2059 Book Talk: Reflections from My Evening at Of Moose and Mind Bookshop

….📚 What a great evening at Of Moose and Mind! I had the pleasure of sharing a reading from my book, 2059: The Future of Education, and talking about what the future of learning might look like. Thank you to everyone who came out, listened, asked thoughtful questions, and joined me in imagining what education could become. It was a wonderful conversation and an inspiring evening. 🎓✨

What an incredible experience we had gathering at Of Moose and Mind Bookshop in Manlius, NY! I had the pleasure of sharing readings from my book 2059: The Future of Education, and opening up a candid dialogue with fellow educators, readers, and community members about where learning is headed over the coming decades.

Highlights from Our Conversation

Shifting from Reactive to Intentional Tech Adoption: We explored how easy it is to fall into fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) when new tools emerge. Instead of simply reacting to each wave of technology, we discussed how we can proactively shape our learning environments with human needs at the very center.

 Valuing the Messy Process Over the Polished Product: Through personal stories—from my own kids’ creative efforts with AI to the accidental invention of the potato chip—we talked about the critical difference between generating an instant answer and doing the hard cognitive work. While AI can produce polished results in seconds, our real growth happens in the messy, human struggle of the journey.

Remembering That “You Cannot Be Replaced”: I shared an excerpt from the book examining ecological trophic cascades, using the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone to reflect on the interconnectedness of our schools. We discussed how educators are the heartbeat of the educational ecosystem, creating ripple effects of safety, connection, and growth that no machine can replicate.

Prioritizing Durable Skills, Motivation, and Agency: With access to raw information becoming nearly frictionless, we dug into what matters most for our learners: building resilience, fostering intrinsic motivation, supporting mental health, and cultivating enduring life skills.

A heartfelt thank you to Ana Morley, author liason, and the entire Of Moose and Mind family for hosting us, and to everyone who joined our conversation, challenged ideas, and shared their own stories. Together, we are imagining—and building—a brighter future for learning..

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