Exploring pressing issues in Media, AI and Education with top educators
It was an honor to join Dr. John Richards, an expert in media literacy and emerging technologies in education, to help teach this inaugural course at Harvard University. T557 Media, AI, and Education is a seminar course, filled with readings and discussions on the ethical dilemmas we face in the 21st century not only in education but across society. We structured the course so that students were involved in its execution, asking them to research key issues and facilitate discussions during class time. Between sessions, students would write “provocations” – short essays designed to provoke reflection and debate – and share them with the class for online discussion.
We ended up with a small cohort for the first class, just ten, but it was the perfect number. Everyone bonded early in the semester, and the course benefited from having an environment where students felt secure enough to share their experiences and respectfully debate controversial issues. To further this goal, I made a point of opening up my schedule for one-on-one meetings with the students, sometimes on Zoom, sometimes over coffee. As the final week approached, the students decided they wanted to go out and celebrate with the teaching team. The course wasn’t perfect, and we aim to revise several elements for next year, but when a class ends with a delicious meal spent with learners who have become friends, you know you’ve done something right.