Kinwise Conversations in AI

Kinwise Conversations in AI

Artificial intelligence is here: powerful, fast-evolving, and reshaping how we learn and teach. But how do we integrate these tools with intention? How do we ensure they amplify our humanity rather than overshadow it? Kinwise Conversations dives into these questions every week with educators, principals, district leaders, and learning innovators. We explore real stories: the wins, wake-up calls, ethical crossroads, and practical strategies for using AI wisely in education. Season 1 focused on AI and the future of work. Season 2 spotlights AI and education—how teachers and students are engaging with AI, how schools are rethinking learning, and how we can prepare students for an AI-powered future while keeping education deeply human. If you’re an educator, school leader, or simply curious about using technology with more intention, this podcast is for you. Subscribe now and explore more at kinwise.org.

Episodes

November 12, 2025 36 mins

K-12 EdTech coach Danelle Brostrom joins us to talk about bringing curiosity, guardrails, and humanity to AI in schools. We dig into what we should learn from the social-media era, how librarians are frontline partners for information literacy, the real risks inside edtech privacy policies (and how districts can negotiate them), and concrete ways AI can expand access, like instant translation, reading-level adjustments, and executi...

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In this episode, we’re joined by Ahmed Boutar, an Artificial Intelligence Master’s Student at Duke University, who brings a rigorous engineering focus to the ethics and governance of AI. Ahmed’s work centers on ensuring new technology aligns with human values, including his research on Human-Aligned Hazardous Driving (HAHD) systems for autonomous vehicles.

This conversation is an urgent exploration of the practical and ethical chal...

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In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sawsan Jaber, a global educator, equity strategist, and author of Pedagogies of Voice. Dr. Jaber’s work is rooted in her lived experience as the daughter of refugees and her profound belief that classrooms must be healing spaces that nurture student voice and radical love.

This conversation is an urgent exploration of how K-12 leaders can balance the adoption of AI with the non-negotiable missio...

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In this episode from the archives, we’re joined by Vera Cubero, the Emerging Technologies Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and a co-author of one of the nation's first K-12 AI guidelines. Vera shares her frontline experience transitioning from a classroom teacher piloting 1-to-1 Chromebooks to leading a statewide AI initiative. This conversation is a crucial exploration of how education mus...

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In this episode, we’re joined by Kris Younger, a longtime technologist and the Director of Education at Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit coding bootcamp. Zip Code is on the absolute frontier of technology, helping adults from diverse backgrounds, who often earn between $30,000 and $35,000 per year, rapidly transition into tech careers with salaries in the mid-eighties, all in just 12 intense weeks.

Kris shares his unique perspectiv...

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In this episode, we’re visiting Duke University to meet Vihaan Nama, an AI engineer, researcher, and teaching assistant helping shape how AI is taught and built for the real world. From roles at PS&S and JPMorgan to graduate courses on explainable AI and product management, Vihaan brings a rare combination of technical depth and educator insight.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make AI education more human, or how to turn studen...

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In this episode, we're joined by Brian Jefferson, a professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Brian shares his incredible journey from a 20-year career as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers to becoming a recognized innovator in higher education.

Listen in as we discuss how to move beyond AI anxiety by fostering "awe and whimsy," why the goal should be "cognitive enhancement" rather than simple a...

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In this episode, we're joined by McKenna Akane, an award-winning STEM teacher and the Frontier Learning Lab Ambassador at the Montana Digital Academy. McKenna shares her incredible journey from being a first-year teacher in a rural Montana school to becoming a nationally recognized leader in educational technology, winning accolades like Discovery Education's "Educator of the Year" and a state championship in the Samsung Solve for ...

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Mike McGuckin, a Computer Science Teacher at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, joins us to share his on-the-ground perspective on navigating AI in education. Mike's passion for technology led him to become the only North Carolina educator in the inaugural AIEDU Trailblazer Fellowship. This experience "skyrocketed" him into a leadership role where he now helps shape AI curriculum and guides fellow educators across the state.  

W...

