Designing Schools

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores why the biggest barrier to effective AI adoption isn’t the technology—it’s the lack of systems and mindset. Drawing parallels to the iPad rollout in education, she explains how history is repeating itself and why a “mobile mindset” is essential for success in an AI-driven world. The episode challenges listeners to shift from tool usage to intentional design in order to unlock real transformation.Timestamps:00:03:00 – The rise of “AI slop” and why generic outputs are getting worse, not better00:08:00 – AGI debate and what it actually means for everyday professionals00:11:00 – AI agents that can control your computer and why systems matter more than ever00:19:00 – The 2014 iPad story and the origin of the “mobile mindset”00:25:00 – Research reveals why experienced AI users outperform beginnersResources Mentioned:Free Masterclass: From AI Slop to AI Systems - Join Us LiveAnthropic Economic Index: Learning Curves ReportLex Friedman Interviews Jensen HuangInstructure Canvas Introduces AI AgentsUSC - Students Share Experience with iPadsExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: Join the AI Power Circle and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: Designing Schools — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career to equip your school community with future-ready skills.For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

This episode explores the accelerating pace of AI and the growing gap between those building with it and those still trying to regulate it. Through real-world incidents at Meta and insights from Morgan Stanley and Harvard Business Review, the episode reveals how outdated habits and shallow strategies are leaving organizations unprepared. The message is clear: success with AI requires deep understanding, intentional design, and a shift from compliance to capability-building.Timestamps[00:00:00] – The Hidden Risk of Not Understanding AIWhy lacking technical fluency creates vulnerability—and how even simple interactions with AI can expose it.[00:02:00] – AI Is Accelerating Faster Than ExpectedMorgan Stanley’s warning and GPT advancements signal a major leap in capability across industries.[00:05:30] – Meta’s AI Failures: A Warning to EveryoneTwo major incidents reveal how even top AI experts struggle to control agent behavior and prevent data leaks.[00:10:00] – The “Last Mile Problem” in AI AdoptionHarvard research shows organizations are stuck—not because of technology, but due to people, processes, and identity.[00:14:00] – Three Habits Holding Us Back from AI ReadinessThe traffic light model, “act like an expert” prompting, and tool-based strategies are limiting real progress.Resources MentionedMorgan Stanley Research ReportMeta AI agent causes large sensitive data leak to employeesThe 'Last Mile' Problem Slowing AI TransformationAnthropic Research, 2026: What 81,000 People Want from AIDr. Mike Perkins, LinkedIn post on the AI Assessment Scale remix🤝 Partner with Us: Join the AI Power Circle and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: Designing Schools — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career to equip your school community with future-ready skills.Explore More from Designing SchoolsFor questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores a growing divide in the AI era—one that goes beyond access or basic use of technology. Drawing from new research reports and a personal story of learning to use AI tools beyond the chat interface, she introduces the idea of an “agentic divide,” where the real gap lies in who understands what’s possible with AI and who doesn’t. The conversation challenges educators, parents, and policymakers to move beyond bans and toward preparing young people with the mindset, vocabulary, and agency needed to thrive alongside AI.Timestamps00:00 – The Moment of Fear in Front of a TerminalDr. Quidwai shares a personal story about staring at a blank terminal window for two months, revealing the emotional barrier many people feel when confronting new AI technologies.03:00 – What the Latest Research Says About Teens and AIInsights from Pew Research show that more than half of teens are already using AI chatbots for schoolwork, often without guidance from adults.07:00 – Families Are Split on AI in EducationFindings from Common Sense Media reveal a growing divide between parents and students, with young people seeing AI as innovative while many parents view it as unethical in schoolwork.11:00 – AI and the Changing Job MarketAn Anthropic report highlights how AI is reshaping the labor market, especially impacting entry-level jobs while increasing productivity among experienced professionals.18:00 – The “Agentic Divide” and Why It MattersDr. Quidwai introduces a new framework for understanding the AI gap—not just access or usage, but awareness of what AI can actually enable.Resources MentionedPew Research Center — How Teens Use and View AI Common Sense Media — The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents, and the Adoption of Generative AI at Home and SchoolAnthropic — Labor Market Impacts of AI: A New Measure and Early Evidence New York Times — Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know It Explore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠J⁠⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link to new student experience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

