ISB at the Forefront: A Presentation of the Inaugural AI in K-12 Education Conference

The International School of Boston (ISB) recently hosted a groundbreaking two-day conference, “AI in K-12 Education: Teaching in Practice,” reaffirming its commitment to strategically integrating Artificial Intelligence into learning. Co-organized by Assistant Head of School Dr. Mehdi Lazar and Teacher Leader of the Upper School’s Math and Science Department and AI coordinator Dr. Mathieu Beau, the conference was held on ISB’s campus in Cambridge, Mass., on October 3rd and 4th. The event’s central goal was to equip K-12 educators and school leaders with actionable strategies, real-world demonstrations, and thoughtful insights on AI’s essential role in teaching and learning, from differentiation to promoting AI literacy.

The Paradigm Shift: Why AI Literacy is Fundamental Now

The time to incorporate AI into educational dialogue is not just relevant; it is mandatory. As it was reminded during the conference, the nature of knowledge itself is changing. While AI has existed in our societies for many years, the massive emergence of generative AIs beginning in 2023 has fundamentally changed how people consume and produce knowledge. In this sense, AI has become a phenomenon in education, similar to a paradigm shift.

This shift means that schools must actively guide students and staff. This is why it is essential to initiate a pedagogical dialogue with teaching teams and students on what AI is and how to use it in education and in their lives. More specifically, the question of AI literacy—which, as Charles Fadel, Founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign. reminded us during his keynote address, does not mean understanding how the car works but knowing how to drive it to get around—is fundamental. For educators, AI offers transformative potential. Specifically for teachers, this includes using AI for lesson planning, enhancing student engagement, and improving differentiation, all done critically and ethically.

ISB’s AI Strategy: A Dual-Track Framework 

ISB's approach, detailed in its White Paper: AI in K-12 Education: Teaching in Practice, is a comprehensive, dual-track framework designed to be transferable to other institutions.

• Teacher Implementation: Focusing on professional development and integrating AI into pedagogy, curriculum design, and assessment.
• Student AI Literacy: Ensuring students acquire the knowledge, capacities, and attitudes needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.

For students, this takes the form of a set of competencies to acquire, including knowledge, capacities, and attitudes. These competencies are organized around four key domains, which form the basis of the framework ISB developed in Boston:

• Knowledge of fundamental AI concepts and recognition of AI in everyday tools.
• Application of AI effectively and imaginatively for tasks such as research, design, and content creation.
• Evaluation of AI results for accuracy, bias, and limitations through critical thinking.
• Ethical Practice, addressing concerns related to bias, privacy, and integrity (notably academic integrity), ensuring students can navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI with informed judgment.

ISB highlights the urgency of establishing these standards: This question of AI frameworks is now essential, and some countries, like China, are implementing them as a progression starting this year. To look at these frameworks in more detail, we recommend the recent UNESCO framework or the one we developed in Boston, as detailed in ISB’s white paper cited here.

Charles Fadel, Founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, delivers his keynote address “Educating for the Age of AI” alongside Dr. Mathieu Beau, ISB’s AI Coordinator, during the inaugural AI in K–12 Education: Teaching in Practice conference.

Voices of Authority: Keynote Speakers and Discussions

The conference featured insightful discussions and presentations from leading experts in educational innovation.

The keynote speaker, Charles Fadel, delivered a two-part seminar titled “Educating for the Age of AI.” Fadel, an expert known for his Four-Dimensional Education framework, stressed the need to revise curriculum goals in light of AI. He is also the co-author of the essential reading, Education for the Age of AI (2024), available on the ISB conference webpage.

The closing session was presented by Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal at the United Nations International School, who offered a philosophical reflection, “AI and Philosophy: Exploring the Limits of Language and the World.” A robust panel discussion also punctuated the two days. “AI in Education - From Learning to Practice” featured ISB’s teachers, Dr. Mathieu Beau and Ginger Garcia, as well as Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dan Be Kim, and Pascal Vallet. The panel was designed to connect the theoretical understanding of AI directly to real classroom strategy. Panelists shared their diverse experiences and perspectives from both pedagogical and didactical viewpoints.

