What It Really Means to Be an AI-Ready Graduate with Richard Culatta of ISTE+ASCD
Edtech Insiders
Communicate the 'Why' of Educational Tech
Richard advises schools and vendors to clearly explain why tools matter to parents, focusing on learning goals.
As CEO of ISTE+ASCD, Richard Culatta focuses on shaping innovative learning leaders. He previously served as Rhode Island's Chief Innovation Officer and was appointed by President Obama to lead the US Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology. His book, Digital for Good, helps create conditions for healthy tech use.
💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why being “AI-ready” is about human skills—not technical ones
- How AI can deepen learning, not just make education more efficient
- Why questions are becoming more valuable than answers in the classroom
- What role educators should play as AI reshapes teaching and assessment
- How schools can model healthy, ethical, and empowering AI use for students
✨ Episode Highlights
[00:03:00] Richard Culatta introduces the Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate—and why none of the skills are technical
[00:05:35] Using AI to deepen learning rather than just speed things up
[00:07:59] How AI makes long-promised ideas like project-based and personalized learning finally practical
[00:10:57] Teaching in a world where questions matter more than answers
[00:13:49] Reframing digital citizenship around what students should do—not just what to avoid
[00:20:22] Why schools and edtech companies must communicate the why of technology to parents
[00:29:25] Culatta’s call to raise the bar on student experience and joy in learning
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