ep. 118

    In this episode of ChatEDU, Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here, Matt and Liz open with the perils of being an author, including AI-generated knockoffs flooding Apple Books and Amazon with hallucinated covers and nonsensical content. The Rundown Google added short-form vertical AI video to NotebookLM, and Gemini launched study notebooks, which generate a diagnostic quiz from uploaded materials and build adaptive lessons around the results. As AI automates routine tasks, an op-ed in The 74 argues employers increasingly value durable skills like collaboration and real-time problem solving, and that theater, debate, sports, and student government are where students actually build them. Lawmakers in 27 states have introduced bills this session covering classroom AI guidelines, guardrails, and AI literacy standards. The rapid expansion of AI data centers is placing massive strain on energy grids, with some districts forced to dim school lights to manage skyrocketing utility costs during summer heat waves. The episode examines the environmental costs of AI, noting that many data centers must rely on backup gas turbines during peak grid demand, which contributes to local air quality issues. The Beneath the Surface The hosts compare two contrasting perspectives on the future of education. They analyze a Reddit-based study revealing an adversarial ecosystem of mutual distrust regarding academic integrity and student anxiety, and contrast this with the inspirational student-led innovation Liz witnessed firsthand at the ISTE conference in Orlando. The Bright Byte The episode concludes by highlighting the Elephant Alert AI early detection system, which uses artificial intelligence to help local villages and forest departments prevent fatal human-wildlife encounters in India. Say hi to Matt on the road:  NAESP - July 14th https://www.naesp.org/events/ AESA - July 15th https://www.aesa.us/summer-leadership-conference/ New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11th https://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCE RIACTE - August 14th https://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conference Say hi to Liz on the Road: Bridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge - July 21-22 https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQ Global Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchanges https://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHg  Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠  Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠ Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠  Sponsors The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links AI-generated knockoffs of Joanna Stern's book keep appearing on Apple Books https://tinyurl.com/45ehzuy3 Google NotebookLM expands AI video features with 60-second shorts https://tinyurl.com/3bjtbtke In the Age of AI, Everyone Should Be Hiring Theater Kids https://tinyurl.com/yc4uht2w Legislative Tracker: 2026 State AI in Education Bills https://tinyurl.com/3xx4d89j The AI boom is colliding with a new threat: Severe weather https://tinyurl.com/59jdbas7 They Welcomed 37 Data Centers to Town. Now Their Schools Have to Dim the Lights to Cut Energy Costs https://tinyurl.com/2u4z8xtz Energy Dept. Orders Data Centers to Tap Backup Power https://tinyurl.com/5xm8wkte ChatGPT vs Teachers vs Students: Large-Scale Analysis of Generative AI Discourse https://tinyurl.com/5ez949cu Elephant alert! AI warning systems aim to avoid deadly clashes https://tinyurl.com/3n3xe7x3

    1 hr

  2. 3d ago

    How Queer Youth Navigate AI | Check-In 42

    “In this ChatEDU Check-In: How queer youth navigate AI, Liz explores how LGBTQ+ young people interact with artificial intelligence tools, focusing on their ethical stances and unique use cases." This episode highlights a recent study examining the contrast between queer youth and their peers regarding AI avoidance, privacy, and support structures. Key Takeaways: LGBTQ+ youth are significantly more likely to be conscious abstainers, with 34% avoiding AI due to ethical and environmental concerns compared to just 13.5% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers. When queer youth do use AI, they are more likely to hide their usage from others, a behavior that correlates with higher reported levels of anxiety and isolation. AI tools often serve as a secondary support system for processing difficult circumstances, acting as a temporary substitute when human networks or healthcare resources feel unsafe or unavailable. Liz’s Two Cents: The reliance of queer youth on AI for guidance and support is not a testament to the strength of the technology, but rather an exposure of systemic weaknesses in our traditional human networks. For school districts, this highlights a critical need to create safer, more accessible real-world environments and healthcare resources so students do not have to turn to biased automated systems as a fallback for human connection. Article: “It’s there when people aren’t” What LGBTQ+ young people are finding in AI, and where they draw the line https://bit.ly/4wlL3e6