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Susan C. McLeod, VP of Data Center Market Development at Hitachi Energy, joins us to explore how large organizations can successfully navigate AI adoption. Drawing from over 20 years in enterprise tech, Susan offers practical insights for turning complex technology into a wins for people on the ground.

With a background leading global support and success at Hitachi Vantara, Susan now works at the critical intersection of AI, dat...

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Angeline Corvaglia, founder of Data Girl and Friends and the soon-to-be-announced SHIELD, joins us to explore how AI education can equip the next generation to stay thoughtful, self-aware, and socially grounded in an age of algorithmic influence.

With a background in global finance and digital transformation, Angeline now works at the intersection of AI literacy and youth empowerment. In this expansive conversation, she shares how...

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William A “Bill” Brown, former Chief Architect at IBM and founder of Application Engineering Services, joins us to explore how AI can drive access, equity, and innovation when guided by human intention.

From wiring office networks in 1980s New York to building AI agents today, Bill’s career is rooted in curiosity and continual learning. In this expansive conversation, he shares how he navigated each wave of technological change, wh...

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Cary Wright, a 30-year veteran educator and co-founder of T.E.A.C.H., joins us to share how he’s helping teachers go from overwhelmed to empowered through practical, responsible AI use. From streamlining lesson planning to unlocking data insights, Cary explains how he and his co-founder, Tyler Hunt, are building a future where AI supports educators.

In his role as K-12 Coordinator of Humanities in Martinsville, Virginia, Cary has s...

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What happens when a centuries-old set of values meets one of the most disruptive technologies of our time? In this episode, we slow down the AI conversation with John Sharon, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning at Carolina Friends School. With over 34 years in education, John has seen fads come and go and knows the importance of discernment.

Grounded in the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, integrity, environmental stewardshi...

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Montana science teacher and district AI lead Connor Mulvaney joins host Lydia Kumar to share how he turned fishing photos, traffic-light rubrics, and a healthy dose of curiosity into AI leadership in Montana and across the nation. Fresh off announcing aiEDU’s largest Trailblazers Fellowship expansion, Connor shares stories about leading students and educators to responsible AI adoption.  In this episode, you’ll learn:
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    In this episode, Guide and curriculum designer Ben Gordon Sniffen pulls back the curtain on Alpha School’s two-hour learning model, where an AI tutor condenses core academics into a focused morning block and frees guides for passion-driven life-skills workshops in the afternoon.

    Listen in as Ben explains:

    • How 120 minutes of adaptive learning hits each child’s “productive-struggle” zone.

    • The role of guides as emotional &...

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    Kinwise Conversations is your weekly AI learning lab for teachers, principals, and district leaders. In Season 2 we dive into real classroom pilots, district-wide roll-outs, and cross-sector insights that show exactly how AI can boost student learning without losing the human heart of education. 🎙 What to expect

    • Classroom and district innovators already pushing AI to its limits • Warm, grounded conversations about equity, eth...

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    Brand strategist Jim Cobb, founder of The Bloodhound Group and a creative force behind MasterCard’s legendary “Priceless” campaign, joins host Lydia Kumar to unpack how neuroscience, emotion, and generative AI can support branding. Drawing on four decades of advertising experience, Jim explains why 90 percent of purchase decisions start in the unconscious mind, how skin-response testing saved the priceless concept, and where today’...

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    Welcome to Kinwise Conversations! In this episode, I’m honored to chat with Dr. Alison Harris Welcher, strategic leader, educator, and executive life coach, about nurturing human potential, leading with authenticity, and integrating AI thoughtfully into our work and lives.

    Dive into this inspiring conversation as Alison reveals:

    • The thread of human potential that connects her ...

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    Is AI simply a productivity hack or can it supercharge genuine creativity?

    John “JK” Kornegay, a digital-marketing strategist by day and a sought-after event photographer by night, joins host Lydia Kumar to reveal how he lets AI handle the first 80 % of the work so his human expertise can perfect the last 20 %. From building a mini “team” of custom GPTs to forecasting a future of hyper-personalized apps, JK shares practical tactics...

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