Mike, Brandon, and Dan discuss the growth of the voice assistant in every day life. How do we interact with Alexa, Siri, and other voice assistants? What amount of privacy are we willing to give up for the ease of use with voice? What are the applications of this emerging technology in learning and education? We dive into all that and discuss the Uncanny Valley, the Turing Test, and much, much more on this week's episode.  

In a special live presentation of the podcast, Brandon, Mike, and Dan explore how companies, managers, and employees alike can help grow a learning culture by fostering inclusion, interaction, and great communication amongst all employees. What's one of the biggest skill gaps that companies see emerging within their workforces? How might a culture of learning address this and other emerging challenges in modern work life? Tune in to find out!

Mike, Brandon, and Dan take a trip to Westworld to discuss the popular HBO show. Is the show must-watch television for developers and coders? How can educators incorporate programming like Westworld into their curricula? What can we learn from the series about artificial intelligence and machine learning? How does the Delos Corporation's focus on data relate to themes from contemporary life in 2018? Our three hosts kick off the discussion with these questions and explore themes we will dig into further in an upcoming pop culture analysis spinoff called The Cradle (CR4-DL).

Mike, Dan, and Brandon celebrate the ~100th episode of Trending In Education. We take a little time to reflect on and celebrate the ride thus far. From Bror Saxberg to Tarlin Ray to Early Childhood Education to Torobo-Kun, we've covered a wide range of topics, articles, and ideas across our first 100 shows. This week we thank our guests and listeners and provide updates on some of our favorite topics as we explore what's on the horizon for the next 100 episodes. Thanks again for listening and here's to building on and expanding the conversation!

This week, Brandon, Mike, and Dan revisit Massive Open Online Courses, or MooCs. Are Blockbuster MooCs the way forward for online courses? How important is having well-known teachers lead these courses? How have universities leveraged their best teachers for long-lasting content? What kinds of roles are emerging for people passionate about teaching? And what sorts of courses are attracting the most learners and why? Have a listen to learn more.

Mike sits down with Andy Temte, the President of Kaplan Professional, to explore the future of corporate education, the emerging Skills Gap, and the blend of behavioral and technical competencies essential to leaders in the 21st century. Andy provides guidance and insights drawn from a long and successful career in education and management to help lifelong learners and aspiring leaders prepare to navigate the changing dynamics of the workplace of the future. 

On this week's episode, Mike, Brandon, and Dan dive into the recent release from the World Health Organization recognizing Gaming Disorder. Following up on our recent episode on eSports, we look deeper into the disorder and potential now for treatment. We also discuss the educational ramifications of this announcement. How might schools and institutions learn from game design while still ensuring the health and growth of their students? That and much more on this week's show.

Brandon, Dan, and Mike jump onto the pitch with this look at the 2018 World Cup. We talk predictions from mystical animals as well as artifical intillegence. Does Mystic Marcus the Pig have the final four teams locked up or do AI's 100,000 simulations prove Spain and Germany will be the last teams standing? We touch on Random Forest simulations and Poisson distributions as we explore the various ways in which humans make predictions. Ane we wrap it all up with a quick dive into a great set of resources from TheirWorld.Org which breaks down the teams and their respective countries based on relevant educational statistics. All that and more on the latest Trending In Education.

Following up on recent episode on Sleep and Learning, Mike and Dan talk to Dr. Kimberly Fenn, Associate Professor and Lead Researcher for The Sleep and Learning Lab, Michigan State University. Dr. Fenn provides more insight and detail regarding chronotypes, circadian nadirs, napping, and insomnia. We explore her research into the important role sleep plays in memory consolidation as we track the growing awakening (see what we did there) to the importance of sleep to health and cognitive performance. In all, it was an especially impressive team performance considering it was recorded during the siesta hour. Enjoy!

Mike, Dan, and Brandon take a look at how sleep influences our learning. The myth of learning while you sleep (hypnopaedia) may have been debunked long ago, but sleep greatly influences being ready to learn. According to recent studies, sleep is also a time your brain works to consolidate long term memories. Our trio digs into that and much, much more.

