Another Crazy Day in AI: Technology Finds Its Role in School Learning
- Wowza Team
- Sep 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 16
Hello, AI Enthusiasts.
Nearing the weekend means catching up on what matters in AI.
In a new podcast, school leaders from Oregon talk candidly about bringing AI into classrooms and the pushback that comes with it. Parents’ concerns about screen time, distraction, and overreliance collide with the reality that digital literacy is now part of preparing kids for the world they already live in.
Meanwhile, Uber is making noise about Agentic AI. The next big shift... or just marketing gloss?
But in commercial real estate, experts say the real story is whether organizations have the people and culture to keep up.
Here's another crazy day in AI:
Educational leaders address digital age challenges
Why Agentic AI redefines ROI in 2026
Why culture and leadership define AI’s impact in CRE
Some AI tools to try out
TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Schools Tackle Technology and Learning Balance
Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)
How should schools approach technology when students are growing up in a world shaped by devices and now artificial intelligence?
In the latest Supe’s On! podcast, Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook sits down with Dr. Karen Rush, who oversees both elementary education and educational technology for Bend-La Pine Schools. Their conversation digs into questions many parents are asking: How much technology is too much? What’s the difference between helpful and harmful screen time? And how should schools handle the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence tools?
Their discussion touched on several important areas:
Educational technology includes any learning-focused tool - Dr. Rush describes it as resources that help students understand concepts or practice skills more effectively, with elementary grades using limited technology that connects directly to what they study
Screen time quality varies significantly based on usage - Research shows passive activities like scrolling through videos can harm development, while interactive, educational technology used with adult guidance often supports learning goals
Digital responsibility needs direct instruction - Schools teach students both how to use technology tools and how to behave appropriately online, particularly important for children who have grown up surrounded by digital devices
Parent worries about classroom technology get addressed openly - The discussion tackles common concerns while explaining how teachers focus on having students create, collaborate, and think critically rather than just consume content
The district created policies before widespread adoption - Bend-La Pine established guidelines early, including safe environments like Magic School where students can explore new tools with proper supervision
Teachers learn to use new resources purposefully - Educators discover how technology can help with lesson planning and meeting individual student needs while keeping human connection and original thinking central
Today's students face unique technological circumstances - Current children are experiencing childhood during rapid technological advancement that will likely influence their education and future careers
The conversation emphasizes that technology in schools cannot be reduced to simple pros and cons. It is intertwined with broader questions of how children learn, how families support them, and how educators set boundaries and opportunities. There are genuine concerns about overuse, distraction, or reliance on tools, but also recognition that digital literacy and guided practice are part of preparing students for the world they already live in.
Rather than viewing technology as an isolated issue, Dr. Cook and Dr. Rush suggest it is one element of a much larger educational landscape. Teachers’ expertise, district policies, and family perspectives all shape how technology is used and understood. In this way, schools serve as a place not only for learning subject matter but also for learning how to interact with digital tools responsibly and thoughtfully.
Perhaps most importantly, students themselves are part of the equation. As the first generation to grow up with AI embedded in their education, their perspectives and experiences will help shape how these tools evolve. Including their voices in the ongoing dialogue may be key to ensuring that technology serves as a resource for growth rather than a barrier.
Read the article here.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple Podcasts here.
OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:
Why Agentic AI Redefines ROI in 2026
/Uber
Uber is spotlighting the economics of Agentic AI—autonomous, goal-driven systems designed to move enterprises past the limits of traditional AI adoption. By embedding autonomy and orchestration into workflows, Agentic AI promises faster time-to-market, lower costs, and higher-quality outputs. Uber argues this shift is not just a technical upgrade but a business model transformation, with compounding benefits like bias dashboards, synthetic data, and scalable infrastructure across industries. For executives, the call is to reframe ROI: measure savings in time, rework, and risk—not just upfront costs.
Read more here.
Why Culture and Leadership Define AI’s Impact in CRE
/Jorge Blanco (Chief Strategy Officer, Altus Group), Shubhra Srivastava (VP Product Management, Altus Group), Katie Smith (Global Head of Performance, LaSalle Asset Management), Emilio Portes Cruz (Global Head of Innovations & Capital Markets, JLL)
At the Altus Innovation Summit, leaders from Altus Group, JLL, and LaSalle Asset Management underscored that AI’s impact on commercial real estate (CRE) depends less on technology itself and more on data quality, cultural change, and leadership. While AI offers faster insights and better decision-making, cultural inertia, siloed data, and misaligned incentives remain the biggest hurdles. The panelists stressed that AI should augment—not replace—human expertise, and that success will require cross-team collaboration, better governance, and upskilling across the industry. If executed thoughtfully, CRE could leap ahead by using AI to unlock cleaner data and smarter decision-making.
Read more here.
SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:
That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.
Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉
EXCITING NEWS:
The Another Crazy Day in AI newsletter is on LinkedIn!!!
Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content: As part of our commitment to exploring new technologies, we used AI to help curate and refine our newsletters. This enriches our content and keeps us at the forefront of digital innovation, ensuring you stay informed with the latest trends and developments.
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