Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here | Ep. 118

In this episode of ChatEDU, Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here, Matt and Liz open with the perils of being an author, including AI-generated knockoffs flooding Apple Books and Amazon with hallucinated covers and nonsensical content.The RundownGoogle added short-form vertical AI video to NotebookLM, and Gemini launched study notebooks, which generate a diagnostic quiz from uploaded materials and build adaptive lessons around the results.As AI automates routine tasks, an op-ed in The 74 argues employers increasingly value durable skills like collaboration and real-time problem solving, and that theater, debate, sports, and student government are where students actually build them.Lawmakers in 27 states have introduced bills this session covering classroom AI guidelines, guardrails, and AI literacy standards.The rapid expansion of AI data centers is placing massive strain on energy grids, with some districts forced to dim school lights to manage skyrocketing utility costs during summer heat waves.The episode examines the environmental costs of AI, noting that many data centers must rely on backup gas turbines during peak grid demand, which contributes to local air quality issues.The Beneath the SurfaceThe hosts compare two contrasting perspectives on the future of education. They analyze a Reddit-based study revealing an adversarial ecosystem of mutual distrust regarding academic integrity and student anxiety, and contrast this with the inspirational student-led innovation Liz witnessed firsthand at the ISTE conference in Orlando.The Bright ByteThe episode concludes by highlighting the Elephant Alert AI early detection system, which uses artificial intelligence to help local villages and forest departments prevent fatal human-wildlife encounters in India.Say hi to Matt on the road: NAESP - July 14thhttps://www.naesp.org/events/AESA - July 15thhttps://www.aesa.us/summer-leadership-conference/New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14thhttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceSay hi to Liz on the Road:Bridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge - July 21-22https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQGlobal Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchangeshttps://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHg AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠ Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠ SponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksAI-generated knockoffs of Joanna Stern's book keep appearing on Apple Bookshttps://tinyurl.com/45ehzuy3Google NotebookLM expands AI video features with 60-second shortshttps://tinyurl.com/3bjtbtkeIn the Age of AI, Everyone Should Be Hiring Theater Kidshttps://tinyurl.com/yc4uht2wLegislative Tracker: 2026 State AI in Education Billshttps://tinyurl.com/3xx4d89jThe AI boom is colliding with a new threat: Severe weatherhttps://tinyurl.com/59jdbas7They Welcomed 37 Data Centers to Town. Now Their Schools Have to Dim the Lights to Cut Energy Costshttps://tinyurl.com/2u4z8xtzEnergy Dept. Orders Data Centers to Tap Backup Powerhttps://tinyurl.com/5xm8wkteChatGPT vs Teachers vs Students: Large-Scale Analysis of Generative AI Discoursehttps://tinyurl.com/5ez949cuElephant alert! AI warning systems aim to avoid deadly clasheshttps://tinyurl.com/3n3xe7x3