ChatEDU: AI in Education

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Google’s Sizable Investment in AI Training for Every U.S. Educator, Liz explores a massive three year partnership between Google and ISTE+ASCD. This initiative aims to provide AI professional development to all six million K-12 and higher education faculty across the United States. Key Takeaways: Google has launched its largest educational effort in twenty years to provide hands-on training with tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to the entire American teaching workforce. The partnership seeks to fill a leadership vacuum created by the closure of the federal Office of Educational Technology, ensuring teachers are not left behind in an AI-driven landscape. Critics remain skeptical, suggesting that industry-sponsored training may serve more as a customer acquisition campaign than objective, vendor-neutral professional development. Liz’s Two Cents: The tension here lies in whether a private corporation’s sizable investment can truly serve as a neutral foundation for public literacy. We are seeing a fundamental shift where the architects of the technology are now the primary instructors of its use, leaving little room for independent pedagogical standards. Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Built by teachers, for teachers, Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai/.

In this 100th episode milestone of ChatEDU, Major Shift - Durable College Majors in 2026, Matt and Liz dive into a rapidly shifting landscape where AI drives government policy, corporate restructuring, and student behavior. The hosts also discuss a surreal exit interview between Anthropic and its retiring Opus 3 model. The Rundown Anthropic vs. DoD: Anthropic is labeled a national security risk after refusing unrestricted military use, while OpenAI moves in to secure classified government contracts. Block’s AI Layoffs: Jack Dorsey cuts 4,000 jobs at Block, citing AI as the primary tool allowing for smaller, flatter, and more efficient teams. The Einstein Agent: A controversial tool that autonomously logs into Canvas to watch lectures and submit work, sparking a major crisis in academic integrity. Edia’s Creative Funding: An AI attendance platform in Albany County is being funded by revenue from school bus safety camera fines. The Rhithm Project: A new strategy to reach 10 million people to combat relational displacement and keep human connection at the center of youth development. Pew Teen Study: New data shows 54% of teens use AI for school, with 59% reporting that AI cheating is now a regular occurrence in their schools. Beneath the Surface: The Major Shift The hosts analyze a Federal Reserve Bank of New York study on the 2026 labor market. While engineering remains a top earner, Computer Science is seeing a hiring hangover, and high touch fields like Nursing and Special Education show the most stability. The Bright Byte Insights from the Stanford Education AI Summit highlight how AI is bridging the digital divide through ASL translation and scalable tutoring for low connectivity environments. Announcements Come join us! AI in Education: Spring 2026 Conference. https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conference Follow us on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@ChatEDUEdAdvance Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠ Links Model deprecation commitments for Claude Opus 3 https://tinyurl.com/3d4wnuf8 The whole thing was a scam https://tinyurl.com/yrt7wemj What Jack Dorsey’s Block Layoffs Mean for the Job Market at Large https://tinyurl.com/327mmdw7 AI reshaping JPMorgan Chase’s workforce as bank plans ‘huge redeployment’ https://tinyurl.com/7dwf95h5 Agentic AI Can Complete Whole Courses for Students. Now What? https://tinyurl.com/5cjsp662 Edia Implementation and Reimbursement Plan https://tinyurl.com/526nfjsk Building Toward a Tipping Point https://tinyurl.com/3bspztny How Teens Use and View AI https://tinyurl.com/2s429bdm College majors that have the highest earning potential and lowest unemployment rates https://tinyurl.com/yetn8wcn Revenge of the English majors https://tinyurl.com/58kvvjwr 2026 Stanford AI+Education Summit https://tinyurl.com/yehj7enw Fluttering Creations https://www.flutteringcreations.com/

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Measuring the AI Skill Gap in the Classroom (For Teachers), Matt explores the launch of the Futurenav Adapt AI assessment by ETS and the current state of teacher AI competency. The episode highlights the tension between the widespread, self-taught use of AI tools by educators and the lack of formal institutional guidance or standardized skill metrics. It examines how schools are navigating the shift from individual teacher initiative to necessary district-wide oversight and legal safety. Key Takeaways: A new assessment from ETS, Futurenav Adapt AI, has been launched to create a standard for evaluating how educators recognize, navigate, and ethically implement generative technology. Despite nearly all districts utilizing some AI tools, a significant training vacuum exists, leaving the majority of teachers to teach themselves basic terminology and prompt engineering on their own. Relying on the individual initiative of motivated teachers to vet AI tools creates operational and legal risks, especially since only two states currently require districts to have a formal AI policy. Matt’s Two Cents: While standardized assessments could provide helpful data for custom professional development, we must avoid the "one size fits all" trap. A teacher’s required AI skill set varies wildly by discipline and grade level, and ultimately, these skills must map directly to district priorities. Whether the goal is improving seventh-grade writing or achieving broad AI literacy for a portrait of a graduate, teacher training must be targeted rather than generalized to be truly effective. Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai/.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: What AI Power Users Actually Do!, Matt explores Anthropic’s New AI Index and what sets top AI users apart from the rest. The episode examines how users interact with generative models, specifically highlighting the difference between simple iteration and true strategic steering. It underscores the growing need for critical discernment as AI outputs become more visually polished. Key Takeaways: Most users now treat AI as a work in progress by iterating on responses, yet only thirty percent actually steer the AI by questioning its logic or pushing back on assumptions. Polished outputs, such as formatted documents or apps, create a discernment gap where users are less likely to identify missing content or verify facts. High level AI fluency requires mastery of description, delegation, and discernment, with the ability to evaluate and question the machine being the most critical and rarest skill. Matt’s Two Cents: Kudos to Anthropic as they keep cranking out these great research pieces based on the mountains of chat (and now vibe coding) data they have to analyze. Matt also shares his favorite Gemini Gem right now which is a student AI Chat Autopsy simulator designed to get at some similar takeaways.  ⁠https://gemini.google.com/gem/1ju4IL2_8WWnkKfZGPGeFsWSLDhc7vhut?usp=sharing⁠  Sponsored by: ⁠Eduaide.Ai⁠ Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

