Thought–Trend–Tool: Tl;dr Tuesday edition

💡 THOUGHT

My son’s sandwich business taught him more than a semester of economics

My 10-year-old wanted to sell gourmet sandwiches. 4 weeks later, he shut it down.

Here’s what happened in between:

• Week 1: Sold out. “They only bought them because I’m cute.” Lesson: Novelty isn’t a sustainable business model.
• Week 2: Sent surveys and customized orders. Lesson: Market research matters.
• Week 3: “They want more meat, not fancy meat.” Lesson: Your taste isn’t always the market’s taste.
• Week 4: Added chips and drinks. “The margin is way better!” Lesson: Diversify your offerings.

Final decision: “To make real money, I’d have to make sandwiches I wouldn’t eat myself.” Lesson: Know when to pivot or quit.

Bonus lesson: He learned his values. Quality over profit.

No textbook teaches this. Only experience does.

What real-world “classes” could your kids be taking?

– Isaac

📊 TREND

Brave New Words: Will AI Revolutionize Education?

The word “revolution” gets thrown around a lot. In a recent interview with Bill Gates, Sal Khan (yes, that Khan from Khan Academy) says the AI revolution is already here:

“I think we’re going to see it next year; while the teacher is lecturing or whatever they’re doing, if you’re confused by something they just said, you just ask the bot in real time. It’s like whispering to your friend without disrupting the classroom.”

– Salman Khan

In the future (soon), Khan envisions parents and teachers as the architects of learning while AI acts as a powerful tool or assistant. In fact, this vision is already a reality. Khan recently demoed a new AI model, helping him guide his son through a tricky trigonometry problem.

We’re still working our way through Khan’s new book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education, but as soon as we finish, you’ll be the first to get the tl;dr.

⚒️ TOOL

25 ways to socialize kids outside of school

Grace Smith at Renegade Educator posted a great list of programs and activities where young people can connect with peers outside the confines of the classroom walls:

Sports	Choir/band	Nationality/religious groups
Community classes	Start a social group	Odyssey of the Mind
Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts	Internships/Apprenticeships	Dual enrollment at local school
Community service projects	Shadowing professionals	Online classes and clubs
Summer camps	Swimming pool	Discord servers
Classes at local parks	Art/pottery classes	4-H
Recreational centers	Forest School/Our Outdoors	ESL conversation groups
Library activities	Community theater	Creative, niche activities

Our personal favorite? ‘Creative, niche activities.’ Because nothing says ‘well-adjusted’ like a teen who’s a champion pickleball player and part-time yodeler.

Read the full list here.

(meme) OF THE DAY

Remember, whether it’s education or art, AI is here to assist, not replace. We’ll start worrying about the AI takeover when it learns to draw hands without extra fingers.

See you tomorrow!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)