The AI Tinkery: A sandbox for educators

How do creativity, tinkering, and hands-on learning support education? And can AI expand the possibilities for cultivating creativity in the classroom?

On this episode of School’s In, hosts Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope welcome Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Senior Lecturer Karin Forssell to discuss AI and how Stanford is helping students navigate the technology through the GSE’s new AI Tinkery, a maker space focused on the use of AI in education. Forssell covers several touch points, including:

• What goes into creating a successful makerspace
• The learning outcomes that come as a result of creating things
• How generative AI can be used to create classroom tools and lesson plans
• The importance of learning how to collaborate and creatively think through problems
• How to discuss and teach the ethics of using AI in classroom settings

Karin Forssell is a senior lecturer and the director of the GSE’s Learning Design and Technology master’s program. She also directs the GSE’s Makery, a Stanford maker space where students and faculty learn to make, and make to learn. In her courses, she teaches students to use research from the learning sciences and learning-centered design processes to create effective digital tools. To learn more about her work, visit her faculty profile.

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Presented by the GSE, School’s In is hosted by GSE Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope. 

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