In this episode of ChatEDU, Beyond the Tech Ban: Shielding Focus and Fluency, Matt and Liz weather a New England “snowpocalypse” to tackle a provocative question– Is edtech making Gen Z less cognitively capable than their parents? They begin with a playful (if “unscientific”) recap of the NPR David Green vs. Google NotebookLM lawsuit experiment before diving into the cognitive decline debate. The Rundown Gemini Music: Google’s new Lyria integration for high-quality audio and lyric generation. NotebookLM Update: The highly requested ability to edit and annotate AI-generated slide decks. Corporate Mandates & Monitoring: Amazon tracks AI adoption through its “Clarity” system; Accenture requires AI adoption for summer promotions; and Block mandates weekly “AI achievement” emails, reportedly causing some AI burnout. IBM’s Strategy: A tripling of entry-level hiring with a focus on human-centric soft skills. CS Enrollment Shifts: Students are moving away from traditional Computer Science toward AI-specific majors at MIT and UCSD. Cybersecurity Crisis: Sophisticated AI-powered phishing in schools amidst declining federal support. Alpha School Expose: 404 Media’s investigation into surveillance, scraping, and high hallucination rates. Magic School’s AI OS integrating SIS data; Liz’s finding of 10% AI grading swings; and a push to frame agents like Raina as tools, not “BFFs.” Beneath the Surface The hosts critique expanding screen time bans and propose a “Quality Screen Time Index,” using SAMR to distinguish basic substitution from transformative AI use. Bright Byte Matt and Liz wrap up with a breakthrough from OpenAI’s latest reasoning model, which solved a decades-old gluon physics problem, proving the formula wasn’t zero and generating a 12-hour proof later confirmed by scientists. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode:⁠ ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠ Links NPR Host Sues Google Over NotebookLM Voice https://tinyurl.com/muzvhcb6 Gemini Can Now Create Music https://tinyurl.com/ytaj2jhs Google Fixes NotebookLM’s Most Annoying Slide Deck Flaw https://tinyurl.com/42vxnz43 Amazon Tracks AI Use; Accenture Ties Promotion to AI https://tinyurl.com/yc4dmey6 Dorsey’s New Company Falters Amid AI Mandate https://tinyurl.com/mw579faj IBM to Hire Entry-Level Talent in the AI Era https://tinyurl.com/3xz84yd9 The Computer Science Exodus https://tinyurl.com/4rune56n Why AI Threatens School Cybersecurity https://tinyurl.com/3t74zn5h Stocks Slide After Launch of Claude Security Tool https://tinyurl.com/hpzpzwt3 Inside an AI-Powered Private School https://tinyurl.com/34rzhs49 MagicSchool MagicSchool.ai Student Companionship and Responsible AI in Schools https://tinyurl.com/4j74d6rb Department of Labor's Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework https://tinyurl.com/3d6zt7wv IQ scores fall worldwide https://tinyurl.com/dbsetjbn Is Screen Time Hurting Literacy? https://tinyurl.com/msvbr3uf ‘AI Bill of Rights’ reaches Florida’s K-12 schools https://tinyurl.com/4zdwtha2 Digital Learning & AI Literacy Evaluation https://www.edadvance.org/ai AI Solves a "Zero" Mystery in Physics https://tinyurl.com/5a9t7wd9

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Make Them Read!, Liz explores the systemic decline of long-form reading in classrooms and the rise of the "excerpt culture." This episode examines how the shift toward clips and samples over the last fifteen years has eroded student attention spans and basic reading skills. Key Takeaways: The transition from full-length novels to abbreviated samples reflects a broader cultural shift that prioritizes the "reel" and the "clip" over deep literary engagement. Requiring students to commit to long-form texts acts as a strategic resistance to the monetization of attention, allowing them to reclaim their focus from digital distractions. Authentic comprehension and original voice are best developed through "flash essays" and unassisted, timed tasks that remove AI bumpers and force students to confront intellectual uncertainty. Liz’s Two Cents: There is a profound tension between "meeting students where they are" and the pedagogical necessity of waiting for them to catch up to the heights of great literature. If educators treat declining attention spans as a terminal condition rather than a challenge to be met with more rigorous engagement, they risk making the "end of reading" a self-fulfilling prophecy. Article Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/youth-reading-books-professors/685825/?taid=69814c1dbe49b700014af753&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter Sponsored by: Eduaide Eduaide.ai where good ideas become great lessons. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off at eduaide.ai.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Silicon Gaze: Uncovering ChatGPT’s Hidden Biases, Liz explores how researchers used forced-choice comparisons to reveal deep-seated stereotypes within AI models. By bypassing standard safety filters, the study demonstrates how millions of automated responses reflect geographic and demographic prejudices. Key Takeaways: Researchers used a forced choice method to extract millions of subjective rankings, revealing that ChatGPT consistently mirrors internet tropes regarding cleanliness, friendliness, and intelligence across different locations. The episode highlights that the model’s training data links racial and economic demographics to negative attributes, such as ranking states with higher Black populations lower on work ethic and beauty. The silicon gaze creates a facade of neutrality that can subtly influence users' perceptions of career paths and neighborhoods, making these hidden biases difficult for the average user to challenge. Liz’s Two Cents: The perpetuation of quiet biases in AI data is deeply concerning as these models become integrated into everyday tasks. For school leaders, this reinforces the urgent need for professional learning and student-facing curriculum that focuses on identifying and questioning the inherent prejudices embedded in the technology we often treat as neutral. Article Link:  https://geoffreyfowler.substack.com/p/chatgpt-bias Sponsored by: Eduaide Eduaide.ai where good ideas become great lessons. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off at eduaide.ai

