Future Ready Playground: Designing Skills for Tomorrow

What’s an ISTE playground? It’s a two-hour, walk-around ideas lab: multiple themed stations plus mini-stage talks where you can watch a quick demo, try a hands-on challenge, chat with presenters, and then drift to the next stop. All in one energetic, in-person space. Future Ready Playground Outline Stage Spotlights: 1. ISTE Educator Standards in Middle School CS – linking privacy, cybersecurity, and ethical tech use to creativity and collaboration. 2. Adobe Podcast for Creativity, Collaboration & Critical Thinking – amplify student voice through purpose-driven podcasting. 3. Emotional Intelligence for Future Generations – practical steps to boost EI for wellness and innovation. 4. Future Ready Voices – oral-response tools that add a human layer to AI-aware assessment. 5. Critical & Creative Thinking: Practical Strategies – research-informed routines you can plug into any lesson. Hands-on Skill Stations: 1. AI Literacy for the Win – kid-safe activities that introduce core AI ideas beyond ChatGPT. 2. Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Careers – design frameworks for jobs that don’t exist yet. 3. Tools of the Pros – a rapid tour of Figma & FigJam to spark professional-level creativity. 4. AI + Human Skills in Urban Classrooms – inclusive strategies that balance tech and SEL. 5. Build–Connect–Code for Sustainability – mini-maker challenge tied to UN Global Goals. 6. Timeless Tales – an intergenerational storytelling project that bridges students and seniors. 7. Amplifying ALL Voices with Adobe Express – differentiated creation & assessment ideas. 8. AI, Identity & Design – craft personal logos with Canva, SchoolAI, and Speaker Coach. 9. VR for Real-World Challenges – immersive scenarios that sharpen problem-solving. 10 Machine Learning Play – Train an Image Classifier in 15 Minutes with Teachable Machine. 11. Begging to Create & Collaborate – Adobe Express Classrooms for high-engagement projects. 12. Imagination in Motion – design-engineer prototypes with Strawbees. Come ready to roam, test ideas, and leave with classroom-ready resources for creativity, critical thinking, and every other future-ready skill.

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