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Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

By: Palmer Media
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 At the intersection of learning, media, and the future of work, join us each week as we sense and discover where the future of education is heading. Join host Mike Palmer, the Founder of Palmer Media, as he engages with thought leaders, pioneers, and entrepreneurs exploring the cutting edge of learning in these tumultuous times.Copyright Palmer Media 2025. All Rights Reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Reimagining Teaching, Learning, and Talent with Sunanna Chand ED of the Reinvention Lab at TFA

    Reimagining Teaching, Learning, and Talent with Sunanna Chand ED of the Reinvention Lab at TFA
    Dec 19 2025
    In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Sunanna Chand, Executive Director of the Reinvention Lab at Teach For America (TFA). As the leader of TFA’s future-of-learning R&D engine, Chand is tasked with a formidable challenge: bridging the gap between a 19th-century education system and the demands of the 21st-century world. The conversation explores the Lab’s "Radical Departures" framework, a mental model designed to shift the paradigm of how we define the why, what, where, and how of learning. Chand challenges the false dichotomy between academic rigor and student engagement, arguing for a "both/and" approach that prioritizes community achievement over individualized test scores. From exploring "credit flexibility" policies that allow students to learn outside school walls to reimagining the role of the educator in an AI-driven landscape, Chand offers a hopeful vision for a profession rooted in human connection and the "care economy". Key Takeaways Moving Beyond the "Banking Theory": Why the traditional model of a teacher delivering information to passive students is insufficient for a world where information is ubiquitous. Reimagining Chronic Absenteeism: How "present to learning by being absent from school" models allow students to gain graduation credit for interests pursued in their communities. The AI-Proof Profession: Why teaching remains a "smart bet" for the next generation, as neurobiological learning depends on human belonging and relational intelligence. The Educator as Orchestrator: A vision for the future where educators manage ecosystems of human support and AI agents rather than just delivering a curriculum. Why You Should Listen: If you are concerned about the current state of teacher burnout and student disengagement, this episode provides more than just a critique; it offers a roadmap for structural change. Sunanna Chand explains how the Reinvention Lab uses research and development to find the "future educator" and why the most valuable skills in an automated world—judgment, ethics, and care—are precisely those honed in the classroom. It is a deep dive into how we can use technology to reinvent rather than merely optimize an outdated system. Subscribe to ⁠Trending in Education⁠ wherever you get your podcasts to stay ahead of the curve on the future of learning. Time Stamps 00:00 - Intro and Sunanna’s background in Cleveland and Pittsburgh 05:45 - The Mission of the Reinvention Lab at Teach For America 07:55 - Radical Departures: Redefining the "Why" and "What" of learning 12:45 - Credit Flexibility: Learning outside the four walls of the classroom 15:35 - Breaking the false dichotomy of rigor vs. relevance 19:40 - The "With Whom": Reimagining the role of the educator in the age of AI 24:30 - Why teaching is a smart career bet for Gen Z 27:45 - Combatting burnout through human connection and "Ignite" tutoring 31:45 - Closing thoughts: Building an ecosystem of reinvention
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    33 mins
  • Skills, AI, and the Transformation of Education with Josh Jones, CEO of QuantHub

