Redesigning School Around AI & Student Joy | Mike Yates on the Future of Learning

Описание: What if loving school was a core design principle—and AI was used to make that possible?

In this bold and visionary episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Mike Yates—Founding Team Member of Alpha Schools and Director at Teach For America’s Reinvention Lab—to examine how artificial intelligence, disruptive models, and joyful learning are transforming education. From student-designed workshops to reimagining what it means to prepare future-ready educators, Mike shows how innovation can (and must) center students in extraordinary ways.

How Alpha Schools redesign learning through AI-powered personalization and autonomy
Why loving school is the highest academic advantage
Reinventing teacher prep to match the demands of 2035 education
Using AI to accelerate student learning and expand human connection
The unlearning required for real education transformation

Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome & introduction with Dr. Michael Conner
1:18 – Meet Mike Yates: Alpha Schools & Teach For America Reinvention Lab
3:10 – How MF DOOM’s ‘Doomsday’ reflects Mike's role as a disruptor
7:45 – What does a future-ready AI-powered learning experience look like?
10:30 – AI Hackathons for teacher prep & solving classroom challenges
13:45 – Why engagement, joy, and “real world risk” matter in AI education
16:20 – The hidden superpowers of reimagined education
20:00 – Redefining teacher excellence for the AI era
24:25 – How Alpha Schools challenge traditional education outcomes
28:10 – Core Skills, Student Agency & Mastery-Based Progression
33:05 – “The Flip” Workshop: Teaching financial literacy through eBay
39:00 – Alpha’s in-demand model & the inevitable challenges of scale
43:45 – AI’s true role: augmenting the genius of educators
47:30 – When disruption works: redefining the designer’s role in education
51:00 – 3 words for future-ready systems: “Do it now.”

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