Dr. Mehdi Lazar moderates a panel discussion featuring Pascal Vallet, Dan Be Kim, Dr. Mathieu Beau, and Ginger Love Garcia during ISB’s AI in K–12 Education: Teaching in Practice conference. The panel explored how educators can translate AI theory into classroom practice.

Hands-On Learning: The Interactive Workshops

The hands-on workshops were the core of the conference, ensuring participants from all over the U.S., Canada, and even North Africa left with concrete, actionable strategies. The productive discussions during the hands-on workshops were led by ISB’s Darlene Jacokes, David Bitoun, Ginger Love Garcia, Dr. Mehdi Lazar, Dr. Mathieu Beau, Aurelie Renault, and Fred Bolzan, as well as Dan Be Kim (graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education), Pascal Vallet (United Nations International School), and Jeremie Rostan (International School of Panama). 

Workshop topics demonstrated the breadth of AI applications across grade levels and disciplines:

• Dr. Mathieu Beau led sessions on AI-assisted Research and Developing Students' AI intuition.
• Aurélie Renault presented on "Empowering AI in K-8 Classes."
• Ginger Love Garcia and Cathy Deng focused on "The Empowered Educator: Creating Specialized AI Tools for Your Students."
• Pascal Vallet explored "Restorative Practices with THEMIS," while Frederick Bolzan covered "AI Chatbots & Quiz Bots."
• Other crucial topics included "Teens & AI Wellness" (Darlene Jacokes), “A Framework for AI integration in Schools”(Jeremie Rostan), "Smart Differentiation in Classes" (David Bitoun), and "Innovation and Change Management" (Dr. Mehdi Lazar).

Resources for Continued Learning

Beyond the conference, ISB encourages educators to utilize the extensive resources outlined in its white paper. Recommended platforms for student learning include AI for K-12 (by Google DeepMind and the Raspberry Pi Foundation) and Code.org. For teachers seeking professional development, key resources include the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s free online courses (such as Introduction to Machine Learning and AI), Google’s Advancing Education with AI platform (featuring Google AI Essential and Generative AI for Educator), and MIT Open Learning for more advanced courses such as Introduction to Machine Learning.

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

The conference validated ISB's position as a leader in AI in K-12 education and reinforced four essential conclusions for the global education community. The key takeaways are:

• AI in education should be more than just a technological tool. It must be viewed as a way to support and enrich teaching practices.
• AI is also a subject of study that schools must embrace. We need to start teaching AI literacy as soon as possible.
• Success depends on collaboration among teaching teams and on dialogue with researchers to develop concrete, relevant teaching strategies.
• Ongoing professional development for teachers is crucial to demystify AI and enable its practical and ethical adoption in schools.

This conference was a significant moment for advancing the use of AI in schools and underscores ISB's commitment to being at the forefront of this transformation. By focusing on literacy, ethical practice, and practical implementation, ISB is paving the way for a future where AI catalyzes deeper learning.
 

About the Authors: 

Dr. Mehdi Lazar is the Assistant Head of School at the International School of Boston. A former primary and secondary school teacher, Mehdi has been a teacher trainer and international school leader for the last 15 years. Mehdi is the author of seven books and multiple articles on global education, human geography, and geopolitics. His recent work focuses on school leadership, multilingual education, and intercultural competence, including a recent book, 'Speaking the World: Multilingualism and Intercultural Competence in the Professional World' (NYC, TBR Books, 2025).

Dr. Mathieu Beau is the teacher leader of the Mathematics and Science Department at the International School of Boston. He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from the University of Marseille. He previously pursued postdoctoral research at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Massachusetts Boston. With experience teaching mathematics and physics at both the college and high school levels, he is also actively involved in AI education and curriculum development. He is also engaged in research, with publications on the foundations of quantum physics.