How do we bring brave beginners and bold early adopters together to explore AI Literacy?
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Release Date: 10/14/2023
Building a Firm Around People Who Need an Advocate
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What does it take to build a firm around the needs of people facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances? Tricia welcomes the founder of USA4ALL to explore the purpose behind its work, including serving survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. The conversation begins with the firm’s origin story and the question of what makes its approach distinctive. For educators and community leaders, this episode invites reflection on how compassion shapes the organizations we build—and how we recognize whose needs deserve greater attention. As you listen, consider: What...
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When Should Students Use AI? Let Them Design a Game
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What if your next assessment asked students to pitch a board game—and explain when they chose to use AI? In this episode, Tricia Friedman explores how game design can bring together research, persuasive writing, creativity, collaboration, and AI literacy. The central challenge: help students make thoughtful decisions about where AI supports their learning and where they want to work without it. You don’t need time to develop an entire board game. Tricia introduces a smaller game-pitch challenge, using the history of the Spokane River as an example that educators can adapt to their own...
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From Research to Collective Action: Dr. Camille Busette on Healthcare Advocacy
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What happens when the cost of healthcare forces someone to delay a doctor’s visit, skip a prescription, or take on debt? Tricia Friedman welcomes Dr. Camille Busette, executive vice president of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to discuss One Nation, Overcharged. The nationwide campaign brings people together to call for more affordable healthcare. The challenge is widespread, but it is not shared equally. In this conversation, Tricia and Dr. Busette examine what the data reveals about healthcare costs, whose experiences are too often overlooked, and how sharing those...
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Beyond Screen-Time Bans: Student Safety in the Age of AI
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
School districts are reaching a turning point in how they manage classroom technology. After years of rapid device adoption and policies that often responded to one risk at a time, leaders are asking a harder question: How can schools protect students from cyberbullying, data theft, AI-enabled scams, distraction and online harm without cutting them off from the learning, creativity and connection technology can provide? In this episode, Tricia speaks with Harrison Parker, Executive Vice President at , about the shift from reactive restrictions toward a more coordinated approach to student...
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Why the World Has Always Been Weird — and Why That Matters
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Uncle John’s All-Knowing Bathroom Reader, Curiosity, and the Weirdness of Human History Brian Boone joins the show to talk about why the world has always been weird—not just now. The conversation ranges from animal history and television oddities to fact-checking, collaboration, and why curiosity is the engine behind good stories and human wisdom. In this episode, Tricia and Brian Boone discuss how access to information can make the present feel stranger than the past, even though human behavior has always been full of surprises. They also explore the storytelling and editorial work...
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From Super Bowl Champion to Literacy Champion | Malcolm Mitchell
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What if readers and writers received the same attention, celebration, and investment as star athletes? In this episode, Tricia speaks with Super Bowl champion, children’s author, and literacy advocate Malcolm Mitchell about his new picture book, My Super Duper Me. They discuss the lasting effect of a few encouraging words, the role librarians can play in helping children see their own possibilities, and why adults should never underestimate the power of simply showing up with a positive message. Malcolm shares his own journey from struggling reader to member of the Silverleaf Book Club,...
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Never Underestimate a Young Reader
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What do young people understand that adults mistakenly believe they have hidden from them? Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson returns to the podcast to discuss Ghost in the Night, her haunting middle-grade novel set against the ghost tours, buried histories, and complicated beauty of Savannah, Georgia. Tiffany invites educators to take young readers—and their capacity to confront difficult subjects—seriously. We explore why children sometimes attach themselves intensely to a particular interest while processing grief, and what educators might discover if they look beyond the...
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The Humanoid Robot, the Headlines, and What Really Happened
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
When announced plans to bring a humanoid robot into its robotics program, the story quickly became something else entirely: “A school is replacing teachers with robots.” That was never the plan. In this episode, Jeff Utecht speaks with Superintendent Mark Beehler about what the district was actually trying to build—and what happened when an AI-generated image, alarming headlines, and social media outrage overtook the facts. Mark explains how students helped shape the project, why the district saw the robot as an opportunity to explore emerging technology, and how a locally controlled AI...
