EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
The age of AI As AI reshapes the educational landscape, Landmark International School’s MYP coordinator and DSL Penny Roche discusses the power of critical thinking C hange is a part of education, it is built into its DNA, and change management forms part of our training and been updated, and schools are working creatively to prepare staff and students for a world where GenAI is everywhere. The adage that lies are halfway around
both to ensure that learning is embedded, but also to guard against false information and manipulation. AI should not replace cognitive effort, nor replace the human relationships which are so fundamental to our roles as educators, and to our students’ learning and wellbeing. At Landmark International School, we are approaching the challenge from a critical thinking and media literacy perspective. Students are taught to think critically about the information they are consuming, and to verify their sources. Across all subjects, we embed research skills, considering how best to frame searches that will return information that is useful for learning, and to support this we have developed a cross-curricular research skills continuum. We are aware that adaptive approaches are essential, especially as the AI landscape is evolving rapidly, allowing us to make responsive adjustments. We also know teaching students how to think critically is a skill that will be very useful throughout their lives, and will enable them to have agency in their decision-making. Change is inevitable, but never insurmountable, and one of the aims of educators is to help our students thrive and be prepared to face the unknown.
the world before truth has got its boots on is pertinent, both from a safeguarding perspective in terms of the risks of social media and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, but also regarding the speed of change. As educators we are ‘getting our boots on’ and there is emerging evidence of efficacious approaches to GenAI in the classroom. Back in January of this year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report, titled OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026: Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education , in which the messages are clear. The students that use AI to offload cognitive tasks suffer in terms of long-term learning, whereas learning experiences designed with an intentional pedagogical approach in collaboration with AI show improved learning outcomes. In addition, the need to develop independent thinking skills is paramount,
informs our practice. This was shown by the introduction of the overhead projector, which revolutionised classrooms and teaching, and was an early example of the power of educational technology to drive pedagogical improvement in education. The mainstream use of generative AI is another period of change, however in this case the scale of the change and our need to adapt to it is beyond anything we have yet encountered. Olli-Pekka Heinonen, the International Baccalaureate’s director general, writes that “AI and other digital technologies are reshaping education with the same force as the arrival of electricity and the dawn of the internet.” AI technology brings with it many exciting possibilities and significant risks, and its capabilities and applications are expanding at great speed. OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022 and since then educators have been adapting. Policies, including academic integrity and safeguarding, have
We are approaching the challenge from a critical thinking and media literacy perspective
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