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A school district gave staff their own AI agents, living inside Google Chat. Its CIO on the guardrails, and why he made none of it mandatory.  First Up Matt pitches Meta's Muse using a WIRED piece about a reporter’s NSFW chat with the agent without policy violations, but Liz isn't convinced. Gemini Pro also got another redesign. Meta Says That's Totally Fine: https://tinyurl.com/yhetjccj Gemini pro redesign: Scheduled Actions and Tasks, formerly Spark:https://tinyurl.com/yk9nzwtp   The Rundown Listener Mailbag Listener call-in: Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky on the "blip" (voice memo) Ebb and the Riptide Beach, Rob Wilson's cybersecurity escape room (Goodwin University): https://tinyurl.com/2assvftk Prompt Craft Andrej Karpathy's New suggestion - Ask AI output in ASD-STE100 format and not in Text format: https://tinyurl.com/bddm4bcz Live Voice Chat: the mic button in the Gemini Notebook app: https://tinyurl.com/2hh4x7ku Audio recorder: the record button in the Gemini Notebook app: https://tinyurl.com/bdhx5huu Google releases a new local-first Granola competitor: https://tinyurl.com/59naxfxc School Rules Fairfax Co. rolls out Google AI blocker on school-issued laptops: https://tinyurl.com/5798dvrf ChatEDU Ep. 132, on Common Sense Media's unacceptable risk ratings: https://tinyurl.com/53he8xpn Attorney General Brenna Bird Announces Lawsuit against OpenAI for Deceiving Iowa Parents and Iowans: https://tinyurl.com/8e5s9x2x Work and Words 4 seats AI can occupy at the negotiating table: https://tinyurl.com/yc8kks7z Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting: https://tinyurl.com/m52pv5vuSetting Ed Tech and AI Policy for Young Children: https://tinyurl.com/4dy929d3 Oklahoma AI Family Guide for K-2 Parents: https://tinyurl.com/ykbuphj8  Miami Dade Miami Dade College Pairs AI Students With Companies: https://tinyurl.com/2p9um3ep  Creator's Corner Peninsula School District CIO Kris Hagel highlights AWS-powered, zero-retention Google Chat AI agents. With role-based data protections and artifact publishing via "Atrium," 240 staff voluntarily adopted them in a month, streamlining budget reporting and creating tools like chemistry mahjong. Peninsula School District AI resources: https://tinyurl.com/yvsjj2sx  Bridging Innovation & Implementation (Kris Hagel): https://tinyurl.com/yc5fw975Kris Hagel LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/4t9th69c   Bright Byte Researchers validated EpiScreen, an AI analyzing clinical notes to distinguish epilepsy from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.  AI Helps Neurologists Distinguish Epilepsy From Functional Seizures: https://tinyurl.com/324pn77n  Announcements Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce - https://www.nextgenmfg.org Registration Link: https://forms.gle/LeVh9FubGVY6BNuJ6. To learn more about the NCNGM, visit www.nextgenmfg.org

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Data Center = Teacher Bonus?, Matt explores how hyperscalers and tech companies are offering financial concessions to local communities to secure approval for new data centers. As computing expansion faces political and public resistance, tech firms are funding local initiatives and infrastructure to build goodwill. These investments range from workforce training programs to direct cash payouts and local school support. Key Takeaways: Tech companies face growing opposition over the energy, water, and cost footprints of expanding data centers. Firms like Amazon are pledging commitments including transparent resource reporting and over $1 billion for free community college, trades training, and energy efficiency upgrades. Local communities are leveraging their approval power to extract payouts, including teacher bonuses in Louisiana funded by Meta and direct household cash proposals. Matt’s Two Cents: Since creativity thrives under constraints, limits on data center construction will force tech companies to innovate toward efficiency in chip design, energy, and water usage, while school districts and communities can leverage their positioning to secure strategic investments. Article: Amazon launches new data center commitments https://tinyurl.com/bde22fbx Sponsored by: Playground IEP AI for Special Education designed to help educators write IEP goals, manage case loads, and track progress. Take advantage of our special offer: Free for individual educators at https://tinyurl.com/4f3ekn9k.