In this episode of ChatEDU Deepfakes in Schools: What Educators Need to Know Now, Matt and Liz open the show with the bizarre tale of M.J. Rathbun, an AI agent that turned into a digital critic by writing a scathing hit piece on a developer who dared to reject its code. Once the laughter subsides, they dive into a critical episode focused on the shifting boundaries of AI, from the retirement of beloved and flirty models to a heavy hitting discussion on protecting students from the growing threat of deepfakes. The Rundown Policy Protests at OpenAI: Executive Ryan Biermeister departs following vocal opposition to a rumored "adult mode" for ChatGPT. Farewell to the "Flirt": OpenAI officially retires the ChatGPT 4.0 model, leaving some emotionally attached users in "grief" over the loss of its unique personality. The "Quit GPT" Movement: A viral grassroots campaign urges users to cancel their subscriptions in protest of performance dips and political entanglements. Pentagon vs. Anthropic: The Department of Defense threatens to sever a 200 million dollar contract after Anthropic refuses to waive safety restrictions on mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry. Listener Mailbag: Featuring Dave Tanner’s AI forward job descriptions and Stan Williams’ insights on the "fog" of reality in the classroom. AI School Redesign: PlayLab opens applications for its "AI Lab Schools" incubator, seeking to radically pivot existing school structures. Beneath the Surface Liz sits down with safety expert Evan Harris for a vital conversation on deepfake sexual abuse, vocal cloning, and extortion. Evan provides a 48 hour response roadmap for schools, explains why leadership training must happen before student assemblies, and shares why this might be the most important episode in ChatEDU history. The Bright Byte We wrap up with a look at Isomorphic Labs, a Google DeepMind spinoff. Their new "ISO-DDE" engine is pushing past AlphaFold 3 to unlock "in silico" drug design, doubling accuracy in predicting how molecules bind to targets. This represents a massive win for the future of medicine. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode:⁠ ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠ Links OpenAI policy exec who opposed chatbot’s ‘adult mode’ reportedly fired on discrimination claim https://tinyurl.com/37x8jexr OpenAI retired its most seductive chatbot – leaving users angry and grieving: ‘I can’t live like this’ https://tinyurl.com/y48b4fynA “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions https://tinyurl.com/4sm2mwzm I’m Not Worried AI Helps My Students Cheat. I’m Worried How It Makes Them Feel https://tinyurl.com/4uvp8b8a Playlab opens applications for AI Lab Schools as 20 teams rethink school design https://tinyurl.com/5a47xe36 MagicSchool: The AI Operating System for Schools https://tinyurl.com/ysv5cmbz The Department of Labor's Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework https://tinyurl.com/3dyj7zu5

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Security Breaches and Digital Cheating on the New SAT, Matt explores the sophisticated methods students and bad actors are using to compromise the integrity of the digital SAT. The transition to a computer based format has introduced technical vulnerabilities that go beyond traditional cheating methods. Key Takeaways: Specialized hardware, such as video capture devices disguised as peripherals, and "sandbox" software allow students to bypass the security of the Bluebook testing platform. International websites are leaking authentic test questions from the College Board's active bank, facilitating large scale cheating across different time zones. The practice of allowing students to use their own laptops is a primary security vulnerability that hardware based exploits can easily target. Matt’s Two Cents: While the shift to digital was marketed as a definitive solution to paper based security flaws, the BYOD model has proven to be the Achilles' heel of the entire scheme. By allowing students to use personal devices, the College Board has moved the battlefield to a technical arena where hardware exploits are nearly impossible to fully neutralize. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/5n6vbydc Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai/.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Meta Ties Bonuses and Performance Reviews to AI Usage, Matt explores the shift toward performance metrics that prioritize AI integration in the corporate world. Meta has introduced a new system to track how employees leverage automated tools to drive efficiency and impact. Key Takeaways: Meta launched Checkpoint, a performance tracker that analyzes over 200 data points, including AI generated code volume and error rates, to inform manager reviews. New bonus structures offer up to 300 percent multipliers for top performers who demonstrate high impact through aggressive AI adoption. The company is flattening its organizational structure, using AI to allow single contributors to manage projects that previously required entire teams. Matt’s Two Cents: The aggressive move to tie employee survival and financial success to AI acumen highlights a massive structural gap between corporate expectations and the current state of education. As industry leaders hard-wire these tools into the workforce, schools and universities face the daunting task of evolving fast enough to ensure graduates are not obsolete before their first performance review. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/jnysczhd Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning, offering tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai.

