What does it mean for students to be 'AI ready?'

In this "in-house" episode, aiEDU CEO Alex Kotran sits down with Chief Program Officer Emma Doggett Neergaard and Director of Learning Khushali Narechania to explore the organization's new AI Readiness Framework. The aiEDU Learning Team unpacks how their framework provides a roadmap for K-12 educators to prepare students for an AI-powered future.

The team dives deep into what makes their framework unique – specifically, its focus on durable skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving alongside technical knowledge. Rather than prescribing specific AI tools or technologies that quickly become outdated, the AI Readiness Framework emphasizes building foundational skills that will serve students regardless of how AI evolves.

One key point is that AI readiness reinforces many educational priorities that we already value. "Critical thinking is not something we just came up with," Emma explains. "It's more important than ever." The conversation also explores how core subjects like English and math become more crucial, not less, as AI transforms the workplace and society.

Whether you're a classroom teacher wondering how AI impacts your subject area, a school leader developing an implementation strategy, or a district administrator crafting education policy, this episode provides clear guidance on meaningful next steps toward comprehensive AI readiness for all students.

You can download the complete AI Readiness Framework at aiEDU.org and join the conversation about preparing students for success in an AI-transformed world.

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

What happens when you combine Hollywood-level storytelling with the intimacy of audio?

Oz Woloshyn and Mangesh Hattikudur, co-founders of Kaleidoscope, have created some of the most compelling podcasts in the medium by focusing on one simple truth: people love feeling smart, especially when learning feels like an adventure.

Kaleidoscope's award-winning shows transport listeners from the Amazon rainforest in search of rare cacao to a Soviet space station where a cosmonaut finds himself stranded when his country collapses beneath him. These aren't just podcasts – they're audio journeys that hook listeners with compelling facts and emotional moments that make seemingly niche topics universally fascinating.

As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and content creation, Oz and Mangesh offer refreshing perspectives on why human creativity remains irreplaceable. While they've embraced AI tools to streamline production (revolutionizing their workflow with transcription and editing software), they emphasize that technology serves creativity, not the other way around. The subtle imperfections of human communication (which Mangesh calls the "wobble") create emotional connections that no algorithm can replicate.

Kaleidoscope's approach to podcast creation offers valuable insights for educators and parents who are concerned about how to engage students in an era of shrinking attention spans. Whether you're a podcast creator, educator, or simply curious about the future of storytelling, this conversation will leave you rethinking how we connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Learn more about Kaleidoscope:

• k-scope.com
• linkedin.com/company/kaleidoscopenyc/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

Michelle Shomo Pierce invites us into her Charlotte, North Carolina classroom where computer science education transcends coding to become a vehicle for teaching essential life skills.

What makes Michelle's approach unique is her unlikely journey to becoming a computer science teacher. With a background in biology and elementary education, she stepped into the role without any formal CS training — a fact that helps her connect with students who might otherwise feel intimidated by technical subjects: "I didn't have the background knowledge, but I just kind of trusted my ability to be able to learn new things."

This philosophy of continuous learning defines her teaching. Whether she's guiding students through digital citizenship lessons, discussing the ethical implications of AI in criminal justice, or running a Girls Who Code club, Michelle focuses on empowering her Title I school students to be more than just technology consumers. "I don't want them just to be users," she explains passionately. "I want them to understand the real-world implications."

Michelle's work extends beyond her classroom as she advocates for equal access in computer science education through organizations like the Computer Science Teachers Association. Her experiences highlight the critical importance of representation, mentorship, and community in technology fields, especially for students from marginalized backgrounds. As she puts it: "If you can see it, you can be it."

Learn more about Michelle Shomo Pierce:

• linkedin.com/in/michelle-shomo-pierce-0874658b/
• dot.cards/michelleshomopierce

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

Have you ever talked to an architect of the digital revolution that shaped our world?

We spoke with early-stage Apple alum Dan'l Lewin, who took us on a remarkable journey from the dawn of personal computing to our AI-powered present while offering rare insights as someone who helped bring the first computers into America's classrooms.

Growing up in upstate New York with a second-grade teacher who taught him binary math, Dan'l's path led him to Silicon Valley in 1976 where he ended up working next door to Steves Jobs and Wozniak. After joining Apple during the development of the Lisa system (precursor to the Macintosh), he spearheaded their strategy to introduce Apple computers to universities before they conquered the broader market.

Our conversation with Dan'l explores how computing evolved over two distinct 25-year periods: from 1975-2000, when computers optimized rational tasks with limited connectivity; to the post-1997 era when the web transformed everything into interconnected systems. Dan'l talks about where AI fits in this historical arc and suggests that, much like early computing, AI's initial impact will mostly happen behind corporate firewalls before reshaping society as a whole.

Dan'l also examines what AI means for human learning and development. He presents AI as potentially "a personal GPS for every learner" that could reroute students when they make errors, but also worries about what happens to deep-thinking in an era of instant, surface-level answers.

For educators, technologists, and anyone concerned about our collective future, our conversation with Dan'l offers a perspective from someone who has witnessed (and shaped) the way technology has transformed how we learn, work, and connect.

Learn more about Dan'l Lewin:

• computerhistory.org/profile/danl-lewin-2
• linkedin.com/in/dlewin1

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

What if we stopped trying to 'fix' students and instead fixed our educational system?

As CEO of CAST, (the Center for Applied Special Technology) Lindsay Jones helps schools utilize Universal Design for Learning to create inclusive education systems for all students.

