The Anthropic Economic Index — from anthropic.com; via George Siemens

In the coming years, AI systems will have a major impact on the ways people work. For that reason, we’re launching the Anthropic Economic Index, an initiative aimed at understanding AI’s effects on labor markets and the economy over time.

The Index’s initial report provides first-of-its-kind data and analysis based on millions of anonymized conversations on Claude.ai, revealing the clearest picture yet of how AI is being incorporated into real-world tasks across the modern economy.

We’re also open sourcing the dataset used for this analysis, so researchers can build on and extend our findings.

 

What if students had the power to design their own learning journeys?

Across the U.S., states are moving beyond one-size-fits-all education and embracing unbundled learning, creating personalized pathways that equip students with the skills they need for the future. Getting Smart’s Unbundled Learning Podcast Series explores how Colorado, Arizona, and New Hampshire are leading the way—expanding real-world learning, shifting to competency-based models, empowering learner agency, and aligning education with workforce needs.

For policymakers, the newly released Policymaker’s Guide offers a roadmap for fostering unbundled systems. It highlights key priorities such as competency-driven accountability, flexible credentialing, and funding models that prioritize equity, helping state leaders create policies that expand opportunities for all learners.

Explore how unbundled learning is shaping the future of education and how states can build more personalized, future-ready systems.

New Pathways > Unbundled Learning — from gettingsmart.com
We used to think that learning had to happen in a school building. Spoiler alert…that was never true.

How might we create an ecosystem where learning doesn’t just happen at school? With Unbundled Learning, learners don’t need permission to have equitable experiences. Unbundled Learning removes all the barriers and allows learning to happen at school, after school, with industry partners and anywhere a learner can imagine. Unbundled Learning is the foundation for which new learning models are built, learners are supported and systems are scaled.

If we used to think that school was the only answer, now we know we have options.
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Degree in hand, jobs out of reach: Why recent grads are struggling in a competitive market — from cnn.com by Nayeli Jaramillo-Plata; via Ryan Craig

Bellebuono’s story isn’t unique. A recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the widest unemployment gap between new graduates and experienced degree holders since the 1990s.

The struggle to find work
The unemployment gap is partly due to the increase in competition and changing employer expectations, said David Deming, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Skill requirements for entry-level roles are higher today than a decade ago, he said. But the change has been gradual from year to year.

 

Eight Legal Tech Trends Set To Impact Law Firms In 2025 — from forbes.com by Daniel Farrar

Trends To Watch This Year

1. A Focus On Client Experience And Technology-Driven Client Services
2. Evolution Of Pricing Models In Legal Services
3. Cloud Computing, Remote Work, Globalization And Cross-Border Legal Services
4. Legal Analytics And Data-Driven Decision Making
5. Automation Of Routine Legal Tasks
6. Integration Of Artificial Intelligence
7. AI In Mergers And Acquisitions
8. Cybersecurity And Data Privacy


The Future of Legal Tech Jobs: Trends, Opportunities, and Skills for 2025 and Beyond — from jdjournal.com by Maria Lenin Laus

This guide explores the top legal tech jobs in demand, key skills for success, hiring trends, and future predictionsfor the legal industry. Whether you’re a lawyer, law student, IT professional, or business leader, this article will help you navigate the shifting terrain of legal tech careers.

Top Legal Tech Hiring Trends for 2025

1. Law Firms Are Prioritizing Tech Skills
Over 65% of law firms are hiring legal tech experts over traditional attorneys.
AI implementation, automation, and analytics skills are now must-haves.
2. In-House Legal Teams Are Expanding Legal Tech Roles
77% of corporate legal teams say tech expertise is now mandatory.
More companies are investing in contract automation and legal AI tools.
3. Law Schools Are Adding Legal Tech Courses
Institutions like Harvard and Stanford now offer AI and legal tech curriculums.
Graduates with legal tech skills gain a competitive advantage.