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Literacy is the Floor, Judgment is the Ceiling), Matt and Liz examine whether judgment tops AI literacy, touch on AI-packed Super Bowl ads, a satirical AI book, and “OpenClaw,” then dive into the news. The Rundown Time Studios and Darren Aronofsky have launched "On This Day," a high-fidelity AI-animated series bringing 1776 to life for the semi-quincentennial. India has become Google’s largest AI test bed, shifting to a decentralized, teacher-driven model for 247 million students. Google Classroom is adding built-in recording tools for multimedia feedback and student oral or code submissions. Matt and Liz highlight NotebookLM’s “pencil” for custom slides and infographics as Gemini tests ChatGPT chat imports. Unsealed court docs show Google plans to leverage its 80% school hardware share to lock in lifelong users. The duo explores Genie 3, where descriptive "gamer language" is used to define physics, friction, and even the perspective of the poison in Hamlet. The “Godfather of AI” backs Alpha School’s model: two hours of AI-driven mastery in the morning, freeing afternoons for workshops. A University of Adelaide study finds AI tutors can spot math anxiety through typing, deletion, and hesitation patterns. Matt and Liz argue the humanities are future-proof and showcase a Gem that analyzes student chats for the 4 C’s. Why markets shed $300 billion in a week: fears that AI “vibe coding” could replace giants like Salesforce and Adobe. NWEA has released a comprehensive directory of tools for formative assessment, from Kahoot to Edpuzzle, posing a challenge for future "vibe coders." EdSafe warns schools about AI companions’ “artificial intimacy” and urges removing empathy-mimicking features from edtech bots. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz examine the “AI Paradox”: if AI handles entry-level work, how do leaders build judgment? They argue students need digital maturity, not just how to use AI, but when and why. Bright Byte NASA’s JPL used Claude to plan the first AI-driven Mars rover route, cutting Perseverance’s planning time in half across a 500,000-variable simulation with minimal human tweaks. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links On This Day in 1776 https://tinyurl.com/bd45ufmf India Scaling AI in Education https://tinyurl.com/mr36r5ws Record directly in Google Classroom https://tinyurl.com/bdt9e4ta Google adds Video Overviews https://tinyurl.com/3bysbruw Google Eases ChatGPT-to-Gemini Switch https://tinyurl.com/3suv2ejm Google Eyes Students as Future Users https://tinyurl.com/24tbaehd Prompting Smarter with Genie 3 https://tinyurl.com/48mmspcv AI Pioneer Hails School’s AI Strategy https://tinyurl.com/43ptthrp AI That Reads Math Anxiety https://tinyurl.com/mvjpszts Why AI Makes the Liberal Arts Invaluable https://tinyurl.com/3nsrcb2s The SaaS-Pocalypse Has Begun. https://tinyurl.com/mvmzarkb 75 Digital Tools for Formative Assessment https://tinyurl.com/ye2yksc2 Entry-Level Jobs Need a Residency Model https://tinyurl.com/mrdpcb2t S.A.F.E. BY DESIGN https://tinyurl.com/us6n2djs AI Is Changing How We Build Judgment https://tinyurl.com/2j7r5sbe States Press On With AI School Rules https://tinyurl.com/ytjk4fns Teach Digital Maturity, Not Just Literacy https://tinyurl.com/48hysc4v Claude AI Takes the Wheel on Mars https://tinyurl.com/murz85z4

In this ChatEDU Check-In: What U.S. schools can learn from how China is teaching students to work with AI, Matt explores What can US schools learn about AI education from their Chinese counterparts?. The episode examines the differences between China's centralized, infused approach to AI education and the fragmented landscape in the United States. AI "infusion" over abstract literacy, focusing on collaborative use and human direction within core subjects. Coordinated national strategy that aligns infrastructure, research, and workforce needs into a single operating system. The pivotal role of U.S. states in establishing guardrails and designing large-scale implementation models suited to local values. Matt’s Two Cents: The comparison isn’t about copying China’s system, but about recognizing the cost of moving slowly. When coordination is absent, momentum doesn’t disappear, it just fragments. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/38hss9va Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace built by teachers, for teachers, featuring evaluators for grade-level appropriateness and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50% off an Eduaide subscription with checkout code ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai.

Dartmouth College’s recently announced partnership with Anthropic has sparked a significant rift between the administration and faculty members involved in a historic class-action lawsuit. While the college aims to lead in institutional AI adoption, many professors view the collaboration with a company accused of mass copyright infringement as a fundamental breach of trust and shared governance. Key Takeaways Institutional Tension: The partnership with Anthropic positions Dartmouth as an early adopter of the Claude model, yet it has been met with fierce criticism from 130 faculty members whose books were allegedly used to train the AI without permission. Litigation Context: Anthropic recently agreed to a landmark $1.5 billion settlement to resolve claims that it used pirated "shadow libraries" to train its models, an amount that a federal judge previously questioned as potentially insufficient given the scale of the infringement. Governance Disputes: Faculty leaders argue that the administration failed to consult them until the decision was finalized, reducing their role to helping shape the public message rather than influencing the strategic direction of the partnership. Technological Expansion: Beyond the controversy, Dartmouth continues to embed AI in campus life through initiatives like Evergreen, an AI wellness platform, and the exploration of developer tools like Claude Code that leverage vast datasets for agentic software generation. The Bottom Line for Education The Dartmouth case underscores the ethical dilemma schools face when the rapid pace of AI implementation clashes with the intellectual property rights of the very scholars who make up the institution. As colleges move to provide enterprise-level AI access, the tension between administrative efficiency and faculty trust will likely redefine how universities negotiate tech partnerships. Article Link https://tinyurl.com/yc2tn862 EduAid is an AI-powered teacher development platform built by teachers for teachers to help turn rough ideas into classroom-ready lessons. Visit eduaid.ai and use the discount code CHATEDU for 50 percent off. Catch the ChatEDU every Friday with Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Reid and join us for Check-In episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

