Kick off the new year with this insightful solo episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast! Host Andrew Easton explores the latest advancements in AI technology from OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI” and updates within Google’s Notebook LM. Dive into the transformative potential of these tools for education, from enhancing lesson planning and student engagement to supporting professional learning and legislative bill analysis.

Through an innovative demonstration of Notebook LM’s new interactive audio overview features, this episode provides practical applications and thought-provoking ideas to inspire your educational journey in 2025.

Learn more about the 12 Days of OpenAI: https://openai.com/12-days/

Explore Google’s NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/

In this episode, we take on the critical issue of school safety, featuring insights from Jay Martin, School Safety and Security Director at the Nebraska Department of Education, and Dr. Mike Lucas, Superintendent at Westside Community Schools. Together, we explore how Nebraska schools are enhancing safety through practical measures like secure vestibules and advanced technologies such as ZeroEyes, an AI-based weapon detection system.

From prevention and preparedness to response and recovery, this episode breaks down the key elements driving school safety initiatives across the state.

To access the NDE page on School Safety and Security, visit Nebraska School Safety & Security – Nebraska Department of Education

To access the NDE School Safety and Security Playlist on YouTube, visit NDE School Safety – YouTube

To learn more about ZeroEyes AI security, visit AI Gun Detection Technology: Enhancing Security and Safety | ZeroEyes

To learn more about the I Love You Guys Foundation, visit The “I Love U Guys” Foundation

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we sit down with Mike Kentz, founder and CEO of Zainetek Educational Advisors, to discuss the evolving role of AI in education. Mike shares his journey from being a financial journalist to a middle school writing teacher and eventually becoming an AI education consultant. He unpacks his unique perspective on how AI can amplify the teaching process, emphasizing the importance of depth over efficiency. From guiding teachers through the emotional side of AI adoption to grading chats instead of essays, Mike provides a thoughtful, reflective look at how AI can reshape writing instruction and assessment.

To learn more from Mike Kentz, visit https://zainetek-edu.com/

To watch Mike’s TEDx Talk on the importance of AI Literacy, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyWDNjRWaw

In this thought-provoking episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Evie Wusk, a professor of educational technology at Peru State College, to delve into the evolving relationship between AI and education. Together, we explore how technology is not only reshaping teaching and writing but also influencing the broader human experience. Drawing from her recent EdSurge article, Dr. Wusk offers a nuanced perspective on balancing AI’s efficiencies with the need to preserve the deep, meaningful aspects of education. Join us for a compelling conversation that invites educators to critically reflect on the future of teaching and learning in the age of AI.

Read Dr. Evi Wusk’s EdSurge article: AI Might Save Teachers Time. But What Is the Cost? | EdSurge News

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we are joined by UDL expert Katie Novak to explore the latest advancements in Universal Design for Learning and how the evolution of UDL is shaping the future of inclusive education. We also delve into the role of AI in enhancing UDL practices and the critical importance of robust professional learning systems in driving meaningful change. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on how to elevate student learning experiences and outcomes through UDL.

REGISTER TODAY to be a part of the NeMTSS Summit and learn from Katie Novak, live and in-person, on September 26-27 in Kearney, Nebraska!

2024 Nebraska MTSS Summit: Super Systems for Success – (unl.edu)

LEARN MORE FROM KATIE…

SEE ALSO…

Dr. Kristen Mattson joins The Good Life EDU Podcast this week for the third and final installment of our Summer Learning Series featuring speakers who shared at Nebraska education conferences this summer. In this episode, Dr. Mattson provides practical examples of Digital Citizenship in action, delves into AI in education, and makes both topics approachable for all educators in our shared responsibility to create spaces for students to learn and grow as citizens in a digital world.

Links Referenced in the Episode Include:

Fresh off of her keynote appearance at the Future Ready Nebraska Conference and following up a busy week at the 2024 ISTE Conference, Jaime Donally revisits The Good Life EDU Podcast to share some of her summer learning and where she sees technology for education trending next. Our conversation spans AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, and more — so don’t miss out on this opportunity to see into the future of ed tech.

To follow Jaime and learn more, visit ARVRinEDU | Jaime Donally | Professional Development

To learn more about Kai’s Clan (mentioned in the episode), visit Kai’s Clan – Adventures in collaborative coding for STEM and computer science (kaisclan.ai)

Brian Buffington returns to The Good Life EDU Podcast this week to share his recent work with AI in education and his continued commitment to supporting teacher and student creativity. Brian will be presenting at the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, and we encourage listeners to connect with him and others during that FREE learning opportunity on June 10-11, 2024.

Register for the Future Ready Nebraska Conference at nefutureready.com

Subscribe to Brian’s weekly Buff Nuggets newsletter at https://briankbuffington.com/

This week’s episode featuring Trevor Goertzen from SchoolAI kicks off a series of upcoming episodes previewing sessions at this year’s Future Ready Nebraska Conference. Trevor is joined by Eileen Heller of ESU 3 and Dr. Nicholas Ziegler of ESU 5 for a conversation highlighting the “spaces” feature within SchoolAI where educators can create a safe and student-friendly AI chatbot interaction for learners. In this episode, Trevor explains the power and potential impact of SchoolAI spaces, and Eileen and Nick share their experiences and examples in leveraging this tool in support of UDL, distance learning, and more.

To learn more about SchoolAI, visit schoolai.com/

For more info and to register for the Future Ready Nebraska Conference, visit nefutureready.com

It’s FREE and we hope to see you there in-person or virtually on June 10th-11th, 2024.

This week, we are joined by Bridget Peterkin and Grace Clausen, the co-founders of Dyslexico. Dyslexico is a Nebraska-based AI tech company that provides spelling and grammar correction tools designed specifically for those with dyslexia. Listeners will learn the origin story of this effort and how it has been built out through the support of the Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska. The pod also discusses current efforts to pilot these supports in schools, and both Bridget and Grace encourage anyone interested in utilizing this technology to reach out to learn more.

Link to the Dyslexico site: https://dyslexi.co/