My Ultimate Computer Lab: An AI Jam Session Space for Educators
One of my favorite ways to lead professional development is to have educators bring in a problem they actually want to solve. Maybe they need a better way to organize resources, create an interactive lesson, or track progress toward a learning goal. That problem gives them a reason to learn the technology and something concrete to work toward.
My proposed AI Jam Session Lab would give that approach a permanent home in a high school district. The idea is simple: Problem In, Tool Out. Educators bring a challenge from their work and leave with something they helped build.
What Would the Lab Look Like?
The proposal requests $60,000 for a dedicated space with 10 computer stations, supporting 10 individual learners or up to 20 participants working in pairs. The room would include:
Dual monitors at each station so participants can keep an AI conversation open alongside the tool they are building.
Flexible, height-adjustable tables for individual work and collaboration.
An interactive display for demonstrations and sharing work in progress.
A local AI workstation for exploring models that can run offline.
A “Problem In” whiteboard area where participants define their challenges before choosing a tool.
The lab would use existing district software licenses alongside free tools, with additional funding for premium AI building tools and a maintenance reserve.
What Would Educators Actually Do There?
A teacher might build an interactive math activity. A counselor might create a resource organizer. A campus team might prototype a tool for coordinating student support. Participants would work with a facilitator and each other to build, test, and improve their ideas.
This approach connects to research on collaborative design. Voogt et al. (2015) describe how designing together can support professional learning grounded in teachers’ own practice. The lab would give educators time to work through a meaningful problem, get feedback, and return to improve what they created.
The jam session process gives educators a structure for turning a problem from their daily work into a tool they can test and improve.
Why Invest in This?
The value extends beyond the tools produced during a session. I want educators to develop the confidence and judgment to decide what is worth building, evaluate whether it works, and use it responsibly.
UNESCO’s (2024) AI competency framework describes growth across three levels: Acquire, Deepen, and Create. The lab would support educators at different starting points while giving them opportunities to move toward creating their own solutions.
Over time, participants could return as co-facilitators and help colleagues develop those same skills. We would track classroom use, returning facilitators, and changes in participants’ confidence and competencies to see whether the investment is making a difference.
If you had the space, support, and time to build something for your work, what problem would you bring?
References
Anthropic. (2026). Claude [Large language model]. https://claude.ai
UNESCO. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. https://doi.org/10.54675/ZJTE2084
Voogt, J., Laferrière, T., Breuleux, A., Itow, R. C., Hickey, D. T., & McKenney, S. (2015). Collaborative design as a form of professional development. Instructional Science, 43(2), 259–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-014-9340-7
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