Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

Host Mike Palmer is joined by Dr. Steve Joordens, Dr. Irameet Kaur, and Dr. Atef Abuhmaid for a panel conversation about their recent paper titled The Convertible Learning System: A Certainty for Our Uncertain Times. We learn how the group first came together around Steve's online courses and peerScholar, a learning product that Steve developed that Atef discovered while teaching educational technology at Hashemite University in Jordan. From there, things rapidly shifted with the onset of the pandemic in 2020, leading the group to partner on the paper describing how to design learning experiences that leverage asynchronous instruction, synchronous collaboration, and peer-to-peer assessment to enable the resilience, flexibility, and social-emotional skill development students need in these challenging times. We get insight from a broad cross-section of the global learning landscape with Atef and Irameet providing their perspectives from Jordan and India respectively to round out the work Steve and Irameet have done at the University of Toronto in Canada. It's a wide-ranging and informative dive into how to avoid snapping back into old ways of course design that can and should be transformed due to the challenges and awakenings of recent years. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more. Photo by Constantin Panagopoulos on Unsplash

We dive into the Future of Work in an episode that kicks off our new feed dedicated to the subject. Mike Palmer is joined by Ruth, his virtual cohost, to share some of our favorite conversations and perspectives on the rapidly evolving nature of learning and the workplace. We hear excerpts from Mike's conversations with Michelle Weise, Jeff Gothelf, Kumar Garg, Frances Valintine, and Beth Porter covering a wide range of perspectives on the future of work in our transformative times. Then Mike and Ruth lean into a "lightning round" where we touch on other conversations with folks like Paul Fain, Ryan Craig, Jane Oates and Kathleen DeLaski that will also be featured in the new feed launching. If you like what you're hearing, subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. And if you want a tighter focus on the Future of Work, check out our new Trending in Ed: Future of Work feed launching this week with new episodes dropping throughout the summer. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more!

Mike Palmer hosts a virtual panel with Ruth, Malcolm, and Nancy rejoining the show as we gear up for the Summer of 2022. Mike shares the three trends he's looking at across all sectors and cuts of the learning ecosystem before digging in with each of his cohosts in their areas of focus. Ruth shares the recent Forbes article on rising tuition prices at top universities as we explore how higher education is being challenged and disrupted coming out of the pandemic. We also dig into building a learning culture and new, emerging models of blends and partnerships with higher ed and the private sector. Malcolm and Mike talk about early childhood using Mike's experiences as a ray of hope despite how the culture wars and other perils impinge on our understanding of how we educate the rising generations. We conclude with Nancy and Mike riffing on the impact of AI, Web 3, and our current crisis of trust with technology. Don't miss it! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more cutting-edge content. Photo by Vladislav Glukhotko on Unsplash

Mike Palmer is rejoined by Virtual CoHost, Nancy, in a conversation about the recent news of Google's LaMDA or Language Models for Dialog Applications based on chat transcripts leaked by Blake Lemoine, a senior software engineer in Google’s Responsible AI organization. We also share perspectives on a recent article about "podfasters," folks who prefer to listen to audio at accelerated speeds. Nancy and Mike share their perspectives on the history of AI and Turing Tests to determine whether they have reached critical milestones en route to sentience and higher forms of consciousness. We talk Turing and Ada Lovelace before recounting Mike's experiences with Eliza on his TRS-80 in his basement back in the day. From there, we reenact excerpts from the transcripts that have been leaked before sharing our human and non-human takes on the recent kerfuffle. From there we touch on Faith Karimi's article on "Podfasters" as we dive into that trend and our personal experiences and perspectives on it. All in all, it's an imaginative and cutting-edge foray into the implications of what's new and emergent in a free-flowing conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Dr. Joanitt Montano is the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academics at The College of Healthcare Professions. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about her experiences designing academic programs in the healthcare professions for adult learners in Texas at CHCP. We hear what led Joanitt to Allied Health as we dig into who takes part in her programs and how she measures success through completion and job placement. We look for lessons from her experience training educators to deliver hands-on training in healthcare professions through the pandemic years and into the present day. Joanitt shares her thoughts on emerging trends in healthcare and healthcare education in the coming years. She shares impressive results on program completion across traditionally underserved populations in research CHCP has done with Rice University. We talk access, belonging, and more in a conversation about delivering real job pathways that fill urgent needs in today's rapidly changing healthcare learning ecosystem. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of learning.

