Getting Smart Podcast

How Can We Rethink Math Education When Computers and AI Do the Calculations? | Ted Dintersmith

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with author and education advocate Ted Dintersmith to rethink what math should look like in a changing world—especially as AI makes rote procedures less relevant. Together they unpack the limits of test-driven instruction, the consequences of low math and data literacy for civic life, and why classrooms should prioritize estimation, statistics, probability, modeling, and real-world problem solving that builds confidence and curiosity. If we want future-ready learners, math has to move from gatekeeping to empowerment. Outline (00:00) Introduction & Math Education Background (05:52) Rote Skills vs. Relevant Math (11:21) Standardized Testing & NAEP Scores (17:10) Math Illiteracy & Real-World Consequences (22:57) Calculus vs. Statistics Debate (29:41) AI, the Future of Math Education & Takeaways Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here LinkedIn Ted Dintersmith Website  

How Do We Thrive and Rehumanize School for Kids and Adults? | Stephanie Malia Krauss

Stephanie Malia Krauss returns to the Getting Smart Podcast for a conversation with Tom Vander Ark about her new book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World. Together they explore why so many adults and young people feel overwhelmed and depleted—and what it looks like to "rehumanize" school and home by protecting the essentials that help humans thrive. The discussion walks through body, mind, heart, and spirit essentials—from food, sleep, movement, and nervous system regulation to play, wonder, flow, connection, belonging, and contribution—offering practical, research-backed insights for educators, leaders, and parents navigating modern life. Outline (00:00) Introduction (02:02) The Journey Through Three Books (11:30) Body Essentials: Food, Sleep & Movement (21:38) Mind Essentials: Play, Wonder & Flow (29:32) Heart Essentials: Connection, Love & Belonging (35:18) Spirit Essentials: Celebration & Contribution Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here  How We Thrive LinkedIn  

How Can We Design Learning Spaces That Transform Education? | Kevin Stoller

Learning doesn't happen "in rows," and Kevin Stoller has seen firsthand how the right environment can change everything. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Stoller—author of Creating Better Learning Environments and host of the Better Learning podcast—about designing learner-centered spaces that support movement, choice, collaboration, and community connection. They explore why the term "classroom" can limit our thinking, how districts can better align facilities with instructional vision through a "learning space integrator," and what microschools, team-teaching models, and even museums and hospitality design can teach us about the future of learning spaces in an AI-enabled world. Outline (00:12) Introduction to Learning Spaces (05:09) The Power of Intentional Design (11:26) The Learning Space Integrator Role (18:59) Transforming Existing Spaces (26:30) Inspiration from Beyond the Classroom (30:12) AI, Flexibility, and the Future Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here LinkedIn Kay Twelve  

What Happens When Students Bring a Portrait of a Graduate to Life? | NEAAAT Students

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Victoria Andrews sits down with student leaders from Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technology (NEAT) to explore what happens when a Portrait of a Graduate becomes more than a poster on the wall. Kaylyn Rosado, Connor Mawhiney, and Anna Montero share how student voice shaped their school's learning model—from a student ambassador program and community interviews to classroom practices that build collaboration, empathy, and confidence. The conversation also highlights NEAT's flexible STEM-focused pathways (including aviation, biotech, robotics, coding, and advanced manufacturing), dual enrollment opportunities, and a clear message for school designers everywhere: involve students early, often, and authentically—because agency changes everything. Outline (00:00) Introduction & Student Introductions (04:06) Student Ambassadors & Community Engagement (09:54) Pathways & Career Exploration (16:55) Personal Growth & Student Development (20:44) Advice for School Leaders Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies  

Catching Up: School Choice, AI & Humanity, and Bottom-Up Innovation

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore what's changing in education—and what should change next—through the lenses of infrastructure, accountability, and emerging technology. They discuss a "smart city" view of transportation and connectivity, unpack new research on how parents respond to grades vs. standardized test data, and examine a Florida study on how school choice competition impacts performance. The conversation then shifts to the Future of Tech and Work, including AI agents and the incentive structures shaping major AI companies—ending with a clear call to invest in "relational infrastructure" so that human connection, trust, and agency grow alongside AI. Outline (00:00) Welcome & Overview (03:23) Infrastructure & Mexico City (08:36) AI Agents & Moltbook (13:37) Parents, Grades & Testing (18:28) School Choice Study (38:26) Bottom-Up Innovation Framework (47:08) What's That Song? Links Watch the full video here Interpreting Performance: Evidence on Signal Weighting in Human Capital Investment In These Districts, Students Get an English Credit for On-the-Job Internships What actually determines AI's impact on humanity? Incentives, value networks, and the forces shaping AI's future. The CHOICE We Make: The Critically Human Skills That Define Our Future Welcome to the Era of Relational Intelligence Can't Get There from Here: A Framework for the Start, Spread, and Scale of Bottom-Up Innovation in Education Low-Earning Degrees Will Soon Lose Access to Federal Loans—Is Yours on the List