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Sam Whitaker is the Senior Director of Social Impact and Institutional Development at StudyFetch, an all-encompassing AI learning platform for students. His primary focuses are bringing advanced AI education to underserved communities around the world and developing safe and responsible K-12 AI solutions.
💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How StudyFetch is redefining AI as a learning tool, not a shortcut.
- The story behind Sparky, the AI tutor designed for real engagement.
- Why AI literacy is becoming essential for K-12 students.
- What a million student interactions reveal about how AI is used for learning.
- How StudyFetch is expanding access to AI education from North Philadelphia to Uganda.
✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:08] What makes StudyFetch different from generic chatbots
[00:06:47] Sam on why AI literacy should be taught like reading and math
[00:09:09] Why AI must be implemented despite hesitations: “If we wait, we lose.”
[00:12:32] Explaining the difference between using AI to learn and learning AI itself
[00:15:29] A third-grade use case for prompting skills with Sparky the tutor
[00:23:46] The tension between growth and staying true to learning principles
[00:32:55] The big reveal: findings from over a million StudyFetch conversations
[00:38:52] Why students prefer step-by-step help in math and STEM subjects
[00:42:34] On making AI a true equalizer in education, not a divider
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:
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