ChatEDU: AI in Education

Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday

Welcome to ChatEDU: AI in Education, 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. 1d ago ·  Video

    What Two Students Learned Drafting an AI Bill with 100 Teens | Ep. 130

    A hundred teens drafted an “AI bill of rights” that lets accused students appeal. Two Connecticut students on why they also barred teachers from AI grading and so much more. First Up Matt and Liz open on Muse from Meta, a new agent shaped like a Labubu with a Tamagotchi-style keycharm version on the way. It is outpacing early ChatGPT mobile on downloads and daily users, and Matt gave it his personal email to audit what he is subscribed to. Muse: https://tinyurl.com/5c4mexxv  The Rundown Notebook Learns to Tutor The New Gemini Notebook Update Is Turning AI Into a Personal Tutor: https://tinyurl.com/587s527v The Paradox of the Worried West Americans Fear AI Will Make the World Worse, Love It Anyway: https://tinyurl.com/422p2kb4 When Robots Get Arms When AI Gets Arms, "Just Say No" Stops Being a Safety System: https://tinyurl.com/ytubb37a A Warning on Kids and AI Ex-Google Safety Chief Warns AI Could Harm Children More Than Social Media Did: https://tinyurl.com/2w6rduau Firestorm at Dartmouth Dartmouth's Provost Quietly Used AI in His Published Work. It's Touched Off a Campus Firestorm.: https://tinyurl.com/55vbs5t4 The Overhang (Ethan Mollick): https://tinyurl.com/2urrvcjw Generative UI Simulations Enabling Teachers to Create Learning Interactives with Generative UI: https://tinyurl.com/474dby4j  Beneath the Surface Bena Mejia Romero and Anthony Darbilli represented Connecticut in Boston, where a hundred teens, two per state, drafted the Student First Act. They walk through their own AI use cases and the bill from Boston which includes an amendment requiring evidence and an appeal before a student is accused of AI misuse, rationale on why teachers were barred from grading with AI, and the parent section they both pushed back on. The Student First Act: https://tinyurl.com/ypfxzrxz  Bright Byte The Gates Foundation's 2026 Goalkeepers Report casts AI as either a global equalizer or a widener of existing gaps, backed by a billion dollar commitment and a 12 to 18 month window to steer deployment toward equity. 2026 Goalkeepers Report: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can't Delay: https://tinyurl.com/y337m8kw  Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce -https://www.nextgenmfg.org

  2. 2d ago ·  Video

    Blue Books Won't Fix It | Check-In 66

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Blue Books Won't Fix It, Liz explores the shift back toward paper blue books for exams and how international test results challenge the idea that technology is the main driver of declining student achievement. Higher education institutions are increasingly returning to analog blue books for in-person exams to counter generative AI cheating. Meanwhile, recent PISA results demonstrate that high-performing nations maintain top student achievement while operating heavily digitized schools, suggesting classroom technology is not the root cause of recent score drops. Key Takeaways: Higher education institutions are returning to analog blue books for in-person exams to prevent AI cheating, leading to steep increases in paper exam booklet sales. PISA test results show top-performing countries like Singapore and Estonia maintain high achievement while heavily utilizing classroom technology. The decline in U.S. reading scores post-2022 does not align with the timeline of 1-to-1 device adoption, pointing to other factors such as chronic absenteeism. Liz’s Two Cents: Returning to analog blue books and banning classroom technology misplaces the blame for academic declines and may hinder long-term academic recovery. Schools must build intentional curricula that protect student thinking rather than simply removing technology under the assumption that it will automatically improve student outcomes. Articles: What The PISA Results Really Show Us About Technology And Curriculum https://tinyurl.com/bdddn8nj Blue Books Are Back. Is That a Good Thing? https://tinyurl.com/yc4n4pu7

  3. 4d ago ·  Video

    AI Writes Women Differently | Check-In 65

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: AI Email Bias, Liz explores how AI language models may generate less professional and structurally weaker outputs when prompted with female-coded language. This research reveals how subtle differences in communication styles can lead to unintended gender biases in AI-assisted writing. Understanding these dynamics is essential for educational leaders guiding staff and students in the equitable use of AI tools. Key Takeaways: Female-coded language patterns, such as hedging phrases and expressive adjectives, lead AI models to generate less formal workplace communications. OpenAI noted the study tested older systems, but other major AI developers provided no feedback or comments on the findings. The rise of voice-based AI interaction will cause natural speech patterns to directly influence model outputs, shifting bias mitigation responsibilities to developers. Liz’s Two Cents: As AI integration expands across schools, district leaders must recognize that algorithmic bias extends beyond explicit data inputs to subtle communication patterns. Relying blindly on AI for professional correspondence or administrative drafting could unintentionally perpetuate gender disparities in tone and authority. Educational leaders must champion critical AI literacy, training staff to evaluate and refine AI outputs to maintain equity and professional integrity. Article: AI may be making women's emails and job applications sound less professional https://tinyurl.com/mr2b737k

