AISC 2024

This session will explore the point where education intersects technology, psychology and philosophy of mind. We will speak about artificial intelligence of course, but the focus will be reversed. What do recent advances in AI teach us about the nature of human intelligence? How exactly is it different from machines? What does it mean for education?

Turing test, the hard problem of consciousness, theory of mind and emergent properties will be thrown in the mix with semantic AI, personalised learning and cognitive biases. We will not achieve any answers, but we will try to clearly formulate the crucial questions.

I will explore the current limitations of AI in education and explain why these limitations are not likely to go away in the foreseeable future. I will touch upon several projects that we have implemented in ESF that support this. But the focus of the session will be on bigger questions: What is the human mind? How does it develop? What role does education play in it? What is uniquely human in this process and what forms could a symbiosis with machines take?

Expected Outcomes:
Some thought experiments to engage with that can change the way you think about your own mind
Some observations about AI that might have never occurred to you
You might question your entire existence
You will look at education as something that can potentially lead human knowledge in the 21st century. The new quantum mechanics?

The Gendered Impact of Modern Technology explores how social media and mobile devices uniquely affect male and female students, shaping their mental health, social interactions, and learning experiences. We also examine the critical role schools and families play in addressing these disparities to create supportive and balanced educational environments.

Expected Outcomes :
* Teachers gaining a deeper understanding of the complex ways in which social media and technology impact students, particularly in regards to gender differences.
* Increased awareness of the potential impacts of social media and technology on students' mental health, social interactions, and learning experiences.
* Discussion and reflection on practical strategies for mitigating the negative effects of social media and promoting healthier technology use among students.

The International Baccalaureate has renewed its focus on conceptual understanding, prompting our school to adopt a more concept-based inquiry approach towards the Primary Years Programme, in part inspired by the work of Rachel French and Carla Marschall. Despite being an established PYP school, we faced challenges in shifting students from merely sharing knowledge to achieving deeper, transferable conceptual understandings to prepare them for the future world. Over the past three years, we have implemented significant changes to our written and taught curriculum, embraced inductive teaching methods, and increased intentionality around the role of Conceptual Understandings. Our efforts aim to increase student voice, encourage intentional, conceptual questioning and increase engagement. We aim to elevate the prominence of concepts and create opportunities for real-world application, enabling students to generate ideas and take meaningful action now and in the future.

We will share our findings through a hands-on exemplar Unit to highlight some of the inductive teaching approaches we now utilise. You will also have the opportunity to see for yourselves how use of a tailor-made AI bot can support teachers in generating, adapting and evaluating teacher and student conceptual understandings.

Expected Outcomes:
*Approaches that bring student-generated conceptual understandings to the forefront of teaching and learning
*Ideas on how to evaluate conceptual learning through the use of AI
*An opportunity to reflect on our journey in order to make informed decisions about your next steps towards bringing greater conceptual clarity to learners

Educational change, improvement efforts, and policy reforms are constants in the evolving landscape of education. Principals and senior leaders play a pivotal role in navigating these changes and supporting their school communities. This presentation explores how leaders’ life histories influence educational change, offering insights into leadership, community, agency, and political awareness.

Over the past century, approaches to school improvement and change implementation have transformed significantly. Building on the co-construction approach (Datnow & Park, 2009), this presentation highlights the need for re-conceptualized methodologies that emphasize storytelling and analysis to understand the complexity of educational change and educators' professional lives. Integrating life history and narrative analysis from psychology, sociology, and education, this approach documents principals' and educators' experiences, focusing on identities in leadership and change. It reveals how individuals make sense of their worlds and how these worlds shape actions and perceptions during times of change and improvement efforts.

This framework explores how principals interweave their narratives with those of their school communities. The findings inform how principals construct their stories and make decisions about school improvement, offering attendees a deeper understanding of life histories in educational leadership and broader implications for future-forward education.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants in this session will gain a deeper comprehension of how life histories and personal narratives shape leadership practices and decision-making processes in educational settings. In imagining possible educational futures, school leaders will learn how the co-construction approach to educational change can be applied to better navigate and implement school improvement and change effectively. Participants will be introduced to life history and narrative analysis methodologies, equipping them with tools to document and reflect on their own leadership experiences and those of their teams. Leaders will develop a heightened awareness of the role of community and agency in educational change, and the importance of political awareness in navigating policy reforms and advocating for their school communities. In doing so, this will allow for more inclusive and responsive leadership strategies in the pursuit of new educational futures.

This session explores how AI can be harmoniously integrated into education to enhance pedagogy and learner agency. By viewing AI as a supportive ally, educators can leverage its capabilities to streamline tasks, promote inclusivity, and enrich the learning experience. The F.A.C.I.L.I.T.A.T.I.O.N framework offers a structured approach:

F- Free Up Time: AI automates routine tasks, allowing more meaningful student interactions.
A- Access for All: Simplify translanguaging to support multilingual learners.
C- Cultivate Engagement: Boost participation using AI-prepared materials, with teacher oversight for accuracy.
I- Incorporate Culture: Design culturally sensitive content with AI.
L- Learning Interactivity: Generate engaging, pedagogically-driven activities.
I- Implement Expertise: Rely on teacher judgment for educational soundness.
T- Turn Up Student Voice: Encourage expression through AI and discussion protocols.
A- Augment Teaching: Enhance inquiry with AI tools for deep engagement.
T- Tailor Creativity and Community: Use AI to foster creativity and create a collaborative learning environment.
I- Integrate Thoughtfully: Complement existing strategies without overshadowing them.
O- Open Classrooms: Use AI to bridge gaps and invite diverse perspectives.
N- Nurture Through Guidance: Guide and develop talents with AI as a tool.

Through thoughtful integration, AI can foster an inclusive, dynamic, student-centered environment, maintaining pedagogical priorities and amplifying student voice.

Expected Outcomes:
By the end of the session, educators will understand how AI can support education by streamlining processes for more meaningful interactions between teachers and students. The session will share strategies to increase inclusivity and engagement by creating environments that address various learner needs and incorporate cultural diversity with AI-designed materials. Educators will also learn how to use AI-generated resources to enhance student voice and interactivity, encouraging active participation and self-expression while ensuring content remains accurate and valuable. Additionally, the dynamics of power between teachers and students will be addressed, introducing a Facilitation Framework to guide these discussions. Participants will receive guidance on thoughtfully integrating AI, ensuring it complements existing teaching methods and helps build a community-oriented classroom where technology bridges educational gaps.