Legal tech predictions for 2025: What’s next in legal innovation? — from jdsupra.com

  1. Collaboration tools reshape communication and documentation
  2. From chatbots to ‘AI agents’: The next evolution
  3. Governance AI frameworks take center stage
  4. Local governments drive AI accountability
  5. Continuous growing legal fees and ROI become a primary focus

Meet Ivo, The Legal AI That Will Review Your Contracts — from forbes.com by David Prosser

Contract reviews and negotiations are the bread-and-butter work of many corporate lawyers, but artificial intelligence (AI) promises to transform every aspect of the legal profession. Legaltech start-up Ivo, which is today announcing a $16 million Series A funding round, wants to make manual contract work a thing of the past.

“We help in-house legal teams to red-line and negotiate contract agreements more quickly and easily,” explains Min-Kyu Jung, CEO and co-founder of Ivo. “It’s a challenge that couldn’t be solved well by AI until relatively recently, but the evolution of generative AI has made it possible.”


A&O Shearman, Cooley Leading Legal Tech Investment at Law Firms — from news.bloomberglaw.com by Evan Ochsner

  • Leading firms are investing their own resources in legal tech
  • Firms seek to tailor tech development to specific functions
 

LinkedIn’s AI Helps People Hunt for a New Job — from wired.com by Will Knight

LinkedIn is testing a new job-hunting tool that uses a custom large language model to comb through huge quantities of data to help people find prospective roles.

The company believes that artificial intelligence will help users unearth new roles they might have missed in the typical search process.

“The reality is, you don’t find your dream job by checking a set of keywords,” the company’s CEO, Ryan Roslansky, told me in a statement. The new tool, he says, “can help you find relevant jobs you never even knew to search for.”

The move comes as AI continues to change how people use the web.

 

10 Extreme Challenges Facing Schools — from stefanbauschard.substack.com by Stefan Bauschard

TL;DR
Schools face 10 extreme challenges

– assessment
– funding
– deportations
– opposition to trans students
– mental health
– AI/AGI world
– a struggle to engage students
– too many hats
– war risks
– resource redistribution and civil conflict


Hundreds of thousands of students are entitled to training and help finding jobs. They don’t get it — from hechingerreport.org by Meredith Kolodner
The best program to help students with disabilities get jobs is so hidden, ‘It’s like a secret society’

There’s a half-billion-dollar federal program that is supposed to help students with disabilities get into the workforce when they leave high school, but most parents — and even some school officials — don’t know it exists. As a result, hundreds of thousands of students who could be getting help go without it. New Jersey had the nation’s lowest proportion — roughly 2 percent — of eligible students receiving these services in 2023.

More than a decade ago, Congress recognized the need to help young people with disabilities get jobs, and earmarked funding for pre-employment transition services to help students explore and train for careers and send them on a pathway to independence after high school. Yet, today, fewer than 40 percent of people with disabilities ages 16 to 64 are employed, even though experts say most are capable of working.

The article links to:

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Both vocational rehabilitation agencies and schools are required by law to provide certain transition services and supports to improve post-school outcomes of students with disabilities.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and requires vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to set aside at least 15% of their federal funds to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services.  The intent of pre-employment transition services is to:

improve the transition of students with disabilities from school to postsecondary education or to an employment outcome, increase opportunities for students with disabilities to practice and improve workplace readiness skills, through work-based learning experiences in a competitive, integrated work setting and increase opportunities for students with disabilities to explore post-secondary training options, leading to more industry recognized credentials, and meaningful post-secondary employment.


Repurposing Furniture to Support Learning in the Early Grades — from edutopia.org by Kendall Stallings
A kindergarten teacher gives five practical examples of repurposing classroom furniture to serve multiple uses.

I’m a supporter of evolving classroom spaces—of redesigning the layout of the room as the needs and interests of students develop. The easiest way to accommodate students, I’ve found, is to use the furniture itself to set up a functional, spacious, and logical classroom. There are several benefits to this approach. It provides children with safe, low-stakes environmental changes; fosters flexibility; and creates opportunities for spatial adaptation and problem-solving. Additionally, rearranging the room throughout the school year enables teachers to address potential catalysts for challenging behaviors and social conflicts that may arise, while sparking curiosity in an otherwise-familiar space.