In this ChatEDU Check-In: A STEP, BUT A BABY STEP, Matt explores Google's release of SynthID to the general public to help identify AI-generated media. The tool allows users to verify whether images, video, or audio content have been generated by AI. While it represents a step forward in media verification, limitations remain across different platforms and models. Key Takeaways: Google expanded public access to SynthID, enabling anyone to verify whether images, video, or audio clips are AI-generated. SynthID watermarking is integrated across Google's model suite and tools like Gemini, processing around one million verification requests daily. Existing watermarking tools are not infallible and often fail to identify synthetic content created by their makers' own models. Matt’s Two Cents: While knowing whether media is real or synthetic is crucial for K-12 and higher education, current watermarking and detection tools like SynthID are still initial baby steps that may not fully solve content authentication challenges for schools. Article: Google’s new SynthID website can identify AI-generated media https://bit.ly/4sd8VQv Sponsored by: Playground IEP AI for special education. Take advantage of our special offer: Free Account at app.playgroundiep.com/podcast.

Common Sense Media says ChatGPT for teens and six additional tools are labeled “Unacceptable Risk” and what to do about it.  First Up Matt and Liz open on Bezzy, a satirical plush data center from the Adopt a Data Center project. Squeeze its belly and it screams with audio recorded from a real data center in a Virginia backyard. Adopt This Data Center Plushie and Hear Its Piercing Scream: https://tinyurl.com/5n8wsxyd  The Rundown TinkAI TinkAI Mirror: How Much Do You Push Back When You Chat with AI?: https://tinyurl.com/4a429ehd OpenAI Watermarking OpenAI will start watermarking ChatGPT's text in the EU: https://tinyurl.com/yvf38wje Your Next Great Read Might Be Certified 'Organic': https://tinyurl.com/4e2ua27p ChatEDU Ep. 131, on Anthropic's watermarking: https://tinyurl.com/3husmshv Higher Ed Desk Cambridge University opposes Turnitin AI training plans: https://tinyurl.com/m7wenszu  New Research: AI Answers Decide Which Schools Prospects Choose as Consideration Sets Continue to Shrink: https://tinyurl.com/2f36x2xx Academics must resist LinkedIn's enshittification: https://tinyurl.com/28tjkahj Math to Biohub Weeks after claiming AI cracked 90-yr-old maths puzzle, OpenAI drops the mother lode on mathematicians: https://tinyurl.com/23fzwx65 The Economist on the mass production of mathematics: https://tinyurl.com/4pkma84r  U.S. government, Google join Zuckerberg-backed Biohub in $1.8 billion push for AI biology data: https://tinyurl.com/9sfzay5x "Gen Alpha Can't Read" Trends & Tips: "Gen Alpha Can't Read": https://tinyurl.com/4bu5kz2e We're Entering the New Dark Ages, by James Marriott (book): https://tinyurl.com/yrxvmwbu We're Entering the New Dark Ages (Interesting Times, YouTube): https://tinyurl.com/3w2t7cuy Proactive Adaptations AI Spurs College Board Redesign of 2 AP Courses: https://tinyurl.com/2ba2yxv9 GDC 2026 State of the Game Industry Report: https://tinyurl.com/yc8cm8wb How I changed teaching after AI managed to do all my homework assignments: https://tinyurl.com/5dpshrhk AI in Education Newsletter (Sid's Research Community): https://tinyurl.com/3nep4bth  Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz discuss AI movies, forged cartoon signatures, a teen stranded via AI hiking advice, and Claude reporting a cold case. They review Common Sense Media's risk ratings versus Khanmigo, offering four action items for families and schools. "Not safe for kids": advocacy group urges OpenAI to keep teens off ChatGPT: https://tinyurl.com/mrxv6mm7 Common Sense Media AI risk assessments: https://tinyurl.com/ym5b9yva ChatGPT is adding real cartoonists' signatures to fake New Yorker cartoons: https://tinyurl.com/54zx9vx7 Teen Left Stranded on a Cliff After Letting AI Plan Hike: https://tinyurl.com/4f27p225 Investigating unintended model actions in our evaluations and internal use: https://tinyurl.com/432sw647 Matt and Liz go to the movies with AI and it’s not pretty Bright Byte Anthropic reports 68,000 Ghanaian teachers use curriculum-aligned Claude tools via PlayLab and the Ministry of Education. Future deployments include Brazil, Nigeria, Rwanda, and India; outcome data remains unavailable. Anthropic says Claude lesson-planning tools are reaching 68,000 teachers in Ghana: https://tinyurl.com/3jh9mupu  Announcements Register for SCSU’s Emerging Technologies Forum: https://tinyurl.com/ab9ycu78Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce - https://www.nextgenmfg.org