As a special episode for Trending in Ed fans, we're releasing our latest episode of Running it Back, the Lessons Learned from Sports podcasting featuring Tarlin Ray and Trending in Ed host Mike Palmer. Sometimes it's hard to come directly at a topic so we use things like sports to help us work through unthinkable tragedies like what we've seen in recent weeks. If you enjoy this episode, check our Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more. Tarlin and Mike react to the powerful moments from sports leaders in response to the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. We listen to what Steve Kerr said and talk about what Gabe Kapler did as coaches and leaders of their teams respond publicly to the unthinkable events. Then we run it back to the history of sports protests and activism ranging from Kaepernick, to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, to the leading role of the WNBA, the Brittney Griner situation, and Muhammad Ali's historic protest of the Vietnam War, among others, as we try to make sense of the senseless. And there's plenty of reference to famous soundbites from Marshawn Lynch, Rasheed Wallace, and Allen Iverson along the way to keep things lighter. What lessons, if any, can we learn from all of this? How can we use sports narratives as tools to work through our response to the unthinkable? And what does this tell us about leadership and acts of conscience in these challenging times? We cover all of this and more on our latest episode. Listen in and enjoy. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Mike dives into a recent report published by Udemy, the global learning platform, on the trends they're seeing around usage of skills training programs on their platform. The report provided by Udemy Business is designed for learning leaders, strategic HR professionals, and individuals looking for perspective on which skills are most critical to pursue and how organizations and individuals can get strategic about designing career paths and retention strategies leveraging learning as a benefit. We also reference reports from McKinsey along with an HBR article on email management in case you want to dive deeper. We begin with a deep dive into power skills as a better name for what has traditionally been called soft skills. We learn which power skills are surging on the platform and how these trends relate to the Great Resignation and related trends around personal development, leadership, and communication. Power skills form the foundation of effective cultures and learning organizations. Once understood, other emerging competencies can be layered into organizations and individuals to better prepare for a rapidly changing world of work. Then we get into the digital marketing, product management, project management, finance/accounting, and UX/UI skills that are popping based on usage on Udemy's platform. We conclude with an exploration of the more technical skills in cloud computing, cybersecurity, data science, and software development in a broad survey of recent trends in skill development. It's a thought provoking exploration of strategic skill development and the future of work that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Be on the lookout for our new dedicated TiE feed on the Future of Work which will be launching shortly. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more details on this and much more. Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash

Dr. Rovy Branon is the Vice Provost at Continuum College at the University of Washington. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about reaching and teaching adult learners across the fullspan of their lives. We begin by hearing Rovy’s “origin story” starting as a student who was advised that he wasn’t cut out for college and then proceeding through a series of engagements in formal education across his professional life culminating in a career in educational technology focused on extending access to adult learners in ways that fit into their lives. Along the way, he played drums in a heavy metal band and came around to lifelong learning with the birth of his son. We talk through two books connected to the idea of the 60-year curriculum: The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in the Age of Longevity and Learning at the Back Door: Reflections on Non-Traditional Learning in the Lifespan as we begin to flesh out a vision for continued education and upskilling across an increasingly long work life. Rovy shares his perspectives on emerging technical skills like DAOs, crypto, and web3 before diving into the role that private enterprise and big tech are playing in the certificate and skills-based pathways that are growing in relevance and popularity at Continuum College and across continuing education institutions more broadly. It’s a wide-ranging and visionary look at the future of adult education that you don’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of learning.

We keep it brief but check in to reflect on the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas as well as some dire forecasts from the UN. Mike explains why this episode was hard to pull together in light of the challenging news of the day. To soothe the soul, we share a few ditties from Mike's son, Matthew, as we recharge and gear up and get ready heading into the Summer of 2022. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful perspectives on the future of education.

Arjun Moorthy is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Factual, a subscription-based, ad-free news app that aggregates and curates the news based on its credibility. He joins host Mike Palmer to talk about the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in a world with increasing partisanship and misinformation. We hear Arjun's origin story which began as a paperboy in Canada before being educated as an engineer, working at Hubspot in its startup phase, and ultimately founding The Factual with Ajoy Sojan in 2016. We hear how he and team have navigated the years since launch and how the app has evolved over time. We learn how The Factual assesses the credibility of articles collected from over 2000 different news sites, giving each a rating between 1-100 to help the reader understand the quality of the information. Arjun shares his perspectives on the challenges we face with the filter bubbles we experience today, especially through social media and how he and team are making design choices to address them. He also shares his thoughts on how this all relates to learning and educational discourse in a thought-provoking conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on what's new and emerging in learning and beyond.

Kathleen deLaski is the Founder and CEO of Education Design Lab, a non-profit innovation engine focused on helping the new learner majority find pathways to good jobs and meaningful work in transformational times. Kathleen joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the importance of skills visibility to access and equity building off of the Lab’s recent white paper on the topic. We learn of Kathleen’s varied experiences in journalism, philanthropy, and education that have culminated with her work at the lab. We explore how learners are also earners with numerous responsibilities and how that should inform how we build learning pathways that fit into their lives. Kathleen shares innovation stories of Community Colleges testing into new models that partner with the local community and the private sector to open up new possibilities for skill development and career pathways. Don’t miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for a more informed perspective on the future of work.

