Episode 7- Adapting with Care: AI in Special Education with Virginia Tagliatela
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
Release Date: 05/05/2025
Episode 20- From K-12 to Harvard: Bridging the AI Literacy Gap with Dr. Zahra Ahmed
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
In this episode, Bob and Jess sit down with Zahra Amed to explore the fluid boundary between K-12 education and the rigorous expectations of higher education in the age of generative AI. Zahra brings a unique perspective, having moved from school programs at children's museums to training faculty at Harvard. The conversation moves beyond the technical mechanics of AI. It focuses on the human elements that technology cannot replicate: social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and the "durable" skills of judgment and critique. She explains why we must treat AI as a "makerspace" for...
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Episode 19- Context, Presence, and the Messy Work of Learning with Dr. William Rice
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
Dr. William Rice steps into the Executive Director role at ACES this summer. His philosophy is clear: leadership is an embodied practice requiring physical presence and proximity. In this episode, we discuss protecting the human element of education as technology grows increasingly sophisticated. The Meaning of Models Drawing from his background as a chemical engineer, Dr. Rice views math as building models to understand the world, rather than procedural calculation. Machines handle the heavy computation now. If we simply reward students for playing in a procedural sandbox, we leave them...
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Episode 18- The AI Gap in Education- Dr. Jess White, Tim Howes
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
Guests Dr. Jess White and Tim House join Bob Hutchins for a conversation about what's actually happening with AI in schools right now. In This Episode The three of us recently spoke to a group of student teachers at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Around 50-60 seniors, all preparing to enter classrooms. When asked if they'd received any formal AI training or integration frameworks, not a single hand went up. That moment set the tone for everything we talked about in this episode. We get into why the gap exists, what it looks like in practice, and what educators can do about it...
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Episode 17- Myriam Da Silva, the CEO of CheckIT Learning- The Neuroscience of Learning
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
Episode Summary In this episode of Future Proof Education host Bob Hutchins sits down with Myriam Da Silva, the CEO of CheckIT Learning and the architect behind the AI neuro mentor known as Cleo. Myriam shares her journey from being a struggling student who found her own path to learning, to becoming an educational leader focused on the intersection of neuroscience and technology. The conversation explores how we can move beyond traditional curriculum completion to focus on the underlying mechanics of how the brain actually processes information. https://www.checkitlearning.com/
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Episode 16- Beyond the Hard Skills: Building Human Resilience in the Age of AI- Drew Brown
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
When technical tasks like writing and coding are increasingly handled by machines, what remains for the human professional? Drew Brown, who leads the Strategic Communication and Innovation program at Texas Tech, joins Bob Hutchins to discuss why "people skills" are the new hard skills. Key Discussion Points The Market’s New Demand: Why industry leaders are prioritizing conflict resolution, priority sorting, and emotional intelligence over software proficiency. The "Clunky" Nature of Change: How institutional evolution is rarely gradual, usually requiring a crisis or a significant shift in...
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Episode 15- Season 2- Academic Integrity in the Age of AI- Tim Howes
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
Season 2 opens with a raw and timely conversation between Bob Hutchins and Tim Howes about one of education’s biggest challenges: academic integrity in the age of generative AI. As schools race to adapt, many are responding with surveillance and bans, but Bob and Tim ask a deeper question-what if the problem isn’t AI, but the system itself? They explore how generative tools are not creating dishonesty but revealing cracks in outdated assessment models, why detection software erodes trust, and how educators can rethink learning through transparency, reflection, and prompt literacy instead...
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Episode 14- Teaching Humans, Not Machines
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
In this special episode, we pause our usual conversations with educators and leaders to reflect on an essay I wrote, Teaching Humans, Not Machines. For decades, schools trained students to follow procedures, memorize answers, and perform for tests. The irony is that artificial intelligence now does those things better than we ever could. We look at how systems shaped students to value compliance over curiosity, performance over presence, recall over reasoning—and how that left us vulnerable to disruption. But we also ask a deeper question: what capacities remain irreducibly human? From...
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Episode 13- The Must-Teach List: Building AI Literacy Into Every Subject with Tim Howes
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
📝 Episode Summary: In this back-to-school conversation, Bob Hutchins sits down with Tim Howes to explore how schools can embed AI literacy into the core of teaching and learning—without losing the skills, creativity, and human connection that make education meaningful. Together, they tackle questions on what belongs on a “must teach” list when AI can already perform so many traditional academic tasks, and how to ensure AI literacy isn’t siloed off as a tech elective. They discuss the importance of transferable skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability, as well...
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Episode 12- Trust Before Change: AI, Justice-Involved Youth, and Healing-Centered Education with Dr. Lisa Simone
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
📝 Episode Summary: In this powerful episode, Bob Hutchins sits down with Dr. Lisa Simone—licensed clinical social worker, longtime educator, and director of Youth Justice and Education Services at ACES—to explore what it means to build systems that actually serve our most vulnerable youth. From court-involved students to young people navigating trauma, disconnection, and deep educational gaps, Dr. Simone shares how her team is transforming what school can look like. Together, they discuss how AI and digital tools—when used with intention—can support student voice, promote real-world...
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Episode 11- Beyond the Buzzwords: AI, Equity, and Educational Leadership with Kris DeFilippis
Future-proof Education: AI and Beyond
In this thought-provoking conversation, Bob Hutchins sits down with Dr. Kris DeFilippis, a former K–12 educator turned NYU professor, to explore the collision of AI, education systems, and equity. With experience ranging from custodian to assistant superintendent, Kris brings a rare, ground-level and systems-wide perspective to what’s happening in schools as artificial intelligence gains traction. They unpack the myth that AI is just a tool—and discuss how it may instead be a disruptive force demanding a full rethinking of how schools operate, assess, and serve. Kris shares candid...
info_outline👤 Guest: Virginia "Jenny" Tagliatela, Principal of Village School, North Haven, CT
đź“ť Episode Summary:
In this episode, Bob Hutchins sits down with Virginia “Ginny” Tagliatela, the dedicated principal of Village School—an extraordinary program serving students with profound cognitive, medical, and behavioral support needs. Together, they explore how AI is being thoughtfully introduced into special education—not as a one-size-fits-all solution, but as a responsive, human-centered tool that adapts to each child’s unique way of learning and communicating.
From eye gaze communication software to real-time feedback for teachers and students, Jenny shares practical examples, hard-earned lessons, and a vision of AI that respects human dignity and prioritizes emotional connection. She also discusses how professional development and family engagement are evolving in response to this shift—and what it takes to create ethical, inclusive tech integration in a high-support learning environment.
🔍 Topics Covered:
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What AI readiness really means in special education
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Why personalization is non-negotiable in inclusive learning environments
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How generative tools are helping modify curriculum accessibly
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The role of AI in emotional regulation and sensory awareness
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Ethical concerns, staff training, and overcoming resistance
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Collaboration across medical, behavioral, and academic domains
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Preparing students for independence beyond school using AI
🧠Key Quote:
"AI should enhance what educators do—not replace it. In special education, it has to be adaptive, not just efficient." – Virginia Tagliatela