Best Bits Part 17: The Conversations Still Bothering Us Weeks Later (#357)

Seven episodes, one big question: are we still having the same education arguments in 2026 that we were having a decade ago?In this episode, we sit down for our bi-monthly review, running back through seven recent Edufuturists conversations, pulling out the best bits, the sharpest provocations, and the ideas that are still bothering us weeks later. From AI governance and permanent exclusion to kind leadership and adaptive teaching, this is the highlight reel of the highlight reel.We cover:- Why higher education keeps struggling to translate research into real technology decisions (Sara De Freitas)- Teaching computing without a single computer in the room, and why "play" is doing a lot of heavy lifting as a word in education (Shahneila Sayeed)- How one FE college built an AI agent to solve an admin problem nobody asked it to solve (Chris Loveday)- The permanent exclusion pipeline, and the long-term cost of putting a child "out of sight, out of mind" (Stephen Steinhaus)- Whether youth unemployment is a skills problem, a work-experience problem, or something education needs to own (Alex Lovitt and Stephanie Loeck)- AI literacy for students, teachers and parents and whether your school is quietly breaking the EU AI Act (Matthew Wemyss)- Why "adaptive teaching" might be the most honest description of what good teachers have always done (Andrew Young)- A late detour into Joanna Povall's Kind Leadership, and the real difference between being kind and being niceWhy listen?If you only have time to catch one Edufuturists episode this month, this is it. Ben and Steve compress seven full conversations into 45 minutes of the arguments, contradictions and best lines, so you can decide which full episodes are worth your time, and walk away with the throughlines connecting all of them: too much curriculum, not enough trust, and an AI conversation education still hasn't caught up to.Chapters00:00 Highlights01:56 Welcome and Intros05:23 Is HE ready for education technology?08:51 Teaching computing without computers16:02 AI beyond teachers and students21:26 Blowing up the permanent exclusion pipeline28:14 Is youth unemployment a crisis?30:35 AI literacy, governance and the EU AI Act36:05 Is school worth getting out of bed for?40:23 Kind leadership vs nice leadership43:33 Recommended reads and the Edufuturists Wolfpack46:46 Close Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Wolfpack Community