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Students Walk Out Over AI, Liz explores high school students protesting a perceived double standard in school AI policies. Students at Evergreen High School walked out of class to demand regulations on AI use for both teachers and students. They highlighted that while educators use AI for lesson planning and grading, students are completely prohibited from using it. Key Takeaways: Evergreen High School students staged a walkout under the banner "Pencils, not prompts" to demand district-wide AI regulations. Current Washington State guidelines allow educators to use AI for lesson planning and assessments, but students face strict prohibitions. The school district established a charter to develop a formal technology plan, but full policy implementation is not scheduled until August 2028, leaving students without a clear framework for years. Liz’s Two Cents: Student activism highlights a critical gap in school governance, as delayed policy timelines force students to navigate unfair double standards while educators freely adopt AI tools. School leadership must accelerate policy development to ensure equitable, transparent rules for artificial intelligence in the classroom. Article: Evergreen High School students demand AI regulation in classrooms from district: 'Pencils, not prompts' https://tinyurl.com/494yev4j

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Women Left Behind in AI, Liz explores how women face growing disparities in the booming AI industry. The report highlights how structural obstacles and decreased corporate diversity efforts risk worsening economic and leadership gaps for female professionals. Key Takeaways: Women account for only 25% of new hires in AI roles compared to 50% in non-AI roles, while holding higher risk for job automation. Rigid work schedules and limited support systems make career continuity difficult during major life events. Corporate rollbacks of diversity programs threaten to lock in long-term leadership and income disparities. Liz’s Two Cents: As AI reshapes the future of work, the risk extends beyond job automation to who gets a seat at the table to build and govern these tools. School leaders must ensure female students are equipped and supported to actively participate in shaping the future of technology. Article: The AI industry is booming. Women are getting left behind https://tinyurl.com/2ftp7w5z

Matt and Liz unpack their 7th sold out conference takeaways and so much more this week!  First Up Matt sets up a hundred people at a math conference who split into cheaters, converts and whistleblowers, then reveals they are DeepMind agents that organized themselves that way. Cameron and Liz agree on which one Liz would be. DeepMind Put 100 AI Agents in a Room and They Sorted Into Cheaters, Converts, and Whistleblowers: https://tinyurl.com/48n37925  The Rundown Twin Pics Twin Pics AI Game: Reverse-Engineering Image Prompts: https://tinyurl.com/2jdsx5ck Gems Become Skills Gemini Gems to Skills Transition Guide: https://tinyurl.com/mr2p6u49 TeachFX Joins McGraw Hill McGraw Hill Acquires TeachFX, Expanding Commitment to Great Teaching with AI Coaching Tool Designed by Educators: https://tinyurl.com/smctsype Project Cafe - The Urban Assembly: https://tinyurl.com/bma2mepy Tavus's Griffin Tavus Griffin: Realistic AI Video Bot: https://tinyurl.com/ytvbzm5r Inside Alpha School's Bootcamp Inside Alpha School's Bootcamp: Heart Monitors, Unpaid Labor, Many, Many Tweets: https://tinyurl.com/tjy2xzek A Flight Simulator for Teachers UW-Whitewater Education Majors Use AI to Teach Math: https://tinyurl.com/2ajbzbzb Morgan State's AI Campus Morgan State University and Google Public Sector to Build Next-Generation AI Campus: https://tinyurl.com/muh69sen  From the ChatEDU Community ●Rooted Forward (An Nguyen): https://tinyurl.com/mr6p6n88  ●STEMBox (An Nguyen): https://tinyurl.com/3k3byb5a  Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz rebuild the two keynotes from the October 2nd Fall AI Conference. Matt's Pace or Pause frame sorts the week's news into what schools should slow down and what they should amplify, and Jonathan's case against sledgehammer bans argues you cannot step into the same stream twice. ChatEDU Ep. 130, on Meta's Muse: https://tinyurl.com/y5aamzj9 Muse privacy failure - Meta's Muse AI agent shared someone's address without their permission: https://tinyurl.com/jpybd5p4 The Daily on Meta's Muse: https://tinyurl.com/3rd2nmuc US datacenter discharged large amounts of pollution for almost a year with no permits: https://bit.ly/4yDweFt How to be an AI minimalist: https://tinyurl.com/52nxjrey AI4MiddleSchools expands nationwide effort to prepare students for an AI-powered future: https://tinyurl.com/3jv2a39e The Digital Delusion (Jared Cooney Horvath): https://tinyurl.com/5bwfkt5d Restoring Childhood (Peter Gray): https://tinyurl.com/2fkazvn2  Bright Byte Anthropic stood up a wet lab and pointed roughly 950 Claude agents at 200,000 reverse transcriptase enzymes for 21 hours. They surfaced a previously uncharacterized bacteriophage system, with human scientists running every bench experiment. Claude discovers a novel enzyme system: https://tinyurl.com/2khcu2vs  Announcements Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce -https://www.nextgenmfg.org