Dan and Mike spend some quality time with Sean Swidersky, a former professional Halo (video game) player who has since retired and is now producing gaming content for Microsoft and Halo. Sean shares his story of becoming a professional gamer at age 13 in the early days of eSports . We explore how the world is changing with more and more young folks spending time, generating income, and building careers in the growing gaming industry. We examine the challenges both kids and parents are facing in a rapidly changing world of streamers, gaming, and new media.

Mike, Dan, and Brandon take a look back at the Starbucks nationwide implicit bias training that took place across over 8000 stores and reached more than 175-thousand employees in last week. We explore the approach Starbucks took to design their trainings and provide feedback and insight into what was included. We dig into the policy changes that are taking effect and explore how this ties to a long history of limiting access to public space and Starbucks' mission of providing a Third Place.

Mike and Dan sit down with Melissa Griffith, Vice President of Analytics and Strategy at Kaplan Test Prep, to discuss the newly released 2018 Meeker Report on Internet Trends. We dive into the growth of the internet, expansion of mobile access, the importance of data privacy, and more. How does China's population view the sharing of their data in comparison to that of the United States? What does the report have to say about life-long learning and the future workforce? How do Fortnite and Slack relate to all of this? Tune in to find out.

This week, Mike, Dan, and Brandon welcome Tarlin Ray, co-founder of Kaplan Labs and former president of Dev Bootcamp. We talk generational learning and the future of work. What's the biggest issue facing managers and new workers? What does GenZ need to succeed in the work place? How important is open communication and feedback? Listen in to find out. 

This week we explore the Laurel v Yanni phenomenon before diving into the psychology of spoiling and how it relates to the Zeigarnik effect, a pyschological phenomenon describing a tendency to remember interrupted or incomplete tasks more easily than tasks that have been completed. We talk about the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster The Avengers: Infinity War. Mike and Brandon gradually expose some spoilage potential for the movie for Dan. The first part of the show is spoiler-free. By the end of the show, however, let the listener beware. Caveat audiens, lest ye be spoilt!

Have you ever had a student say "I can't learn by reading?" Have you ever opined "This would be a lot easier if I could listen to it?" Do you consider yourself a kinesthetic or visual learner? This week on the show we explore the myths of learning styles, teaching styles, VARKO the AARPVARK, and much much more.

We close out our celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day (on Tuesday) by interviewing Kaplan's Teacher of the Year, Craig Harman. Mike and Dan talk with Craig about his path to teaching, engaging with students in an online classroom, the diversity of an online classroom, and more.

We continue our celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day by talking to a friend of the podcast. Mark Sanders is a professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. Mike and Dan sit down to chat with Mark about a wide range of topics in higher education and the larger learning field. Mark discusses some of the challenges of teaching philosophy, digital and anaolog citzenship, the generation/class of students, difficulties with reaching certain students, and the future of higher ed.

We continue our Teacher Appreciation Week celebration by talking to Allison McDonald, an early childhood educator. We dive into the early education space, her focus on thematic lesson planning, and how to handle screen time with the pre-k population.

Happy National Teacher Day and Teachers Appreciation Week. Today’s episode kicks off our week of interviews and spotlights on teachers from all across the learning spectrum. At the top, Mike, Dan, and Brandon discuss teachers who were influential on their lives and then our co-hosts talk with Steven Anderson, education technologist, lecturer, and innovator. They discuss a variety of topics with Steven, including the creation of the hashtag EdChat, growth of innovation in the classroom, student activism and so much more.

Mike sits down to chat with Lev Kaye, Founder and CEO of CredSpark.com. They talk through a variety of topics including the emerging crisis of trust in social media, ACT's SEL venture, unbundling learning opportunities, and much, much more.

This week, we focus on what's trending in the EdTech Venture space. Brandon recaps his trip to ASU-GSV, a conference that focuses on "elevating dialogue and driving action around raising learning and career outcomes through scaled innovation." The crew explores the current state of disruption in higher education and K12 and grapples with how to understand how Workforce Readiness fits into EdTech innovation and investment.

Mike, Brandon, and Dan take a look at Starbuck's plans to shut down over 8,000 stores and train over 175,000 employees on unconcious-bias training on May 29th. They discuss the arrests that led to a social media outcry as well as how Starbucks is going about putting this training together. Has Starbucks planned on how to assess whether or not this training works? Will this focus be part of their new employee training moving forward? Is this anything more than a PR move by the coffee chain? Listen in to join the conversation!

