130 - A conversation with John Nash, Director, Laboratory on Design Thinking

Join us for a conversation with John Nash, Associate Professor, Director, Laboratory on Design Thinking and speaker on educational innovation and leadership. In this discussion, John shares his research from the University of Kentucky, focusing on the challenges and opportunities schools face in balancing structured curriculums with the need for adaptability in education. We explore how schools are addressing skill gaps among educators amidst rapid advancements in AI and how these changes intersect with traditional teaching methods. We also discuss the potential impact of emerging technologies, like deep fakes, on media literacy instruction and how schools can develop strategies to foster independent thinking and effectively leverage generative AI.
 
About John Nash
 
John Nash was born and raised in Silicon Valley and has 30 years of experience in leadership development, strategy design, and social science research. In his work he champions the creation of learner-centric schools via design thinking as the faculty director of the Laboratory on Design Thinking at the University of Kentucky.
 
He also serves as a reliable source for educators and policy makers on generative AI, from the federal government to universities and P-12 schools. He is on the generative AI advisory boards at the University of Kentucky and the MidPacific Institute in Honolulu. He’s presented on AI for the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, the U.S. State Department, and offices in Kentucky State government, as well as appeared on National Public Radio affiliates.
 
John's passion lies in helping educators in schools, colleges, and universities use human centered design to create programs and services that delight their students, teachers, and community. He is the author of the book "Design Thinking in Schools: A Leader’s Guide to Collaborating for Improvement" (Harvard Education Press).
 
John has held faculty positions at Iowa State University and the University of Texas at El Paso and was a social research scientist at Stanford University where he directed interdisciplinary and international teams of research scientists examining the application of innovative technologies on learning.
 
John Nash on Social Media
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnash/ 
X: https://twitter.com/jnash 
 
Resources
 
Book: Design Thinking in Schools: A Leaders’ Guide to Collaborating for Improvement, published by Harvard Education Press, is a practical guide for educators, particularly school leaders, on implementing design thinking principles to foster student-centered learning and improve school systems. 
 
Podcast: John Nash and Jason Johnston are the co-hosts of “Online Learning in the Second Half,” a podcast that explores various topics related to online education, such as pedagogy, psychology, technology, design, and research. They interview experts and practitioners and researchers to shares insights and best practices that inspire and inform listeners who are interested in improving online teaching and learning. You can listen to the podcast at this link.
 
dLab: http://dLab.uky.edu
 
I quoted Marissa Mayer in the podcast (Leaders should have “a healthy disregard for the impossible.”). Here is the reference to the article from which that quote was drawn:
Mayer, M. A. (2006). Creativity Loves Constraints. BusinessWeek, 3971, 102.
 
This article may be of interest:
Why Constraints Are Good for Innovation, Harvard Business Review (may have paywall)
 
Listeners may try out the Generative AI Guidelines Canvas here.
 
Folks may learn about the School Leadership AI Bootcamp here.
 
Generative AI chatbots a new user may like to try:
https://pi.ai
http://perplexity.ai
 
Dr. Brandeis Marshal: What’s Un AI-able.
 
Dr. Michelle Miller: Teaching from the Same Side
 
John Mikton on Social Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmikton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikton
Web: beyonddigital.org
 
Dan Taylor on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appsevents 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/appdkt 
Web: www.appsevents.com
 
Listen on: iTunes / Podbean / Stitcher / Spotify / YouTube

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