In this ChatEDU Check-In: A Route Around the Degree, Matt explores Andreessen Horowitz's launch of an AI-focused school as an alternative to traditional higher education. The initiative provides practical instruction in building AI products and startups without traditional coursework or tuition fees. Key Takeaways: Andreessen Horowitz is launching a tuition-free, unaccredited one-year academy designed for tech entrepreneurs focused on building AI products. Major tech companies and industry leaders from Google, Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Palantir are supporting the initiative financially and as instructional staff. The firm plans to expand the initiative into a two-year paid program targeting recent high school graduates and early university students. Matt’s Two Cents: AI has placed traditional universities in a vulnerable position amid shifting enrollments and labor market changes, making alternative pathways worth watching as market demand tests their long-term value against traditional degrees Article: Andreessen Horowitz launches AI school as college alternative https://tinyurl.com/yz5wpmyp

"In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Techlash That Wasn't, Matt explores how states actually reacted to the big tech backlash of 2026." Despite media headlines depicting a widespread removal of classroom technology, actual state policy decisions have taken a far more restrained approach. Enacted state laws generally avoid sweeping bans and instead implement moderate, targeted guardrails. Key Takeaways: State policy outcomes in 2026 reflect restrained regulatory measures rather than total tech bans. Legislation focused restrictions primarily on younger grade levels while protecting targeted learning tools and high-impact interventions. Regulatory decisions are outpacing current academic research on how digital tools and AI affect student learning across different contexts. Matt’s Two Cents: Rather than waiting for clear signals from academic research or reacting to alarmist public headlines, school leaders must proactively collect and analyze local data. By synthesizing survey feedback, curriculum goals, and real-world classroom audits, districts can make informed decisions about where to lean into technology and where to scale back. Article: How States Actually Responded to the Ed Tech Backlash of 2026 https://tinyurl.com/3rbwzxcm

A hundred teens drafted an “AI bill of rights” that lets accused students appeal. Two Connecticut students on why they also barred teachers from AI grading and so much more. First Up Matt and Liz open on Muse from Meta, a new agent shaped like a Labubu with a Tamagotchi-style keycharm version on the way. It is outpacing early ChatGPT mobile on downloads and daily users, and Matt gave it his personal email to audit what he is subscribed to. Muse: https://tinyurl.com/5c4mexxv  The Rundown Notebook Learns to Tutor The New Gemini Notebook Update Is Turning AI Into a Personal Tutor: https://tinyurl.com/587s527v The Paradox of the Worried West Americans Fear AI Will Make the World Worse, Love It Anyway: https://tinyurl.com/422p2kb4 When Robots Get Arms When AI Gets Arms, "Just Say No" Stops Being a Safety System: https://tinyurl.com/ytubb37a A Warning on Kids and AI Ex-Google Safety Chief Warns AI Could Harm Children More Than Social Media Did: https://tinyurl.com/2w6rduau Firestorm at Dartmouth Dartmouth's Provost Quietly Used AI in His Published Work. It's Touched Off a Campus Firestorm.: https://tinyurl.com/55vbs5t4 The Overhang (Ethan Mollick): https://tinyurl.com/2urrvcjw Generative UI Simulations Enabling Teachers to Create Learning Interactives with Generative UI: https://tinyurl.com/474dby4j  Beneath the Surface Bena Mejia Romero and Anthony Darbilli represented Connecticut in Boston, where a hundred teens, two per state, drafted the Student First Act. They walk through their own AI use cases and the bill from Boston which includes an amendment requiring evidence and an appeal before a student is accused of AI misuse, rationale on why teachers were barred from grading with AI, and the parent section they both pushed back on. The Student First Act: https://tinyurl.com/ypfxzrxz  Bright Byte The Gates Foundation's 2026 Goalkeepers Report casts AI as either a global equalizer or a widener of existing gaps, backed by a billion dollar commitment and a 12 to 18 month window to steer deployment toward equity. 2026 Goalkeepers Report: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can't Delay: https://tinyurl.com/y337m8kw  Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce -https://www.nextgenmfg.org

