Guiding Values
We call this a “LAB” for a reason.
We empower teachers to prioritize hands-on exploration with frontier models as essential to our AI Literacy. Many schools are looking to outside experts or purchasing AI tools as replacements for faculty AI Literacy. Co-Lab believes the key is to empower educators to develop their own sense of how these tools work so as to have greater agency when making judgment calls about if, when, and how AI helps vs. hinders learning. To that end, our Explorations highlight education-specific AI use-cases, and our discussions focus on the impact on teaching and learning.
Own your independent preparation and engagement.
Your independent experimentation with the Exploration prior to the Collaboration Call will make or break your experience. Please do not attend the Collaboration Calls without having first completed the Exploration itself.
Embrace Complexity.
Our aim will always be to truly scrutinize AI’s value and applicability for teaching and learning rather than merely to explore its benefits. We encourage participants to raise concerns about how AI use cases can hinder learning and we understand there is no one right answer. Our focus in exchanging ideas is to determine when and how we should and should not consider using AI in our practice.
Center Classroom Teaching.
We welcome participants with roles outside of the classroom (Academic Tech, Administration, Curriculum Directors, etc.) who are eager to engage in collaborative conversations focused on teaching and learning.
In order to keep Collaboration Calls laser-focused on teaching and learning, participants commit to avoiding peripheral or interrelated topics that distract from the specific pedagogical focus of the exploration (e.g., data privacy issues, specific apps or tools, academic integrity problems, or other topics in the list below). Exchanging ideas with other educators about these topics can be valuable, but it takes time and focus away from the priority of the call. We encourage participants to connect with each other outside of the Zoom and/or to drop comments on any off limits topics into the chat rather than sidetracking the conversation.
Stay CO-LABorative!
Share airtime.
Organize thoughts before speaking; ensure others have had the opportunity to share; make use of the chat to add ideas that may be beyond the scope or the time available for a topic.
Value diverse perspectives.
Speak from your own perspective; avoid generalizing others’ experiences. Listen to understand rather than merely to respond.
Step in to help everyone uphold these guidelines.
Be willing to remind others to honor the practices in this document.
Follow up.
Connect with others outside of the Co-Lab calls to make best use of our community and network! Share resources, continue the conversation, and work together on new lessons or projects.
Structure & Participation
Participant Time Commitment per Cycle
Educators can check in and out month-to-month as they have interest and capacity. Participation in a Co-Lab Cycle entails a total commitment of 2-3 hours.
25 minute intro call (or recording) to orient you to the exploration topic of the month
45+ minutes of independent exploration
60 minutes participation in collaboration call
Exploration Topics and Design
Each Co-Lab Exploration is the product of a collaborative design process among Co-Lab leaders, fulltime educators from diverse schools and disciplines. Designers identify the topics that are ripe for experimentation around pedagogical best practices, along with the discussion frameworks that guide participant reflection about the power, potential, and pitfalls of each AI use case.
Leadership Opportunities
Our Collaboration Calls are structured to include small and large group discussions. Veteran participants have the opportunity to step-up to lead conversations as a Breakout Room Ranger (BRR).