Living On The Edge of Chaos Designing Trustworthy AI in K‑12: NASA, Ethics, and Teacher Voice with David Lockett
Sep 18, 2025
46:14
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Top Takeaways
- Start where you are, start small. Reverse engineering and cross‑curricular alignment build admin buy‑in and teacher confidence.
- Make it hands‑on. Robotics, geospatial data, drones, and art integrations hook curiosity and translate AI into the real world.
- Bake in ethics and trustworthiness. Teach students to question data flows, wearables, and terms of service without doom and gloom.
- Broaden participation intentionally. Recruit widely, guarantee tool access, and position students as peer experts to level the field.
- Use your teacher voice. Join listening sessions, meet reps, ask questions, and shape AI policy and funding.
Chapters / Timestamps
- 00:00 – Welcome & why this conversation now
- 01:51 – David’s current roles + new workforce development announcement
- 04:00 – From classroom to national initiatives (Einstein Fellow, 3C at Duke)
- 05:44 – Teacher fears, mindset, and the power of perspective
- 08:31 – NSF AI Institutes (AVO): design, prompts, trustworthiness
- 10:50 – NASA partnerships & a new grant (AI + drones)
- 13:32 – Entry points: reverse engineering; cross‑curricular buy‑in & PD
- 17:20 – Secret sauce: collaboration, robotics + data + art
- 20:55 – Broadening participation: recruiting, access, student experts
- 24:08 – Teaching ethics & trust: classroom modules and what “trust” means
- 26:55 – Wearables, privacy, and reading the ToS
- 28:08 – Policy & advocacy: funding, privacy, and meeting your reps
- 31:57 – Getting started: PLNs (ASCD, ISTE, NSTA, NASA) and vendor curricula
- 35:58 – Teachers: your everyday practice is worth sharing
- 41:39 – Full‑circle moment: Python in MS → PhD data science today
- 44:38 – Where to find David + final advice
Note: Timestamps are approximate based on the raw recording.
Resources & Mentions (add links)
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- Meharry Medical College — School of Applied Computational Sciences (SACS) — https://sacsmeharry.org/
- NSF AI Institutes Virtual Organization (AVO) — https://aiinstitutes.org/
(Overview of all institutes: https://www.nsf.gov/focus-areas/ai/institutes) - White House OSTP Listening Sessions (AI Bill of Rights process overview) — https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ostp/ai-bill-of-rights/listening-to-the-american-people/
- NASA STEM Engagement — Learning Resources — https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/
NASA EXPRESS (weekly STEM newsletter) — https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-express/ - NASA Student Opportunities (HS challenges, programs, field trips) — https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-stem-opportunities-activities/
NASA Internships (HS/college) — https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/internship-programs/ - Hands-on NASA STEM activities (technology/aeronautics) — https://science.nasa.gov/learn/lessons-and-activities/
- Reverse engineering AI in the classroom (ISTE feature on David Lockett) — https://iste.org/blog/building-ai-student-creators-meet-artificial-intelligence
- Meharry SACS — Trustworthy AI in Medical Systems (NSF CAP project) — https://sacsmeharry.org/taims/
Ethics overview (PDF) — https://sacsmeharry.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2_Ethics.pdf
Use case: Ethical & Trustworthy AI (PDF) — https://sacsmeharry.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1_Use-case-trustworthy-AI.pdf - PLNs: ASCD — https://www.ascd.org • ISTE — https://www.iste.org • NSTA — https://www.nsta.org
- Tynker × NASA: Moon-to-Mars coding activities — https://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/nasa-return-to-moon
NASA page: Host an Hour of Code with Tynker — https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/host-an-hour-of-code-on-the-moon-with-nasa-and-tynker/
Connect with David:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_davidjlockett/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjlockett
X/Twitter https://x.com/DavidJLockett/status/1843755067306086451