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Game Design Could Transform Assessment in the AI Era
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
What if students didn’t simply complete an assessment—but designed an experience for someone else? In this episode of Shifting Schools, Tricia Friedman pitches Jeff Utecht a new approach to assessment for the AI era: invite students to become game designers. Games are memorable, social, challenging, and full of consequential choices. Designing one asks students to think about systems, understand an audience, establish meaningful constraints, gather feedback, solve problems, and defend the decisions they make. Those may be precisely the capabilities that matter most when AI can help produce...
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What will be your anchor for wellness this school year?
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
The beginning of a school year often arrives with a familiar message: do more, organize more, and somehow become a brand-new person before the first bell rings. This episode offers a different invitation. Instead of attempting a total wellness overhaul, we explore four small anchors that can help educators, students, colleagues, and families start the year feeling a little more grounded: sleep, movement, attention, and connection. We talk about the habits that quietly shape how we show up—including where our phones sleep, how we build movement into an ordinary day, what helps us recover our...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Shifting Schools podcast, you'll join Tricia and Jeff as they dive into their recent experiences and reflections on AI and education. They're excited to share the consulting work they've been doing and the innovative ways they're incorporating AI into the classroom. Tricia discusses her passion for teaching creative writing and how she's been using AI-generated art to fuel students' creativity. Jeff, on the other hand, shares his experiences working with school leaders and presenting at conferences, highlighting the importance of teaching AI as an equity issue. They also discuss AI literacy and the need for everyone to advocate for fair and just AI systems. Throughout the conversation, Tricia and Jeff emphasize the transformative potential of AI in education and the importance of educators being actively engaged in the conversation.
Tricia and Jeff unveil their new offering, the Shifting Schools cohort, a three-week transformative program for educators. With access to live webinars, generative AI resources, and a supportive online community, this cohort promises to revolutionize the way educators integrate technology.
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Check out Tricia's LinkedIn profile for more information on her work with AI-generated art for creative writing.
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Google Be My Eyes to learn about the life-changing technology that helps blind and visually impaired individuals navigate the world.
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Read more Google's partnership with the healthcare system to see the potential uses of AI in administrative tasks like filling out forms.
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Join the Shifting Schools cohort to become part of a community of educators exploring the use of AI in education and receive personalized support and resources.
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Follow the Unhinged Collaboration podcast for interviews and discussions about AI literacy and its impact on society.
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Share your own experiences and insights with AI in education to inspire and support other educators at Shifting Schools Camp
Interested in learning more about our team discount for the 3 Week Cohort?
Email info (at) shiftingschools.com
Timestamped summary of this episode:
00:00:18 - Introduction
Tricia and the host catch up and discuss their recent work in education consulting, including using AI-generated art in creative writing and exploring the potential of AI art in the business world.
00:02:01 - AI and Equity
The host shares his experience of presenting on AI to school leaders and how they are embracing it as an equity conversation. They discuss the importance of AI literacy and its potential to be used for good in transformative ways.
00:04:57 - AI in Healthcare and Education
The host mentions Google's partnership with hospitals to use AI in the healthcare industry, as well as the potential for AI to assist with administrative tasks in education. They highlight the early days of AI and the exciting possibilities it offers.
00:06:34 - AI for Good
The conversation focuses on the ways AI can be used for good, such as the app "Be My Eyes" that helps blind or vision-impaired individuals by describing images and offering cooking suggestions. They emphasize the importance of understanding both the positive and negative aspects of AI.
00:09:47 - The Shifting Schools Cohort
The hosts discuss the success of their cohort model in building a community of educators interested in AI. They highlight the benefits of diverse participation and the opportunity for rich dialogue and personalized support.
00:14:23 - The Power of Collaboration in Education
The speaker discusses the importance of having a community to bounce ideas off and how technology can support educators in their work.
00:15:27 - New Offering for Winter Break
The speaker announces a three-week cohort starting in November for educators who want to experiment with technology in their classrooms.
00:16:16 - Tailoring Content to Educators' Needs
The speaker highlights the benefit of gathering feedback from participants to create relevant and engaging webinars that meet the needs of educators.
00:18:24 - Three-Week Cohort Overview
The speaker outlines the structure of the three-week cohort, including live webinars, generative AI resources, weekly challenges, and a supportive online community.
00:19:25 - Team Discount and Limited Spots
The speaker offers a team discount for schools that sign up with ten or more participants and emphasizes the limited availability of spots in the cohort.