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.

Drawing from his new book, 'Change Starts Here', Shane Leaning will explore the value of involving every stakeholder in school organisational change. Increasingly, schools are losing their autonomy for change, with more companies, more consultants and more external policies driving school change.

This session will present the benefits of an inclusive, inside-out approach that honours and truly values the contributions from students, teachers, parents, and school leaders alike. Shane will highlight the power of using thoughtful reflective questions to democratise the change process, opening the conversation to everyone. The aim is connection and trust.

You will be introduced to change initiatives driven by community engagement, and learn about the newly developed, open-source Model for Organisational Change.

Expected Outcomes:
- Learn why schools across the world are experience a death of organisational confidence
- Learn about a new model for inside-out organisational change in schools
- Leave with key questions you can ask to unlock powerful change

This presentation introduces the AIED-PILAR model, a framework for AI-enhanced pedagogy and learning in international school contexts. It explores how Generative AI (GenAI) can transform teaching, learning, and assessment in international educational settings. The AIED-PILAR model demonstrates the integration of GenAI in various aspects of education, including curriculum co-planning, co-teaching, instructional coaching, personalized tutoring, and inquiry facilitation.

The model emphasizes a balanced approach, showcasing how AI can be utilized through effective prompt writing and enable customized educational tools while maintaining a human-centric focus. By harmonizing AI capabilities with human intelligence, critical thinking, and creativity, AIED-PILAR aims to augment rather than replace human expertise in education.

This framework provides practical strategies for educators in international schools to leverage AI, creating engaging, personalized, and future-oriented learning experiences. The presentation offers insights into the effective implementation of AI-enhanced pedagogical models, including techniques for prompt writing, paving the way for innovative educational practices in diverse international school environments.

Expected Outcomes:
This workshop aims to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of the AIED-PILAR model and its practical application in international school contexts. Attendees will develop crucial skills in integrating GenAI across various educational aspects, including curriculum planning, teaching, and assessment. A key focus will be on mastering effective prompt writing techniques to maximize AI's educational benefits. Participants will learn strategies to maintain a human-centric approach while leveraging AI capabilities, ensuring a balanced integration that enhances rather than replaces human expertise.

The workshop will cover methods for using GenAI in personalized tutoring and inquiry facilitation, significantly boosting student engagement and learning outcomes. Educators will explore the creation of customized AI-driven educational tools tailored to international school environments. Importantly, participants will gain insights into fostering critical thinking and creativity alongside AI integration. The session will address potential challenges and ethical considerations in implementing AI-enhanced pedagogy. By the end, attendees will have developed a practical roadmap for implementing the AIED-PILAR model in their schools, boosting their confidence in using AI to augment teaching capabilities and improve student learning experiences. This workshop also offers a valuable opportunity for networking and experience sharing among international educators interested in AI integration.

The human brain possesses an astounding capacity for rewiring and remodeling itself throughout life, enabling us to rejuvenate, refine, and enhance our cognitive abilities at any age. Explore the neuroscience of learning and discover strategies to maximize student potential through cognitive training.

Delve into the significance of neuroplasticity and various brain training techniques and neurotech that can empower neurodivergent learners. Learn how neurofeedback can support student well-being and integrate seamlessly into a school's social-emotional learning (SEL) program.

By strategically exercising specific neural pathways, we can significantly boost people's thinking, perception, learning, and memory skills. In fact, brain training exercises may be equally effective as medications in addressing neurodevelopmental conditions.

Incorporating cognitive exercises into school curricula can help students excel academically. When engaged in these activities, learners can develop greater precision, speed, and retention in their cognitive processes, benefiting both high-achieving students and those with learning needs.

By prioritizing cognitive training during the formative educational years, we can empower students to reach their full potential, equipping them with the mental tools necessary for academic and lifelong success. Investing in brain plasticity during this critical period can have a profound and lasting impact on cognitive capabilities.

Expected Outcomes:
For school leaders and educators to understand how learning works in the brain
To explore the concept of Brain-based model in instructional design
To delve into the different cognitive processes and how can schools assess and optimize them.
To consider the place and need for cognitive assessment and training in schools
To investigate the importance of cognitive training to facilitate, improve and maximise learning
To explore the use of neurotech for not just neurodivergent learners but to maximise potential, elevate performance and to improve self-regulation
To know how neurofeedback is used in various institututions around the world to :
- Enhance focus and attention
- Improve academic performance
- Reduce anxiety and stress
- Improve sleep
- Enhance emotional regulation

The presentation addresses a fundamental error in education as conventionally practised, which is to conceive of learning as a reductive journey towards an integrated mastery of information. This is not how human cognition or understanding works. Rather, people tack towards a more satisfactory adumbration of a psychosomatic Gestalt, which licenses their plans for thought and action, and which is continually shifting in its content, its internal and external relations, and its valency. The current mismatch between practice and actuality is consequential for how learners come to conceive of their knowing selves, usually to their detriment.