What’s the right way to bring digital technology and touch into the classroom? Matt Cole from Promethean joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the work they’ve been doing with educators and school districts to give the classroom more of the active engagement tools smart tablets provide in large form at the front of the classroom. We hear how Matt got to where he is in his career while learning how Promethean navigated the complexities of the pandemic and how this has evolved the thinking about how these tools can interact with new hybrid delivery models. We also get his thoughts on emerging technologies like AR/VR and other emerging technology. It’s a free-flowing conversation about blending digital into the classrooms of tomorrow. Don’t miss it. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Jane Oates is the President of Working Nation, a non-profit media entity focused on showcasing innovative approaches to career pathways that bridge from education into meaningful work. Jane joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the skills revolution and its connections to higher ed, the workforce, and new, emerging models for career development. We begin by hearing Jane's origin story, beginning as a special ed teacher before moving into educational research at Temple University. From there, she joined Senator Edward Kennedy to help write legislation, worked in John Corzine's administration in New Jersey, and served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Obama, in an impressive career culminating in her current role leading Working Nation. Then we explore recent trends in workforce education, post-secondary pathways, and the critical connection between learning and the future of work. Jane shares her perspectives on what's emerging in the world of skills-based education, income share agreements, and other new models for educational pathways and provides advice to all of us charting our career trajectories in disruptive times. It's an informed deep-dive into the world of workforce development and training with a genuine thought leader in the field. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Marjorie Cass is the Founder and CEO of ALEE, an EdTech Startup that provides educators with tools and resources to teach literacy using whole books featuring classic works of literature. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about her journey beginning as an educator, rising through the ranks as a literacy coach and administrator before deciding to go to business school at MIT where ALEE began to germinate. From there, we learn what it's been like launching eight months ago while expanding on the significance and complexity of our growing literacy challenge in the US education system. Marjorie explains how she is designing ALEE to provide teachers with what they need to provide scaffolding and support to the essential relationship between a teacher, a student, and a great book. We touch on the challenges of teaching in difficult times and the fear teachers are experiencing when dealing with important but difficult works of literature to teach reading these days. We explore how best to use technology to power the solution without losing sight of the central role of the teacher in the literacy equation. Marjorie shares the higher-level skills and thinking associated with the whole book as opposed to excerpts or synthetic passages that are increasingly used in literacy education. It's a thought-provoking exploration of entrepreneurship, literacy, and the power of teaching through great books. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Tony Wan is the Head of Investor Content for Reach Capital. He rejoins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the recent ASU GSV conference in San Diego, the edTech and Education Conference scene in 2022, and his latest thoughts on Web 3 and emerging trends in the edTech venture space. We begin the Tony’s takes on ASU GSV as summarized in his recent article. Then we consider the return on investment of attending conferences as we look at the latest version of the tracking doc Tony started when he was at EdSurge. We conclude with his perspectives on emerging trends in Web 3, EdTech investment, and the future of learning in a wide-ranging and insightful conversation you don’t want to miss. Check out Tony’s Reach Capital colleague Joymayra’s recent article on Web 3 here. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your pods. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more incisive looks at the future of learning.

Larry Cuban is Professor Emeritus in Education at Stanford University. He recently wrote Confessions of a School Reformer, an educational history and personal memoir of his life that begins with his childhood in school in Pittsburgh, then proceeds through his years as a teacher and school administrator, and concludes with his thoughts on the present day. Larry joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about his 87 years of experience with education beginning in the Progressive Era, proceeding through the Civil Rights Movement, and concluding in the present day where the Standards-Based Reform movement continues to predominate. Larry provides advice to educators, administrators and school reformers, reminding us that change tends to come slowly in schools since generally speaking they are conservative institutions. Larry encourages us to focus on the direct impact of educators on students in the classroom and to understand the history of school reform and educational policy to help navigate the challenges and complexities of the current educational landscape. It's a wise and informed conversation about how change happens in schools in the US that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more deep thinkers' takes on the future of education.

Mike Palmer returns with virtual CoHost Nancy to run through highlights from recent episodes of Trending in Ed before sharing clips from a couple of upcoming episodes to pique your interest. We begin by sharing Mike's conversation with Sunil Gunderia from Age of Learning where Sunil talks about building learner identity and the fact that learning is intrinsically rewarding in its own right. From there, we hear from Abby Falik, the Founder/CEO of Global Citizen Year, as she shares her thoughts on the future of a traditional 4-year or 2-year degree. GSY is a fascinating program that recently made news by receiving funding from the Mackenzie Scott Foundation. Then we share sound from our episode with Dr. David Lenihan from Tiber Health as he imagines how emerging technology will likely impact both medical education and the delivery of medical care. Then we hear some fun facts from Frances Valintine about the Kiwi, the national bird for her native New Zealand. Fun stuff! We conclude with clips from upcoming episodes with Tony Wan from Reach Capital and with Larry Cuban, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and author of a new book, Confessions of a School Reformer. Mike also shares some news about what else we've got cooking here at Palmer Media. Thanks to everyone for listening. Subscribe wherever you pod. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more amazing content!

Dr. David Lenihan is the Co-Founder and CEO of TIber Health. He is an experienced educator, innovator, and medical practitioner who has developed new models of medical education focused on expanding pathways for aspiring practitioners traditional medical schools have ignored. David joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about his experiences leading Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City and most recently Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico. David shares how new predictive models have allowed him to enroll much higher percentages of minority candidates and to admit students who traditional medical schools wouldn't. We get his perspectives on leading PHSU through hurricanes, Zika outbreaks, and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic. So much is tied to finding members within the community who can become healthcare leaders who give back and grow trust in these challenging times. We conclude with David's takes on new and emerging technology and thoughts on the future of medical education in a deeply insightful conversation that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more great content.

