Send us a text 2025 was a defining year for AI in education. From rapid adoption to rising educator confidence and growing questions about what comes next. In Part 1 of our year-end reflections and predictions, Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell revisit their 2025 reflections and look ahead to what 2026 may bring for EdTech, AI, and the future of learning. 🎙️ Featuring insights from: Tom Vander Ark, Founder & CEO, Getting SmartBjorn Billhardt, CEO, AbilitieJacob Kantor, Founder & Chief DODO,...

Send us a text Rene Kizilcec is an Associate Professor at Cornell University, where he directs the Cornell Future of Learning Lab and leads the National Tutoring Observatory. His research focuses on learning science, AI in education, and the behavioral and computational factors that shape student success. His work has appeared in Science, PNAS, and other top journals. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode How the National Tutoring Observatory is building the largest dataset of real tutoring...

Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin, Ben Wallerstein, and Matt Tower for Week in Edtech, exploring OpenAI’s teacher certifications, kids’ online safety legislation, early literacy declines, college admissions pressures, and what remains irreplaceable in education as AI advances. ✨ Episode Highlights [00:03:00] OpenAI launches teacher certifications, expanding into K–12 [00:05:00] Big Tech credentials raise control and gatekeeping concerns [00:07:55] Doubts emerge around certifying AI peda...

Send us a text This special EdTech Insiders episode, recorded live at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, spotlights the Global EdTech Prize winners and finalists sharing how they’re scaling impact across K–12 learning, teacher AI workflows, and digital skills worldwide. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Abwaab’s AI-driven grading and human coaching model.Brisk’s rapid global growth through workflow-embedded AI.Matific’s adaptive, game-based math learning.Arukay’s digital skills + S...

Send us a text Charlie Hopkins-Brinicombe is the co-founder of Trophy.so, a gamification infrastructure platform helping EdTech and wellness companies build engaging learning experiences in weeks, not months. With a background in product development and motivation design, Charlie focuses on creating scalable systems that boost retention, habit formation, and learner satisfaction. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why most gamification fails.Which mechanics truly motivate learners.How s...

Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down the biggest shifts in global edtech. From PhysicsWallah’s major IPO to Google–OpenAI competition, higher-ed adoption of AI, and new benchmarks shaping the future of learning. ✨ Episode Highlights [00:07:00] PhysicsWallah’s IPO reshapes Indian edtech and signals renewed global momentum [00:15:00] Google and OpenAI escalate the AI race with Gemini 3, Nano Banana Pro, and OpenAI’s “garlic” model [00:31:00] Higher e...

Send us a text Frank Wu is the Co-founder of Aibrary and a Harvard Kennedy School MPP graduate. He led 20+ edtech and AI investments at TAL, helped build Think Academy in the U.S., and previously taught 3M+ students. Susan Wang is the Chief Growth Officer at Aibrary and a Yale and Harvard Business School alum. She led creator and product operations at TikTok and worked in strategy at TAL, with deep experience scaling edtech products. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode How AI is reshaping...

Send us a text Dr. Sonia Tiwari is a Children's Media Researcher focused on how characters shape learning experiences. With a background spanning animation, game design, and a PhD in Learning Design & Technology, she advises edtech and media companies on ethical, developmentally aligned character design. Her work has been featured at Stanford, Harvard, MIT, UNICEF, and the National Geographic Society. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How AI changes children’s relationships with ch...

Send us a text Dr. Sarah Johnson is the CEO and President of Teaching Lab and Relay Graduate School of Education, leading their AI-enabled product innovation and educator preparation initiatives. She is joined by Teaching Lab Studio fellows: Riz Malik, creator of Coteach, a curriculum-aligned AI assistant for math teachers; Gautam Thapar, CEO of Enlighten AI, a personalized AI grading and feedback platform; and Louisa Rosenheck, co-lead of NISA and the Tangle & Thrive research project, fo...

Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down OpenAI’s unexpected launch of ChatGPT for K–12, Google’s accelerating AI momentum, and what these shifts mean for schools, teachers, and the edtech ecosystem. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:03] OpenAI unveils ChatGPT for K–12 educators—secure, curriculum-aware, and free through 2027 [00:03:02] The emerging AI Classroom Wars between OpenAI and Google across major U.S. districts [00:07:36] Google’s big week: DeepMind...