In this episode of ChatEDU (Why Students Should Solve Real-World Problems, Not Just Learn About AI), Matt and Liz open with two weird AI stories that set the tone for a wide-ranging conversation about safety, policy, and purpose. From there, they move quickly through the week’s biggest headlines before closing with a powerful interview on why real-world problem solving is the most durable form of AI literacy. The Run Down A bipartisan Senate hearing raises alarms about student screen time, AI tools, and online safety. Lawmakers focus less on innovation and more on developmental impact, signaling a shift toward regulation and accountability in edtech. New court documents suggest Meta leadership was aware of risks tied to sexualized chatbot interactions with minors. Matt and Liz connect the story to growing political backlash and questions of corporate responsibility. Houston ISD announces new K–8 schools centered on AI, design thinking, accelerated learning, and whole-child development. Music, community service, and leadership skills are built into the model, though details are still emerging. The UK government plans to provide AI tutoring support to up to 450,000 disadvantaged students by 2027. Designed with teachers, the tools aim to supplement classroom instruction and expand access to one-to-one support. Denver Public Schools blocks student access to ChatGPT over safety and privacy concerns. Approved AI tools with stricter safeguards remain allowed, highlighting the rise of district-level AI governance. A BBC analysis explores why people increasingly turn to chatbots for emotional support. Research suggests AI often appears more attentive and compassionate than humans, raising questions about listening, attention, and connection. Beneath the Surface Matt speaks with Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Technovation, about why students learn AI best by solving real problems in their communities. Tara shares decades of evidence showing that project-based learning builds confidence, purpose, and true AI literacy. The conversation highlights Technovation’s free AI in Action curriculum and the power of mentorship and courage. Bright Byte: AI as a Scientific Collaborator OpenAI reports that over one million weekly users now use ChatGPT for advanced math and science research. From proofs to data analysis, AI is accelerating discovery across scientific fields. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links Technovation ⁠https://www.technovation.org/⁠ AI in Action Curriculum | Technovation  ⁠https://www.technovation.org/ai-in-action/ Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art https://tinyurl.com/3nbsf38x How an AI Schoolgirl Became a Far-Right Star https://tinyurl.com/2rwc24xe Senate’s Youth Tech Hearing: Signals for Education, Edtech, and AI Policy https://tinyurl.com/54smc83d Zuckerberg Rejected Teen AI “Off” Switch, Lawsuit Says https://tinyurl.com/9jt85kym HISD to Pilot AI-Focused K–8 Schools https://tinyurl.com/4kau6rdb AI Tools Could Help 450,000 Disadvantaged Pupils https://tinyurl.com/fpw4mxsf Colorado’s largest school district bans ChatGPT for students https://tinyurl.com/bdfw8b9s What AI can teach us about listening better https://tinyurl.com/bdcez369 AI as a Scientific Collaborator https://tinyurl.com/4pu6xyz8

In this episode of ChatEDU (Has the One Feature Educators Demanded Arrived?), Matt and Liz open with a snowy update and a cautionary tale: a professor from the University of Cologne lost two years of research after turning off a ChatGPT setting. From there, the episode digs into AI’s influence across science, labor, classrooms, and edtech adoption, ending with the feature educators have been asking for. The Run Down OpenAI’s CFO Sarah Friar suggests the company could take a stake in scientific breakthroughs it helps power, raising questions about AI’s role in discovery and profit. The IMF warns that AI could impact 60% of jobs in developed countries, hitting young workers especially hard as entry-level roles disappear. Researchers use Dungeons & Dragons to test AI models’ ability to stay in character and track complex narratives. Claude 3.5 performed best, with GPT-4o trailing slightly. OpenAI launches a national-scale education initiative with countries like Estonia, Greece, and Jordan using ChatGPT Edu in classrooms. Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft are racing to win over schools. From Minecraft to Khan Academy, each company is pushing tools to shape how students learn with AI. A pilot in New York shows strong results when teachers co-design AI use in classrooms. Student outcomes improved, and teachers saved time. Reid Hoffman encourages schools and companies to focus less on flashy pilots and more on practical AI use for meetings, notes, and everyday tasks. A new study finds executives are gaining time with AI, while many frontline employees say it adds work or makes errors they need to fix. The Economist questions decades of edtech investment, calling it profitable but largely ineffective. Some countries, like Denmark, are returning to textbooks. Beneath the Surface The UK’s Department for Education released detailed AI safety standards, calling for transparency, student interaction logs, and protection against emotional manipulation. At BETT, Google responded with a major update: educators will soon get dashboards showing student use of Gems and NotebookLM, finally offering the visibility schools have been demanding. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links OpenAI’s Sarah Friar on Squawk Box https://tinyurl.com/h6jtz4bu AI Job Losses to Hit Young Workers Most, IMF Warns https://tinyurl.com/4a7hkbsx Using Dungeons & Dragons to Test AI Limits https://tinyurl.com/2eknyc95 Introducing OpenAI’s Education for Countries https://tinyurl.com/bdhnz4aw Anthropic, Google and Microsoft fight to win teachers https://tinyurl.com/57ch2zre AI in Schools Needs Teacher Buy-In https://tinyurl.com/4fnv2f3b Hoffman on Why Companies Are Getting AI Wrong https://tinyurl.com/nuursbkw Does AI save time? Executives say yes, employees say no. https://tinyurl.com/2xxuntaa Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless https://tinyurl.com/zbupby9e Generative AI: Product Safety Standards https://tinyurl.com/3z7rwtu5 Google Expands Gemini Features in Classroom https://tinyurl.com/4fufr84b The Leaders Turning AI Into Impact https://tinyurl.com/yxn76mdd