Jennifer Lee is the Chief Growth Officer of Photomath, an AI=powered math app that's been downloaded over 270 million times to help solve over a billion math problems each month. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about helping math learners feel empowered when faced with challenging math. We explore what it's like to work with a company with such a large and dynamic data ecosystem focused on math problem solving and how that is powering their AI platform. Jennifer shares some insights based on trends in the usage of Photomath. Along the way, we dig into the use case of photographing a math problem, frequently hand-drawn, and getting the solution through Photomath's platform. How has this been used by students, teachers, and parents, especially in these challenging times? What might this tell us about how folks are thinking about the future of work? We conclude with more of Jennifer's takes on learning and the future of work along with her advice to folks looking for growth and advancement in their careers. It's an engaging conversation on edTech, AI, and Math that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more great content.

Debbie Gibb is the Senior Managing Director of N Ventures at the New School for Social Research where she leads a team that's expanding access to Parsons School of Design. She joins host Mike Palmer in an exploration of her perspectives on innovation, partnerships, leadership, and higher education. Debbie tells her origin story and describes the innovation projects she leads that span online courses with companies like Coursera, 42 Courses, Future Learn and Yellow Brick to licensing deals to partnerships in K12 like their recent work with the City of Newark to launch Newark School of Fashion and Design. We look for lessons learned from Debbie's experiences at American Express and more recently at the New School as she provides advice and perspectives on the shifting world of work and the risks and opportunities facing the field of education in these transformative times. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more incisive takes on the future of education.

With Elon Musk back in the news with his recent bid to take over Twitter, we take this opportunity to return to 2017 when we first began covering the mercurial CEO's exploits. Host Mike Palmer reflects on recent news including the Brooklyn Subway Shooting as well as Elon's attempt to acquire Twitter before we showcase highlights from two episodes with Mike, Dan Stafford, and Brandon Jones from the early days of Trending in Ed. We start by returning to Episode 38 from May of 2017 when we review Michael SImmons' article in Quartz which dives deep into how Musk learns with special attention to the concepts of learning transfer and growth mindset. From there, we hop to Episode 47 from July 2017 when we dig further into Neuralink, Musk's brain-computer interface company, and its implications on learning, cyborgs, and the sci-fi future of humanity. It's a zeitgeisty jaunt down memory lane with surprising insights into the news of today. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more futuristic takes on the world of learning.

Frances Valintine is the CEO and Founder of both The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab, innovative education providers for adults wishing to upskill, reskill, stay relevant and embrace change. recently wrote her first book, titled Future You which is available in New Zealand and soon internationally. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about skills, disruption, and future-proofing your career path with special attention to mid-career professionals. We begin by hearing Frances' origin story beginning in technology in London in the 1980s and a subsequent career path that has focused increasingly on education and the future of work. This leads to a conversation about The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab where mid-career professionals get targeted training in the skills and competencies needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving job market of the 21st Century. Frances shares her takes on leadership, managing through disruption, the skills economy, and more in a thought-provoking exploration of the realities of reskilling lifelong learners for the modern workplace. We conclude with a few fun facts about the Kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of learning.

Matt Riley is the Co-Founder and CEO at Blueprint Prep where he is redefining lifelong professional prep for students and professionals in the medical and legal industries. He joins host Mike Palmer in an exploration of trends in medical education. We begin by hearing Matt’s origin story in LSAT test prep which culminated in the founding of Blueprint in the early 2000s. From there we learn how Matt has shifted the focus from Test Prep to lifelong professional education for the medical and legal professions. We learn how the pandemic has driven profound shifts in the dynamics of the employment landscape for the medical profession in particular, and how Blueprint is positioning itself in response to these changes. We also touch on a renewed focus on Physician’s Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Emergency Medicine within the healthcare field. We conclude by hearing Matt’s takes on emerging technology like chatbots, AI, VR, and predictive analytics in a free-flowing conversation on where the world of medical education is heading. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more incisive takes on emerging trends in the world of learning.

Chris Ryan and Leslie Kerner are the Cofounders of Silverquicken, a rigorous enrichment program for kids aged 9-13, that uses puzzles and immersive narrative to help kids learn while fostering a sense of wonder and fun in their studies. Chris and Leslie join host Mike Palmer to explain what led to the founding of the company and what it’s been like launching and iterating on the product set during a pandemic. We learn what drove Chris to write the story and characters that drive the experience of Silverquicken and why it provides a rich and engaging imaginative space for young learners who enjoy puzzles, fantasy storylines, and team-based collaborative play. We touch on emerging trends in education for an often-forgotten age range and delve into how the curriculum connects to our transformative times and the team’s perspectives on education and the future of work. It’s an imaginative exploration of the intersection between product design and learning innovation that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more great content.