This episode explores three major AI developments—from massive tech layoffs to Pentagon AI contracts—and asks a critical question: Who has agency in an AI-driven world? Dr. Sabba Quidwai reframes the conversation from “AI vs. humans” to a new model of collaboration where success depends on how well people can work with and direct AI systems. The episode challenges educators and leaders to rethink skill development for a future where humans orchestrate intelligent tools rather than compete against them. Timestamps00:00 — A 4,000-Person Layoff That Shocked the Tech WorldJack Dorsey’s company Block cuts 40% of its workforce despite record profits, citing AI-driven productivity and smaller, highly skilled teams.00:03 — What “Agency” Means to Students and EducatorsA workshop with students, teachers, and administrators reveals how people still define agency as purely human decision-making—without considering AI collaborators.00:08 — The Rise of AI-Powered WorkplacesCompanies like Shopify, Salesforce, and Amazon begin restructuring teams around AI tools, signaling a major shift in how organizations measure talent and productivity.00:19 — The Missing Piece in Today’s Skills FrameworksA new Carnegie report on collaboration, communication, and critical thinking overlooks a key reality: many of these skills now involve interacting with AI agents.00:28 — AI Ethics and the Pentagon: Anthropic vs. OpenAIA conflict over military AI use highlights how human values and judgment will shape how powerful AI systems are deployed.Resources MentionedCarnegie Skills ProgressionAnthropic and Department of War UpdatesOpenAI Agreement with Department of WarExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠J⁠⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link to new student experience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

AI is no longer a question of “if” but “who is doing it well.” In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores the growing divide between power users and passive users, why direction—not technology—is the defining skill of 2026, and how design thinking, the HIRE framework, and the SPARK method can help you build high-performing human + AI teams. The future belongs to those who can make their skills legible, lead with clarity, and design their response to change instead of reacting to it.Timestamps[00:00] The Foundation: Why Design Thinking Still WinsWhat makes great teams thrive—curiosity, clarity, iteration—and why those same principles now apply to human + AI collaboration.[00:04] The Productivity Surge & The Power User DivideNew research reveals rising productivity, shrinking payrolls, and the growing gap between those who direct AI with precision and those who use it passively.[00:08] The Three Phases of AI at WorkFrom personal AI assistants to human-agent teams to fully agent-operated workflows—why we’ve entered Phase Three faster than expected.[00:13] Making Skills Legible in the Agent EraWhy vague skills like “communication” aren’t enough—and how defining the sequence, standards, and why behind your work creates an edge.[00:24] The HIRE & SPARK Frameworks + The 30-Day ChallengeA practical roadmap for onboarding AI agents, building domain-specific workflows, and launching a meaningful project that compounds your value.Resources MentionedZillow Uses NotebookLMThe AI Productivity Takeoff is Finally RealInterview with Boris Cherny - Creator and Head of Claude CodeThe End of the Office By Andrew YangExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠J⁠⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Link to new student experience⁠⁠⁠⁠For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

This week feels like a turning point. From AI models helping build themselves to groundbreaking research on metacognition in schools and adaptive capacity in the workforce, the message is clear: AI isn’t just changing tasks, it’s reshaping purpose. The real question isn’t whether AI will disrupt work and learning, but whether we will intentionally design the future alongside it.Timestamps[00:00] – Move 37 & The Honest Version of AIThe story of AlphaGo’s legendary “Move 37” sets the stage for Matt Schumer’s viral article explaining how far AI has truly advanced—and why most people underestimate it.[00:17] – Teaching Kids to Think (Nord Anglia + Boston College Study)A two-year global study shows significant growth in critical thinking, curiosity, and compassion when students are explicitly taught metacognition through visible thinking routines.[00:27] – Who Can Actually Adapt? (Brookings Study)6.1 million U.S. workers face high AI exposure and low adaptive capacity—86% of them women—raising deeper concerns about equity, identity, and intentional workforce design.[00:32] – When AI Makes Work Harder (Harvard Business Review)Research reveals that enthusiastic AI adoption can intensify work, blur boundaries, and increase cognitive load—unless leaders design intentional norms and pauses.[00:37] – The Bigger Question: Where Will Meaning Come From? As AI takes on more structured tasks, the real design challenge becomes human purpose, relationships, and connection in an AI-driven world.Resources MentionedSomething Big is Happening - Matt SchumerTeaching the Skills AI Can’t Replace - Nord Anglia Measuring US Workers Capacity to Adapt - Brookings InstituteAI Doesn’t Reduce Work - It Intensifies It - HBR🤝 Partner with Us: Join the AI Power Circle and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: Designing Schools — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready.Explore More from Designing SchoolsFor questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai reunites with educator and AI thinker Stefan Bauschard for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, agency, and the future of learning. Together, they explore AI agents, the decline of traditional schooling models, and why developing human agency, not just technical skills is becoming the most critical priority for education and society.Timestamps00:03:00 – Reading, Thinking, and Becoming a GeneralistStefan explains why reading comprehension, synthesis, and discernment matter more than memorization in a rapidly changing world.00:07:00 – AI Agents, ClawBot, and Distributed IntelligenceA breakdown of AI agent communities, what they are, why they matter, and how they signal a shift toward autonomous, collaborative systems.00:14:00 – Is AI Conscious or Just Trained on Data?Sabba and Stefan discuss perception vs. reality, why belief matters more than technical definitions, and how people will relate to AI regardless.00:24:00 – Agency, Schools, and the Human AlgorithmA deep dive into why schools often suppress agency, how this creates long-term consequences, and why the “age of agency” is here.00:40:00 – Davos, AI, and the Missing Conversation in EducationReflections on Davos 2025, global AI readiness, and why education lacks an equivalent forum for meaningful instructional redesign.Resources MentionedNAEP Scores DropWhat is OpenClaw and MoltbookStefan Bauschard’s Education Disrupted SubstackExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: Join the AI Power Circle and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: Designing Schools — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready.For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai reflects on a story about Sri Lankan tea to explore how intention, design, and human judgment matter more than tools alone, especially in an AI-driven world. Drawing from insights by leaders at Anthropic, OpenAI, and education research, the episode challenges schools to move beyond banning or blindly adopting AI and instead redesign learning so humans and AI work together thoughtfully.Timestamps00:00–03:00 — A story from Sri Lanka: Dilmah tea, intention, and resisting commoditization05:00–09:00 — The “adolescence of technology” and why AI power is outpacing our systems of judgment09:30–13:30 — An NPR classroom story and the real problem with “going analog”16:00–19:00 — Introducing the SPARK framework and redesigning tasks for human–AI collaboration20:00–26:00 — Sam Altman, judgment, and why high agency matters more than technical skillsResources MentionedDario Amodei Essay: The Adolescence of TechnologyOpenAI Town HallWhy AI Can’t Make DecisionsThe Story of Ceylon TeamakerExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠J⁠⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠Link to new student experience⁠⁠⁠For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

