Edtech Insiders

Former Pixar creatives and educational leaders Elyse Klaidman and Tony DeRose, along with Brit Cruise Chief Learning Officer at X IN A BOX, discuss the intersection of creativity, technology, and education. They delve into empowering learners through mentorship, AI in education, the power of storytelling, and the future of education with AI. Recommended resources include 'Creativity, Inc.' and 'The Children's Machine'.

Experts Hayley Spira-Bauer and Ysiad Ferreiras discuss AI chip competition, Biden's debt relief plan, Duolingo's China expansion in the Week in Edtech. Topics include workforce trends, significant funding activities, and K-12 challenges. Plus insights on AI advancements in education, Duolingo's literacy debate, challenges faced by edtech startups, and the impact of strategic acquisitions in the sector.

Jeff Wetzler shares insights on the power of asking good questions for leadership breakthroughs and personal growth. Topics include community-based design in education, overcoming barriers in communication for diverse communities, the importance of inquiry and listening in educational settings, and the synergy of user experience design and human behavior in education.

Special guest Alexa von Tobel of Inspired Capital joins to discuss edtech funding hitting new lows, Microsoft's $100 billion 'Stargate' datacenter for OpenAI, kids missing school, and AI concerns. The podcast also covers AI integration in education, perceptions of AI in schools, recent edtech funding rounds, and empowering financial literacy for young girls.

Join the debate between Gabi Immelman of Mindjoy and Carine Marette of Kritik on AI tutors vs. peer assessment in EdTech. Explore empowering STEM education, diverse assessment methods, group work evaluation, and algorithm-based student grouping. Delve into the effectiveness and challenges of AI tutors and peer feedback, emphasizing motivation, critical thinking skills, and dynamic learning environments.

Special guest Betsy Corcoran discusses AI in education, universities creating ChatGPT tools, LAUSD's AI chatbot 'Ed'. Topics include Spotify in EdTech, K-12 hybrid schooling, and M&A funding for ed tech companies. The episode also explores the advancements in AI for education, lifelong learning, and the role of AI tutors in the classroom.

Send us a textJulia Dixon is the Founder and CEO of ESAI (pronounced [ES] + [AY] + [EYE]), the first-of-its-kind generative AI platform for college applicants and young professionals. As a former college advisor, Julia saw a major inequality emerging as only the wealthiest families could afford resources for their students to stand out and get into the most competitive colleges and universities. She created ESAI to help level the playing field, so students of all backgrounds and resources could have a fair shot at telling their unique stories. Recommended Resources:Rebecca Jennings, VoxEmbedded by Kate LindsayZine by Matt Klein

Pat Yongpradit from Code.org & TeachAI and Quinn Taber from Immerse discuss the latest trends in EdTech, including AI integration in education, the return of SAT, and the transformative potential of VR technology. They also explore the TCHI initiative focusing on AI literacy and ethical understanding in education.

Send us a textWhen Alejandro Gibes de Gac was 7, his family immigrated to the US seeking educational opportunities for their children. His parents’ tireless efforts enabled Alejandro and his sister to overcome their circumstances and pursue their dreams. Alejandro published two books by 14 and was admitted to Harvard by 16.After graduating from college, Alejandro joined Teach For America and became a first grade teacher in Philadelphia. There he became frustrated that the school system treats marginalized parents as liabilities, rather than as assets. Alejandro founded Springboard Collaborative more than a decade ago to close the literacy gap by bridging the gap between home and school. Springboard runs out-of-school time programs that help teachers and parents team up to improve reading outcomes for 35K+ students across the country.While continuing to lead Springboard, Alejandro recently co-founded the edtech startup Paloma. Paloma harnesses AI to unleash parents’ untapped teaching potential. Their mobile web app helps marginalized families build and sustain a habit: 15 daily minutes of short-burst tutoring at home. (Imagine parents sitting with their kids and engaging in curriculum-aligned instruction every night.) By the time students enter middle school, families that do their Daily 15 throughout elementary school will have given their kids the equivalent of an entire extra year of school!Alejandro’s career is guided by a singular objective: to close the opportunity gap by making parent-teacher collaboration standard practice in American education.Recommended Resources:Lenny's Newsletter

Send us a textAndrew Sachs is a retired successful tech entrepreneur with a passion for wanting to make the world a better place for others.  With three wonderful kids and a teacher-wife, Andrew saw how school and university were not preparing our youth with the needed technical, soft and leadership skills they needed to thrive in today’s quickly changing world. Having benefited from excellent teachers and continuous learning in the context of high-performing global project teams in his professional career, he’s now dedicated to providing that same opportunity for aspiring youth all over the globe regardless of income or place of birth. Andrew founded Nobel Navigators which has grown from 6 youth leaders in 2019 to thousands across 142 countries in 2024.Emine Naz Can is a change agent passionate about helping youth get the skills needed to succeed in work in life.  Co-founder of Paridoc Academy to help 100+ Turkish youth learn and grow during the pandemic.  Internship in Nobel Learning where she has developed sales, negotiation and networking programs to help youth around the world get free learning to the technical, soft skills and leadership skills needed in work and life. Halil Kale Science HS graduate, enrolled at Bahcesehir University as an aspiring engineer. Ready to change the world.Recommended Resources:Edtech InsidersBroken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them by Dr. Paul LeBlanc