This week, Mike, Dan, and Brandon dive into the Congressional hearings held on the recent Facebook data privacy issues stemming from the 2016 Presidential Election, Cambridge Analytica, and more. They discuss Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, appearing before committees from both the House and Senate, as well as their own usage of the platform. What sort of influence can Facebook usage and data have on education and edtech platforms like Quizlet? Tune in to find out.

Mike and Brandon dive into the smash hit film Black Panther and explore its cultural implications, perspectives on technology and the future, and portrayals of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The duo dig into what they learned by watching the film and how it points to broader trends in the collective consciousness.

Mike and Brandon put a bow on the 2018 March Madness bracket. They take the opportunity to look back at the topics, lessons learned, and to assess some of Trending In Education's own ability to spot trends and shine a light on important changes in education. Listen in to learn the Winning Trend for the Year!

After going through our Sweet Sixteen and Elite voting on Twitter, we present our Final Four and our finals match-up. Tune in to find out who moved forward from the Social Emotional Learning versus Fake News as well as number one overall seed Kidsolving taking on Laughing & Learning.

We dive into this year's gathering at SXSWEdu in Austin, Texas. Brandon, Mike and Dan break down two of the keynotes and some high level takeaways. The first topic is Michael Sorrell's keynote, discussing Paul Quinn College's focus on real-world problems in the classroom and experiential education on urban campuses. Next, they discuss Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' panel discussion focused on innovation in education and learning. Finally, we hear from Mari Kent and Walker Williams on their time in Austin, their favorite sessions, and how likely they are to attend again.

Let the madness begin. Brandon, Mike, and Dan discuss 21 topics from the past year of Trending In Education. Brandon and Mike then draft their own eight-topic teams to go up against one another in our Sweet Sixteen March Madness bracket. Who will come out on top? Stay tuned for our final four-episode later this March.

On this extra edition of Trending In Education, we celebrate International Women's Day. We welcome four inspiring women to discuss their education, careers, and experiences. We're joined by Deborah Berebichez, Chief Data Scientist at Metis, Nancy Lee Sanchez, Executive Director for the Kaplan Educational Foundation, Esther Lee, Director of Program Development for Kaplan Test Prep's Digital Media team, and Rochelle Rothstein, Executive Vice President, Innovation & Product Strategy at Kaplan Test Prep to talk about women, education, mentorship, access, and more. 00:55 - Deborah Berebichez with Mike Palmer & Brandon Jones 17:56 - Rochelle Rothstein with Dan Strafford 32:18 - Nancy Lee Sanchez & Esther Lee with Mike Palmer

The crew takes a look at the evolution of emojis in recent history and tracks the broader trend right up into the recent announcement of the upcoming release of 157 new emojis. Are emojis a new and emerging visual language, or are they a frothy distraction from serious learning? How can emojis be leveraged in the classroom to connect with students to foster better communication without devolving into something superficial? Esther joins the discussion to add her point of view on using emojis for learning and how they may be able to assist in breaking down language barriers through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) orientation.

This week, Brandon, Mike, and Dan are joined by Amjed Saffarini, CEO of CyberVista, to discuss the cybersecurity industry and cyberlearning. Amjed sheds some light on the deep and dark web as the group stumbles through a questionable cybertrivia quiz. We talk threat surfaces, Mr Robot, and more than one Sandra Bullock film. Oh and War Games, of course.

We open this week's episode with some brief thoughts on the tragic events in Parkland, Florida before turning the episode to our previously recorded topic of the Winter Olympics. This week our trio of co-hosts turns their focus on the Winter Olympics. They take a look at the education and e-learning product used to bring production staff up to speed on the Winter Games and Pyeongchang, South Korea. What happens to elite Olympic athletes after their time performing at the highest levels is done? Mike, Brandon, and Dan all take a guess at which sport they think they'd have a chance at competing in. Brandon shares a childhood story of using the Olympics as classroom curriculum.

