Learning Science

The Neuroscience of Gratitude: Brain Chemistry, The Gap and The Gain, and the Perfect Nap

Mike Palmer returns to the Thanksgiving table to serve up a side of applied neuroscience. Powered by the recently released Gemini 3, he examines the “gratitude cocktail,” a potent neurochemical mix of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin that mimics the effects of antidepressants and strengthens social bonds. Beyond the chemistry, Mike explores the psychological framework of⁠ The Gap and the Gain⁠ by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. He explains how measuring progress against an ideal future creates unhappiness, while measuring against the past generates resilience and satisfaction.

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K12 Education

Defining A New School Leadership Architecture with Lindsay Whorton President at The Holdsworth Center

In this special episode, we welcome back Lindsay Whorton, President of the Holdsworth Center, to discuss her new book, A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles. We dive into why the current model for school leadership is unsustainable and explore a new framework for building capacity and driving results in Texas public schools and beyond.

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Future of Work

🎮 Endless Possibilities: Game Design, AI, and the Future of Education with Matt Dalio

Matt Dalio, founder and CEO of ⁠Endless Studios⁠, joins host Mike Palmer to explore the profound connection between games, technology, and workforce development. Matt, who grew up with an early global perspective—including a transformative year in China at age 11—brings his philanthropic drive to the world of scalable tech solutions .

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K12 Education

Reaching Multilingual Students Through Tutoring with Halley Bowman and Katherine Huete

On this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer talks with Halley Bowman, who focuses on curriculum and tutor training at ⁠Saga Education⁠, and Katherine Huete, founder of the consultancy ⁠Estelita⁠ and a leader in scaling language support at Saga. We explore the powerful resurgence of high-impact tutoring, especially its critical role in supporting emergent multilingual learners (EMLs) in secondary math.

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Higher Education

What Can I Get Out of This? A Writer’s Guide to Teaching with Author Carlo Rotella

Mike Palmer welcomes Carlo Rotella, a professor at Boston College and author of the book ⁠What Can I Get Out of This? Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics⁠. Rotella, who has an academic specialty in the cultures of cities and also writes for magazines like The New York Times Magazine, approaches his classroom as a “scene” much like a boxing gym or a music club, where people practice a craft and hone their “chops”.

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AI

AI and Agency: Navigating the Future of Academic Technology with Gerry White

Welcome back to Trending in Education! This week, we dive headfirst into the accelerating world of emerging technology with Gerry White, Dean of Academic Technology for ECPI University. Gerry, an English and Music major turned tech enthusiast, shares his fascinating career trajectory and the work he is doing to keep ECPI University at the forefront of the AI revolution.

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K12 Education

Providing a Balanced Scorecard for GreatSchools Across the US with Jon Deane

On this episode of ⁠Trending in Education⁠, host Mike Palmer sits down with Jon Deane, CEO of ⁠GreatSchools⁠, for a deeply informed conversation about the choices—and complexities—facing modern parents. GreatSchools’ mission is simple: to help every parent cut through the noise and truly understand their children’s educational options. As a parent to a 6-year-old, Mike knows firsthand that the pressure to choose the right path is real, and it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

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Education

Reimagining Assessment for the Age of AI with Amit Sevak, CEO of ETS

The global landscape of education and work is changing at a pace that requires an entirely new approach to measurement. ⁠Trending in Education⁠ host ⁠Mike Palmer⁠ welcomes ⁠Amit Sevak⁠, CEO of ⁠ETS ⁠(Educational Testing Service), the organization responsible for millions of assessments worldwide, to discuss the high-stakes transformation of how we identify talent.

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K12 Education

Why School Boards Matter with Author Scott R. Levy

On this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer welcomes author ⁠Scott R. Levy⁠ to discuss his new book, ⁠Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy⁠. Scott shares his journey from Wall Street to serving on his local school board in 2015, driven by the unintended negative consequences he observed from federal programs like Race to the Top.

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