In this episode, Dr. Groshell and I discuss how to begin when providing support to teachers. Both Zach and Gene currently work in schools supporting teachers in their quest to be their best for students.Dr. Zach Groshell is the host of the popular podcast Progressively Incorrect and the author of:Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit TeachingDr. Gene Tavernetti is the author of:Maximizing the Impact of Coaching CyclesTeach Fast: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching

In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Dr. Jill Pentimonti, a member of Reading is Fundamental's Early Childhood Literacy Advisory Board, to explore the science and art of effective preschool read-alouds. Jill shares her journey from finance major to early childhood educator to researcher, driven by her passion for understanding how young brains develop language and literacy skills. She breaks down the "secret sauce" of impactful read-alouds into three essential buckets: building listening comprehension through rich questions, developing print knowledge by pointing out letters and how books work, and fostering awareness of language sounds through rhyming and alliteration. Jill emphasizes that simply reading words off a page isn't enough—it's the human interaction, the back-and-forth conversation, and the intentional questions that transform story time into powerful learning experiences.The conversation offers practical, research-backed strategies for both teachers and families, including the importance of a "balanced diet" of books (narrative stories, information texts, alphabet books, and rhyming books), the power of rereading to deepen learning, and effective scaffolding techniques to support and challenge young readers. About Dr. Jill Pentimonti:Dr. Jill Pentimonti is an Associate Research Professor in the Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Executive Director of Research Advancement in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame, where she also leads the Early Learning Foundations (ELF) Lab. Her work focuses on language, literacy, and learning in the preschool and early elementary years. Dr. Pentimonti’s research centers on supporting young children’s language and literacy development, particularly for those at risk for reading difficulties. She has led multiple large-scale, federally funded studies examining classroom practices, instructional supports, and interventions that foster children’s early learning. Her work has also advanced the use of innovative tools and methods—including AI-powered assessments—to better understand and improve early learning experiences for children, families, and teachers.

A timely conversation for educators and school leaders about OpenAI Codex, AI agents, responsible classroom use, and the widening gap between AI power users and those still learning where to begin.

Aaron Makelky joins Jethro Jones to unpack OpenAI’s Codex event, AI power-user workflows, the Codex vs. Claude conversation, and why the biggest opportunity may be helping everyday people bridge the AI gap.

In this episode, Priten speaks with Tina Austin, an AI educator and professor of biomedical ethics who helps institutions rethink assessment and teaching in the age of generative AI. As ChatGPT disrupted the assumption that polished output reflects student thinking, Tina moved beyond academic integrity concerns to ask a deeper question: what if we redesigned learning around when and how thinking happens, rather than what gets produced at the end?Key Takeaways:Bloom's Taxonomy breaks down because AI collapses the distinction between output and thinking. The old model assumed a polished answer proved learning; AI now makes that assumption untenable, forcing educators to make thinking visible through process rather than relying on products as evidence.UnBlooms treats learning as recursive, not hierarchical—and starts with intentional friction. Rather than inverting Bloom's or banning AI, Tina's model requires students to show their initial thinking, engage critically with AI output, and revise with judgment; the shape shifts from a ladder to a spiral where learners don't return to the same place twice.Different disciplines protect different kinds of thinking, and AI policy should honor that variation. STEM faculty worry about problem-solving integrity; humanities faculty about voice and nuance; effective AI policy emerges from asking each discipline what thinking they need to safeguard, not from imposing one rule across all fields.The most productive AI use in classrooms builds critical skepticism, not efficiency. Having students critique AI-generated lecture summaries or debate where AI diverges from expert knowledge creates genuine engagement; offloading listening itself (via AI note-takers) removes a central learning function and trades visibility into thinking for marginal convenience.Higher education's crisis is not new, but AI has made it visible and urgent. Tenure and research incentives protect teaching practices that no longer serve; the opportunity now is to ask honestly whether courses are helping students develop judgment and prepare them for genuine uncertainty—not to add AI on top of unchanged structures.Tina Austin is an AI educator, researcher, and policy advisor working at the intersection of education, healthcare, science, and emerging technology. Recognized as one of ASU+GSV's Leading Women in AI (2025), featured by OpenAI Academy, and interviewed by CNN, she is one of the most prominent voices guiding institutions toward responsible, human-centered AI adoption. She has led courses at UCLA, USC, CSU, and Caltech spanning critical thinking with AI, biomedical research, regenerative medicine, and ethics.