How Teacher-Generated Videos Support Students in Science — from edutopia.org by Shawn Sutton
A five-minute video can help students get a refresher on important science concepts at their own pace.

While instructional videos were prepared out of necessity in the past, I’ve rediscovered their utility as a quick, flexible, and personal way to enhance classroom teaching. Instructional videos can be created through free screencasting software such as ScreencastifyScreenRecLoom, or OBS Studio. Screencasting would be ideal for the direct presentation of information, like a slide deck of notes. Phone cameras make practical recording devices for live content beyond the computer screen, like a science demo. A teacher could invest in a phone stand and ring light at a nominal cost to assist in this type of recording.

However, not all teacher videos are created equal, and I’ve discovered four benefits and strategies that help make these teaching tools more effective.


 
 

DeepSeek: How China’s AI Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Educational Technology — from nickpotkalitsky.substack.com by Nick Potkalitsky
Can DeepSeek’s 90% efficiency boost make AI accessible to every school?

The most revolutionary aspect of DeepSeek for education isn’t just its cost—it’s the combination of open-source accessibility and local deployment capabilities. As Azeem Azhar notes, “R-1 is open-source. Anyone can download and run it on their own hardware. I have R1-8b (the second smallest model) running on my Mac Mini at home.”

Real-time Learning Enhancement

  • AI tutoring networks that collaborate to optimize individual learning paths
  • Immediate, multi-perspective feedback on student work
  • Continuous assessment and curriculum adaptation

The question isn’t whether this technology will transform education—it’s how quickly institutions can adapt to a world where advanced AI capabilities are finally within reach of every classroom.


Over 100 AI Tools for Teachers — from educatorstechnology.com by Med Kharbach, PhD

I know through your feedback on my social media and blog posts that several of you have legitimate concerns about the impact of AI in education, especially those related to data privacy, academic dishonesty, AI dependence, loss of creativity and critical thinking, plagiarism, to mention a few. While these concerns are valid and deserve careful consideration, it’s also important to explore the potential benefits AI can bring when used thoughtfully.

Tools such as ChatGPT and Claude are like smart research assistants that are available 24/7 to support you with all kinds of tasks from drafting detailed lesson plans, creating differentiated materials, generating classroom activities, to summarizing and simplifying complex topics. Likewise, students can use them to enhance their learning by, for instance, brainstorming ideas for research projects, generating constructive feedback on assignments, practicing problem-solving in a guided way, and much more.

The point here is that AI is here to stay and expand, and we better learn how to use it thoughtfully and responsibly rather than avoid it out of fear or skepticism.


Beth’s posting links to:

 


Derek’s posting on LinkedIn


From Theory to Practice: How Generative AI is Redefining Instructional Materials — from edtechinsiders.substack.com by Alex Sarlin
Top trends and insights from The Edtech Insiders Generative AI Map research process about how Generative AI is transforming Instructional Materials

As part of our updates to the Edtech Insiders Generative AI Map, we’re excited to release a new mini market map and article deep dive on Generative AI tools that are specifically designed for Instructional Materials use cases.

In our database, the Instructional Materials use case category encompasses tools that:

  • Assist educators by streamlining lesson planning, curriculum development, and content customization
  • Enable educators or students to transform materials into alternative formats, such as videos, podcasts, or other interactive media, in addition to leveraging gaming principles or immersive VR to enhance engagement
  • Empower educators or students to transform text, video, slides or other source material into study aids like study guides, flashcards, practice tests, or graphic organizers
  • Engage students through interactive lessons featuring historical figures, authors, or fictional characters
  • Customize curriculum to individual needs or pedagogical approaches
  • Empower educators or students to quickly create online learning assets and courses

On a somewhat-related note, also see:


 

DeepSeek R-1 Explained — from aieducation.substack.com by Claire Zau
A no-nonsense FAQ (for everyone drowning in DeepSeek headlines)

There is a good chance you’re exhausted by the amount of DeepSeek coverage flooding your inbox. Between the headlines and hot takes on X, it’s hard not to have questions: What is DeepSeek? Why is it special? Why is everyone freaking out? What does this mean for the AI ecosystem? Can you explain the tech? Am I allowed to use it?

