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Michael Preston, Executive Director, Medha Tare, Senior Director of Research, and Liza Gak, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, are leading researchers focused on child-centered educational technology. Together, they are helping edtech organizations design better products by combining learning science, participatory co-design, and thoughtful approaches to AI.

💡 5 Things You'll Learn in This Episode

Why involving children early in product design leads to better edtech.
How the Joan Ganz Cooney Center's co-design methodology differs from traditional user testing.
What children's feedback reveals about AI tutors, reading buddies, and learning experiences.
Why learning science and child-centered design should guide AI-powered products.
Practical ways edtech teams can adopt co-design to build more engaging and effective learning tools.

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:03:35] Introducing the Co-Design with Kids Toolkit and why child-centered design starts before user testing.
[00:06:22] How learning science and the Translating Literacy Research to EdTech framework shape stronger products.
[00:11:14] What participatory co-design actually looks like in practice.
[00:20:53] Surprising insights from children including why "less is more" with AI.
[00:24:15] How educators and product teams should think differently about AI in learning.
[00:31:53] Practical advice for bringing co-design into every stage of product development.
[00:39:20] What's next for AI, child-centered design, and the future of edtech.

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

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Why Kids Should Help Design EdTech: Inside the Joan Ganz Cooney Center's Co-Design Movement

Edtech Insiders

Why Kids Should Help Design EdTech: Inside the Joan Ganz Cooney Center's Co-Design Movement