In this episode of Designing Schools, Dr. Sabba Quidwai reflects on her recent keynote at Shanghai American School, where students showcased real-world applications of AI, decision-making, and entrepreneurial thinking. She connects these powerful examples to emerging research from Anthropic and Stanford, revealing how AI mirrors human capability and why fostering critical thinking and initiative is more urgent than ever.Timestamps[00:00:00] Students Are Ready—Now, Not LaterReflections on student agency at Shanghai American School and how young people are already solving real problems using AI and global partnerships.[00:04:00] What the Data Tells Us: AI Mirrors Human ThinkingInsights from Anthropic’s Economic Research Index revealing AI’s dependence on user input quality and education levels.[00:08:00] Why Most People Don’t Use AI EffectivelyStanford’s Jeremy Utley explains the real barrier to AI use—imagination and modeling, not fear or lack of access.[00:12:00] Introducing the Spark Prompting FrameworkDr. Quidwai shares her human-centered approach to AI collaboration, emphasizing clarity and empathy over clever syntax.[00:18:00] Leadership in a Time of Unstoppable ChangeReflections from Davos and why education systems must invest in human capability, not wait for tools to stabilize.[00:21:00] Why Entrepreneurial Thinking Is No Longer OptionalA call to embed entrepreneurship into core learning, not as an elective, but as essential preparation for an AI-driven world.Resources MentionedSpark Prompting Framework Guide + 50 PromptsAnthropic Economic Research IndexJeremy Utley, Stanford – AI Bootcamp & ResearchWorld Economic Forum – Davos AI Panel VideoExplore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: J⁠⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠Link to new student experience⁠⁠For questions, email: ⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai challenges the unspoken norms in education that hinder innovation, highlighting how “paper walls” the unquestioned assumptions shape school systems. Featuring insights from LEGO Education, the Brookings Institution, and McKinsey, this episode explores what happens when students are trusted with agency, and what’s at stake when they’re not. Timestamps00:00 – Why We Don't Question the Bell ScheduleExploring how normalized structures in education prevent innovation and where leadership often defaults to inherited assumptions.04:20 – What Are Paper Wall Pushers?Introducing Steve Bartlett’s concept and its relevance to leadership, decision-making, and school culture.08:15 – LEGO’s Kid-Led AI StudyA deep dive into how LEGO empowered students to research AI on their own terms—and what we learn when we actually listen.14:30 – Brookings' Pre-Mortem on AI in EducationDiscussing Brookings Institution’s approach to preemptively evaluating the risks of AI overuse and under-guidance in schools.22:00 – From Traffic Lights to Thinking: What McKinsey Looks for NowContrasting traditional compliance models in schools with what companies like McKinsey now value: judgment, ambiguity navigation, and collaborative AI use.Resources Mentioned🔗 LEGO Education – Kid-Led AI Study📄 Brookings Institution – AI and Student Agency Report🧠 McKinsey Report – The Role of AI in Hiring and Decision-Making🌀 AI Guidance Frameworks and School Leadership Examples (Designing Schools)Explore More from Designing Schools🤝 Partner with Us: J⁠oin the AI Power Circle⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠Designing Schools⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠Link to new student experience⁠For questions, email: ⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