Episodes

  • Anne Pasek | Season 2, Episode 7

    Anne Pasek | Season 2, Episode 7
    May 12 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Anne Pasek to explore the environmental politics of AI and digital technology. Anne pushes past the excitement and panic that often shape conversations about artificial intelligence, asking instead what these systems actually are in material terms and what they take to sustain. A key part of the discussion focuses on her framing of AI as “trash,” which helps reorient the conversation toward waste, infrastructure, and the broader ecological consequences of digital systems. Rather than treating AI as something abstract or futuristic, Anne brings it back down to earth and asks what it means to think about these tools more honestly.
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    45 mins
  • Juliet Hess | Season 2, Episode 6

    Juliet Hess | Season 2, Episode 6
    Apr 28 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Juliet Hess to explore music education through a more critical and socially aware lens. Drawing on her work in the philosophy and sociology of music education, Juliet reflects on how music can become a point of encounter, giving students ways to engage with people, experiences, and perspectives they may not otherwise come across in everyday life. The conversation also touches on the emotional role music plays in people’s lives, especially for young learners, and how music education can either narrow that experience or create room for reflection and affirmation.

    Note: This conversation was recorded in August 2025
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Katrina Keefer | Season 2, Episode 5

    Katrina Keefer | Season 2, Episode 5
    Apr 14 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Katrina Keefer to explore how games and interactive design can create new ways of engaging with history in educational settings. Drawing on her work as a historian and game developer, Katrina reflects on the value of game-based learning while stressing the importance of using these tools with intention. A key part of the conversation centers on her Bunce Island project, which digitally recreates the historically significant site in Sierra Leone and invites learners to engage more directly with the history of the transatlantic slave trade, memory, and displacement. Rather than presenting the past as distant or static, Katrina shows how immersive design can help students encounter difficult histories in a way that feels more immediate and considered.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Dr. Li | Season 2, Episode 4

    Dr. Li | Season 2, Episode 4
    Mar 31 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Li to explore what a more holistic approach to AI education can look like in practice. Rather than treating AI as a purely technical subject, Dr. Li emphasizes the importance of helping students think critically about how these technologies shape society, identity, and everyday life. The conversation also explores Design Fiction Pedagogy, age-appropriate ways of teaching AI concepts, and the value of classroom spaces that encourage reflection, curiosity, and ethical engagement with emerging technologies.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Chrik Sarkonak | Season 2, Episode 3

    Chrik Sarkonak | Season 2, Episode 3
    Mar 17 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Chris Sarkonak to explore how assessment, grading, and student learning are shaped by systems that do not always reflect what students actually know or can do. Chris argues for a more honest approach to assessment, one that pays closer attention to growth, meaningful feedback, and the ways students demonstrate learning over time. He also highlights the value of student agency and classrooms that support curiosity rather than anxiety, suggesting that stronger assessment practices can better reflect the real learning taking place.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Terry Greene | Season 2, Episode 2

    Terry Greene | Season 2, Episode 2
    Mar 3 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Terry Greene - senior eLearning designer and longtime podcaster, to dig into how AI is reshaping teaching, learning, and the everyday work of educators. Terry shares a grounded, critical take on what these tools can (and can’t) do in educational contexts, why hype cycles matter, and how institutions can respond with curiosity and care rather than panic or blind adoption.
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    30 mins
  • Andrew Finlan | Season 2, Episode 1

    Andrew Finlan | Season 2, Episode 1
    Feb 17 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Finlan - an educator and school leader to talk about what it looks like to build learning environments where students can thrive. Andrew speaks candidly about his own positionality and how it influences the way he shows up for students, navigates responsibility, and makes meaning of the work. Together we explore what it means to teach with humility and build spaces where students feel seen and supported.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Denise Handlarski | Season 1, Episode 8

    Denise Handlarski | Season 1, Episode 8
    Apr 16 2025
    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Denise Handlarski, an educator, researcher, and rabbi, to explore the role of wellness in education. Denise shares insights on how schools can become more creative and values-driven, along with practical strategies for integrating well-being into teaching and learning.
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    48 mins