In this episode I speak to Web 3.0 guru and LinkedIn Influencer John Kraski. John is author of the upcoming book the Future of Community. In this fascinating episode we explore: His journey to 65,000 followers How Linkedin wanted to shut him down believing his rapid rise was due to AI bots... before awarding him a LinkedIn Top Voice accolade His decade of LinkedIn failure before the lightbulb moment when he realised he could 'own' the Web 3.0 space. How you no longer need to be an expert to get traction - if you can simplify the complex, the right people will listen and you can build a brand. How NFTs aren't only bad cartoons of apes: how they will enable educators to monetise their value in a more open and transparent way. His new book and how it was building his brand on LinkedIn that made it possible How the Metaverse will open out global audience for teachers  What educators should be doing now to get ready for the coming Web 3.0 creator wave I learnt a lot - I hope you do too.

Justin is founder of Germinotion. He is an insatiable generalist who weaves solutions using strands from learning design, behavioural design, data analytics, AI and more. He has a particular interest in using AI to supplement and enhance human reasoning. Between projects, you will find him reading P.G. Wodehouse and eating chocolate biscuits. This fascinating episode covers so much: Do AI models have personalities? How when it comes to personalised bots that will be with you through your life, we’re almost there now How AI helps us learn complex tasks at a much younger age - and what that might mean to education How multimodal AI will become a new set of eyes and ears, augmenting and accelerating our learning How our minds will extend into AI through the notion of transactive memory The distinction between a recipe, technique and tactic when it comes to AI - and why tactics and techniques are so much more effective than recipes The two ways to prompt AI - outcomes-based, and process-based What a good AI workflow looks like for educators The potential of institutionalising mediocrity by getting AI to do the same as we’ve done before, only faster How you can get an AI to reason with itself through chain of thought and reflection prompting It's the most in depth discussion I've had to date, and Justin was a joy to listen to. For more information on Justin's prompting techniques you can check out his videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrwOhkDQ6tVGdD_Zuob72ZiabM2ojFy9x

Chris Goodall, an experienced school leader and education consultant, shares practical tips for introducing AI into schools. He discusses the benefits and challenges, emphasizing the importance of building a team and addressing staff concerns. The podcast also explores the role of AI in personalized learning, the future of education, and the impact of technology on schools.

David Harkin is the CEO of the award-winning education company 8billionideas which exists to give every student the skills and belief to change the world. David has recently been ranked 8th in the world by ISC as a positive global disruptor in the education sector and won the EduFuturist Award in 2022. 8billionideas has been recognised by TES and COBIS for its work and has strategic partnerships in every part of the sector. David is also proudly a 2x TED speaker and author of the book 'The Ripple Effect : How surprisingly small changes in mindset make big things happen.' Recently David has formed a partnership with Sir Clive Woodward to launch a world-class programme for students called Perform Better which launched in the summer of 2022.

Sophia High School is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking schools in the world. Held entirely online, it leverages the power of VR and the metaverse to create some truly unique learning experiences for its exceptional students. Join me for this exclusive interview with five of their students: Luca, Lukyan, Nathan, Oli, and Xenia, and their inspirational Head of IMYC, Rose. The interview takes place inside the Literary Lounge of the Engage metaverse, which may be one of the first podcast interviews to take place inside this metaverse space! In the episode Rose and the students talk about their positive experience of learning at Sophia High School and the innovative entrepreneurship project they were recently involved in, which culminated in a Dragon's Den pitch I had the honour to judge. It was a pleasure to spend time in the company of these future entrepreneurs and business leaders. This is the future of education and Sophia is leading the way.

"From the Three Rs to the Three Ms: a New Compulsory Curriculum for the 21st Century" is a compelling article that challenges the traditional educational paradigm. Darren Coxon argues that while the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic remain crucial, the advent of artificial intelligence and the digital age necessitates a shift in focus. He proposes the introduction of the Three Ms - Mindfulness, Movement, and Music - as compulsory elements in education. These elements, he argues, not only foster calm, control, and creativity in students but also help regulate dopamine levels, thereby enhancing mental health. This shift, Coxon believes, is key to preparing our children for a rapidly evolving world. The full blog article can be found here: From the Three Rs to the Three Ms: a New Compulsory Curriculum for the 21st Century (substack.com)