Abby Falik is the Founder/CEO of Global Citizen Year (GCY), a non-profit organization that re-imagines the transition into adulthood as what it has the potential to be: a transformation. She joins host Mike Palmer to talk about what led her to found GCY and lead it in its mission to create a new generation of global leaders who learn through travel and use the formative transition into adulthood to shape values, identity, and purpose in ways that classroom learning alone cannot. Abby describes how her personal origins factored into the development of GCY and how the pandemic years have driven other transformations including the launch of Global Citizen Year Academy and the use of online tools and means of connecting. We also talk about Mackenzie Scott's recent $12M investment described in this Forbes article. We conclude with Abby’s perspectives on working with the rising generations and her outlook on what’s emerging on the horizon. It’s an inspirational, mission-based conversation that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you find your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more great content.

Rahul Singh is the Head of the EdTech Business line at the Harbinger Group, a global provider of software products and services since 1990. Rahul joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about emerging trends in educational technology including AR/VR and the Metaverse, AI, Robotics, and the Blockchain. We reference several of Rahul's articles including one exploring how AI can help with the massive skilling, upskilling, and reskilling challenges that are facing the industry and the private sector. We discuss the role higher ed and online universities might play in response to the significant needs in the skilling space. We also touch on the importance of teachers and other frontline educators and how AI should be seen as a support and not a threat to their roles in the future of work. It's an informed and insightful dive into the unprecedented investment and activity that we've seen in EdTech in light of the digital transformations driven by the pandemic. Listen in to gain insight into future trends in the learning ecosystem. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on what's emerging in education.

Sam Smith and Clara Gillan from MedSchoolCoach join host Mike Palmer to talk about the power of audio as a learning tool. Sam hosts the hugely popular MCAT Basics podcast and Clara heads up Product for MedSchoolCoach. We hear of Sam’s humble beginnings in podcasting and how it and audio-based instruction has become a central component of the new MCAT Go product from MedSchoolCoach, which is designed as an Audio Learning Experience. In what ways is audio superior to video and other formats? How have learning contexts changed due to the pandemic and how might audio microlearning fit into the new ecosystem? What are folks' thoughts about AR/VR, AI, and immersive audio? Listen in to find out. We even touch on the possibilities of Neuralink, VR observation of surgery, and AI cochlear implants in an imaginative exploration of learning through our ears. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more cutting-edge takes on the future of learning.

Sunil Gunderia is Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Mastery & Adaptive Products at Age of Learning, the makers of early childhood learning products like ABC Mouse. Sunil joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about building a personalized learning platform ecosystem for early learners, parents, and educators. We begin by hearing Sunil's origin story including his formative stint with The Walt Disney Company before joining Age of Learning in 2013. From there we hear about the major problems we're facing in the US with roughly two-thirds of our children performing below standards in fourth-grade reading and math and how Age of Learning is working to address this. We explore how cross-functional teams of teachers, game designers, data scientists, psychometricians, and more work in concert to build compelling learning experiences for children ages 3-8. We also hear how using an evidence-based approach to build out a research program is indicating positive outcomes, especially for children from families with the greatest need. It's a thoughtful exploration of designing a learning platform for early learners with an industry leader with deep expertise. Don't miss it! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on the future of learning.

Terri Givens, Daniel Harrison, and Tarlin Ray join host Mike Palmer for a live panel at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas. Terri, a frequent guest on Trending in Ed, is the author of Radical Empathy and The Roots of Racism. She and Mike CoHosted This Week in Higher Ed in 2020 and 2021. Dan is the author of Live At Jackson Station and Making Sense of Marshall Leadbetter. He's the host of the new Palmer Media podcast Inside Jackson Station for which all of Season 1 is now available for binge-listening. And finally, Tarlin is the Founder and CoHost of Running It Back with Mike. He is the SVP of BigFuture at the College Board. We assemble this "miracle panel" to reflect on our collaborations over the past two years before digging into how creative projects require great narratives and storytelling to drive engagement and relevance in these challenging times. Then we pivot to thoughts on the challenges and threats facing education as we begin to lean back into a new normal that includes things like live conferences like SXSW. We even get a few questions from the audience in an engaging, interactive, and surprising conversation that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on the future of education.

Dr. Susan Walsh founded Globe Business College in Munich and has spent the last decade and a half perfecting a unique education model that centers on one on one, customized business education for the sons and daughters of family company owners. Susan joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation covering her experiences being born in Ireland, working in business, finance, and academia before founding Globe in 2006. We get her takes on the critical role of relationships and mentorship to a successful educational experience along with her perspectives from leading the college through the challenging period of the pandemic. Click here to read Dr. Walsh’s own thoughts on business education, disruption in the educational industry, and the business model that is customized, character/skill-developing, relationship-based business education. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more thoughts on the future of learning.