Mike catches up with Rohit Bhargava to talk about the latest edition of the Non-Obvious Trends 2018. They discuss key trends to track this year including Manipulated Outrage, Enlightened Consumption, and Virtual Empathy. In addition, the pair explore the process Rohit and his team use to cultivate, curate, and crystalize their topics. They recommend seeking out multiple and various inputs and staying curious to spot non-obvious trends and counter-trends in everyday life. If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at TrendinginEducation.com and wherever you get your podcasts!

Brandon, Mike, and Dan take a look in their respective crystal balls for what topics will be trending in learning and education this year. We offer up two predictions each on subjects we think will "get some action" in the coming year. What new portmanteau does Brandon roll out? How do you "nappuccino" and why is Mike all in? Why will Social Emotional Learning go digital according to Dan? :10 - Welcome 1:48 - Mike discusses time hacks 6:52 - Brandon introduces kidsolving 11:28 - Dan pitches SEL going digital 14:39 - SABRLearning and the quantified self from Mike 17:00 - Brandon talks strengthsing in 2018 22:38 - Dan rounds out the predictions with Grassroots Play

The crew takes a look at Slate's decision to focus on audio and text and related pivots away from video as more brands and media companies explore the power of podcasting and audio. They discuss the power of mixed media and omnichannel and question whether the focus on video, that's been all the rage of late (esp at Facebook), makes sense in all contexts.

Mike, Brandon, and Dan take a second look at CES 2018 to discuss some great review articles and the awards handed out. Mike shares one of his favorite stories that tugs at Brandon's heartstrings. The trio breaks down some more robot talk and Forbes' top 18 trends from the event.

We take a look at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and try to find what trends are most exciting. From the blackout to the robots and beyond, we have you covered. What dating app is trying to get into the business networking world? How did LG’s kitchen robot presentation fail? All that and a trip outside the walls of CES for an unexpected robot art installation.

We turn our attention to the new year and what trends might be hottest in 2018. Brandon discusses his move away from a social media platform, Mike discusses some macro trends around attention economy, and the trio tackle the latest predictions from NPR on Education.

We take a look back at our own best of with this clip show from 2017's best guests. On this show, you'll hear from Bror Saxberg, Nancy Sanchez, Rohit Bhargava, Esther Lee, and Kisha Henry. They all brought great content to the podcast and each of their episodes is available wherever you listen.

We put a bow on 2017 in our final episode of the year. We take some time to look back on our favorite topics, episodes, and guests. We also look forward to 2018 and discuss which topics we think will be most important and the biggest trends in the year to come.

On this week's podcast, we turn our focus to the world of trivia. We talk about the fast rising app, HQ Trivia, Jeopardy, pub trivia and more. We look for the reasons why we enjoy trivia so much and what ties it may have to education. We debate the ethical issues with googling of trivia answers and more.

One of the top trends we are looking forward to track in 2018 is digital citzenship. What does it mean to be a digital citizen in the 21st Century? How does it fit into our current curriculum in schools? How can adult learners put their best foot forward on the digital space? We discuss our own experiences and what we think will be the necessary skills in 2018.

What sorts of gifts do you give to the lifelong learners in your life? We explore several options and stumble onto insights about the power of teaching, listening, and learning from others.

Tis the season! Dan, Mike, and Brandon discuss some potential gifts for the young learner in your life. What are some of the more popular STEM focused gifts this holiday season? What gift combines the best digital and real world applications? Brandon also discusses a product very popular at his daughter's pre-school.

Why was six afraid of seven? On this week's episode, Mike, Brandon, and Dan tackle the use of humor in the classroom. Can a good joke help students feel more at ease? How about a timely or topic-driven pun or funny turn of phrase? Can too many jokes makes students feel uneasy? Tune in for our thoughts on laughing and learning.

Mike, Brandon, and Dan take a look at different approaches to language learning and education. Are apps like Duolingo and Blue Canoe making foreign language learning easier through gamification? Can language education be harder when binge learn? How important is the language used in a podcast title to get you to listen? All that and more on our latest Trending In Education.

We take a trip to Hawkins, Ind and The Upside Down to dig into Season 2 of Stranger Things. Be forewarned, Thar Be Spoilers! The squad begins by going deep on binging patterns and the way media consumption has changed. Brandon theorizes about themes involving science, the gap between childhood and adulthood. A good time is had by all.