Send us a text This special on-site episode of Edtech Insiders was recorded live at the Google AI for Learning Forum in London on November 14, 2024, where we sat down with leaders shaping Google’s next generation of learning tools, including Shantanu Sinha, VP of Google for Education, Tal Oppenheimer, Product Management Director, Google Labs & Learning, Julia Wilkowski, Pedagogy & Learning Sciences Team Lead, Google, and Maureen Heymans, VP & GM, Learning, Google. Together, they s...

Send us a text Brandon Busteed is the CEO of Edconic and a nationally recognized leader in work-integrated learning. Formerly President of Kaplan University Partners and Head of Education & Workforce Development at Gallup, he has spent his career building bridges between higher education and industry through research, innovation, and large-scale partnerships. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why work-integrated learning mattersWhy employers say grads aren’t work-readyWhy internshi...

Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they unpack the breakthroughs and backlash following the Google DeepMind AI for Learning Forum in London—and what it means for the future of edtech. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:30] Google DeepMind’s AI for Learning Forum sets a new global tone for learning innovation [00:06:58] Google’s “Learn Your Way” tool personalizes entire textbooks with AI [00:08:12] AI video tools like Google Flow redefine classroom content creation [00:13:40] W...

Send us a text This special EdTech Insiders episode features the four Shark Tank winners from EdTech Week. Each founder shares how their breakthrough approach is transforming learning, teaching, and workforce development across K–12, higher education, and global training environments. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Lirvana Labs’ multilingual, trauma-informed AI companion.Socrait’s voice-powered automation of teacher admin work.Skillmaker.ai’s XR training that cuts years to days.Glim...

Send us a text Rohan Mahimker is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prodigy Education, a global leader in digital game-based learning. Rohan launched Prodigy alongside his fellow Co-Founder and Co-CEO Alex Peters in 2011. Today, Prodigy’s flagship math game is used by more than 20 million 1st-8th Grade students and is one of the most popular supplemental classroom tools in the United States. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How a university project evolved into one of the world’s most popular m...

Send us a text Mireia Torello is the CEO and co-founder of Aikreate, an EdTech company revolutionizing AI Literacy for students and educators worldwide. With a PhD in Earth Sciences and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School, Mireia brings a unique mix of scientific and entrepreneurial experience. She has led Aikreate through partnerships with schools, universities, and governments and has been recognized at top innovation forums like SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV’s Women in AI. Her mission: make ...

Send us a text Adam Mangana is the Co-Founder and CEO of Optima Ed, the first full-time VR homeschool backed by Meta. With over 15 years in edtech leadership, he’s pioneering immersive, AI-driven learning experiences that expand access to quality education and reimagine how, where, and why students learn. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How Optima Ed blends classical education with cutting-edge VR technology.Why the future of learning is immersive, individualized, and accessible.The ...

Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they recap a post–New York EdTech Week full of highs and hard truths. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] Alpha School's backlash and what it reveals about AI-based education. [00:06:58] EdTech’s new K–20 alliance with Microsoft and Google for responsible AI. [00:10:09] The risks and lessons from Alpha School's rapid rise and fall. [00:21:53] Chegg cuts 45% of staff amid AI disruption and market pressure. [00:26:01] Kaplan launches AI...

Send us a text Joe Watt co-founded ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund to back bold ideas expanding equity and opportunity in education. Today, he leads the Fund as Managing Director, shaping how patient, mission-driven capital creates lasting change. He’s joined by Atin Batra, a Director at the Fund, who leads investments across the learner journey, bringing a global venture lens and a deep focus on measurable outcomes that improve learner success. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How...

Send us a text In this special episode, we spotlight the GESAwards, often called the “United Nations of EdTech,” with founder Avi Warshavsky of MindCET and three inspiring finalists from around the world. They share how they’re harnessing AI, rethinking prison education, and transforming music learning for millions of students. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why GESAwards are built on local partnershipsHow AI levels the global EdTech playing fieldDesigning learning platfo...