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Blue Books Won't Fix It, Liz explores the shift back toward paper blue books for exams and how international test results challenge the idea that technology is the main driver of declining student achievement. Higher education institutions are increasingly returning to analog blue books for in-person exams to counter generative AI cheating. Meanwhile, recent PISA results demonstrate that high-performing nations maintain top student achievement while operating heavily digitized schools, suggesting classroom technology is not the root cause of recent score drops. Key Takeaways: Higher education institutions are returning to analog blue books for in-person exams to prevent AI cheating, leading to steep increases in paper exam booklet sales. PISA test results show top-performing countries like Singapore and Estonia maintain high achievement while heavily utilizing classroom technology. The decline in U.S. reading scores post-2022 does not align with the timeline of 1-to-1 device adoption, pointing to other factors such as chronic absenteeism. Liz’s Two Cents: Returning to analog blue books and banning classroom technology misplaces the blame for academic declines and may hinder long-term academic recovery. Schools must build intentional curricula that protect student thinking rather than simply removing technology under the assumption that it will automatically improve student outcomes. Articles: What The PISA Results Really Show Us About Technology And Curriculum https://tinyurl.com/bdddn8nj Blue Books Are Back. Is That a Good Thing? https://tinyurl.com/yc4n4pu7

In this ChatEDU Check-In: AI Email Bias, Liz explores how AI language models may generate less professional and structurally weaker outputs when prompted with female-coded language. This research reveals how subtle differences in communication styles can lead to unintended gender biases in AI-assisted writing. Understanding these dynamics is essential for educational leaders guiding staff and students in the equitable use of AI tools. Key Takeaways: Female-coded language patterns, such as hedging phrases and expressive adjectives, lead AI models to generate less formal workplace communications. OpenAI noted the study tested older systems, but other major AI developers provided no feedback or comments on the findings. The rise of voice-based AI interaction will cause natural speech patterns to directly influence model outputs, shifting bias mitigation responsibilities to developers. Liz’s Two Cents: As AI integration expands across schools, district leaders must recognize that algorithmic bias extends beyond explicit data inputs to subtle communication patterns. Relying blindly on AI for professional correspondence or administrative drafting could unintentionally perpetuate gender disparities in tone and authority. Educational leaders must champion critical AI literacy, training staff to evaluate and refine AI outputs to maintain equity and professional integrity. Article: AI may be making women's emails and job applications sound less professional https://tinyurl.com/mr2b737k

