Look what the amazing Tabitha Walker did to visualize our panel’s discussion from SXSW EDU. Shout out to C. Edward Watson, Michelle Singh, Ph.D., and George Philip LeBourdais, PhD who shared their thoughts on Educating Minds: Critical Thinking for the AI Generation. Thank you Tabitha!
Tabitha Walker’s Illustrated Visual
At SXSW EDU 2026, in March, I had the pleasure of moderating our panel “Educating Minds: Critical Thinking for the AI Generation.”
I was joined by an outstanding panel: C. Edward Watson, Michelle Singh, Ph.D. Singh, and George Philip LeBourdais, PhD.
C. Edward Watson, Michelle Singh, Ph.D. Singh, and George Philip LeBourdais, PhD.
Listening from the moderator’s chair, several strategies emerged for higher education as AI becomes embedded in teaching & learning:
*Develop a shared vocabulary for AI literacy so faculty, administrators, and students are speaking the same language.
*Connect AI literacy to critical thinking, not just as tool use-by helping students examine both the outputs AI produces and the systems creating them.
*Include student voice as institutions design coherent approaches to AI use and learning.
*Help students move from passive consumption to active critique of AI-generated content.
*Encourage cross-disciplinary thinking about AI, helping students understand how AI operates differently across fields—from the humanities to STEM to professional programs.
*Create spaces for dialogue and inquiry where students unpack AI outputs together.
AI may be new, but our goal remain timeless: helping students think critically about the information they encounter—and create.
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Our Panel-Educating Minds: Critical Thinking for the AI Generation
Robert Capps writes for the New York Times and published this article about new jobs artificial intelligence could give us. As a designer I found the jobs under the article’s sub head Taste of interest. Designers straddle the worlds of what is and what could be and are needed to help bring ideas to life. Capps suggests Differentiation Designers might soon work to combine branding, philosophy, product risk tolerance and creative execution. I envision myself as a Differentiation Designer as I strive to push colleagues in thinking about AI in innovative and creative ways. We in higher education owe it to our students to continuously focus on ways to incorporate AI ethically and equitably into our teaching and our students’ learning.
Since very early April 2024 I have been leading a Western Massachusetts Consortium Partnership. Springfield Technical Community College [STCC] received a $250,000 state grant to work with other higher education institutions in Western Massachusetts to increase faculty’s core equity competencies and knowledge about racial equity, social justice and structures that have an impact on student success.
The grant was announced by the Healey-Driscoll Administration on May 28, the Massachusetts Higher Education Innovation Fund grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education will support professional development for faculty and staff at STCC and partner institutions. The goal of the project is to help underserved and underrepresented students – especially students of color –succeed along their academic journey, from applying to STCC to graduation.
“In Massachusetts, we’re proud to have significantly expanded access to higher education, including historic increases in financial aid, but work remains to ensure that students of all backgrounds have the resources and support they need to start and succeed in their higher education journey,” Gov. Maura Healey said in the May 28 announcement. “This investment reflects our commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly for our Black and Hispanic students.”
Initiating a second year of training, STCC will lead the project in partnership with Berkshire and Holyoke Community Colleges, Springfield College, and Westfield State University to raise the equity agenda across campuses throughout Western Massachusetts. Participants will receive a stipend for 15 to 20 hours of participation. Faculty and staff at participating institutions will join a core coaching group known as Equity Leaders & Guides who will train in equity-minded practices.
“We have a proven record at STCC. We have already trained many of our faculty and staff,” Wiseman said. “Working with our college and university partners, we strive to exchange ideas and learn with and from each other as we gain more knowledge, enhance our skills and advance the equity agenda across all our campuses.”
I am grateful for the leadership and support from our STCC Faculty Fellow Ashley Pease, Associate Professor, Psychology, Coordinator of Behavioral Sciences. Together we are working with the engagement and commitment of the 2024 Equity Leaders and Guides participants.
The faculty will work together to discover new teaching techniques. They will attend workshop training with the Collaborative for Educational Services, CES Northampton.
STCC, which has a technical focus in all of its programs, is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Approximately 34 percent of the student body are Latino, Latina or Latinx.
STCC has supported several diversity, equity and inclusion efforts over recent years, including but not limited to the formation of the Anti-Racism and Inclusion Alliance and the creation of an equity agenda for each of the three academic schools.
Exciting news for educators! I’m thrilled to share my latest project, Uplift Your Teaching: Empowering Educators – Insights and Inspirations to Transform Your Teaching, a book I co-authored with the help of ChatGPT 4.0. As a director of instructional innovation, I understand that teaching is more than just imparting knowledge; it’s about continuous learning, profound insights, and shaping future generations.
This book is packed with daily inspirations, thoughts, and motivational insights, all designed to support educators at every level – from K-16 teachers in various settings to those in 2-year and 4-year institutions. It’s the result of blending my experiences in higher education with the advanced capabilities of ChatGPT 4.0, aiming to address the unique challenges and triumphs in teaching.
“Uplift Your Teaching” is more than just a read; it’s a journey and a testament to our dedication to education and personal growth. It’s about making a difference not just academically, but in the lives of our students. Enriched by the collaborative intelligence of ChatGPT 4.0, this book is a source of support and encouragement, reminding us of the invaluable nature of our work.
How to dive in? The book is designed for daily use, starting any day of the year. Each entry comes with a reflective question to prompt your thoughts. There’s no better time to begin this journey than now.
Download your copy today and join me in transforming the way we teach and learn!
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)
