The Map Makers: Inside the Edtech Insiders' GenAI K-12 Education Market Map with Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt & Jacob Klein

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In this special episode, we go behind the scenes of the Edtech Insiders GenAI K-12 Education Market Map, a first-of-its-kind framework connecting real classroom needs to AI-powered tools. Co-created by Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt, Jacob Klein, and the Edtech Insiders team, this evolving resource helps educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers make sense of a fast-changing landscape.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why the GenAI Education Map focuses on pedagogy and learning needs over tools
2. How to identify "white space" opportunities for AI in education
3. What makes AI feedback and teacher coaching some of the most promising use cases today
4. How to move beyond the 5% of students typically served by EdTech
5. Why "team teaching with AI" might be the next big frontier

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:36] Holt & Klein introduce the origin story of the Generative AI Use Case Map
[00:03:29] Starting with teaching and learning needs, not tech capabilities
[00:06:03] Why learning science and research-backed practices still aren't reaching scale
[00:11:11] How and why the GenAI Map was built as a living, evolving framework
[00:15:20] Imagining “team teaching” between human educators and AI assistants
[00:20:16] The 5–10% problem: Why most EdTech tools miss the broader population
[00:23:18] Personalization, motivation, and redefining what success in school can look like
[00:30:05] From tool overload to comprehensive suites: the shifting EdTech landscape
[00:34:12] AI-enabled feedback loops that support both teachers and learners
[00:39:00] What’s ready for scale now—and what still needs real breakthroughs
[00:44:55] Risks and red flags: from dopamine loops to student dependence on AI
[00:48:35] Will GenAI in education be incremental or transformative?

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Chapters

1. The Map Makers: Inside the Edtech Insiders' GenAI K-12 Education Market Map with Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt & Jacob Klein (00:00:00)

2. Holt & Klein introduce the origin story of the Generative AI Use Case Map (00:02:54)

3. Starting with teaching and learning needs, not tech capabilities (00:03:47)

4. Why learning science and research-backed practices still aren't reaching scale (00:06:21)

5. How and why the GenAI Map was built as a living, evolving framework (00:11:29)

6. Imagining “team teaching” between human educators and AI assistants (00:16:01)

7. The 5–10% problem: Why most EdTech tools miss the broader population (00:20:57)

8. Personalization, motivation, and redefining what success in school can look like (00:23:59)

9. From tool overload to comprehensive suites: the shifting EdTech landscape (00:30:46)

10. AI-enabled feedback loops that support both teachers and learners (00:34:53)

11. What’s ready for scale now—and what still needs real breakthroughs (00:39:41)

12. Risks and red flags: from dopamine loops to student dependence on AI (00:45:36)

13. Will GenAI in education be incremental or transformative? (00:49:16)