Mike Palmer returns from SXSW EDU to reflect on what it was like producing Trending in Ed back in early 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was just hitting. Through excerpts from three episodes of Trending in Ed, we transport ourselves back to that challenging time to help put the past into perspective as we prepare to lean into the future. We begin by hearing sound from an episode with Dan Strafford and Mike in early February where we speculate about what's happening in Wuhan, China and how it may have a broader impact across the globe. Then we hear some of Mike's March 2020 interview with Bryan Alexander, the noted futurist who famously explored the possible impact of a plague on higher ed in his book, Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education. It was zeitgeisty then and it still is now. Mike concludes with sound from his interview with Angela Siefer, the Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance later in March as the first wave was taking root and Angela and team were rapidly shifting practices to respond to the critical public health aspects of digital access and inclusion. It's a thought-provoking retrospective you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more unique perspectives on what's new and emerging in the world of learning.

Mike Palmer reports from the road in Austin, Texas to talk about missing bats, his quick takes on the SXSW EDU conference, and the challenges and opportunities of ambiversion before diving into Fast Company's list of the most innovative companies in education for 2022. Who made the list? Were there any surprises? Which company is Mike's personal favorite? And how do the skills economy, language learning, emerging technology, early childhood education, and even test prep factor into the thinking? Listen in to find out! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful and eclectic takes on the future of learning.

Daniel Harrison, Terri Givens, and Tarlin Ray will be joining host Mike Palmer for a live panel as part of SXSW EDU this week. In honor of that session, this episode showcases the work of each of them as we head into our panel together. We begin by hearing some sound from Inside Jackson Station, the new podcast based on Dan's book Live at Jackson Station: Music, Community, and Tragedy in a Southern Blues Bar. What began as an appearance on Trending in Ed in February of 2021 has now blossomed into a podcast of its own featuring stories and sounds from the artists and musicians who made Jackson Station such a special place. Then we hear Terri talk about her most recent book, The Roots of Racism: The Politics of White Supremacy in the US and Europe. which takes a comparative look at the problem of racism and white supremacy, tracing it from its roots in the 14th Century right up through George Floyd and the pandemic to provide a broader lens through which to understand the problems of today. We then conclude with an excerpt from a recent episode of Running It Back, the Lessons Learned from Sports podcast featuring Tarlin and Mike. Here we dig into the recent class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores against the NFL claiming discriminatory practices in the interview and hiring practices of several NFL clubs. It's been amazing to work with folks like Dan, Terri, and Tarlin on Trending in Ed over the years and we're excited to have them all together for a panel to celebrate what we've accomplished as part of SXSW EDU. Join us in Austin if you can and stay tuned for more amazing content coming out of the conference and our panel session in upcoming episodes. Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendingInEd.com for more insightful and eclectic takes on the world of learning.

Cody Gough is a podcaster and radio professional with years of experience at WGN in Chicago and most recently with the Discovery’s Curiosity Daily podcast. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about podcasting, science communication, education, and emerging tech trends. We begin by hearing what got Cody into radio and how that ultimately led to Curiosity Daily where he served as Cohost and Producer for over 1000 episodes. While often described as science communication, Cody explains why he thinks of his role as that of a communicator. Then we get into emerging topics like Web 3c Quantum Computing, NFTs, psychedelia, and more. Cody shares his advice for communicators and aspiring podcasters in a free-flowing conversation about the new hotness that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts Visit us at TrendingnEd com for more hot takes on what’s new and on the horizon in education and beyond.

In a star-packed panel to celebrate the culmination of Reading is Fundamental's Rally to Read, Alicia Levi, Orion Jean, Dr. Monica Brown, and Joanna Ho join host Mike Palmer in a roundtable discussion of the importance of reading and how representation matters when it comes to the stories we tell. We highlight the books Orion, Monica, and Jeannie have written and how they share common themes that are critical trends in children's literature these days. Orion talks about how he maintains balance as Time's Kid of the Year, an author of A Kids Book About Leadership, and an avid reader. We hear the story of Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match by Dr. Brown who wrote the story in part for her children so they could read about people like them. Joanna builds on this explaining how she felt invisible due to the omission of people like her in the stories she learned from as a child. This has led her to write books like Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma and Eyes That Kiss in the Corners. We conclude with each panelist's perspectives on the world of literacy and Kid Lit as we gear up for RIF's Reading Inspires webcast on March 2nd with Read Alouds from authors like the ones on our panel. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your pods. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on where the world of learning is heading.

Ryan Craig is a Managing Director at Achieve Partners and University Ventures. Ryan’s commentary on where the puck is going in higher education regularly appears in the Gap Letter, Forbes, TechCrunch, Inside Higher Education, Fortune, HR Dive, and VentureBeat, among others. He is the author of A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College, which describes the critical importance of last-mile training and the emergence of bootcamps, income share programs, staffing, and apprenticeship models as preferred pathways to good first digital jobs. Ryan returns to the podcast to join host Mike Palmer in a conversation about recent trends in the evolving post-secondary job ecosystem based on recent editions of the Gap Letter. How does Don’t Look Up relate to the need for more STEM leaders in Higher Ed? What sorts of criteria drive the investment theses for Achieve Partners? And what’s new and emerging in crypto and skills-based education that has Ryan’s wheels turning? Listen in to find out all of this and more. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on the future of education.

