Designing Schools

Dr. Sabba Quidwai
  • 4.7 (29)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. As you navigate today’s changing world the question remains how do you create these cultures? How do you scale them? And how do you help people develop the mindset and skills to thrive within them? These are the questions people ask Dr. Sabba Quidwai, researcher, educator and storyteller. Each week we’ll explore the answers with stories and strategies from researchers, education leaders and today’s young people as we explore how might we design schools.

  1. 2H AGO

    Future Focus | Week of Feb 9 | Move 37: The AI Turning Point That Changes Work, School, and Human Purpose

    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 Mentioned Something 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 Schools For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

    41 min

  2. FEB 8

    Future Focus | The Age of Agency: Why AI Is Exposing Everything School Was Never Designed to Teach | Week of February 2, 2026

    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. Timestamps 00:03:00 – Reading, Thinking, and Becoming a Generalist Stefan explains why reading comprehension, synthesis, and discernment matter more than memorization in a rapidly changing world.00:07:00 – AI Agents, ClawBot, and Distributed Intelligence A 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 Algorithm A 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 Education Reflections on Davos 2025, global AI readiness, and why education lacks an equivalent forum for meaningful instructional redesign. Resources Mentioned NAEP 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

    1h 1m

  3. FEB 2

    Future Focus | AI Isn’t the Shortcut. It’s the Test: What Schools Must Redesign Now | Week of January 26, 2026

    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. Timestamps 00:00–03:00 — 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 skills Resources Mentioned Dario Amodei Essay: The Adolescence of TechnologyOpenAI Town HallWhy AI Can’t Make DecisionsThe Story of Ceylon Teamaker 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 experience⁠⁠⁠ For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

    30 min

  4. JAN 26

    Future Focus | From Classrooms to Change-Makers: What Today’s Students Are Teaching Us About the Future | Week of January 20, 2026

    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 Later Reflections 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 Thinking Insights 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 Effectively Stanford’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 Framework Dr. 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 Change Reflections 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 Optional A call to embed entrepreneurship into core learning, not as an elective, but as essential preparation for an AI-driven world. Resources Mentioned Spark Prompting Framework Guide + 50 PromptsAnthropic Economic Research IndexJeremy Utley, Stanford – AI Bootcamp & ResearchWorld Economic Forum – Davos AI Panel Video 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 experience⁠⁠ For questions, email: ⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

    26 min

  5. JAN 19

    Future Focus | Paper Wall Pushers: How Assumptions, Not Policies, Are Holding Us Back | Week of January 12, 2026

    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. Timestamps 00:00 – Why We Don't Question the Bell Schedule Exploring 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 Study A 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 Education Discussing 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 Now Contrasting 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 experience⁠ For questions, email: ⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

    21 min

  6. JAN 12

    Future Focus | Week of Jan 5 | The Human Advantage: Why Judgment Will Define the AI Era

    In this powerful kickoff to the year, we unpack the deeper message behind Jensen Huang’s keynote at CES and how it reframes our evolving relationship with AI. From robotics presented as friends to McKinsey’s insights on agents, robots, and human responsibility, this episode explores why judgment not creativity or empathy, may be the most critical skill of the AI era. With real-world examples from schools and everyday life, we challenge listeners to rethink what it truly means to be prepared for the future. Resources Mentioned 🔗 Watch Jensen Huang’s CES 2026 Keynote (the part I mention starts at 45:00) 📄 McKinsey Report – Agents, Robots, and Us 📘 OpenAI Report – AI as a Healthcare Ally 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 experience For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

    24 min

  7. JAN 4

    Culture Before Code: What 2025 Taught Us About Leading with AI

    As we look back on 2025, we unpack the defining signals that transformed AI from a distant concept into a central teammate in every workflow. From bold statements by industry leaders to the emergence of new learning paradigms, this episode explores why the fundamentals of trust, culture, and clarity matter more than ever, and how the real leadership challenge in 2026 isn’t about predicting the future, but choosing to shape it. 🤝 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.

    16 min

  8. 11/10/2025

    Future Focus | From Tools to Teammates: How AI Culture is Reshaping Responsibility, Education, and Society | Week of October 24, 2025

    In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores the deeper cultural implications of AI’s evolution from tools to teammates. Using OpenAI’s recent personalization shift and the OnlyFans origin story as parallels, she reflects on societal responsibility, educational challenges, and why banning AI is not a solution. Through candid insight and current research, Sabba calls for reflection, redesign, and a commitment to future-focused leadership. Timestamps [00:00:00] The Shift from Clicks to Conversations How AI browsers like Atlas signal a fundamental change in how we interact with technology.[00:04:00] The OpenAI Controversy and Culture Clash Sabba analyzes the backlash around ChatGPT’s personality features and what it says about freedom and responsibility.[00:06:00] Lessons from OnlyFans: When Users Redefine Platforms A surprising yet powerful comparison showing how user behavior—not company intent—shapes digital culture.[00:14:00] Reports from the Field: The AI Literacy Gap in Schools Insights from Oxford University Press and the Center for Democracy and Technology highlighting students’ and teachers’ lack of AI confidence.[00:24:00] What Bold Leaders Do Differently with AI Sabba shares leadership lessons from top-performing teams and introduces the Spark Prompting Framework for deeper AI integration. Resources Mentioned Sam Altman Tweet on ChatGPT UpdatesOxford University Press - Teaching the AI Native GenerationHand in Hand: Schools Embrace of AI Connected to Increased Risk for Students 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills. For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@designingschools.org⁠

    27 min
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4.7
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy. As you navigate today’s changing world the question remains how do you create these cultures? How do you scale them? And how do you help people develop the mindset and skills to thrive within them? These are the questions people ask Dr. Sabba Quidwai, researcher, educator and storyteller. Each week we’ll explore the answers with stories and strategies from researchers, education leaders and today’s young people as we explore how might we design schools.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Sabba Quidwai
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    193
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Sabba Quidwai
  • Show Website
    Designing Schools

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