Starting with the premise that "people aren't broken," Lindsay guides us through CAST's journey from its 1984 founding (when Harvard neuroscientists were first bringing personal computers into education) to today's AI revolution. She shares how their early work with students with significant disabilities evolved into the universal design for learning framework now implemented worldwide.

The parallels between the early Internet era and today's AI landscape provide valuable perspective. Just as educators once worried about students accessing information online, today's concerns about AI reveal our need to normalize new technology while thoughtfully addressing its implications. Lindsay argues that the current moment presents a unique opportunity to build accessibility into AI educational tools from the ground up, rather than expensive retrofitting later.

Lindsay also emphasizes the irreplaceable role of human educators – while AI offers powerful support, the "magic moments" when teachers connect with students and transform their learning cannot be automated. Universal design isn't about creating 30 different lesson plans for 30 different brains, it's about removing barriers so all students can access learning in ways that work for them.

For parents seeking to advocate for better design, educators looking to integrate AI thoughtfully, or technologists aiming to create truly accessible tools, this episode offers both practical wisdom and bold vision for education's future.

Learn more about CAST:

• CAST.org
• linkedin.com/company/castorg/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

What good is 'innovation in edtech' if millions of students can't access it?

Dr. Keisha King takes us on her journey from classroom teacher to education technology leader at T-Mobile, showing how authentic educator perspectives can transform tech initiatives in schools. With a background in virtual schooling and curriculum development, Dr. King brings a uniquely grounded approach to her work in connecting millions of students to the Internet.

At the heart of Dr. King's philosophy is a powerful framework: "Curriculum is the foundation, pedagogy is the method, and technology is the support." This perspective has guided her leadership of Project 10Million, T-Mobile's $10.7 billion commitment that has connected over 6 million students across 4,000 school districts with no-cost hotspots and five years of service.

Despite that progress, Dr. King candidly acknowledges the digital divide's persistence as pandemic-era connectivity programs expire. "Under-served populations are accustomed to programs coming and going," she notes, highlighting how short-term interventions often leave students with devices that become "paperweights" without ongoing connectivity. This reality creates real challenges as schools adopt AI and other advanced technologies, potentially widening rather than narrowing opportunity gaps.

Our conversation with Dr. King offers invaluable insight for educators, technology leaders, and policymakers who are navigating the intersection of innovation and access in schools. Her approach (listening deeply to educators' needs rather than prescribing solutions) provides a powerful model for corporate-education partnerships that truly serve students and their communities.

Learn more about Dr. Kiesha King and T-Mobile's Project 10Million:

• t-mobile.com/brand/project-10-million
• linkedin.com/in/kieshart/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

When civics teacher Zach Kennelly first encountered ChatGPT and DALL-E, he immediately recognized their transformative potential for education. As one of the first AI Trailblazers in aiEDU's fellowship program, Zach has reimagined what's possible in the classroom by positioning AI not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a collaborative tool that empowers students to tackle challenges they care about.

Throughout our conversation, Zach shared how his diverse background in political science, sociology, math, and science provided the perfect foundation for integrating AI into his teaching at the Denver School of Science and Technology Public Schools (DSST) network. Despite initial roadblocks after the school blocked AI tools due to privacy concerns, Zach persisted in his belief that providing students with AI literacy was fundamental – students without AI literacy would soon be competing against peers who were becoming fluent in these technologies.

The results speak for themselves: Zach's civics students created VoteWise Colorado, a voter engagement app that caught the attention of the Colorado Secretary of State. Rather than traditional assignments where teachers dictate knowledge for students to absorb, this project centered students as experts in their own community's needs. And the lessons learned went beyond academics; one student confidently declared "I could run a tech company," while another reflected how "I care a lot more about things than I knew."

Are you ready to explore how AI might transform your classroom? Zach recommends starting in areas where you have expertise, focusing on low-stakes experimentation and remembering that the goal isn't to replace traditional skills but to elevate them. As we navigate this pivotal moment in education, teachers who thoughtfully adopt these tools aren't just preparing students for an AI-driven future – they're addressing fundamental questions about what it means to learn in the 21st century.

Learn more about Zach Kennelly and DSST Public Schools:

• DSSTPublicSchools.org
• linkedin.com/in/zkennelly/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

What if the very traits that society labels as a "disability" are actually your greatest strengths?

In this week's episode of aiEDU Studios, John Marble (author of Neurodiversity for Dummies and Autism for Dummies) takes us on a remarkable journey from his early days making White House beer runs to becoming a respected neurodiversity advocate and thought leader.

John's story begins unexpectedly when, as a community college student, he volunteered during Al Gore's debate prep, which led to a White House internship and eventually a career in politics and innovation. But the most powerful moment came when he finally disclosed his autism to a senior colleague, who responded not with accommodation strategies but with a profound question: "Have you ever thought that your autism has helped you in your career?"

Our conversation explored the everyday challenges that neurodivergent individuals face (from deciphering unwritten social rules to navigating workplace communication) while highlighting how different cultures accommodate neurodiversity in surprising ways. John explains how some countries' communication styles naturally align with autistic thinking patterns, making him feel instantly more at ease in places like Finland or Germany compared to the U.S.

Of course, we also talked about AI and how AI tools have become invaluable thinking partners for neurodivergent individuals. John shared how large language models (LLMs) helped him write his books by serving as sounding boards and empathy enhancers, allowing him to better understand and address diverse audience needs. Yet, he also emphasizes a critical point that technology developers consistently miss – the importance of involving neurodivergent people in designing the very tools meant to support them.

Learn more about John Marble and his Pivot Neurodiversity organization:

• linkedin.com/in/johnmarblejr/
• PivotDiversity.com

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/