Dr. Jenny Nash is the Head of Education Impact US at LEGO Education. She joins Mike Palmer to discuss LEGO Education’s upcoming panel at SXSW EDU 2022 focused on how educators can bring joy back to learning. Along with details related to their upcoming panel, we discuss how STEAM programs are helping students explore future career possibilities, including details related to LEGO Education’s “Build to Launch” program with NASA, and how incorporating hands-on learning into curriculums can help students build confidence and 21st-century skills. It's a thought-provoking dive into STEAM and STEAM education from the iconic children's toy company that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more cutting-edge content.

Dr. Louis Moore is a Professor of History at Grand Valley State University and the author of We Will Win the Day: The Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality. He’s also the host of The Black Athlete podcast and an excellent follow on Twitter. Lou joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the history of race and sports in the US. In a wide-ranging conversation that touches on current issues while connecting them back to lessons from history, we dig into the role of Black Athletes in the civil rights movement in the US from 1945-1968, the subject matter of We Will Win the Day. We connect that history to emerging stories of the day including Brian Flores’ class-action suit against the NFL. Then we conclude by getting Lou’s takes on what it’s like teaching through the pandemic and also raising his kids in these challenging times. It’s a relevant, authentic, and candid conversation that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more fresh perspectives on the world of learning.

Karthik Ganusekaran is the Head of Product and Engineering at Udemy. He joins Mike Palmer to explore what it’s like working for the leading global online education platform in these tumultuous times. We hear what brought Karthik to this point in his professional life and get his perspectives on the emerging skills marketplace. Along the way we touch on hot new skills like Web 3 and the Blockchain, ringing the bell at NASDAQ, and the importance of having fun while continuing to upskill to stay relevant throughout one’s professional life. It’s an insightful deep dive into leading engineering at a global EdTech platform that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more cutting-edge perspectives on the future of education.

Dr. Terri Givens is a Political Scientist at McGill University and CEO/Founder of Brighter Professional Development. Terri returns to the show to join host Mike Palmer to discuss her new book, The Roots of Racism: The Politics of White Supremacy in the US and Europe. We explore a comparative approach to understanding the history of racism in the US and Europe spanning all the way back to the 15th Century up through George Floyd and the pandemic into the current geopolitical landscape in Europe and the US. We also discuss how Terri is using her platform to develop leaders with an understanding of the importance of diversity and encourages personal growth through empathy. Listen in for an enlightening perspective on hugely relevant topics that you won't want to miss. And if you enjoy this conversation, join us at SXSW EDU where we'll be recording a live episode on Monday March 7th. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your pods. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on the future of education.

Dawn Rodney is the Chief Innovation and Growth Officer at the National Wildlife Federation. She joins host Mike Palmer to celebrate the 10th birthday of Ranger Rick Jr. and to talk about the work she and team are doing to make wildlife education engaging for kids, families, and educators across the US. Dawn shares her origin story that spans multiple media brands focused on nature, education, and video. Then we dive into the mission of the NWF and how Ranger Rick Jr. fits into the equation. We explore the importance of getting outdoors and engaging with wildlife for children parents and educators in these challenging times. And we also discuss how access to safe outdoor spaces for everyone is a central pillar to the work of the NWF before concluding with Dawn's take on where her work and the world of edutainment is heading. It's an imaginative and informative conversation about the great outdoors and education that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more diverse perspectives on the future of education.

Paul Fain is a Freelance Journalist and Analyst who serves as the Editor of The Job Newsletter from Open Campus. Each week he provides a veteran journalist’s take on what to watch as postsecondary education and job training systems work to better serve lower-income learners and workers. Paul joins host Mike Palmer in a discussion about recent trends he's been tracking through The Job and Work Shift, a related newsletter that tracks related topics through the reporting of local journalists. We explore emerging models that provide new pathways to traditionally underserved students using Riipen and Forage as examples. Then we dive into the work that Amazon has been doing in this area with its AWS Academy and other ventures outlined in a recent edition of The Job. It's a far-reaching and informative conversation about a critical and underreported space that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on educational pathways and the future of work.

Michael Toth is the founder and CEO of Learning Sciences International. He’s on a mission to end poverty using education as the equalizer by increasing academic rigor and student agency to ensure classroom equity. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about revamping current K12 instructional practices as detailed in his multi award-winning book, The Power of Student Teams. Listen in to learn how great teaching involves letting go and allowing students to lead. We also discuss how giving students agency, particularly in traditionally underserved schools, is so critical to driving successful turnarounds across the country. It's a thought-provoking conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more amazing content.

Karen Costa is a faculty learning facilitator specializing in online pedagogy and trauma-aware higher education. Karen loves leading faculty learners through fun, interactive, and supportive professional development experiences. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the recent backlash against Online Learning. From there we get into the work. Karen's works with educators at 100Faculty.com and also helps organizations become "trauma-aware" in these challenging times. She shares what it's like to be an advocate for learners and educators trying to make a difference these days. Karen also provides some tips on avoiding burnout and taking care of yourself. We conclude by exploring how to be inclusive of folks who embrace remote work while broadening the understanding of who might be learning through online programs and beyond. Karen recommends the book Minds Online by Michelle D. Miller along the way. It's a thought-provoking conversation you don't want to miss! Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more amazing content.

