Designing Schools

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.

Designing Schools is a education podcast hosted by Dr. Sabba Quidwai, with 213 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dr. Sabba Quidwai hosts Designing Schools, a education show with 213 episodes published.

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  Designing Schools

  Future Focus | AI Is Changing Work Faster Than Schools Can Adapt—Here’s What We Teach Now | Week of July 17, 2026

  Aug 12, 202613 min

  As Nobel laureates, economists, and AI researchers warn that society may not be ready for AI-driven disruption, Dr. Sabba Quidwai asks the question educators actually need answered: What does “act now” look like in schools? This episode explores why access restrictions and predicting future jobs miss the larger challenge—and makes the case for judgment intelligence , the ability to decide, evaluate, refine, and reject, as a critical human advantage in the age of AI. Timestamps [00:00] — The warning from AI and economic leaders: More than 2,000 people, including Nobel laureates and AI researchers, sign the We Must Act Now statement warning that society isn't prepared for the disruption ahead. [03:00] — The assignment hidden behind the headlines: Rather than simply warning against AI, the statement calls for institutions that ensure AI complements humans—turning the challenge into a design and teaching problem. [04:15] — Two places schools are targeting the wrong problem: The episode examines unequal AI access and the mismatch between how students are prepared for careers and where future workforce shortages may actually emerge. [06:25] — Why “judgment intelligence” matters: As AI makes generating answers nearly effortless, the human advantage shifts toward knowing what to select, refine, question, and reject. [08:20] — “Prompt the human before the machine”: A practical classroom loop— decide, observe, correct —asks students to reason independently before comparing their thinking with AI and defending their revisions. 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 : The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready. For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

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  Designing Schools

  Future Focus | The AI Readiness Gap No One Is Talking About: Why Perfect Grades Are Producing Unprepared Graduates | Week of June 26, 2026

  Jul 19, 202624 min

  A dramatic cheating case at Brown University reveals a much deeper issue than AI misuse—it exposes an education system that rewards grades over genuine learning. Drawing on new Microsoft and Docebo research, Dr. Sabba Quidwai connects the challenges facing schools and workplaces, arguing that the future belongs to people who develop judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to partner effectively with AI rather than simply use it. Timestamps 00:00 – The Brown University Wake-Up Call A take-home exam filled with perfect scores collides with an in-person final where students struggle, raising bigger questions about what assessments actually measure. 03:00 – Microsoft’s AI in Education Report AI adoption is widespread, but confidence, optimism, and perceptions of meaningful training are declining among educators and students. 07:30 – The Workplace Mirrors the Classroom New enterprise research reveals that organizations have adopted AI tools without fundamentally changing how people work, exposing the true AI readiness gap. 12:00 – Why Human Capability Matters More Than Technology Design thinking, judgment, communication, and collaboration emerge as the essential skills both schools and employers now value most. 19:30 – Redesigning Learning for the Imagination Age Practical recommendations for building assessments, classrooms, and learning experiences that cultivate human thinking alongside AI rather than competing against it. 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 : The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready. For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

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  Designing Schools

  Future Focus | 86% of Kids Are Already Using AI - The Question Isn't If, It's How | Week of June 15, 2026

  Jul 14, 202624 min

  AI has already become a daily thinking partner for most students, yet many are navigating its use without the decision-making frameworks needed to use it responsibly. In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores new research, the OECD and European Union's AI Literacy Framework, and practical tools like WISE and the Confidence Check to help educators, parents, and students build judgment, not just AI skills. Timestamps 00:00 – The 11 PM Decision A powerful story illustrates the real choice students face every day: letting AI do the work or using it to strengthen their own thinking. 02:39 – What the Latest Research Reveals New findings from Common Sense Media and Anthropic highlight how rapidly AI adoption is growing among young people—and why today's challenge is teaching judgment rather than restricting access. 07:30 – The OECD & EU AI Literacy Framework A deep dive into the newly released international AI Literacy Framework, explaining the difference between simply using AI and becoming AI literate. 16:04 – Turning the Framework into Classroom Practice Practical strategies for educators, including using NotebookLM and AI assistants to transform the framework into rubrics, lessons, and curriculum aligned to existing standards. 18:04 – The WISE Framework & Confidence Check Dr. Quidwai introduces two practical decision-making frameworks that help students—and adults—make thoughtful, ethical, and informed choices when using AI. 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 : The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready. For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

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  Designing Schools

  Future Focus | The AI Trust Crisis in Education: Why Portfolios Are Becoming the New Proof of Learning | Week of June 8, 2026

  Jul 12, 202619 min

  As AI transforms both classrooms and the workplace, educators face a growing crisis of trust. In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai explores why AI detection tools are creating unintended harm, how surveillance is replacing meaningful assessment, and why portfolios, not policing offer a more human-centered way to prepare students for an AI-driven future. Timestamps 00:00 – The Mirror Test & The Trust Crisis Begins A powerful story of online AI surveillance during college exams reveals the growing breakdown of trust between educators and students. 02:30 – Why AI Detection Is Failing Research highlights the rise of AI-related academic integrity cases and the limitations of AI detection tools, including their impact on multilingual and neurodivergent students. 09:40 – From Detection to Design The conversation shifts from blaming students to redesigning learning environments that prioritize authentic evidence of understanding. 11:00 – The Same Problem in the Job Market AI now screens resumes before humans ever see them, making portfolios and authentic demonstrations of learning increasingly valuable. 14:15 – Designing Portfolio-Based Learning for the AI Era Practical strategies for educators, students, and school leaders to begin implementing portfolios, reflections, and learning defenses that showcase real growth. 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 : The Future Ready Student AI Playbook a 10-hour course experience to graduate your students AI ready. For questions, email: hello@designingschools.org

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  Designing Schools

  Is AI Eroding Critical Thinking? This Teen Developer Says You’re Wrong

  Jul 7, 202641 min

  While many headlines claim Gen Z is using AI as a "cheat code" to avoid hard work, 17-year-old developer Olivia is proving that the opposite is true. In this episode of The Spark Effect , we debunk the narrative that technology is eroding critical thinking by going behind the scenes with a high school senior who isn't just "adopting" AI, she’s fluent in it. From teaching herself Python during the 2020 lockdowns to building AI-driven platforms like Teen Civics and NOVA, Olivia shares how she uses AI agents to offload menial tasks so she can engage with more complex subjects at a deeper level. Join us to discover why "building in public" on LinkedIn gave her a four-year head start on her career and how she’s mastering the "meta-skill" of learning how to learn in an era of infinite technological change. Connect with Olivia

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