What happens when OpenAI invites a small group of Codex power users to the mothership?

In this episode, Jethro Jones talks with Aaron Makelky about his trip to OpenAI’s Codex event in San Francisco, what it felt like to be in a room full of AI builders, and what the experience reveals about where AI tools are headed.

Aaron shares how attendees were selected, what it was like meeting Sam Altman, why a simple wooden Codex keychain became an unexpectedly human conversation starter, and how the best AI users are combining tools like Codex, Claude, image generation, and automation into practical workflows.

The conversation also turns toward education: why AI still gets framed as cheating, what students and educators are missing, and why the most valuable people right now may be the “middle” translators who can understand the bleeding edge and help everyday people actually use it.

In this episode

• What really happened at OpenAI’s Codex event
• Why OpenAI may have invited smaller creators and power users, not just influencers
• How Aaron met Sam Altman by being kind to a bodyguard first
• Why physical artifacts still matter in an AI-native world
• Codex vs. Claude: persistence, design, writing, and orchestration
• The difference between using AI to cheat and using AI to learn
• Why the gap between power users and everyday users is growing
• The opportunity for educators, consultants, and builders who can make AI approachable

Guest

Aaron Makelky is an AI integration consultant and former educator who helps schools, businesses, and professionals make AI practical, approachable, and useful.

Learn more about Aaron at aaronmakelky.com.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL.

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In the context of teaching and learning, what it means to stay deeply human, intellectually honest, and pedagogically creative in a world increasingly shaped by machines.

• CourseHero
• How do we do school now that AI is here?
• Psychological safety for students. See Jethro’s article.
• Panels with students
• Guiderails, buy in, ideas.
• Student Success Council.
• Move from product to process.
• Hitting the wall. How to restrain.
• Just because everyone’s doing it doesn’t make it cool.
• The water usage is fake…
• AI Literacy as it’s own literacy.
• 4 phase AI scaffolding process
• It’s like you’re teaching them to drive a new car.
• An AI Porsche experience

About Michael Angelone

As an English professor at American River College, Michael Angelone views composition and literary studies through a philosophy rooted in critical thinking, process-driven writing, and student-centered learning. His teaching approach reflects his commitment to preparing students to engage meaningfully with complex texts and contemporary cultural issues, balancing traditional literary rigor with forward-thinking andragogy.

Outside the classroom, he serves as advisor to the American River Review 2.0, mentoring students as they curate, edit, and publish a nationally recognized literary and multimedia journal. Additionally, his role on the editorial board of Ad Lumen Press allows him to champion diverse, emerging literary voices, guiding manuscripts from selection to publication while collaborating closely with authors to tell their stories.

As an Advisory Committee member of the Borchard Foundation Center on Literary Arts, he contributes strategic insights to programs that foster cross-cultural literary exchange, artist residencies, and literary fellowships, further enriching the literary community across the Americas.

His leadership as Vice President of the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers (LRCFT 2279) centers on faculty advocacy, fair labor practices, and educational equity. He actively works to ensure fair compensation, address full time/adjunct faculty disparities, and promote inclusive faculty development and mentorship, reflecting his belief that the quality of education directly correlates with faculty support and equity.

A proud delegate to CA Boys State (1997), his early experience in civic leadership and governance shaped his lifelong dedication to advocacy, leadership, and educational excellence. In each role—as professor, advisor, union leader, and literary advocate—he remains committed to advancing innovation, equity, and engagement in higher education and literary arts.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL.

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This week, we're sharing a special episode from The Learning Experience powered by CAST, part of the Be Podcast Network.

You'll hear from Matt Winters, a leader from the Utah State Board of Education, discussing how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of teaching and learning. The conversation explores Utah’s statewide approach to AI, what it means for educators and students, and how schools can balance innovation with responsibility. The episode offers practical insights and big-picture thinking for anyone curious about the role of AI in education. This episode is brought to you by ReadSpeaker. Learn more about how ReadSpeaker aligns with UDL.

Transcript

Resources:

• USBE Artificial Intelligence
• ReadSpeaker and UDL

Listen and subscribe to The Learning Experience powered by CAST: https://www.cast.org/connect/learning-experience-podcast