The presentation argues via an exploration of three visual metaphors for student experience that, outside of a few special areas of knowledge (principally mathematics, physics, and engineering), the ambition of schooling should be to familiarise young people with adumbration in its most productive guises.

By drawing on the work of Iain McGilchrist (hemispheric tendencies towards either apprehension or comprehension), Wendy Wheeler (the ubiquity of biosemiotics and meaning making), and Nel Noddings (the call for integrative centres of care), a new model is suggested, created with the express intent of encouraging curiosity, intellectual humility, growth, and personal well being.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants will leave with a new understanding of how conventional school tends to misunderstand and reduce human learning (including its new mania for AI and the mistaken notion that human thought processes are algorithmic), and with compelling arguments to support the inclusion and expansion of every experience that can be included in the school curriculum that is not STEM.

This presentation delves into key initiatives in early childhood education aimed at fostering inquiry-based learning and strengthening community engagement, with an emphasis on future-focused education and continuous improvement. The focus is on four primary initiatives implemented at my school:
1. Building Strong Relationships: Creating a supportive educational environment by nurturing strong connections among staff, students, and parents, laying the foundation for a resilient and adaptable community.
2. Promoting Inquiry-Based Learning: Encouraging children to ask questions and explore topics deeply through inquiry-based projects, enhancing their critical thinking skills and preparing them for future challenges.
3. Supporting Professional Growth: Organizing workshops for teachers to introduce innovative teaching strategies, fostering a culture of continuous professional development and adaptability.
4. Continuous Curriculum Improvement: Leading initiatives to evaluate and enhance the curriculum based on feedback from students and teachers, ensuring it evolves to meet the changing educational landscape.

These efforts and this presentation draws upon insights gained on the Executive Master of Arts in International Educational Leadership and Change programme, with particular attention emphasis on collaboration and effective educational leadership. The presentation will highlight how forward-thinking leadership involves varied professional development and how efficient management ensures the seamless execution of change initiatives, aligning them with future educational goals. By integrating these approaches, we aim to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, ultimately creating a dynamic learning environment that prepares both educators and students for the future.

Expected Outcomes:
Attendees of this presentation will walk away with practical and actionable insights that can transform their educational practices and leadership approaches. They will learn how to build stronger connections among staff, students, and parents, fostering a supportive and cohesive school community. By adopting inquiry-based learning, educators will be equipped to encourage critical thinking in children, preparing them for future challenges.

School leaders will gain valuable strategies for organizing professional development workshops that introduce innovative teaching methods, promoting a culture of continuous growth and adaptability among teachers. The presentation will also provide techniques for leading initiatives in continuous curriculum improvement, ensuring that educational content remains relevant and responsive to evolving needs.

Participants will understand the importance of forward-thinking leadership and efficient management in executing change initiatives seamlessly, aligning them with future educational goals. By emphasizing collaboration and effective leadership, attendees will be inspired to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within their institutions.

Ultimately, educators and school leaders will leave the presentation with a comprehensive understanding of how to create a dynamic and future-ready learning environment that benefits both educators and students. This integrated approach will prepare them to navigate the complexities and contemporary challenges of education today.

The uniqueness of each student’s learning trajectory necessitates a more nuanced approach to assessment. Given that students of the same age often exhibit varying cognitive development stages and non-linear learning progressions, reliance solely on traditional summative assessments presents significant limitations. To address these discrepancies, schools must adopt a holistic and equitable assessment framework that accurately reflects individual progress.

Adaptive assessments, which adjust in real-time to a student’s ability level, offer a promising solution. The presentation will share the principles of adaptive assessments, their growing adoption in educational institutions, and their role in providing personalized insights into student performance. The session will address key questions, including the determination of a student’s baseline, measurement of progress, and engagement across diversed student populations.

Furthermore, a case study from Yew Chung Yew Wah Education will highlight the effective implementation of adaptive assessments and their impact on informed educational decision-making.

Expected Outcomes:
The audience will take home a clear idea about what is adaptive assessment and agree that it is an indivisible part of the adaptive learning.

The audience will also have opportunities exchange ideas with speakers from Cambridge and Yew Chung Yew Wah Education on how adaptive assessments benefit both students and schools, and how to turn towards adaptive tests as part of whole-school approach.