AI and Tech Tools for Creativity
Seeing, Thinking, and Expressing with Technology
Program Description:
It’s not the tool — it’s the creator.
The same camera, the same app, the same AI — yet some people can make things that are more than the sum of the parts. They make magic. Why? Because they see differently. They make choices with purpose.
This course invites you to explore how creators use today’s intelligent tools — from AI image generation to video, design, and sound — not just to make things, but to make meaning. You’ll learn to see, think, and express with intention — like a creator.
What You’ll Do
Over four hands-on modules, you’ll experiment across creative media — image, design, video, and sound — while learning how to make deliberate, expressive choices with technology as your creative partner.
- Create with AI – Explore image generation and co-creation systems that translate language into visual ideas through iteration and remixing.
- Design with purpose – Use digital visual design environments to communicate ideas through composition, layout, and visual hierarchy.
- Tell stories through sound and motion – Tell stories through sound and motion – Work with audiovisual creation environments to edit, sequence, and pace image and sound, including generative systems for voice and music.
- Curate your process – Build a digital portfolio that shows how your ideas and creative thinking evolve.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just a course about mastering tools — it’s about learning how creators think. You’ll learn to notice what others overlook, to make choices that reflect your ideas, and to turn technology into a mirror of your own imagination.
By the end, you’ll have:
- A portfolio of projects across AI, design, and media
- The ability to explain how your creative decisions express meaning
- A deeper sense of authorship, confidence, and creative identity
Dates: Summer 2026
Format: Asynchronous Online (6 weeks) - Self-paced modules with optional weekly meetups(Live Zoom Sessions).
Price: $1,995
What You’ll Need:
- Laptop or desktop computer
- Smartphone with camera and audio
- Headphones or earbuds
- Internet access
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Instructor
Jin Kuwata
Associate Professor of Teaching, Instructional Technology & Media Coordinator, Computing in Education Online Programs Coordinator, COGMOS Design Lab Director
My teaching is grounded in the belief that learning is not just the acquisition of knowledge, but the cultivation of ways of seeing, reasoning, and making sense of the world. Whether I’m guiding students through computational modeling, learning design, or problem-based inquiry, my goal is to help them engage ideas not only as consumers, but as designers, critics, and epistemic agents.
I approach teaching as a form of design—each course an intentionally crafted experience that invites students to grapple with real questions: What counts as understanding? What makes a problem worth solving? How do our representations shape what we see, and what we overlook? My classrooms are collaborative studios where students prototype, critique, reflect, and iterate—not just on projects, but on their own ways of thinking.
I draw deeply from the learning sciences, cognitive science, and design theory to help students build fluency with concepts like constructivism, metacognition, computational thinking, and epistemic practices. But I also ask them to wrestle with the human stakes of learning design—issues of inclusion, ethics, identity, and meaning.
Ultimately, I want my students to leave not just with skills or artifacts, but with a sharpened lens: one that helps them design, teach, and think with greater clarity, humility, and purpose.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- See and think like a creator — notice how design and media convey meaning.
- Express with intention — use tools as partners in shaping ideas.
- Design with purpose — make deliberate creative choices for audience and impact.
- Reflect as an author — understand how your work reveals your values and voice.
- Integrate across forms — connect image, sound, and story into cohesive creative works.
What You’ll Leave With
- A personal portfolio that doesn’t just show what you made — it shows how you think.
- Because creativity isn’t about mastering every tool.
- It’s about learning to see, think, and express with intention — like a creator.
Who Should Attend
TC Pre-College courses are open to students ages 14-17. All courses are conducted in English and learners should have sufficient fluency to participate.
Curious minds who love to make things — or wonder how others do. Whether you’re exploring creative passions, preparing for college, or refining your craft, this course helps you grow as both a maker and a thinker. No prior experience required — just curiosity, openness, and imagination.
The Creative Spark: You love to create — sketching, filming, designing, experimenting. This course turns that curiosity into craft, helping you see how creative choices shape meaning. You’ll build a portfolio that shows not just what you made, but how you think like a creator.
Thinking Creatively, Thinking Ahead: You’re ready to go deeper — to understand the thinking behind design and storytelling. Each project challenges you to make choices with purpose, building creative confidence that prepares you for college, internships, and real-world problem solving. (Parents will like this too — it’s creativity with reflection, analysis, and intent.)
Deepening Craft: You already make art, film, or music — now you want to understand why it works. This course helps you refine your process and use intelligent tools as creative partners, not shortcuts. You’ll leave with work that feels intentional, expressive, and unmistakably your own.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this program will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
View our sample program badge and certificate below:
