Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
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Attributions:
a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/video/131265..."Animation of talking mouth with green screen Stock Videos by Vecteezy

![216: Designing Trustworthy AI in K‑12: NASA, Ethics, and Teacher Voice with David Lockett
In this episode I speak with David Lockett who provides practical, hope filled conversation on bringing AI and STEM to every learner, ethically, hands‑on, and with teacher voice at the center. David is a former K‑12 teacher turned university leader, grant writer, and workforce development specialist to unpack what trustworthy, accessible AI education really looks like. David shares his journey from the classroom to national initiatives with NASA, NSF, and DoD, and announces a new role designing K‑12 workforce pathways. You’ll hear concrete ideas for starting AI in your classroom (reverse engineering, cross‑curricular buy‑in), how to bring hands‑on robotics, geospatial data, and art together, and why broadening participation must be baked into every project. We dig into ethics and trustworthiness, wearable data privacy, and the practical steps teachers can take to advocate at local, state, and national levels (yes, even White House listening sessions!). Plus, David’s favorite “full‑circle” moment o fmiddle schoolers learning Python and how that foundation now powers his PhD data science work. If you’ve wondered how to move beyond “AI for AI’s sake” toward meaningful, inclusive learning, this conversation is your roadmap.
Access the Show
All platforms & past episodes: https://coffeeforthebrain.com/podcasts/
Direct Link to This Episode: https://coffeechug.simplecast.com/episodes/216
Listen & Subscribe:
[Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify] | [YouTube] | [Simplecast]
Top Takeaways
Start where you are, start small. Reverse engineering and cross‑curricular alignment build admin buy‑in and teacher confidence.
Make it hands‑on. Robotics, geospatial data, drones, and art integrations hook curiosity and translate AI into the real world.
Bake in ethics and trustworthiness. Teach students to question data flows, wearables, and terms of service without doom and gloom.
Broaden participation intentionally. Recruit widely, guarantee tool access, and position students as peer experts to level the field.
Use your teacher voice. Join listening sessions, meet reps, ask questions, and shape AI policy and funding.
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome & why this conversation now
01:51 – David’s current roles + new workforce development announcement
04:00 – From classroom to national initiatives (Einstein Fellow, 3C at Duke)
05:44 – Teacher fears, mindset, and the power of perspective
08:31 – NSF AI Institutes (AVO): design, prompts, trustworthiness
10:50 – NASA partnerships & a new grant (AI + drones)
13:32 – Entry points: reverse engineering; cross‑curricular buy‑in & PD
17:20 – Secret sauce: collaboration, robotics + data + art
20:55 – Broadening participation: recruiting, access, student experts
24:08 – Teaching ethics & trust: classroom modules and what “trust” means
26:55 – Wearables, privacy, and reading the ToS
28:08 – Policy & advocacy: funding, privacy, and meeting your reps
31:57 – Getting started: PLNs (ASCD, ISTE, NSTA, NASA) and vendor curricula
35:58 – Teachers: your everyday practice is worth sharing
41:39 – Full‑circle moment: Python in MS → PhD data science today
44:38 – Where to find David + final advice
Note: Timestamps are approximate based on the raw recording.
Resources & Mentions (add links)
https://coffeeforthebrain.com/216
Connect with David:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_davidjlockett/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjlockett
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