Back to Prep Tinkery Toolkit Meeting — Feb 26, 2026 @ 1pm

Tinkery Toolkit Meeting — Feb 26, 2026 @ 1pm

With: Gregory Wilson II (AI Tinkery Manager), Josh Weiss Format: Zoom Topic: Build-a-Bot and Flash Lab integration into the Tinkery Toolkit

Context

Gregory is AI Tinkery Manager (reports to Karin Forssell, Director). Met Feb 10 at Raikes to discuss running Flash Lab at the Tinkery. Gregory followed up with the toolkit draft and asked for feedback — especially on visual design and whether it should be a website like designkit.stanford.edu. Josh pushed back with framing questions; Gregory clarified: the audience is school leaders who want to start a Tinkery, the CTA is join our network and build a Tinkery.

Reuben reached out Feb 24 to schedule this call — specifically to explore expanding the Build-a-Bot section and where Flash Lab fits.

The Toolkit (current state)

Draft doc: ~/Downloads/[draft] AI Tinkery Toolkit.md

Current structure:

  • Activities: Tinker Time workshops, Working Groups, Curiosity Boards, Play & Tinker Cards, Bookshelf, Sandbox
  • People roles: Facilitators, mentors, working group leaders, connectors, managers, builders
  • Satellite Network: Schools join, share via quarterly meetups, use #AITinkery
  • Build-a-Bot: Currently just a one-line mention under “Stanford-led classroom resources”
  • CSET PD Pathways: Gets a whole section (foundational → applied → advanced → strategic)
  • No mention of Flash Lab anywhere in the toolkit yet

Where Flash Lab & Build-a-Bot Could Fit

Flash Lab maps to the “Contextual Curiosity” persona from the three-personas framework — “How could AI specifically help or hurt me in my context?” The Tinkery is the natural pathway for that persona.

Concrete integration points

  1. Flash Lab as a “Tinker Time” variant — it’s already a structured workshop with facilitator guide + slides, just like their Tinker Time format. Could be listed as an activity in the toolkit.
  2. Build-a-Bot as a standalone activity — more than a one-liner; could have its own activity card with facilitator guide, like the other toolkit activities.
  3. Flash Lab as the on-ramp to Satellite Network — run Flash Lab → interested people join the Tinkery network → deeper engagement via Working Groups.
  4. Persona pathway: Flash Lab (top-of-funnel) → Tinkery (contextual exploration) → CSET (deeper PD). This is the ecosystem feeding model.

Josh’s Ask: Pick a Date

Josh wants Reuben to come to campus and run a workshop at the Tinkery. This would be:

  • A proof point for Flash Lab running inside the Tinkery ecosystem
  • Evidence for Chain 5 (Cross-Pollination → Ecosystem Feeding)

Decision: Monday March 30 (over April 13) — Reuben can come up Sunday March 29, run the Tinkery workshop Monday, then stay on campus for the Lake Forest visit (Tue March 31 – Wed April 1) with Christine Bywater’s group (Superintendent Matthew Montgomery bringing teachers + admins). Two birds, one trip.

Need from Gregory: Confirm March 30 works. What time? What’s the audience? (Stanford community? External educators? Satellite schools?)

Questions to Drive the Conversation

  1. Where does Flash Lab fit in the toolkit? As its own activity entry? As a variant of Tinker Time? As something bigger?
  2. Build-a-Bot expansion — Gregory asked for help. What does a richer Build-a-Bot section look like? (Facilitator guide? Activity cards? Self-paced online pathway?)
  3. Satellite Network + Flash Lab — could Flash Lab be the entry point for new Satellite schools? “Start here, then go deeper with Tinkery”
  4. Scheduling a live Flash Lab at the Tinkery — dates, audience, format (60 min? 90 min?)
  5. Toolkit format — Gregory asked if this should be a website like designkit.stanford.edu instead of a doc. What’s the vision?

Watch For

  • Gregory mentioned wanting quarterly CoP meetings with Tinkery partner schools but hasn’t done it before — this is where Reuben’s facilitation expertise could add value
  • Josh prefers direct training (not second-hand TtT) for now — keep this in mind if discussing who runs what
  • The toolkit’s “Professional Development Pathways” section currently points only to CSET — Flash Lab / Build-a-Bot could sit alongside or upstream of that

Generated: Feb 26, 2026

Source: prep/2026-02-26-tinkery-toolkit.md