Can Teachers Outsmart AI? Mike Yates on AI Poetry Slams and Hackathons at the Reinvention Lab

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Mike Yates is a Senior Designer at Teach for America's Reinvention Lab, with over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and learning. A former classroom teacher and founding member of Alpha School, he now leads the Lab’s AI initiatives, creating workshops, coaching educators, and prototyping innovative AI solutions. Mike has built partnerships with organizations like Playlab AI, Google, and Snapchat, and remains dedicated to helping educators navigate the future of learning through practical, human-centered approaches.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why teachers don’t need to “speak Silicon Valley” to embrace AI.
2. How AI hackathons and poetry slams are making AI learning more human and fun.
3. The concept of “AI Dexterity” and why it’s critical for future-ready educators.
4. How rebel educators are building their own AI tools to solve real classroom problems.
5. Why sometimes the best AI training happens on a plane or at a coffee shop!

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:01:08] Mike Yates’ journey from TFA rejection to leading its AI initiatives
[00:04:45] What teachers really want from AI—and why most solutions miss the mark
[00:07:28] AI at the human level: “You don’t have to speak Tech Bro to get on this train"
[00:14:05] From poetry slams to fashion design—creative ways educators are learning AI
[00:18:30] How rebel teachers are building their own EdTech tools after budget cuts
[00:23:37] Why AI as a trickster and debate partner makes learning more fun
[00:26:59] A sneak peek at the Reinvention Lab’s new initiative: Arcade AI

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