In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, welcomes Adam Spark, Nebraska native and co-founder of Short Answer, to discuss his journey from teaching at Louisville and Milford Public Schools to studying learning design and technology at Stanford University, where his idea for Short Answer was born.

Adam shares how formative assessment research—particularly from Dr. Dylan Wiliam’s Embedded Formative Assessment—inspired the creation of Short Answer, a digital platform designed to make peer feedback, writing practice, and student engagement more meaningful and fun. The two explore:

• The Nebraska roots that shaped Adam’s journey—from the ESU 6 EdTech Leadership Cadre led by Dr. Lynn Herr to presenting at NETA.
• How Short Answer uses peer feedback, gamification, and comparative judgment to build literacy and critical thinking across all subjects.
• The role of AI in education, including both its risks and opportunities for literacy, writing, and teacher workload.
• Adam’s concept of being a “radical centrist” on AI—recognizing both the benefits of AI efficiency and the challenges it poses to authentic literacy development.
• New features in Short Answer like “Pen Pals,” which use AI characters to help students debate and reflect on their writing.
• Practical AI policy, communication, and enforcement strategies for educators—featuring resources like:
• AI Trust You (from Laguna Beach USD)
• Brisk Teaching for revision-tracking in Google Docs
• SchoolAI for safe, monitored AI interactions
• The Red-Yellow-Green AI Policy Framework by Australian educator Adrian Cotterall
• The Washington OSPI AI Guidance Matrix, inspired by the work of Leon Furze and Mike Perkins

Adam also shares his balanced take on how educators can help students develop AI literacy, writing fluency, and critical analysis skills—ensuring that technology amplifies learning rather than replacing it.

???? Resources Mentioned

• Short Answer
• Embedded Formative Assessment – Dr. Dylan Wiliam
• AI Trust You
• Brisk Teaching
• SchoolAI
• NETA Conference
• Washington OSPI AI Guidance
• Leon Furze and Mike Perkins
• Adrian Cotterall’s AI Traffic Light Framework