Let’s break down why exactly it’s such a big deal with some straightforward FAQs:




AI Voice Agents: 2025 Update — from a16z.com (Andreessen Horowitz) by Olivia Moore

Voice is one of the most powerful unlocks for AI application companies. It is the most frequent (and most information-dense) form of human communication, made “programmable” for the first time due to AI.

For consumers, we believe voice will be the first — and perhaps the primary — way people interact with AI. This interaction could take the form of an always-available companion or coach, or by democratizing services, such as language learning, that were previously inaccessible.


The professions upskilling in AI — from by Rachel Cromidas

The use of artificial intelligence at work continues to climb. Twice as many LinkedIn members in the U.S. say they are using AI on the job now compared to 2023, according to the latest Workforce Confidence survey. Meanwhile, at least half of workers say AI skills will help them progress in their careers. Product managers are the most likely to agree AI will give them a boost, while those in healthcare services roles are least likely.

 

Law School Trends 2025: AI, Bar Exam Changes & Career Shifts — from jdjournal.com by Maria Lenin Laus
This comprehensive guide explores these significant trends, their implications, and what to expect in the coming years.

AI’s Growing Role in Legal Education
AI-powered platforms are being utilized for legal research, document automation, and predictive analytics. Tools like AI-driven case analysis systems are helping students develop advanced research and drafting capabilities.

3.2. Integration of AI into Law School Curricula

  • AI-Powered Research Labs: Schools are incorporating AI-driven tools to assist students in case law research and document drafting.
  • Ethics and AI Courses: New courses explore the ethical implications and legal ramifications of AI in law practice.
  • AI-Assisted Exam Prep: Intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive learning platforms are enhancing bar exam preparation.

3.3. Future Outlook
By 2030, AI proficiency will be a standard expectation for law graduates. Students who fail to familiarize themselves with AI tools risk falling behind in a technology-driven legal market.

4. The Bar Exam Is Changing: The NextGen Bar Exam
The introduction of the NextGen Bar Exam in 2026 marks a significant shift in how aspiring lawyers are tested. Unlike the traditional exam, this new format emphasizes practical legal skills over rote memorization.

4.1. Key Differences Between the Traditional and NextGen Bar Exam
The NextGen Bar Exam replaces multiple-choice and essay-based testing with performance-based tasks that assess practical legal skills. It aims to better prepare graduates for real-world practice by focusing on essential competencies rather than memorization.

4.2. Future Outlook
By 2028, at least half of U.S. states are expected to adopt the NextGen Bar Exam. Law schools will need to adjust their curricula accordingly to prepare students for a more skills-focused licensing process.


Also see:

 

How Teachers Can Care for Their Students and Themselves This Year (Downloadable) — from edweek.org by Justin Parmenter

…which links to 8 Essential Practices For a Happy 2025 [for students & for teachers]

Example from the “For teachers” column:

Set boundaries
Working in education is challenging, and it becomes even harder when your plate is overflowing. Saying “yes” to every ask and turning your home into a school satellite office is a recipe for burnout and can harm relationships with loved ones who rely on you to be more than your job. There is freedom and happiness in responding “Sorry, I can’t take that on right now,” as well as actually clocking out when the final bell rings.

Example from the “For your students” column:

Explain purpose
Everyone wants their work and energy to be purposeful. Students need to know there is value in the tasks you’re giving them—and often they don’t get that from viewing an objective from state standards written on the board. Communicate in student-friendly terms how what you’re teaching them will be helpful in the real world and watch how it impacts their motivation.

 

Five things to know before you launch a research podcast — from timeshighereducation.com by David Allan  and Andrew Murray
Starting a podcast can open up your research to a new audience. David Allan and Andrew Murray show how

Launching a podcast isn’t necessarily difficult. Sustaining it, on the other hand, is difficult. You’re entering a crowded market – it’s estimated that there are more than 4 million of them – and audience share is far from equal. An alarmingly high number fail to make it past their third episode before being scrapped, and the vast majority put out fewer than 20 episodes.

