Trending In Ed with Mike Palmer

Don Carson is the Sr. Art Director at Mighty Coconut where he creates attractions to be experienced in VR for games like Walkabout Mini Golf and beyond. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about his experiences with placemaking in virtual reality and how those insights might relate to learning.After Don was trained as a commercial illustrator, his work branched out to focus on the design of physical and virtual spaces. Working as a Senior Show Designer, and freelance contributor to Walt Disney Imagineering, Don learned to communicate design through conceptual sketches and 3D models. This work has expanded to include everything from designing entire lands for the Disney parks to guiding teams of designers as they build 3D environments in virtual worlds and 3D games.We learn what it’s like to do what Don does while thinking through what this could mean for education. It’s a mind-expanding exploration of emerging experiences and how they’re designed. Don’t miss it!Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Dr. Philippa Hardman uses learning science to help people design better learning experiences. She is the creator of the DOMS™️ learning design engine, a Cambridge University Scholar as well as a Host, Author and Advisor. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how organizational leaders, learning designers, and anyone creating learning products can use Chat GPT and other generative AI tools to become more productive in their endeavors.We learn how Philippa got involved in academia before working in leadership roles in a number of edTech companies prior to founding her consultancy. She explains how she's been experimenting with generative AI and what she's learned so far with it. We wax dystopian for a moment to contemplate how new tools like Chat GPT will enable a lot more substandard content to be generated quickly and cheaply and why that presents challenges to all of us to up our games. It's a thought-provoking conversation with an expert in learning science and AI 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.

Erin Lewellen is the CEO of Global Citizen Year, a non-profit that is addressing our current global challenges by changing the composition, operating system, and impact of the next generation of changemakers. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how transformative experiences abroad can shape the pathways and perspectives of rising leaders.Erin tells of her origins in the logging culture of rural Oregon that led to her time as an undergraduate at the University of Oregon where she studied abroad for a year in Capetown, South Africa. From there, we hear what's happening at Global Citizen Year coming off a successful pivot to a virtual program during the pandemic years. We learn how she's come full circle with the launch of the Take Action Lab program Global Citizen Year is running in Capetown this year. Erin describes how surprising insights from recent research have led to new directions for the program and how much of that has been driven by student voice. We hear why she is inspired working with the rising generation and how important it is to both challenge students and provide the right supports to ensure we are truly developing global citizens. It's a thought-provoking exploration of what it takes to foster a meaningful passage into adult life through global awareness, a sense of purpose, and local connections with the community. 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 education.

Aaron Hillegass is an author, the Founder of Big Nerd Ranch, and Director of Applied Data Science at New College of Florida. He’s also the Executive Director of the Kontinua Foundation. He joins host and fellow New College alum Mike Palmer in a wide-ranging conversation about the blend of skills and digital competencies in machine learning, data, and AI that are becoming increasingly essential for professional success and career growth.We begin by hearing of Aaron’s roots including his experiences at New College before learning what it was like to work with Steve Jobs in the 90s before finding huge success teaching developers and leaders at Big Nerd Ranch. From there we explore what Aaron aims to do leading the recently launched Data Science Masters program at New College. We muse about what Jobs called “bicycles for the mind” and how new breakthroughs in AI are massively transforming how we think about the future of work. It's a thought-provoking conversation about the massive transformations taking place in technology and education. 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 education.

James Nottingham and Dr. Carmen Bergmann from The Learning Pit join host Mike Palmer to explore how understanding the "pit" of the struggle ultimately helps us learn how to learn better. James shares his origin story of struggling in school before finding his way as an education. After years of teaching this ultimately resulted in him founding The Learning Pit. We delve into the importance of embracing uncertainty and setbacks in the learning process and explain how this helps students develop a growth mindset and resilience. It's a dynamic conversation filled with practical tips, real-world examples, and insights on the future of education. Don't miss it.Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more fresh perspectives on the future of learning.

Sabari Raja is the Cofounder of Nepris which is now part of Pathful, the college and career readiness platform. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about building career pathways into K12 education.We begin by hearing Sabari's origin story which starts on a coconut farm in India and has culminated with her recent successes in EdTech and Career Readiness. We explore the value of exposing students to career paths as early as possible and throughout their educational journeys. Sabari provides perspective on emerging EdTEch trends including AI, AR/VR, and more. We also dig into the power of durable skills as we contemplate the role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in preparing students for the future of work. Don't miss it!Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on what's emerging in learning.

Dana Gastich French is the founder and lead consultant for UpRiver Education, a company focused on multilingual learners and the educators who teach them. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how an asset-based, inclusive understanding of English language learning is the key to overcoming the challenges that ESL continues to face in the US and beyond.We hear Dana’s origin story which begins with studying abroad in Chile where she learned how it felt to not be comfortable with the language of record. From there, she connects her experiences as an ESL and bilingual teacher, instructional coach and school and district-level administrator to what’s emerging in the field today. We conclude with Dana’s thoughts on the role of technology and the importance of building trust through culturally sensitive practices. It’s a free-wheeling survey of what’s new in the English Language Learning ecosystem you don’t want to missSubscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp perspective on what's emerging in learning.

Dr. Patricia Okker is the President of New College of Florida, the innovative honor’s college in the Florida system. She joins host and New College alum Mike Palmer to talk about what makes a New College education unique and how a liberal arts education can prepare you for the world of work and community engagement. Note: this episode was recorded in December prior to the recent appointments to the Board of Trustees.We hear Pat’s origin story, beginning in New Jersey before spending many years at the University of Missouri where she was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences before joining New College as President a year and a half ago. We learn how folks are reimagining New College through The Challenge before digging in on career pathways and entrepreneurship among other topics.It’s a thought-provoking conversation about the future of higher education that you don’t want to miss. Look for more from us on the New College story as it develops.Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more.

Dr. Jennifer Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and school wellness specialist who is focused on pediatric well-being. Founder of the Umbrella Project and author of The Umbrella Effect, she is creating a profound paradigm shift in the understanding of our personal well-being and that of our children. Jen joins host Mike Palmer in a discussion of developing coping skills in children, parents, and schools so that we're better equipped to endure trauma and ideally grow in the process.Beginning with the premise that all kids will encounter rain in their lives, how do we help them develop the skills they need to cope? We explore how parents and educators can help kids recognize and appreciate umbrella skills like cognitive flexibility, empathy, and grit as we aim to be sensitive to trauma while also open to opportunities for growth through it. It's a thought-provoking conversation about developing practical SEL skills that you won't want to miss.Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more enlightening takes on the future of education.

Beth Rudden, the Chairwoman and CEO of Bast.ai, rejoins host Mike Palmer for a conversation about ChatGPT and other large language models as we enter a new phase of readily accessible generative AI tools. Why is ChatGPT prone to mansplaining? How might this relate to the Dunning Kruger effect? And how might a more ecological understanding of an "honorable harvest" as described in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer help us rethink our relationship with data and its harvesting?We tackle all of this and more in a free-wheeling conversation with a Data Science and AI thought leader who draws from 20+ years of experience at IBM and beyond to help us make sense of emerging technology that is making AI accessible to all.Subscribe to Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at TrendinginEd.com for more sharp takes on learning and emerging technology.