Episode Summary:

In this episode of explAInED, we are thrilled to welcome back Adam Sparks, co-founder and CEO of Short Answer to discuss how AI is reshaping the landscape of writing instruction in K-12 education. Sparks explores the dual impact of AI — its potential to both elevate critical thinking and unintentionally homogenize student voices. He also tells us about some recent and upcoming AI infused features in Short Answer, including Quick Write, which is designed to provide targeted, AI-driven feedback on student writing without sacrificing individual expression.

The conversation expands to the challenges of integrating writing practice across all subject areas, including those where teachers may be hesitant to incorporate it. Sparks underscores the importance of making writing instruction accessible and relevant across disciplines as AI continues to permeate classrooms.

We also examine the evolving concept of “AI literacy,” with Sparks advocating for a focus on foundational knowledge and skills rather than standalone AI competencies. Co-host Mike Berry proposes a shift to the term “AI informed” to more accurately convey the goal of fostering understanding without implying expertise.

Tune in to explore how we can leverage AI to enhance student learning while preserving the unique voices that make writing so impactful.

Mentions and Resources:

• Study from Cornell University: Poor Alignment and Steerability of Large Language Models: Evidence from College Admission Essays by Jinsook Lee, AJ Alvero, Thorsten Joachims, René Kizilcec

• Short Answer’s Quick Write Overview

Episode Summary:

In this reflective episode, hosts Michael Berry, Shaun Langevin, and Renee Langevin revisit key moments from guests of the podcast, delving into themes that have shaped their conversations around AI, education, and lived experiences. The episode also touches on the hosts' desire for more reflection time, the significance of diverse guest voices, and the persistent issue of AI bias and the lack of teacher input in educational AI development.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of explAInED, we’re joined by Kunal Dalal—former teacher, principal, startup founder, and current Microschool Strategist, Agentic Parentologist, and AI strategist with the Orange County Department of Education. Kunal shares how his journey from alternative schools to edtech leadership has shaped a human-centered vision of what AI could mean for learning, parenting, and the future of schools.

Kunal shares a deeply human vision for education’s future—one rooted in community, agency, and reflection.  He urges us not to waste this moment by automating what's already broken - that the real promise of AI is in scaling personalization, re-centering the sacred relationship between learner and teacher (or parent), and inviting students to co-learn and co-lead.

From dream journaling with his child to launching a 600-student AI summit, Kunal shows how generative AI—when used in community—can be a tool for connection, agency, and joy.

• The AI Parent by Kunal Dalal

• Student AI Convening – A 600-student event in Orange County, CA focused entirely on student voice and AI

Resources & Mentions:
Micro-school strategy – A call to edtech companies to support scalable, student-centered personalization

Episode Summary:

In this episode of explAInED, we talk with Dr. Torrey Trust, professor of learning technology at UMass Amherst, about how educators can approach AI with clarity and intention. She challenges the term “artificial intelligence” itself, arguing it misleads students into overestimating what these tools can do.

Dr. Trust shares how simulation-based learning—like choose-your-own-adventure PD—can help educators engage meaningfully with AI. She also cautions against overreliance on chatbots in K–12 classrooms, noting the importance of guided, critical use. Many of her students arrive fearful or uncertain about technology, and she emphasizes that resisting AI entirely only widens the digital divide.

Throughout, Dr. Trust advocates for a balanced, informed approach that supports creativity, encourages thoughtful decision-making, and ensures students are prepared for a future where AI is everywhere—whether we’re ready or not.

PLN 4 AI document

Torrey Trust: Design Projects

Assigning AI: Seven Approaches for Students, with Prompts by Ethan R. Mollick and Lilach Mollick 

Environmental cost of AI — raising awareness about resource consumption in casual usage

Turnitin and AI detection — historical parallels in student fear and surveillance

Resources & Mentions:

Episode Summary:In this episode of explAInED, we’re joined by global education advisor Giancarlo Brotto for a high-energy, thought-provoking conversation about what it truly means to integrate AI into education. With decades of experience in implementation science and edtech leadership, Giancarlo brings an international perspective to one of the most pressing challenges in education today: how to keep up with the rocket-speed pace of AI without compromising our values or leaving behind marginalized learners.

We dig into:

• Why Giancarlo sees AI integration as a moral imperative

• How slow change in schools clashes with AI's rapid evolution

• What it means to do “better things,” not just do things better

• The psychological shift educators must make—from feeling cognitive lift guilt to embracing AI as a personal assistant

• The importance of adult guidance as students explore AI

• Why wait and see is no longer an option

Giancarlo challenges us to lead with purpose, build new habits, and act now—even if imperfectly. You’ll leave this episode with a new mindset and maybe even start thinking of yourself as the CEO of your classroom.

Resources & Mentions:

Accelerating AI in Education: A Global Imperative

Rethinking the SAMR model in the age of AI

Estonian National AI Literacy Framework

AI in the Classroom: Imagining the Near Future - Eton College (UK)

Singapore’s whole-community AI literacy vision

In this episode of explAInED, the team welcomes Dr. Katheryn Wright, a professor of digital humanities at Champlain College. Blending media studies, posthuman theory, and feminist pedagogy, Dr. Wright offers a wide-ranging and deeply human perspective on the integration of AI into education and society. The discussion spans everything from augmented reality games and generative art to algorithmic bias, sonic diversity, and the ethical implications of AI in cultural spaces. If you've ever wondered what AI has to do with caretaking, Nine Inch Nails, or zines—this is the episode for you.

Resources & Mentions:

A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway 

Ethics of the Algorithm by Todd Presner 

Claude by Anthropic – AI tool adopted by Champlain College

ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) – Explored as cultural storytelling and student experimentation

Champlain College – Digital humanities program

In this thought-provoking episode, the explAInED team sits down with Dr. James E. Dobson of Dartmouth College to unpack the cultural, educational, and philosophical implications of artificial intelligence—especially through the lens of the humanities. From the guilt of using AI to reflections on creativity, writing, and process over product, this conversation offers a reflective and layered take on the intersection of language, learning, and machine intelligence. 

Resources & Mentions:

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by José Antonio Bowen & C. Edward Watson

Open Web UI – Dartmouth’s internal platform for accessing multiple AI tools

AI at Dartmouth College

In this episode of the podcast we spend some time unpacking the different things we've encountered in starting to do the work of unpacking AI and education.

In this episode, the explAInED team sits down with Dr. Brian Glenney, associate professor of philosophy at Norwich University, to dive into the ethical questions surrounding AI and its impact on education and society. From the challenges of cognitive offloading to the risks of misinformation, Dr. Glenney offers a philosopher’s perspective on what it means to think, create, and stay human in an AI-driven world. Plus, the hosts tackle the latest AI news—are we really ready for artificial general intelligence?

In this episode of explAInED we meet with Adam Sparks, co-founder of Short Answer. In this episode we explore AI, the fears, challenges, and opportunities, have some fun, and kick stones around the matrix to see what we uncover.