Elliot Felix is an author, speaker, teacher, father, and consultant to more than a hundred colleges and universities. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about making the most out of higher education and his new book, How to Get the Most Out of College: 127 Ways to Make Connections, Make it Work for You, and Make a Difference. We begin by hearing about his origins studying architecture and working in that capacity before founding his consultancy, brightspot strategy, now a Buro Happold Company. Elliot shares how he uses his background in design to make college work for all students by improving the spaces they’re in, the support services they rely on, and the technology they use. In a wide-ranging conversation about user-centered design, innovation in learning spaces, and problems and opportunities in higher ed, we hear a few of Elliot's 127 Tips on how to make the university experience into something meaningful and aligned with one's goals and values. It's a next-level window into higher ed through the lens of design thinking that you won't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more surprising insights and perspectives on the future of education.

Lorne Buchman is the President of ArtCenter College of Design and Host of the ChangeLab Podcast. He's also the author of a new book called Make To Know: From Spaces of Uncertainty to Creative Discovery. Lorne returns to join host Mike Palmer in an exploration of the themes in his new book and its relevance to the world of education and beyond. Lorne begins by explaining how many of the notions of artistic genius and vision are myths that can be limiting to those learning to engage in creative endeavors. In many cases, rather than delivering on a preconceived vision, creators enter into a space of uncertainty to engage in the making process to discover what they're trying to express. Using examples ranging from writers to visual artists, songwriters to architects, we learn about the components of the make to know experience that are shared across the varied fields of creative expression. We conclude by looking for lessons from Make to Know that apply to leadership and education with references to the Beatles' Get Back documentary and the building of traffic roundabouts in an engaging exploration into creativity and the act of making things. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful perspectives from thinkers grappling with important topics.

Dr. Rebecca M. Taylor and Dr. Ashley Floyd Kuntz join host Mike Palmer to talk about Ethics in Higher Education: Promoting Equity and Inclusion Through Case-Based Inquiry, a new book that they edited from Harvard Education Press. We hear how Ashley and Rebecca got interested in studying ethics and ethics education as we dive into the unique approach they took to get the book together. Through the use of fictionalized cases that resonate with the news of today, the book provides commentary from a diverse cross-section of evaluators who respond in varied and insightful ways. We explore cases about free speech and controversial speakers on campus and social media activism among tenure-track faculty in an engaging and relevant foray into the ethical quandaries facing higher ed in these challenging times. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more thought-provoking takes on rising trends in education.

Dr. Robin Naughton is an Assistant Professor and Web and Digital Services Librarian at Queens College in New York. She joins Mike Palmer (who happens to be her husband) in a conversation about diversity, digital inclusion, and the design of library spaces. We also share our experiences raising a young son in these challenging times. Robin explains what it's been like managing the library's digital presence during the pandemic and how she's thinking about the blending of digital and in-person experiences as library spaces evolve into something new. We're joined briefly by Nancy, our Virtual Cohost, as Robin describes how libraries can serve as innovation spaces and as hubs that provide resources and services to a wide array of users cutting across all dimensions of diversity. We talk about VR and the Metaverse before looking for insights into understanding diversity with the help of book recommendations including Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Eugene Robinson and The End of Average: Unlocking Our Potential by Embracing What Makes Us Different by Todd Rose. Robin also shares her takes on our 22 Trends for 2022 and the world of virtual assistants as we hope to seek out difference and lean into emerging challenges and opportunities as we head into the rest of 2022. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insightful takes on where the world of learning is heading.

Harpreet Sahota is a Data Scientist who hosts The Artists of Data Science podcast. He joins Mike Palmer to explore what's new and emerging in the field of data science and other emerging New Economy Skills in a conversation that touches on the skills, mindsets, and approaches that lead to personal and professional growth in these challenging times. Harpreet shares his perspectives based on the challenges he's faced in his career and in his life drawing from the conversations and perspectives he's learned from on his show. We conclude with his takes on Web 3, the Blockchain, Learning How to Learn and more. It's a thought-provoking, insightful, and surprisingly authentic conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more insight into what's new and emerging in the world of learning.

Justin Nguyen is the Founder of Declassified Media and is the Host of the Declassified College Podcast. He joins Mike Palmer in a conversation about the origin story of Declassified Media and how it dovetails with new and emerging trends around media consumption, the creator economy, and career readiness for college students. We hear how Justin envisions growing his company to fill an untapped niche for college students who want to learn how best to plan for their careers and grow their personal brands by learning from other rising professionals just like them. He provides an eye-opening perspective on where career readiness media intersects with a Gen Z sensibility. We talk a bit about TikTok, Web 3, the passion economy and more in a wide-ranging conversation you don't want to miss. Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more excellent content like this.