The presence and use of Technology in the classroom has accelerated rapidly in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But what does technology look like in the post-pandemic landscape? ORAU and The MITRE Corporation partnered in 2021 on a long-term project to research and ultimately improve equitable adoption of Artificial Intelligence in education. In this episode of Further Together, Michael Holtz and special co-host Jennifer Tyrell, ORAU senior project manager for K-12 STEM education, have a conversation with Chris Nelson, Ed.D., ORAU program manager for K-12 STEM education; Guido Zarrella, senior principal AI engineer in the AI and Autonomy Innovation Center within MITRE Labs; Bobby Blount, Jr., head of MITRE’s Texas Innovation Hub; and Tracy Glazier, a math teacher at Herndon High School in Fairfax County, Va. Our experts discuss how AI is already being used in the classroom, how technology can save time for teachers while engaging students, as well as the importance of equitable access and the need for collaboration to improve access to AI.

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Michael Holtz Host, Further Together: The ORAU Podcast

Michael Holtz, APR, MPRCA, is a senior communications and marketing specialist for ORAU, a government contractor based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In his role he serves as the host of Further Together: The ORAU Podcast. He is also a content creator for orau.org and ORAU Story, the company's annual report. He also manages media relations activities for the organization. Outside of work, Michael is a cancer activist, leaning into his experience as a 12-year survivor of Stage 3B rectal cancer. Michael is a volunteer for Man Up to Cancer, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Fight Colorectal Cancer and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Michael lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his lovely wife, Sarah, and their rescue dog, a golden bassett named Marley.