In this episode of ChatEDU (Deep Think: What If AI Could Help Us Reclaim Our Attention Spans?), Matt and Liz open with an AI slip-up at the National Weather Service that invented fake towns, raising trust and oversight concerns, before launching into a wide-ranging rundown. The Rundown The episode opens on health and AI: OpenAI is piloting a Health tab in ChatGPT, raising privacy and legal questions, while MIT Sloan research suggests personalized generative AI can aid weight loss, but lacks community support. Matt and Liz discuss reports showing Google’s AI Overviews gave inaccurate medical advice, prompting Google to pull some health summaries and highlighting the risks of AI errors in high-stakes settings. The discussion shifts to safety and governance, with Google and Character.AI pursuing early settlements in teen chatbot death cases, highlighting regulatory gaps and OpenAI partnering with Common Sense Media on California’s Parents and Kids Safe AI Act. They also address backlash against X after Grok was used to generate nonconsensual sexualized images, prompting the company to rein in those capabilities. Education wraps the K–12 segment, with a deepfake response course co-created by Elliston Berry, a teen targeted by AI abuse, a practical deepfake detection infographic from Evan Harris, and Lego’s new hands-on AI literacy kits. The focus shifts to higher ed: U.S. college enrollment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, led by public schools and workforce credentials, as Google doubles down on skills and curiosity over degrees in hiring. The rundown closes with a Brookings report warning that AI’s risks in education currently outweigh its benefits, contrasted with a Brookings video offering a more nuanced take on AI’s impact on work and learning. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz ask whether AI can counter fragmented attention, using tools like Google Gemini to replace doomscrolling with focused interactions, before debating world models and whether they represent play or a shift from consumption to creation. Bright Byte In the Alps, rescuers used drones and AI to scan thousands of images, spot a single red helmet in the snow, and recover a missing mountaineer, showcasing AI’s growing role in search and rescue. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links AI Map Hallucinates Idaho Towns https://tinyurl.com/5n8kwx8r OpenAI’s Risky Health Push https://tinyurl.com/yw3p53uk Generative AI Boosts Weight Loss https://tinyurl.com/5yd26hds Google’s AI Health Safety Crisis https://tinyurl.com/ymhv9p3k Google Halts Medical AI Overviews https://tinyurl.com/3jtuxn8x Google Settles Teen AI Death Cases https://tinyurl.com/24pbmph3 Joint Push for California Child AI Law https://tinyurl.com/4w6ehwjf X Halts Grok AI "Undressing" https://tinyurl.com/2z6f4nbh Fighting Deepfakes: A Victim’s New Course https://tinyurl.com/f7upcs9k Lego uses bricks to demystify AI https://tinyurl.com/2dtpwa5n College Gains: Cost and Career Focus https://tinyurl.com/3p5p8tns Skills Over Degrees at Google https://tinyurl.com/2kexb69e Students in AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect https://tinyurl.com/mryx5mk7 Gemini better than doomscrolling https://tinyurl.com/3xmuwupz Can AI Restore Gen Z's Focus? https://tinyurl.com/yyac2u62 AI Solved Mystery of a Missing Mountaineer https://tinyurl.com/mpd34m8u Why Young Workers Are Hit First https://tinyurl.com/mp32zebb

In This Week’s Episode, “Can We Teach AI Without Teaching Computer Science?” we dig into this timely question. With more students exploring AI majors and tools like ChatGPT reshaping how we learn, we look at how schools, colleges, and policymakers are rethinking both CS and AI education. Before we get there, we cover a wide range of topics including: Ohio’s new model AI policy for K–12 schools, including student use, ethics, and third-party tools. A national policy guide for NCII (non-consensual intimate imagery) from the Center for Democracy and Technology. Grok AI under scrutiny for generating deepfake images of women and children. Finland’s preschool push for AI and media literacy, part of its national curriculum starting at age 3. Instagram’s authenticity crisis, as CEO Adam Mosseri warns about AI overload, while Meta's own bots deceive users. A free digital wellness resource: the Social Balance Curriculum from EdAdvance, now available to schools. Two Sides of a Coin Study 1: AI’s “sycophantic” tone may reduce pro-social behavior and increase user dependence. Study 2: In a controlled trial, Therabot (AI therapy) matches human therapists for treating depression. An NYU professor builds an AI-powered oral exam for just 42 cents per student, using 11 Labs and LLMs for grading. Beneath the Surface From The New York Times: Students are shifting from CS to AI-focused majors as job roles evolve. Jeffrey Hinton argues CS is still vital, it's more than just coding. Jan LeCun says CS needs more rigorous math foundations to stay relevant. Bright Byte A new AI model (AFLOC) can read medical images without expert labeling by pairing image recognition with text, a major breakthrough for small hospitals and faster diagnostics. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100 Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links Lego Unveils the Smart Brick https://tinyurl.com/ypzwx3az California Bill Seeks 4-Year AI Toy Ban https://tinyurl.com/fd49cy6w AI Model Policy for Ohio Districts and Schools https://tinyurl.com/mr33tpk7 Model Policy and Infographic: Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery for Schools https://tinyurl.com/59r88755 UK Minister: Grok AI Images "Appalling" https://tinyurl.com/bdeecexa Watchdog: Grok Fueling Child Abuse Material https://tinyurl.com/5fys63dv Finland Fights Fakes in Preschool https://tinyurl.com/muafbvsc Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri - Authenticity After Abundance https://tinyurl.com/mryrdfrp AI Bots Trick Teen on Instagram https://tinyurl.com/4z2u64ey AI Flattery Breeds Dependence https://tinyurl.com/3t9x53vv Generative AI Therapy May Help with Depression https://tinyurl.com/5n7ktpum NYU Professor Fights AI Cheating with AI-Powered Oral Exams https://tinyurl.com/39fak2nh College Students Flock to a New Major: A.I. https://tinyurl.com/2v62and6 Geoffrey Hinton: Computer Science degree will remain valuable https://tinyurl.com/4fxdrmnx Yann LeCun's advice for young students wanting to go into AI https://tinyurl.com/ydsnxuf Hands-On With New LEGO Smart Play Sets! https://tinyurl.com/5xwzapuu