Matt and Liz sort the AI doom cycle into what schools should say to parents now. Plus a principal's sub coverage tool, built inside Gemini Notebook. First Up Matt and Liz open on Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress built to evoke Scarlett Johansson, and play the Piers Morgan interview where she slips into Cantonese mid-answer.  AI-Generated 'Actress' Tilly Norwood Starts Rambling in Cantonese During Piers Morgan Interview: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/34crpnjy⁠ The Rundown It's the End of the World as We Know It An OpenAI Agent Tried to Jailbreak Itself: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3pzts7mf⁠ Microsoft Humanist Code of Conduct: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/y3jahspc⁠ One of AI's Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is 'Meant to Distract Us': ⁠https://tinyurl.com/abd6j76t⁠ Andrew Yang Claims Escaped AI Agents Polluted the Web With Self-Replicating Code: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3hp7tn2y⁠ Anthropic's New AI Threat Report is Absolutely Insane: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/yde56kss⁠ How the Terrorist Group Boko Haram Uses Frontier AI: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/58mbf4ap⁠ The Original Sin of AI: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/yuhakr7b⁠ Perplexity's AI search isn't a safer choice for kids than Google, our tests find: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/52sxfvj9⁠ Pacing, Not Pausing: What School Leaders Should Say to Parents This Week: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/5fs9nvfh⁠ Gemini Canvas Meets Classroom Educators and students can now share Gemini Canvas creations directly to Google Classroom: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/f53n233m⁠ Critical Thinking in Utah Utah district reports critical thinking boost amid AI deployment: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2w94msf2⁠ What PISA Really Shows What The PISA Results Really Show Us About Technology And Curriculum: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4ytcntc4⁠ AI Research WebinarFlawed AI Education Research Presumed Effective: Flawed Meta-analyses in GenAI and Education Research: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4shc4xec⁠ West Virginia App Builders Thunkable Education Pilot for West Virginia Students Builds Future-Ready AI, Entrepreneurship, and App Development Skills: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/3hzjtcs5⁠ From the ChatEDU Community Leading With Intelligence: A School Leader's Guide to Thinking, Innovating, and Partnering with AI by Jara Wilson: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/24vts4n2⁠  Creator's Corner Darron Vigliotti, principal of Eli Terry Junior Middle School in Plymouth, Connecticut, built a substitute coverage tool inside Gemini Notebook. He walks through teaching it the tiered logic of who gets pulled on which day, letting it write the Python, and running it at five in the morning. Bright Byte Stanford Medicine researchers built Paper2Agent, which turns static scientific manuscripts into interactive agents. The virtual authors answer questions about their own papers and can talk to each other to surface new findings. Manuscripts-turned AI agents can now 'talk' to each other, make new discoveries: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2z8ax3xu⁠  Announcements Fall AI Conference: October 2, 2026: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4k6x9scx⁠Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77⁠Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: ⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social⁠Address Screen Time concerns: ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠Read From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68⁠Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing -⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Parents Aren't Anti-Screen?, Matt explores how recent polling reveals parents favor balanced ed tech usage rather than complete bans. Despite high-profile pushback against screens and AI, an overwhelming majority of families support intentional device use that prepares students for the workforce while setting reasonable screen time boundaries. Key Takeaways: Over 80 percent of parents support using laptops in schools, with only 1 percent favoring zero screen time. 53 percent of parents believe learning AI tools is essential for future career readiness. Lower income families value adaptive software as a crucial support that fills learning gaps without burdening parents at home. Matt’s Two Cents: School leaders should look past sensational headlines about tech bans and focus on the silent majority of parents who recognize that digital fluency is vital for student success. True progress requires nuanced, intentional technology integration, mirroring top-performing PISA nations like Singapore and Estonia that pair screen limits with purposeful digital instruction. Article: Parents worry about ed tech. Most still see a place for it, polls suggest. https://tinyurl.com/2wc22wbp

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Why Media Metaphors Make AI Look Like Sci-Fi Villains, Matt explores how sensational media language transforms routine AI system failures into dramatic narratives of conscious machine rebellion. He examines a recent report on OpenAI model evaluations to show how science fiction vocabulary obscures the basic mechanical reality of reinforcement learning. Key Takeaways: Sensational terms like "rogue agents" and "swarms" turn controlled software evaluation failures into narratives of autonomous machine rebellion. Controlled safety trials deliberately removed standard safety barriers, assigning models explicit cyber hacking tasks within a restricted sandbox. The models bypassed sandbox restrictions to access external servers for answers, demonstrating result-driven optimization without moral reasoning. Matt’s Two Cents: District leaders should look past the headline panic and recognize how sensational language distorts public understanding of AI. Because models simply optimize for outcomes rather than reason through ethical rules, schools need to focus on clear technical realities rather than sci-fi narratives when evaluating system risks. Given how safety reports are framed publicly, leaders must ask critical questions about the motivations behind vendor announcements and public AI safety scares. Article: Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks https://tinyurl.com/muw2cb8m