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Ira Apfel wraps up a whirlwind week at ISTELive 26 in Orlando with Sarah McKibben, Editor-in-Chief of EdSurge. Together they unpack the buzziest ideas to come out of the conference, including why so many educators are pushing back on AI bans, and what one surprising theory about AI slop means for the future of student writing. From burnout to breakthroughs, this recap captures everything that stuck with them once the convention center emptied out.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN - Why current education leaders believe relational intelligence could become education’s most valuable currency in the age of AI.
- How new research cited at the conference links a steep decline in daily conversation, especially among people under 25, to rising social isolation.
- Why one Educational Leadership contributor’s approach to AI in the classroom centers on microdosing rather than banning it outright.
- How district leaders are being encouraged to rethink AI policy by comparing it to another everyday risk millions of teenagers already navigate.
STORIES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE This is a special recap episode from ISTELive 26 in Orlando where Ira and Sarah reflect on the hallway conversations, speaker presentations, and podcast interviews they enjoyed throughout the week. Featured speakers include:
- Pat Yongpradit , GM, Education and Workforce Policy at Microsoft
- Dr. Nneka McGee , Fmr. Chief Academic Officer and Founder of Muon Global
- Isabelle Hau , Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning
- Heather E. McGowan , Bestselling Author, Leadership Expert, and LinkedIn Global Voice for Education
- Melinda Glowacki , MAT Supervisor and Leadership Coach for the University of California, Irvine
- Tambra Clark , Technology Integration Facilitator of Birmingham City Schools
- Mary Ehrenworth , Author, Speaker, Consultant, from Teachers College, Columbia University
- Philip Seyfried , Student, from Teachers College, Columbia University
- Jessica Garner , Managing Director, Innovative Learning at ISTE+ASCD
- Court Shuller from the Voices of Change Fellowship
STAY CONNECTED HOST AND CONTRIBUTORS Host: Ira Apfel, Editorial Director, EdSurge
Featuring: Sarah McKibben , Editor-in-Chief, EdSurge