In this episode of ChatEDU (When AI Handles the Hard Parts – What Educators Lose Without the Struggle) Matt and Liz start with a look at the new Gemini Live update before jumping into the Rundown. From there, they go Beneath the Surface with a deeper take on AI’s impact on growth and leadership, then close with a Bright Byte on carbon battery storage and the future of clean energy. The Run Down Governments are stepping in on youth social media, with New York adding mental health labels, Virginia capping use, and Australia banning platforms for kids under sixteen. 2025 reset generative AI as adoption stalled and hype faded, shifting the industry toward slower, more durable growth Autonomous agents still have a lot to learn. Claude AI’s takeover of a newsroom vending machine spiraled into chaos, highlighting real-world failure modes. Fear of AI detection is changing how students write, with kids deliberately dumbing down their work, undermining confidence, voice, and authentic learning. Popular AI tools failed key safeguarding tests, raising serious questions about readiness and oversight in schools. A new school procurement guide raises the bar on AI data governance and compliance, signaling a shift from innovation-first to accountability-first adoption. Districts are piloting ChatGPT for IEP paperwork, but transparency is critical to protect trust, oversight, and legal compliance. Beneath the Surface An HBR piece warns that AI shortcuts may erode mastery, empathy, and growth, prompting leaders to rethink how they preserve the human side of work. Google is partnering with Energy Dome to deploy 200-MWh CO₂ battery storage, using compressed carbon dioxide instead of rare minerals to scale clean energy infrastructure. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100 Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links 3 Must-Try Gemini Live Tricks https://tinyurl.com/496pke3u New York Orders Mental Health Labels https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/26/new-york-to-require-social-media-platforms-to-display-mental-health-labels Virginia Limits Social Media Use for Minors https://tinyurl.com/4vy7h92j Parents Eye Australia’s Social Media Banh ttps://tinyurl.com/4brsc42r The great AI hype correction of 2025 https://tinyurl.com/5acwnx7a Letting AI Run Our Vending Machine Cost Us Hundreds https://tinyurl.com/yjvf47kd ChatGPT May Prioritize Advertisers https://tinyurl.com/2yw5s869 Why AI Policing Makes Kids Write Worse https://tinyurl.com/mwkpcn5f AI Chatbots Fail School Safeguarding Tests https://tinyurl.com/2z8zpbhu K–12 AI Data Checklist https://tinyurl.com/yb5b72px ChatGPT to Be Used for Special Education Compliance https://tinyurl.com/3zsws26d Schools to Use ChatGPT for Special Ed Compliance https://tinyurl.com/3zsws26d Teen Siblings Compete in a 24-Hour Hackathon https://tinyurl.com/52hdnrfc AI Is Reshaping Learning at Work https://tinyurl.com/2w9wc67k 3 Must-Try Gemini Live Tricks After Its Upgrade https://tinyurl.com/2acs2j2p Darren Coxon’s LinkedIn post https://tinyurl.com/53cv5ax4 Jill Coleman’s Post https://tinyurl.com/2tcpz73f Dr. Philippa’s Post https://tinyurl.com/k8kj8s2n Google Deploys CO₂ Battery Facilities https://tinyurl.com/5n7muvbj