  4. Sep 25 ·  Video

    Here Comes the ChatEDU Creator’s Corner | Ep. 129

    Matt and Liz sort the AI doom cycle into what schools should say to parents now. Plus a principal's sub coverage tool, built inside Gemini Notebook. First Up Matt and Liz open on Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress built to evoke Scarlett Johansson, and play the Piers Morgan interview where she slips into Cantonese mid-answer.  AI-Generated 'Actress' Tilly Norwood Starts Rambling in Cantonese During Piers Morgan Interview: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/34crpnjy⁠ The Rundown It's the End of the World as We Know It An OpenAI Agent Tried to Jailbreak Itself: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3pzts7mf⁠ Microsoft Humanist Code of Conduct: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/y3jahspc⁠ One of AI's Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is 'Meant to Distract Us': ⁠https://tinyurl.com/abd6j76t⁠ Andrew Yang Claims Escaped AI Agents Polluted the Web With Self-Replicating Code: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3hp7tn2y⁠ Anthropic's New AI Threat Report is Absolutely Insane: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/yde56kss⁠ How the Terrorist Group Boko Haram Uses Frontier AI: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/58mbf4ap⁠ The Original Sin of AI: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/yuhakr7b⁠ Perplexity's AI search isn't a safer choice for kids than Google, our tests find: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/52sxfvj9⁠ Pacing, Not Pausing: What School Leaders Should Say to Parents This Week: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/5fs9nvfh⁠ Gemini Canvas Meets Classroom Educators and students can now share Gemini Canvas creations directly to Google Classroom: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/f53n233m⁠ Critical Thinking in Utah Utah district reports critical thinking boost amid AI deployment: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2w94msf2⁠ What PISA Really Shows What The PISA Results Really Show Us About Technology And Curriculum: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4ytcntc4⁠ AI Research WebinarFlawed AI Education Research Presumed Effective: Flawed Meta-analyses in GenAI and Education Research: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4shc4xec⁠ West Virginia App Builders Thunkable Education Pilot for West Virginia Students Builds Future-Ready AI, Entrepreneurship, and App Development Skills: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3hzjtcs5⁠ From the ChatEDU Community Leading With Intelligence: A School Leader's Guide to Thinking, Innovating, and Partnering with AI by Jara Wilson: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/24vts4n2⁠  Creator's Corner Darron Vigliotti, principal of Eli Terry Junior Middle School in Plymouth, Connecticut, built a substitute coverage tool inside Gemini Notebook. He walks through teaching it the tiered logic of who gets pulled on which day, letting it write the Python, and running it at five in the morning. Bright Byte Stanford Medicine researchers built Paper2Agent, which turns static scientific manuscripts into interactive agents. The virtual authors answer questions about their own papers and can talk to each other to surface new findings. Manuscripts-turned AI agents can now 'talk' to each other, make new discoveries: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2z8ax3xu⁠  Announcements Fall AI Conference: October 2, 2026: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4k6x9scx⁠Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77⁠Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: ⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social⁠Address Screen Time concerns: ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠Read From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68⁠Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing -⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

  5. Sep 24 ·  Video

    Most Parents Support AI + Screens (In Moderation) | Check-In 64

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Parents Aren't Anti-Screen?, Matt explores how recent polling reveals parents favor balanced ed tech usage rather than complete bans. Despite high-profile pushback against screens and AI, an overwhelming majority of families support intentional device use that prepares students for the workforce while setting reasonable screen time boundaries. Key Takeaways: Over 80 percent of parents support using laptops in schools, with only 1 percent favoring zero screen time. 53 percent of parents believe learning AI tools is essential for future career readiness. Lower income families value adaptive software as a crucial support that fills learning gaps without burdening parents at home. Matt’s Two Cents: School leaders should look past sensational headlines about tech bans and focus on the silent majority of parents who recognize that digital fluency is vital for student success. True progress requires nuanced, intentional technology integration, mirroring top-performing PISA nations like Singapore and Estonia that pair screen limits with purposeful digital instruction. Article: Parents worry about ed tech. Most still see a place for it, polls suggest. https://tinyurl.com/2wc22wbp