    4 min

  3. 5d ago

    An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom | Check-In 41

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom, Liz explores a professor's decision to award perfect scores and cancel a final assignment after discovering widespread AI use. The episode highlights the growing tension between authentic student learning and AI detection in education. Key Takeaways: A professor gave all students full credit to avoid becoming a punitive detective focused on surveillance rather than teaching. Outsourcing academic writing to AI deprives students of essential long-term communication, reasoning, and advocacy skills. The unearned perfect scores were intended as a severe warning about future professional and personal consequences rather than a reward. Liz’s Two Cents: When grading becomes an adversarial game of AI detection, the core purpose of teaching degrades. If education is treated as a purely transactional exercise where students use shortcuts, educators cannot be expected to care more about the learning process than the students themselves. District leaders must confront how AI integration threatens to shift the focus from genuine feedback to counterproductive policing. Article: Professor gives his class perfect scores after realizing most were cheating on their final papers https://bit.ly/4giwL9E

    4 min

  4. Jul 3

    Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way) | Ep. 117

    In this episode of ChatEDU Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way), Matt and Liz kick it off with an informal pop quiz distinguishing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) from Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and then Artificial Slider Intelligence (ASI-2 - as in burgers). They dive into a study from NPJ Science of Food detailing this new ASI coined by Ethan Mollick where researchers utilized a two-stage generative AI diffusion model to analyze human food data and successfully generate optimized, nutritious, and sustainable burger recipes. The Rundown The state passed a comprehensive piece of artificial intelligence legislation establishing a statewide AI academy and a higher education alliance, while requiring every public school district to integrate computer science and AI into its curriculum. A major sweep of ecosystem updates from Orlando includes new Gemini features like study notebooks and expanded exam prep, alongside fresh Chromebook tool locks and massive google.org funding investments for non-profits like AIEDU. Spurred by a listener tip and an analytical piece in Wired Magazine, the hosts discuss a growing European movement to establish localized tech platforms and break free from a reliance on American big tech infrastructure. The Beneath the Surface High school English teacher and Connecticut Teacher of the Year semifinalist Kate Avcollie joins the show to discuss her classroom strategies for shifting student focus away from simple compliance and toward authentic cognition. She details how she utilizes custom chatbot "Gems" as structured interventions to pressure test student ideas, requiring them to unpack and annotate their logic. This process ultimately makes student thinking entirely visible and elevates classroom rigor during live evaluations like Socratic seminars and shark tank presentations. The Bright Byte The episode closes with a positive look at Intercept, a new 500 million dollar philanthropic initiative aiming to eliminate common respiratory infections like colds and the flu. The project relies heavily on advanced AI protein design tools like AlphaFold to engineer specialized molecules and create broad spectrum treatments without harmful side effects. Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠  Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠ Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠  Links The Visible Thinker thevisiblethinker.com Generative artificial intelligence creates burgers https://tinyurl.com/mw4cjy2w Connecticut AI law could reshape how students learn from kindergarten to college https://tinyurl.com/5n6nekdp Google for Education Launch Guide: ISTE Orlando 2026 https://tinyurl.com/37uu4nvk Google.org is funding three long-term partners on education and AI https://tinyurl.com/4txc8cax Patricia Rootsaert https://tinyurl.com/yc62h3pc CIV AI www.civai.eu Europe Is Fed Up and Wants Its Own AI https://tinyurl.com/3n8kk24h Intercept: Ending Respiratory Infections https://tinyurl.com/mrxxfbk5