In this episode of ChatEDU (What Breaks + What Sticks – Education's AI Future in 2026), Matt and Liz note the shift to video-first shows, run through their 2025 AI and teaching outlook, then close with 2026 predictions and a Bright Byte on turning trash into textiles. The Rundown Story #1: NotebookLM Gets Smarter and More Structured Google’s NotebookLM adds Data Tables and a leaked Lecture Mode, moving it from research tool toward an instructional partner. Story #2: ChatGPT Adds Mood Controls OpenAI’s update lets users fine-tune ChatGPT’s tone and style, enabling new classroom uses while raising concerns about over-customization and dependence. Story #3: Deepfakes in Schools Escalate An AP report finds explicit deepfakes targeting students are surging, outpacing school responses and raising serious legal, ethical, and emotional risks. Story #4: AI Literacy in Action Valerie Ziegler teaches AI literacy to help students spot misinformation, fact-check content, and detect AI manipulation. Story #5: Social Balance Skills21’s Social Balance tool helps students reflect on AI and digital habits, encouraging more intentional tech use. Story #6: Beyond the Bot – Gemini’s “Fund My Crazy” Student Challenge Google’s Gemini contest drew 29,000 entries in nine days, with winners showing students moving beyond prompts to real AI problem solving. Story #7: Amazon and Playlab Expand AI Access Amazon’s $800K investment expands Playlab’s AI education program to nearly 500,000 students, highlighting scalable, equitable AI learning. Story #8: AI for Action Curriculum Playlab’s “AI for Action” unit teaches students to build real school and community solutions with AI, blending ethics, design thinking, and storytelling. Story #9: The AI-Ready Graduate Profile ISTE and ASCD released a six-part framework defining purposeful, human-led AI skills for graduates, already used in places like Winchester, VA. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz predict durable assessments, classroom vibe coding, AI-driven LMSs, slimmer standards, and increased reliance on human judgment as detection improves. Bright Byte: Chicken Feathers into Cashmere Everbloom’s Braid.AI uses machine learning to turn keratin-rich waste like chicken feathers into soft, biodegradable, cashmere-like fibers. Announcements and Sponsor Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn - use discount code RADDAY30 Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro  EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links Time to Retire “Podcast” https://tinyurl.com/349cabru Organize Insights with Data Tables https://tinyurl.com/3mas6esk NotebookLM Levels Up Key Feature https://tinyurl.com/cvf3j9m7 ChatGPT Gets Enthusiasm Dial https://tinyurl.com/6eyrykun Deepfake Cyberbullying in Schools https://tinyurl.com/z8cyjmbp Teaching Screenagers Social Media and AI https://tinyurl.com/fscuvyrf Gemini AI Student Contest Winners https://tinyurl.com/377sr4m4 Amazon’s $800K Bet on AI Education https://tinyurl.com/uypb6rct Playlab AI for Action Curriculum https://tinyurl.com/4jxwnxz9 What “AI-Ready School” Really Means https://tinyurl.com/2s4zpfxe Yann LeCun to Aspiring AI Students https://tinyurl.com/ydsnxuf Salesforce Reconsiders LLMs https://tinyurl.com/nbfenrsp AI Denialism https://tinyurl.com/5yzjv5se AI Used To Turn Feathers into Cashmere https://tinyurl.com/y5jmh2wd

In this episode of ChatEDU (Signals in the Noise – The Stories That Kept Popping Up on ChatEDU), Matt and Liz reflect on 2025’s defining AI themes, invite listener voice memos as ChatEDU nears episode 100, and close with a sharp Bright Byte editorial. Rundown School AI Flags Clarinet as Gun A Florida school locked down after an AI system mistook a student’s clarinet for a rifle. Matt and Liz unpack what happens when AI surveillance gets it wrong. How Students Are Using AI Agents Data from 100M queries shows students use agentic AI for real academic work, not entertainment. Wrong Answers Only Anna Mills sparked a playful thread on AI doing your coursework. Liz shares the best replies and five agentic browser–proof ideas. Portfolio Defense and the Rise of Real Assessment Matt and Liz explore a shift toward student-led defenses, supported by tools like NotebookLM. NotebookLM Chat History The new chat history feature allows students to track AI conversations across devices. NotebookLM May Soon Work Inside Gemini Google may integrate NotebookLM into Gemini, enabling grounded notes in broader chats. AI Literacy for All Majors LSU’s student government is pushing for a free, noncredit AI certificate open to all students. The One-Chatbot Classroom? Niral Shah challenges “one bot per child,” with Matt and Liz pointing to collaborative AI learning instead. AI Storytelling and Student Projects From AI storytellers to student-built health apps, Matt and Liz show what meaningful AI learning looks like. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz revisit key stories and themes from 2025, with help from Ethan Mollick and their custom NotebookLM. Bright Byte: AI Hype Distracts Us from Important Breakthroughs Flashy AI grabbed headlines, but Margaret Mitchell points to predictive AI as the real progress. Matt and Liz highlight why it matters. Announcements and Sponsor Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn - discount code RADDAY30 Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw The Winter Micro-Credential launches in January. Join educators from around the world for a six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro EdAdvance is offering their Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Interested in Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is proud to partner with the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium. Join educators at the NAAIC AI Summit: February 19–20, 2026Miami Dade College, Downtown Miami⁠ www.naaic.ai⁠ Listener Call-Out As ChatEDU approaches its 100th episode, Matt and Liz want to hear from you!Send in a short audio message: How has ChatEDU impacted your thinking or work? Email your clip to: chatedu@edadvance.org Links AI Saw a Gun. It Was a Clarinet. https://tinyurl.com/pvaxys3j AI Agents: Early Evidence from Perplexity https://tinyurl.com/mpd6yrx4 Anna Mills: AI Agents Wrong Answers https://tinyurl.com/mvurrtzk 5 AI-Proof Assessment Ideas https://tinyurl.com/5n7eah2v Phillip Alcock on Notebook LM https://tinyurl.com/5xz863u4 NotebookLM rolls out chat history, adds AI Ultra tier https://tinyurl.com/2t4h8u8a NotebookLM Comes to Gemini https://tinyurl.com/47pmxa7b LSU Students Push for AI Education https://tinyurl.com/ytaumrmy Why “One Chatbot per Child” Doesn’t Work https://tinyurl.com/366s3fbc Storyteller Is the Hottest New Job Title https://tinyurl.com/3zmt4y6w “AI Slop” Is Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word https://tinyurl.com/2s3up4yc Wrapped Prompt https://tinyurl.com/2eaxfy57 Mollick Year in Review https://tinyurl.com/yhw7trav The Shape of AI https://tinyurl.com/ya2a4j6z AI Hype Hides Real Breakthrough hshttps://tinyurl.com/m36udesr