Despite these challenges, podcasts can be an astonishingly effective tool to promote research or academic knowledge. If you avoid the many pitfalls, you have a communication tool with full control of the message; a tool that exists in perpetuity, drawing attention to the work that you do.

Here, a highly experienced podcast producer and associate lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland and an award-winning former broadcast journalist draw on their experiences to share advice on how to successfully launch a research podcast.


Also from timeshighereducation.com:

An introvert’s guide to networking — from by Yalinu Poya
For academics, networking can greatly enhance your career. But if the very idea fills you with dread, Yalinu Poya offers her advice for putting yourself out there

In academia, meeting the right person can lead to a research collaboration, or it could lead to your work being shared with someone who can use it to make a difference. It could lead to public speaking opportunities or even mentorship. It all goes towards your long-term success.

For some of us, the idea of putting yourself out there in that way – of making an active effort to meet new people – is terrifying.

 
 

‘Lazy and Mediocre’ HR Team Fired After Manager’s Own CV Gets Auto-Rejected in Seconds, Exposing System Failure — from ibtimes.co.uk by Vinay Patel
The automated system’s error highlights the potential for bias and inefficiency in technology-driven HR practices

An entire HR team was terminated after their manager discovered and confirmed that their system automatically rejected all candidates — including his own application.

The manager wrote in their comment, “Auto rejection systems from HR make me angry.” They explained that while searching for a new employee, their HR department could not find a single qualified candidate in three months. As expected, the suspicious manager decided to investigate.

“I created myself a new email and sent them a modified version of my CV with a fake name to see what was going on with the process,” they wrote. “And guess what, I got auto-rejected. HR didn’t even look at my CV.”

When the manager reported the issue to upper management, “half of the HR department was fired in the following weeks.” A typographical error with significant consequences caused the entire problem.

The manager works in the tech industry and was trying to hire developers. However, HR had set up the system to search for developers with expertise in the wrong development software and one that no longer exists.

From DSC:
Back in 2017, I had survived several rounds of layoffs at the then Calvin College (now Calvin University) but I didn’t survive the layoff of 12 people in the spring of 2017. I hadn’t needed to interview for a new job in quite a while. So boy, did I get a wake-up call with discovering that Applicant Tracking Systems existed and could be tough to get past. (Also, the old-school job replacement firm that Calvin hired wasn’t much help in dealing with them either.)

I didn’t like these ATSs then, and I still have my concerns about them now. The above article points out that my concerns were/are at least somewhat founded. And if you take the entire day to research and apply for a position — only to get an instant reply back from the ATS — it’s very frustrating and discouraging. 

Plus the ATSs may not pick up on nuances. An experienced human being might be able to see that a candidate’s skills are highly relevant and/or transferable to the position that they’re hiring for. 

Networking is key of course. But not everyone has been taught about networking and not everyone gets past the ATS to get their resume viewed by a pair of human eyes. HR, IT, and any other relevant groups here need to be very careful with programming their ATSs.

 

A Community College’s Guide to Building Strong Partnerships — from eddesignlab.org

This November 2024 guidebook offers higher education practitioners actionable strategies for building and sustaining partnerships that both meet regional needs and support students, families, and communities. This work was based on the design and delivery of dual enrollment pathways as part of the Lab’s Designers in Residence 2.0: Accelerating Pathways project.

The practices and case studies shared here are informed by higher education leaders across six community colleges as part of the Lab’s Designers in Residence program.

We have organized the guidebook based on core elements of a strong partnerships strategy, alongside how to establish a strong foundation and sustain and maintain the partnerships you’ve built. Through our research, we’ve identified four key elements of strong partnerships:

+ Communication and collaboration
+ Shared vision
+ Adaptive and responsive
+ Action-oriented

You will find guiding questions, tools, and case studies within each of the four elements.
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Also from The Education Design Lab:

 
© 2025 | Daniel Christian