A podcast about big ideas in education. Tune in to listen and think, then respond on Instagram @_dankearney_ and Bluesky @dankearney
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In which Dan chats with Terra Ziporyn and Amy Wolfson, authors of the new book Educating the Exhausted: Adolescent Sleep and the Struggle for a Later School Start . Terra is a medical writer and historian and Amy is child clinical psychologist. They both serve on the board of Start School Later, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing public awareness about the relationship between sleep and school…
The idea of AI in schools is inspiring either alarm bells or excitement, depending on who you're reading or following on social. But since it's already here, I invite you to consider four frames for considering it: Helping Teachers Reduce Friction , AI with Training Wheels , Naming What Students Are Already Doing , and Conversations, Not Lessons . I'm no lackey for AI, and I've been deeply…
In which Dan talks with Sonya Walger (@sonyawalgerofficial), author and actress, about the power of journaling. Sonya is a longtime keeper of journals and her insights into the power of writing about our lives feels so urgent in this moment when technology promises to cure all our ills. As Sonya says in the interview, it's about "authenticity, which isn't necessarily the same as truthfulness, but…
In which Dan takes the temperature of education in 2026 with Amy Fast, a superintendent in Dayton School District, Oregon. Through the lens of the game, Hot Take or Hard Truth , Dan and Amy talk about AI, phones, testing, books, recess, and more. As always, I welcome comments and questions on Instagram @_dankearney_
In which Dan chats with Benjamin Riley, founder of Cognitive Resonance, an organization dedicated to replacing AI hype with an understanding of how generative AI works using cognitive science. Ben's understanding of human cognition has him disturbed to see how some in education are running into the arms of big tech. As always, I welcome comments and questions on Instagram @_dankearney_ Mentioned…
In which Dan wonders if 2026 could be the year we really take students' interests in the wider world seriously. We’re living with creeping authoritarianism, AI disruption, climate change, social fragmentation, and a youth mental health crisis. Students feel it as much as the adults, but I worry that we’re not doing nearly enough to take on these issues in a way that matters to young people. If…
In which Dan chats with Eric Hudson, an educator and facilitator who's spent a lot time thinking and talking about AI in schools. Dan and Eric talk about why AI is so polarizing, the student-teacher divide on this new technology, and how schools can preserve critical thinking while not running in fear of AI. As always, I welcome comments and questions on Instagram @_dankearney_ Mentioned in the…
In which Dan chats with Michael Wagner, Professor and Department Head of Digital Media at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University, about the implications for AI in education. Back in July Michael posted a piece to his Substack with the provocative title, "The End of Cheating as We Know It." He posits that, yes, AI has the power to disrupt everything in…
In which Dan talks with education thinker and writer Jennifer Berkshire. Jennifer is the co-author of the recent release The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual and co-host of the outstanding podcast Have You Heard? Dan and Jennifer talk about some of the biggest issues facing education in 2025, namely the culture wars, local activism, and the snake oil salesman of educational…
In which Dan chats with Jesse Hagopian about the urgent need to teach truthful history in America's classrooms. Jesse is the author of the excellent book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education and he's an eloquent speaker on the need to push back against right-wing whitewashing. Jesse and Dan talk about the return of colorblindness, the gentrification of history, and why grassroots…