A Day of Creative Learning at Braybrook College

It was a pleasure to return to Braybrook College in Melbourne’s west for a full day of workshops with Year 10 Contemporary Drawing students, Year 11 Art students, and Year 11 and 12 Visual Communication Design students and their teachers.

Exploring generative AI safely and ethically

The central focus of each session was the safe, ethical and purposeful use of generative AI. Rather than simply demonstrating what the technology can produce, we explored how students can use AI to enhance their learning and creative thinking without allowing it to replace their ideas, judgement or individual voice.

Students were introduced to Google’s NotebookLM and explored how it can be used as a research and learning assistant. Because NotebookLM works with sources selected by the user, it can help students interrogate documents, organise information, generate questions and identify connections between ideas. Importantly, we discussed why students must still evaluate its responses and remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of their work.

This led to valuable conversations about AI hallucinations—the inaccurate or fabricated information that generative AI systems can sometimes present confidently as fact. We also examined how bias can appear in AI-generated responses and images because these systems are influenced by the data on which they have been trained.

Students were encouraged to approach AI output with healthy scepticism by asking questions such as:

Where did this information come from?
Can I confirm it through another reliable source?
Whose perspectives may be missing?
Is the response presenting an assumption or stereotype?
How much of the final thinking and decision-making remains my own?

These are increasingly important habits, not only for using AI but also for navigating information more broadly.

Connecting AI with creative practice

With the Year 10 Contemporary Drawing and Year 11 Art students, we also explored some of the newer AI-powered features available in Adobe Photoshop.

The emphasis was not on having AI create the artwork for students. Instead, we considered how these tools might support experimentation, visualisation, editing and the exploration of alternative creative directions. Used thoughtfully, AI can become part of an iterative creative process, helping students test possibilities while ensuring that the concept, purpose and final decisions remain human.

I also provided students and teachers with practical resources to help them develop their skills with Adobe tools beyond the workshop. These resources will allow them to revisit the techniques we explored and continue building their confidence through experimentation and practice.

Previous connections with Braybrook

My connection with Braybrook stretches back many years. During my time at Adobe, groups of Braybrook students visited the Adobe Melbourne office annually through the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) mentoring program. These visits were always a highlight, providing opportunities for students to explore the creative industries, meet professionals and experience a contemporary workplace.