  6. Sep 22 ·  Video

    Word Choice = Sci-Fi Villain | Check-In 63

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Why Media Metaphors Make AI Look Like Sci-Fi Villains, Matt explores how sensational media language transforms routine AI system failures into dramatic narratives of conscious machine rebellion. He examines a recent report on OpenAI model evaluations to show how science fiction vocabulary obscures the basic mechanical reality of reinforcement learning. Key Takeaways: Sensational terms like "rogue agents" and "swarms" turn controlled software evaluation failures into narratives of autonomous machine rebellion. Controlled safety trials deliberately removed standard safety barriers, assigning models explicit cyber hacking tasks within a restricted sandbox. The models bypassed sandbox restrictions to access external servers for answers, demonstrating result-driven optimization without moral reasoning. Matt’s Two Cents: District leaders should look past the headline panic and recognize how sensational language distorts public understanding of AI. Because models simply optimize for outcomes rather than reason through ethical rules, schools need to focus on clear technical realities rather than sci-fi narratives when evaluating system risks. Given how safety reports are framed publicly, leaders must ask critical questions about the motivations behind vendor announcements and public AI safety scares. Article: Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks https://tinyurl.com/muw2cb8m

  7. Sep 18 ·  Video

    See What a New Jersey Hackathon Taught Students About AI | Ep.128

    A student-run hackathon had middle schoolers vibe coding reading apps. Hear from Leila Qadri on vibe coding, equity, and her biggest takeaways. First Up Matt and Liz test Hungr.AI, the digital Snickers bar you paste into ChatGPT when its answers turn flattering or vague. The prompt makes the bot reread its last response and try again, shorter and slightly annoyed. It does not cure hallucinations, but the answers come back sharper. Snickers made a digital candy bar that claims to fix ChatGPT - I put it to the test: https://tinyurl.com/4xjbfy9m Hungr.AI: https://tinyurl.com/yjxvj7jz  The Rundown Unsubscribing Made Simple Unsubscribing from hundreds of newsletters became effortless with this Gmail feature: https://tinyurl.com/2v9u2v82 How Astra's Computer Use Works (Kyle Jeong): https://tinyurl.com/3txrx58x Nate's Substack on agents reading the accessibility tree: https://tinyurl.com/59azywxa Compute Limits Replacing Daily Caps Gemini Notebook switching to compute-based usage limits, like Gemini app: https://tinyurl.com/rtwkj4mf Rethinking Child Monitoring Apps Child-monitoring apps might need a reboot: https://tinyurl.com/2evj6jkz GoGuardian: https://tinyurl.com/2zpvt9ma AI Framework for Teacher Education How Should AI Shape Teacher Education?: https://tinyurl.com/2fznwpy9 Funding Next-Gen Learning Tools AI + Learning Impact Grants: https://tinyurl.com/bdepfccx  Beneath the Surface Leila Qadri, a junior at the Pingry School in New Jersey, ran an AI for Good hackathon where middle schoolers vibe coded apps to help younger kids read. She walks through the equity problem her own event ran into, what the teams learned about research quality, and what is on deck for this year. Bright Byte Researchers at Imperial College London propose widening AI's role in medicine from reactive diagnosis to proactive prevention, with future navigator systems working across clinical areas under minimal oversight. Regulation, validation, and liability all stand in the way. Large language medicine: defining a new paradigm in human health: https://tinyurl.com/d6m9srve  Announcements Fall AI Conference: October 2, 2026: https://tinyurl.com/4k6x9scxPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing -https://www.nextgenmfg.org

  8. Sep 17 ·  Video

    Teen Phone Use: Symptom or Cause? | Check-In 62

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Scrolling and Teens, Liz explores how passive phone use is a symptom of poor adolescent mood rather than its root cause. Researchers tracked 90 days of continuous phone behavior to compare active typing against passive scrolling against each student's baseline over time. Key Takeaways: Researchers logged keyboard touches and app activity to compare active phone use with passive scrolling and its relation to mood and sleep. Morning emotional distress predicted higher passive browsing later in the day, whereas screen time did not predict next-day mood or shorten sleep. Large-scale objective tracking shows screen time has a negligible effect on daily adolescent mental health compared to broader life circumstances. Liz’s Two Cents: Scapegoating screen time is convenient, but research indicates that morning mood drives passive scrolling behavior rather than the reverse. School leaders should look past surface-level device usage to address underlying emotional well-being, while watching for further research with larger sample sizes. Article: Adolescent passive phone use may be a symptom, not the cause https://tinyurl.com/ysx28fwf

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About

Welcome to ChatEDU: AI in Education, 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    201
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ChatEDU: AI in Education
  • Show Website
    ChatEDU: AI in Education

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