Expertise in the Age of AI

In this episode, Matthew sits down with Merissa Sadler-Holder, founder of Teaching with Machines and the person he credits as a catalyst in his career. They dig into what it really takes to bring AI into schools—from building student-facing AI literacy curricula to navigating the resistance, fear, and identity shifts educators face. Along the way, they explore AI as a mirror of what we value, why we're shifting from paying for time to paying for expertise, and how teachers with zero coding experience are building interactive games in minutes. It's a conversation about curiosity, change management, and why your expertise matters more now—not less.

In this conversation:

The critical distinction between AI literacy and AI fluency—and why students are skipping the foundationHow Merissa co-designed an AI curriculum with students at an alternative ed school (and what happened when lessons completely flopped)A historical analogy that reframes the entire AI-and-creativity debateWhy a consulting client pushed back on paying full price when AI made the work faster—and what that means for the future of your expertiseTeachers vibe coding interactive games on day one with zero prior trainingA 45-minute parking lot conversation that reveals what AI resistance is really aboutVideo Chapters:

0:00 — Introduction & Meeting Merissa2:49 — Teaching with Machines Today3:55 — AI Literacy vs. AI Fluency6:17 — Social Media Lessons & Critical Thinking9:41 — Building an AI Curriculum with Students20:38 — AI, Art, and Creativity27:06 — Paying for Expertise, Not Just Time29:09 — Vibe Coding & Empowering Teachers32:23 — Light Bulb Moments39:11 — Navigating Change & Resisting Optimization50:48 — Closing Thoughts & What's NextConnect with us:

Merissa Sadler-Holder (LinkedIn)Matthew Karabinos (LinkedIn)Teaching with Machines

(00:00) - Introduction & Meeting Merissa

(02:49) - Teaching with Machines Today

(03:55) - AI Literacy vs. AI Fluency

(06:17) - Social Media Lessons & Critical Thinking

(09:41) - Building an AI Curriculum with Students

(20:38) - AI, Art, and Creativity

(27:06) - Paying for Expertise, Not Just Time