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 Rundown Google 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 Surface The 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 Byte The 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 14th https://www.naesp.org/events/ AESA - July 15th https://www.aesa.us/summer-leadership-conference/ New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11th https://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCE RIACTE - August 14th https://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conference Say hi to Liz on the Road: Bridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge - July 21-22 https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQ Global Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchanges https://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHg Announcements Purchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7a Check 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-balance⁠⁠⁠ Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠ Sponsors The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.org Links AI-generated knockoffs of Joanna Stern's book keep appearing on Apple Books https://tinyurl.com/45ehzuy3 Google NotebookLM expands AI video features with 60-second shorts https://tinyurl.com/3bjtbtke In the Age of AI, Everyone Should Be Hiring Theater Kids https://tinyurl.com/yc4uht2w Legislative Tracker: 2026 State AI in Education Bills https://tinyurl.com/3xx4d89j The AI boom is colliding with a new threat: Severe weather https://tinyurl.com/59jdbas7 They Welcomed 37 Data Centers to Town. Now Their Schools Have to Dim the Lights to Cut Energy Costs https://tinyurl.com/2u4z8xtz Energy Dept. Orders Data Centers to Tap Backup Power https://tinyurl.com/5xm8wkte ChatGPT vs Teachers vs Students: Large-Scale Analysis of Generative AI Discourse https://tinyurl.com/5ez949cu Elephant alert! AI warning systems aim to avoid deadly clashes https://tinyurl.com/3n3xe7x3