On August 6, education technology non-profit Playlab led a professional learning session on educational AI at Bank Street College for faculty and staff. The immersive learning opportunity allowed participants to explore AI-powered tools and learn how to leverage these resources in their work.
With a focus on building public AI infrastructure for teaching and learning, Playlab empowers educators to develop their own AI-powered tools. Drawing on this expertise, the Playlab team led the session for over 50 members of the Bank Street community to engage in hands-on activities, including building custom AI applications.
“We were thrilled to partner with Playlab for this important learning opportunity and discover new ways to use AI to support equitable and learner-centered practices,” said Tracy Fray-Oliver, Vice President, Bank Street Education Center, who helped organize the event. “We look forward to implementing what we learn in our shared work internally and as we continue to bring the Bank Street approach to schools across the city.”
The session began with a challenge in which participants were asked to teach their group a dance using only words, highlighting the idea that “if you can give instructions, you can build with AI.”
Next, the facilitators shared an overview of AI, which raised critical questions about who is shaping and interrogating its development. This was followed by an introduction to the Playlab platform.
Participants then explored Playlab’s Community Applications—a collection of tools created by educators to support teaching and learning across subject areas, social-emotional learning, and adult learning, including coaching and career development. While browsing the applications, participants considered key questions, such as the intended audience for each resource and the problems or needs the tool addressed.
Building on these insights, participants discussed how they could harness AI in their work and began building their own tools, brainstorming potential users, problems, and opportunities. Participants followed prompting tips as they designed their AI applications, such as “Be clear, concise, and specific. Ask for exactly what you want.”
They also focused on identifying biases—whether personal, societal, or within the AI. This reflective approach emphasized the need for educators to be conscious of biases that can impact how AI tools are created and used in educational settings.
To conclude the workshop, participants reflected on how their perspective and thinking around AI changed. Facilitators encouraged participants to keep learning and piloting tools that advance their work at Bank Street and beyond.