I was thrilled this week to have a truly disruptive leader in the world of education join me. Russell John Cailey is Managing Director of THINK Learning Studio (TLS) in Dubai. TLS prides itself on stirring the pot, on creating what he fondly calls "inspired chaos" in the realm of education. Named among the top 100 Global Visionaries in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning in 2021, Russell not only aims for THINK Learning Studio to disrupt traditional educational models but also aspires to be an inspiration for educators globally. He has helped foster a dynamic partnerships with governmental education authorities like the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in Australia. In addition to his work with TLS, Russell is a co-founder of the Hakuba Forum and foresightLab.org, platforms aimed at promoting progressive dialogues in education. He also plays an active role in nurturing young educational startups through the TLS Incubator, TLS-X lab. Russell was for many years Head of THINK Global School, the world's first travelling high school. With his co-hosting duties on the 'Wonder and Wander Podcast' and as a featured expert on CNN Brazil's Projeto Upload, Russell consistently strives to inspire and educate others about the future of learning. It was a fascinating conversation, covering the history and philosophy of THINK Global School and how they shifted their model from IB towards a portfolio based learning, where students work towards a mastery project with real world significance. He spoke about how they mould the curriculum around the country in which the school is located for that quarter of the year (what he calls 'place-based learning') and how he is now training a new generation of project-based learning experts through THINK Learning Studio. For anyone who wants to genuinely glimpse into the future of education, join me for this episode.

Jason Gulya is Professor of English at Berkeley College, located in New Jersey and New York. Jason incorporates AI into all of his courses, and at the moment is working on how to reimagine what, how, and why he teaches "writing." He believes that universities can be outrageously innovative spaces for higher-level critical thinking and creativity, but that we need to push them to become those spaces.  In this fascinating one hour conversation we touch on how he is using AI in his teaching and research work, the death of the five paragraph essay, how AI is already changing the notion and nature of research, the increasing importance of process over end product, and his frustration at the slow rate of of innovation in the US college system. We hypothesise on how this system will need to change in the coming years in order to remain relevant as AI and other immersive technologies further find their way into students' lives. Jason is an inspiring and entertaining speaker, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening conversation.

John Kelly is the proud owner and general director of a boutique Kinder and Primary school in Mexico City, at the forefront of educational innovation. In addition to his role in the school, he also works as a Metaverse and VR consultant, collaborating with schools and educational companies worldwide. Colegio Ikigai has earned the distinction of being recognized as the first school in Mexico to embrace the Metaverse, and their teaching methodology draws inspiration from the Phenomenon Based Learning principles pioneered in Finland. Every day, John embarks on a passionate quest to explore new approaches to leadership, teaching, and learning. His ultimate goal is to bring about significant improvements in schools and empower future generations to make a positive impact on humanity's development. He finds great joy in engaging with novel forms of learning inspired by Web3 concepts. At his school, they prioritize the development of skills and continuously strive to enhance critical thinking among their students through a creative and dynamic curriculum. As an empathetic and intuitive leader, John places great importance on fostering collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills within the educational system. He is driven by a desire to create a positive impact in the world through the kindness with which he connects with people on a daily basis. John takes great pleasure in developing transformative educational projects that shape a new breed of learners, equipped to navigate the complexities and challenges of the future. His Massive Transformational Purpose (MTP) centers around the vision of a hyper-personalized, free, and high-quality educational system that caters to the needs of every child on the planet. He firmly believes that engaging in meaningful conversations can help revolutionize the existing educational system and make it more relevant to contemporary learning needs. John has a deep interest in Metaverse, blockchain, and NFT projects that possess the potential to transform educational environments and influence student learning. Working with VR and Metaverse initiatives within the school setting is a source of great fulfilment for him, as he actively develop a Web3 curriculum for Colegio Ikigai and future educational ventures. Above all, John takes immense pride in being a loving husband and devoted father. He is eternally grateful for the significant impact he can make on the lives of his family, as well as the students and teachers whom he strives to serve.

Dr Nick Jackson is Leader of Digital Technologies at Scotch College Adelaide. Nick has worked for over 20 years in education at universities and in schools in the UK, US, India and Australia. He has a passion for pushing boundaries and disrupting educational norms. He focuses on learners being empowered to access education in the ways that they choose and have doors open to create new pathways into learning enhanced by technology. His specialities include pedagogy, educational technology, AI in education, e-learning, coaching, empowering learners, communities of practice, ICT, computing, digital technologies, design thinking, critical & creative thinking and all manner of digital innovation. In this wide-ranging episode we cover the already profound impact of the AI innovations he's brought into his school, the importance of student voice in navigating these seismic changes, the simple power of ChatGPT and why to him it still the most useful tool in his arsenal, and his thoughts on the future of education. Nick is a great thinker, practitioner and a thoroughly decent guy. It was a real pleasure to talk to him. To access Nick's excellent free course on integrating AI, chatbots and ChatGPT into your school, visit his site here.