    1h 4m

  5. Jun 26

    Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA | Ep. 116

    In this episode of ChatEDU, Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA, Matt and Liz kick it off with a hilarious look at the "In the Weights" web app, a tool that reveals how people are represented inside AI models when offline. They discover that the app identifies their boss, Jon Costa, as a prominent Brazilian funk singer from Rio de Janeiro known by his stage name, John John. The Rundown Overture Games, an after-school program in Chicago and Boston, teaches elementary students foundational AI concepts with paper and pencil instead of screens. The National Council of Teachers of English released a first-of-its-kind framework guiding ELA educators on critical thinking and ethical AI integration. A group of UK teenagers trained a private AI model on two decades of past exam papers to predict up to 90% of their national exam questions. Norway introduced a near-total ban on generative AI for elementary students while allowing cautious, supervised use for secondary learners. A grant-funded partnership between The College of New Jersey and Mercer County Technical Schools trains high school students in AI and robotics for the workforce. A German court ruled that Google is legally liable for misinformation appearing in its automated AI search summaries, rejecting traditional free speech protections for the technology. 48 state attorneys general are examining OpenAI regarding model sycophancy and related platform problems for consumers and citizens in the US.  Anthropic announced a 150 million dollar national fellowship program to place 1,000 early career professionals inside American non profit organizations to expand AI infrastructure. The Beneath the Surface Matt talks with MasterClass founder and CEO David Rogier about generative AI and education: how language models are reshaping business, challenging the traditional MBA, and creating new opportunities and risks for organizations. The Bright Byte The episode closes with Dr. Francesca Dominici's Harvard National Institute of Health lecture on her lab's foundation model, which merges health records, census data, and US Medicare data to forecast extreme-weather adaptation while reckoning with data-center energy use. Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠  Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠ Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠ Sponsors The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links MasterClass Executive https://mstr.cl/ExecutiveChatEDU In the Weights https://tinyurl.com/4xdktpdh After-school program teaching kids to use ai without screens https://tinyurl.com/ya3r7htr Artificial Intelligence English Language Arts Framework for ELA Teachers in Grades 6-12 https://tinyurl.com/4tsfhsca How a group of teens might have just used AI to accurately predict this year’s exam questions https://tinyurl.com/2v5hn2dc Norway imposes near ban on AI in elementary school https://tinyurl.com/ynxer75e TCNJ and Mercer County Technical Schools launch AI and robotics dual enrollment pathway to build New Jersey’s future workforce https://tinyurl.com/5n8bw5ck A Court Has Ruled That Google Is Liable for False Statements Generated by AI Overviews https://tinyurl.com/5akf55xy OpenAI Investigated by Coalition of State Attorneys General https://tinyurl.com/bp9c8uv7 Reducing Burden, Increasing Impact https://tinyurl.com/2sb4yprv Introducing Claude Corps https://tinyurl.com/2syyz8rd AI: Solution or Obstacle for Healthy Adaptation to Extreme Weather Events? https://tinyurl.com/573f553m

    1h 6m

  6. Jun 25

    How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 2 | Check-In 40

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Teens, Tweens, and AI Part Two: AI Use Outside of School, Matt explores how youth are interacting with artificial intelligence platforms outside the classroom for personal, social, and emotional reasons. The discussion centers on data from the 2026 Common Sense Media study, highlighting both the risks of social isolation and the potential for productive tool use. Key Takeaways: Frequent AI use correlates with increased feelings of social isolation among teenagers, suggesting digital platforms may be replacing traditional face-to-face coping mechanisms. Youth are increasingly bypassing peers and adults, relying on automated systems for personal advice, health queries, and long-term life guidance. A significant literacy gap exists, as only about one third of students realize AI cannot distinguish between fact and fiction, leading to unearned trust in chatbot accuracy. Matt’s Two Cents: While schools have heavily focused on creating policies around AI cheating, there is a glaring oversight regarding AI literacy and general digital fluency. District leaders need to recognize that students are turning to AI as life coaches and health advisors without understanding how these systems work. Because nearly half of students have never discussed AI with their families, districts must expand their instructional focus beyond academic integrity to help students critically evaluate AI outputs and safely navigate these tools outside of school. Article: A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AI https://tinyurl.com/f8s35yyz

