In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Colin Davitt, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Blended Learning at Lindbergh Schools. Colin shares his unconventional path from struggling as a student and leaving high school for the Marine Corps to becoming an elementary teacher, instructional technology leader, and eventually one of Missouri's early district-level leaders focused specifically on artificial intelligence.
Colin explores what responsible AI integration can actually look like inside schools. Through stories of students using AI to explore advanced topics, overcome language barriers, and personalize their learning, he explains why simply banning emerging technology misses an important opportunity. Instead, he makes the case for AI literacy, clear guardrails, student voice, and giving educators the confidence to experiment while preserving the intellectual work students need to learn.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How Colin's own struggles as a student shaped his approach to education
- Why Lindbergh Schools created dedicated leadership around artificial intelligence
- How student-facing AI can unlock learning that previously felt inaccessible
- How AI can help multilingual learners overcome language and vocabulary barriers
- Why banning AI can create new equity challenges instead of solving them
- What schools can learn from the mistakes made during the rise of social media
- Why AI literacy should begin long before students reach high school
- What educators can learn from students who are skeptical or critical of AI
- How a stoplight framework can create clearer expectations for classroom AI use
- Why teachers need opportunities to build AI literacy alongside their students
- How AI can help educators identify student needs faster without removing human connection
- Why the next phase of AI in schools may be teachers building their own solutions to real classroom problems
Key Moments
02:10 From Struggling Student to the Marine Corps
07:40 Finding His Way Into Teaching
11:30 Creating an AI Leadership Role
15:15 Giving Teachers a Voice in AI Adoption
17:05 Unlocking Advanced Learning with AI
21:10 Supporting Multilingual Learners
25:25 Why Blanket AI Bans Fall Short
28:15 Teaching AI Literacy Early
30:30 Learning From the Anti-AI Student Coalition
36:00 Building an AI Microcredential for Teachers
39:35 Creating Clear Guardrails for AI Use
42:10 Helping Students Feel Seen and Heard
45:00 Teachers Building Their Own AI Solutions
48:20 Connecting Learning to the Real World
Connect with Guest
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colindavitt
Website: https://www.lindberghschools.ws/
Connect with Us
Host's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell
Website: https://uniqlearn.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn
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