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Low & Slow - Avoiding the Hype with Alexandra Walsh (Amplify) | Ep. 121
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Uncover how AI is transforming education publishing, navigate screen time policies, and meet a viral tech raccoon!
Before diving into AI and edtech, Matt and Liz break down the viral internet sensation of Jimothy, a Seattle raccoon with short spine syndrome who inspired a developer to create a retro eight-bit video game.
The Rundown
Sally the Robot Paused: A New York school district puts its controversial humanoid classroom robot pilot on hold following community pushback.
Gemini Notebook Collections: Google rolls out top-level navigation and collection folders to help users organize their numerous notebooks.
ISTE Releases Stretch: The organization announces the broad release of its specialized educator chatbot trained exclusively on vetted materials.
Human Intelligence Certificate: An academic proposal suggests students prove unassisted thinking through in-person tasks before integrating AI into studies.
Substack AI Detection: Substack partners with Pangram to help readers identify AI-generated text in published posts.
North Carolina Screen Time Guidance: The state issues purpose-driven framework guidelines rather than hard hourly limits for student devices.
Schools Beyond Screens Moratorium: A national coalition calls for a complete generative AI moratorium across all school districts.
Student Advocacy in Washington: A high school student argues that schools must actively teach practical civic advocacy skills to help youth shape legislation.
Beneath the Surface
Low and Slow: Avoiding the Hype with Alexandra Walsh Alexandra Walsh, Chief Product Officer at Amplify, joins Matt and Liz to discuss how a major educational publisher thoughtfully balances innovation and quality. She explores internal AI workflows, teacher-mediated tools like discussion moments, and the vital importance of maintaining human connection in classrooms.
Bright Byte
Engineers have successfully tested a forty-gram autonomous micro drone designed to track and eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes mid-air using ultrasonic sensors and AI software.
Say hi to Matt on the road:
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11th
https://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCE
RIACTE - August 14th - Sponsored in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
https://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conference
Announcements
Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday
Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a
Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai
Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance
Address Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshift
Sponsors
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.org
Links
Beneath Surface with Alexandra Walsh
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/fyxczf62
8-Bit 'Jimothy': Viral Sensation Gets a Video Game
NY Classroom's Humanoid Robot Meets Backlash
Google Is Fixing the Biggest Problem With Too Many Gemini Notebooks
Stretch, ISTE's Chatbot, Is Ready to Go
Students Should Prove They Don't Need AI Before Using It
Substack is adding an AI detection feature
New DPI screen guidance stops short of time limits
Screen Time Guidelines Shift as Research Grows More Nuanced
Students can shape policy. Why don't schools show them how?
A Drone That Hunts Mosquitoes
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