    4 min

  7. Jun 23

    How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 1 | Check-In 39

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens (2026), Matt explores how students are leaning on AI to complete their schoolwork. A substantial majority of children are incorporating these automated platforms regularly into their daily routines. This rapid integration is fundamentally changing how students approach their assignments both at home and within the classroom. Key Takeaways: An overwhelming 85 percent of kids who utilize AI use it for homework, with 30 percent of high school students relying on it on a daily basis. Students facing academic difficulty, particularly regarding focus and persistence, report a significantly higher frequency of turning to AI for help. Schools are prioritizing plagiarism prevention and policy disclosures over deeper digital literacy, leaving half of students without training on how to evaluate information accuracy. Matt’s Two Cents: The speed of AI adoption is drastically outpacing institutional instruction, leaving a dangerous gap in student fluency. While districts are quick to lay down restrictive guardrails and policy guidelines, they are failing to have meaningful adult conversations with students about navigating these tools safely. School leaders need to move beyond simple acceptable use boundaries and actively teach students how to question and verify automated output, transforming AI from a blind shortcut into an intentional learning coach. Article: A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AI https://tinyurl.com/f8s35yyz

    5 min

  8. Jun 19

    Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI | Ep. 115

    In this episode of ChatEDU, Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI, Matt and Liz open with a wild legal story out of Mississippi, where a federal judge canceled a trial and disqualified all four lawyers after attorneys on both sides were caught using generative AI that cited fabricated court cases. The Rundown Matt and Liz celebrate the regional winners at the White House, including educator Anne Win and her AP Biology students' AI work. A free new resource using real-world AI scenarios and the SEE framework to help families and educators navigate AI in education. Google partners with ISTE and ASCD to launch free, self-paced micro-credentials for teachers, including intro courses on Gemini, NotebookLM, and vibe coding. Meta launches a $115M academy to train local workers in data center construction, alongside a similar $50M Google program. OpenAI selects 26 university innovators for its inaugural cohort, giving them model access and $10,000 grants to build solutions from disaster detection to audio learning games. The hosts look at Google's experimental "Dream Beans" photo feed, "momfluencers" pitching ChatGPT as a co-parent, and Hasbro's AI Mr. Potato Head. Google's CEO delivers a Stanford commencement address avoiding AI entirely, following recent graduation walkouts and protests. A recent Wired investigation finds that Elon Musk's Grok still generates non-consensual explicit deepfakes of prominent women. Anthropic complies with US government regulations by blocking access to its Mythos and Fable models for non-Americans and foreign employees within the country. While NAEP showed slight literacy gains for nine-year-olds, an Axios report highlights millions of low-literacy adult workers using AI to mask reading and writing gaps. The Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz dig into the Genesee Valley BOCES "Teaching About AI" report, which lays out eight provocations and argues that librarians are the most vital leaders for district-wide AI integration. The Bright Byte Mayo Clinic researchers have validated an AI model that scans routine CT scans to flag pancreatic cancer up to three years before diagnosis, roughly doubling specialists' early-detection rate. Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠  Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠ Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠  Links Presidential AI Challenge Champions https://tinyurl.com/yt55wrju SEE GenAI Literacy Snapshot https://tinyurl.com/yt2fxr3r Google AI Educator Series on Teaching with AI https://tinyurl.com/2pzdfse2 Meta launches $115 million data center job guarantee https://tinyurl.com/3wrv43me Growing the next generation of American workers https://tinyurl.com/ytbp7jn5 OpenAI names first ChatGPT Futures class to back student AI projects https://tinyurl.com/mpb6amc4 Momfluencers Are Pitching AI as a Better ‘Coparent’ Than Men https://tinyurl.com/36dzrmyc Hasbro to license AI versions of Mr. Potato Head https://tinyurl.com/2x27mz3m Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act https://tinyurl.com/mupadpn9 Google CEO skips AI in Stanford commencement address https://tinyurl.com/4746h6re Grok Is Still Hosting Sexualized Deepfakes https://tinyurl.com/mttanc48 Students show gains in reading and math https://tinyurl.com/yrwc4vj5 AI is masking America's "post-literate" workforce https://tinyurl.com/jt2ke2ej Teaching About AI: A Report for the K-12 Field https://tinyurl.com/zfkthmzu Mayo Clinic AI detects cancer 3 years before diagnosis https://tinyurl.com/5dpbk4bt

    1h 3m
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4.9
out of 5
47 Ratings

About

Welcome to ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast , your go-to podcast for insightful discussions on the intersection of AI and education! Hosted by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, and Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research & Innovation, this podcast explores the dynamic landscape of education technology.

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