    Skills, AI, and the Transformation of Education with Josh Jones, CEO of QuantHub
    Dec 16 2025
    Host Mike Palmer interviews Joshua Jones, CEO and Founder of QuantHub, an AI company focused on education and skills development. Jones, who previously co-founded the data science consulting firm StrategyWise, explains that QuantHub originated as an internal tool before spinning out to focus on delivering micro-learning chunks that target individual learners' specific needs. Jones offers sharp insights into the AI revolution: he argues that the focus has shifted from data science to tech literacy, including AI literacy, and understanding the "art of the possible." He emphasizes that successful AI implementation requires human factors and change management, noting that smart models will fail without proper "boots in the ground" support. Delving into the accelerating pace of change, Jones cites World Economic Forum data showing that critical thinking and creativity are increasing in importance for employers, while foundational skills like reading, writing, and math are decreasing. This suggests that understanding why you're using a tool is more critical than knowing the tool itself. The report also indicates that the structural job churn rate has jumped from an estimated 1% to about 4.5% per year, making continuous learning a necessity. Jones also tracks emerging technologies like quantum computing and robotics, predicting a significant market impact from 3D environment technologies around 2028. Here are the slides Josh references during the episode. Key Takeaways: - Skills Evolution: Critical thinking and tech literacy (including AI literacy) are becoming more valuable than specific technology skills as tools constantly change. - AI Implementation: Successful AI integration requires human support and change management; smart models can fail if people feeding them data don't understand the value of the technology. - Pace of Change: The speed of change in industry is quickening. The structural job churn rate has jumped from about 1% to about 4.5% per year, making continuous learning a necessity to keep up. - Learning Progression: Foundational data skills should be introduced in middle school, creating a path that extends through K-12, higher education, and professional development. Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an insightful conversation like this one. Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Josh Jones, CEO of QuantHub 07:54 - Leading QuantHub through Disruption and the Importance of Human Factors 16:40 - World Economic Forum: Shifting Importance of Skills 27:48 - Emerging Technologies: Quantum Computing and Robotics 38:00 - Closing Thoughts: The Compounding Effect of Continuous Learning
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    41 mins
  • Understanding Critical AI in K12 Classroms with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath

    Understanding Critical AI in K12 Classroms with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath
    Dec 12 2025
    AI permeates K-12 education, but the rush to adopt new tools often bypasses critical questions about equity, bias, and human connection. On this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath, co-authors of the new book Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Cultivating Justice and Joy. Together, they dismantle the "myth of inevitability" surrounding EdTech and explore how educators can reclaim agency in the face of rapid technological change with AI. From the historical resistance of Sojourner Truth to the concept of the classroom as a "Home Place," the conversation offers a refreshing, techno-skeptical framework that prioritizes student flourishing over big tech's framing. Key Takeaways: Reframing the Narrative: Why "Justice and Joy" must remain central to education, ensuring schools are spaces of affirmation rather than just sites of data extraction. The "Home Place" Concept: How bell hooks’ notion of a "Home Place" helps teachers create safe harbors where students can critically interrogate harmful AI outputs and resist standardized bias. Sojourner Truth as Metaphor: A look at how Sojourner Truth co-opted and subverted the cartes de visites photography of her day to fund abolition—and how modern students and educators can similarly "sell the shadow to support the substance". Pedagogies of Resistance: An overview of culturally sustaining, fugitive, and abolitionist pedagogies that equip teachers to challenge oppressive structures within AI and educational technology. The Four Ps of Action: Practical steps for moving forward through Personal, Professional, Pedagogical, and Participatory action. Why You Should Listen: This conversation moves beyond the basic "how-to" of generative AI tools. Instead, it tackles the moral and ethical dimensions of bringing powerful, often biased technologies into the classroom. If you are an educator, administrator, or parent looking for a way to navigate the AI hype with your values intact, this episode provides the historical context and practical strategies needed to foster true digital agency. Like, Share, and Follow wherever you get your podcasts to stay ahead of the curve on the future of learning. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more. Time Stamps: [00:00] Intro: Criticality in the Age of AI [01:58] Stephanie’s Origin Story: From Nursing to EdTech [04:58] Marie’s Origin Story: Reluctant Teacher to Critical Scholar [09:25] Writing the Book: Centering Justice in Tech [11:20] Why Justice and Joy Matter [16:00] Bell Hooks and the Classroom as "Home Place" [20:30] Confronting AI Bias: The "High School Boy" Example [23:00] Sojourner Truth and Co-opting Biased Tech [29:00] The Myth of Inevitability: Do We Have to Use AI? [33:00] Culturally Sustaining, Fugitive, and Abolitionist Pedagogies [41:40] The 4 Ps: Taking Action Towards Just AI [44:00] Conclusion
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    45 mins
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