What happens when you combine Hollywood-level storytelling with the intimacy of audio?

Oz Woloshyn and Mangesh Hattikudur, co-founders of Kaleidoscope, have created some of the most compelling podcasts in the medium by focusing on one simple truth: people love feeling smart, especially when learning feels like an adventure.

Kaleidoscope's award-winning shows transport listeners from the Amazon rainforest in search of rare cacao to a Soviet space station where a cosmonaut finds himself stranded when his country collapses beneath him. These aren't just podcasts – they're audio journeys that hook listeners with compelling facts and emotional moments that make seemingly niche topics universally fascinating.

As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and content creation, Oz and Mangesh offer refreshing perspectives on why human creativity remains irreplaceable. While they've embraced AI tools to streamline production (revolutionizing their workflow with transcription and editing software), they emphasize that technology serves creativity, not the other way around. The subtle imperfections of human communication (which Mangesh calls the "wobble") create emotional connections that no algorithm can replicate.

Kaleidoscope's approach to podcast creation offers valuable insights for educators and parents who are concerned about how to engage students in an era of shrinking attention spans. Whether you're a podcast creator, educator, or simply curious about the future of storytelling, this conversation will leave you rethinking how we connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Learn more about Kaleidoscope:

• k-scope.com
• linkedin.com/in/oz-woloshyn-7629b9234/
• linkedin.com/in/mangesh-hattikudur-25098b5b/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

Michelle Shomo Pierce invites us into her Charlotte, North Carolina classroom where computer science education transcends coding to become a vehicle for teaching essential life skills.

What makes Michelle's approach unique is her unlikely journey to becoming a computer science teacher. With a background in biology and elementary education, she stepped into the role without any formal CS training — a fact that helps her connect with students who might otherwise feel intimidated by technical subjects: "I didn't have the background knowledge, but I just kind of trusted my ability to be able to learn new things."

This philosophy of continuous learning defines her teaching. Whether she's guiding students through digital citizenship lessons, discussing the ethical implications of AI in criminal justice, or running a Girls Who Code club, Michelle focuses on empowering her Title I school students to be more than just technology consumers. "I don't want them just to be users," she explains passionately. "I want them to understand the real-world implications."

Michelle's work extends beyond her classroom as she advocates for equal access in computer science education through organizations like the Computer Science Teachers Association. Her experiences highlight the critical importance of representation, mentorship, and community in technology fields, especially for students from marginalized backgrounds. As she puts it: "If you can see it, you can be it."

Learn more about Michelle Shomo Pierce:

• linkedin.com/in/michelle-shomo-pierce-0874658b/
• dot.cards/michelleshomopierce

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

Have you ever talked to an architect of the digital revolution that shaped our world?

We spoke with early-stage Apple alum Dan'l Lewin, who took us on a remarkable journey from the dawn of personal computing to our AI-powered present while offering rare insights as someone who helped bring the first computers into America's classrooms.

Growing up in upstate New York with a second-grade teacher who taught him binary math, Dan'l's path led him to Silicon Valley in 1976 where he ended up working next door to Steves Jobs and Wozniak. After joining Apple during the development of the Lisa system (precursor to the Macintosh), he spearheaded their strategy to introduce Apple computers to universities before they conquered the broader market.

Our conversation with Dan'l explores how computing evolved over two distinct 25-year periods: from 1975-2000, when computers optimized rational tasks with limited connectivity; to the post-1997 era when the web transformed everything into interconnected systems. Dan'l talks about where AI fits in this historical arc and suggests that, much like early computing, AI's initial impact will mostly happen behind corporate firewalls before reshaping society as a whole.

Dan'l also examines what AI means for human learning and development. He presents AI as potentially "a personal GPS for every learner" that could reroute students when they make errors, but also worries about what happens to deep-thinking in an era of instant, surface-level answers.

For educators, technologists, and anyone concerned about our collective future, our conversation with Dan'l offers a perspective from someone who has witnessed (and shaped) the way technology has transformed how we learn, work, and connect.

Learn more about Dan'l Lewin:

• computerhistory.org/profile/danl-lewin-2
• linkedin.com/in/dlewin1

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/