Human-Centered AI in Education: How Coursemojo Empowers Teachers and Students

In this episode of Chalk and Code, host Jennilee Bertrand sits down with Jamie Forrest, Co-Founder and CTO of CourseMojo, to explore what it takes to build responsible AI for real classrooms.Jamie shares how his background in AI engineering at Apple (Siri), his early experience teaching in Harlem, and the realities of COVID learning for his own kids shaped a clear philosophy: technology should support people, not the other way around.Together, they unpack CourseMojo’s decision to keep AI mostly “behind the scenes,” how the platform helps students who are afraid to raise their hands get the support they need, and the systems CourseMojo uses to protect student privacy at scale — including never sending personally identifiable information to third-party AI models.Key Moments04:39 "Discovering Vellum in 2025"09:27 "Technology Serving People, Not Vice Versa"11:19 "AI Enhances, Not Replaces Teaching"16:47 "LLMs in Education: Challenges Persist"19:36 Interactive Teaching Worksheets Software22:51 "Empowering 'I Don't Know'"26:04 Enhancing Real-Time Teacher Insights30:11 Student Data Privacy Commitment32:39 "Ensuring AI Compliance with Laws"36:14 LLMs Enhancing Education Analysis38:13 "Using AI Intentionally for Good"Why You’ll Love This EpisodeThis episode gets specific about what “responsible AI” looks like in practice — not as a slogan, but as product choices teachers can feel.You’ll hear how CourseMojo:Keeps teachers at the center by designing AI to support real classroom routinesHelps students build confidence without public embarrassmentUses AI to surface actionable insights (grouping, discussion prompts, struggle spots)Treats privacy as a core engineering principle, not an afterthoughtStays realistic about hallucinations, misuse, and the need for AI literacyConnect with Jamie ForrestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieforrest/ Website: https://www.coursemojo.com/ Connect with UsCompany’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexion-inc Company Website: https://flexion.us/ If this conversation sparked a new idea or challenged your assumptions, share this episode with a colleague and subscribe for more thoughtful discussions at the intersection of learning, leadership, and educational technology.Join us next time on Chalk & Code, where the science of learning meets modern technology.