EdTechnical

In this episode of EdTechnical, Libby and Owen sit down with Dan Meyer: math educator, EdTech innovator, and self-proclaimed “token AI sceptic”. Dan’s rare mix of classroom experience and product design insight gives him a unique perspective on how technology intersects with real classrooms. He shares what the classroom teaches him about student engagement, the challenges teachers face, and why motivation is deeply social - which EdTech can overlook.They dig into how AI can support creativity and connection, why great math teaching starts with inviting and developing, and where “AI guy” might be missing the point. Plus, Dan reveals the AI project he’s excited about and what it means for teachers. Links:TeacherTapp survey on teacher AI use EdTechnical’s forecasting competition - deadline 16 DecemberBioDan Meyer taught secondary maths to students who didn't like secondary maths. He has advocated for better maths instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in maths education and is the Vice President of Teacher Growth at Amplify where he explores the future of maths, technology, and learning. He has worked with teachers around the world, calls Oakland home, and taught eighth graders there yesterday.Join us on social media: BOLD (@BOLD_insights), Libby Hills (@Libbylhhills) and Owen Henkel (@owen_henkel) Listen to all episodes of Ed-Technical here: https://bold.expert/ed-technical Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design; Anabel Altenburg for content production.

Libby and Owen dive into Alpha School, a unique model transitioning from micro-school to a broader concept. They explore its structured academic mornings and afternoons dedicated to enrichment and life skills. The promise of efficient learning and mastery-based education is tantalizing, but they also uncover concerns about scalability, selection effects, and the authenticity of its innovative claims. With a thoughtful discussion on the potential of reorganized school time, they question whether this approach could truly revolutionize education.

Daisy Christodoulou, Director of Education at No More Marking and an expert on assessment, reflects on the evolution of AI in education since her last appearance. She discusses her shift from skepticism to cautious optimism regarding AI's role in assessment, emphasizing the necessity of human oversight in AI systems. Daisy shares insights on using AI for comparative judgment and the importance of validating AI results through human samples. With a focus on the design of educational technology, she offers practical tips for founders on integrating human input effectively.

The discussion dives into the emotional bonds teens are forming with AI chatbots and the potential dangers involved. California's new regulations spark a debate about how to balance youth safety with access to beneficial technology. The hosts examine recent legislation aimed at chatbot safety and whether AI should be treated like medical devices. Concerns about privacy and the impact on human relationships are raised, alongside the challenges of designing educational AI that prioritizes safety without sacrificing performance.

In this episode of EdTechnical, Libby and Owen speak with Candice Odgers, a psychologist and researcher studying how online experiences influence children's mental health. They revisit the debate around social media and teen wellbeing, questioning the claims that social media use  has caused rising rates of depression and anxiety. Candice calls for a more careful reading of the evidence and cautions against rushing into restrictive policies that may have unintended consequences or divert attention from more effective interventions.Candice also shares early findings from her recent research into AI in education. She finds surprisingly limited use of AI among young people, and mixed perceptions around what counts as cheating, which shapes how these tools are received. Notably, she found no clear socioeconomic divide in AI engagement, raising questions about how these tools might be designed to support more equitable learning. They discuss the challenge of designing rigorous studies in this space and the need for thoughtful, evidence-informed approaches to both social media and AI.Links:Adaptlab - Adaptation, Development and Positive Transitions LabNYT Article: Panicking About Your Kids’ Phones? New Research Says Don’tBioCandice Odgers is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California Irvine. She also co-directs the Child & Brain Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the CERES Network funded by the Jacobs Foundation.Her team has been capturing the daily lives and health of adolescents using mobile phones and sensors over the past decade. More recently, she has been working to leverage digital technologies to better support the needs of children and adolescents as they come of age in an increasingly unequal and digital world.Join us on social media: BOLD (@BOLD_insights), Libby Hills (@Libbylhhills) and Owen Henkel (@owen_henkel) Listen to all episodes of Ed-Technical here: https://bold.expert/ed-technical Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design; Anabel Altenburg for content production.

Explore the challenges of AI detection in education as traditional tools struggle against clever student tactics. Learn how paraphrasing and translation thwart detection efforts, while false positives compromise accuracy. The hosts advocate for process-based assessments like keystroke tracking and oral exams, offering more reliable evaluations. They also examine institutional barriers to innovation and discuss the implications of students' motivations in using AI. This insightful conversation questions how we can enhance academic assessment in the digital age.

Dr. Jason Yeatman, a neuroscientist and associate professor at Stanford, dives into the fascinating world of how our brains learn to read. He explains how reading rewires the brain's visual cortex and discusses the creation of ROAR, a tool developed to identify literacy gaps in students. The conversation explores the interplay between AI and reading, addressing both its potential benefits and limitations. They reflect on the essential nature of literacy in an age dominated by technology and the challenges educators face in fostering deep comprehension.

Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor at UCL Institute of Education, dives into the transformative intersection of formative assessment and AI in education. He reveals the reasons why formative assessment is underutilized despite its effectiveness. Wiliam discusses AI's potential to automate summative assessments while warning against its limitations in providing meaningful feedback. He advocates for live oral exams and portfolio assessments to enhance learning authenticity and reduce cheating, offering a fresh perspective on the evolving teacher-student dynamic.

In this short, Libby and Owen digest a recent MIT study attracting a lot of attention, ‘Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt When Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing’. The study looked at how using tools like ChatGPT for writing essays affects people's brains and writing abilities compared to using search engines or just their own thinking. Is there a potential trade-off between making writing easier in the short term, but harming cognitive abilities and learning over time? This question is especially salient for students who are in the earlier stages of developing their essay writing skills. Link:Your Brain on ChatGPTJoin us on social media: BOLD (@BOLD_insights), Libby Hills (@Libbylhhills) and Owen Henkel (@owen_henkel) Listen to all episodes of Ed-Technical here: https://bold.expert/ed-technical Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design; Anabel Altenburg for content production.

Guests Amelia Kelly, CTO of Soapbox Labs and an innovator in voice technology, and Kristen Huff, Head of Measurement at Curriculum Associates with a wealth of experience in K-12 assessments, dive into the transformative potential of voice AI for literacy. They discuss how speech recognition can identify reading challenges early and personalize feedback for students. The conversation highlights practical implementation, addressing noisy classrooms, and the importance of building teacher trust in AI assessments while navigating ethical considerations.