05.11.2026

Beacon’s Head of School Leads International Debate on AI in Education

We are proud to share that Dr. Elizabeth Sutherland, Beacon’s Head of School, was a featured speaker at the IB Global Conference in Lyon, joining a high-demand ManageBac+ panel titled “Beyond the Prompt: AI, Teaching & What Comes Next.”

Her participation placed Beacon at the center of an important international conversation about how schools should respond to artificial intelligence- thoughtfully, ethically, and with students’ learning at the heart of every decision.

The IB Global Conference brought together IB educators and school leaders from around the world for professional learning across the IB programs. Interest in the panel was so high that it was moved to a larger auditorium, which also filled quickly. This reflected the urgency with which educators are seeking practical, school-level guidance on AI.

Rather than focusing only on prompts, detection tools, or restrictions, the panel explored a deeper question: How should teaching, learning, assessment, and professional judgement evolve now that AI is already part of students’ lives?

The discussion was described as honest and thoughtful, addressing the real challenges schools face: academic integrity, student independence, teacher workload, equitable access to technology, and the need to preserve meaningful learning.

Key messages for schools

Look beyond prompts: The key question is not simply which prompt students should use, but what kind of thinking, feedback, and learning we want AI to support.

Keep people at the center: AI should strengthen teachers’ judgement and students’ learning- not replace the relationships, reasoning, and reflection at the heart of IB education.

Be clear and transparent: Schools need shared expectations about when AI use is appropriate, how students should acknowledge it, and how assessment can still demonstrate each student’s own understanding.

Support teachers as well as students: Ongoing professional development helps educators make informed, consistent decisions rather than relying on ad hoc rules.

Turn discussion into practice: Schools were encouraged to translate these ideas into policies, classroom routines, assessment design, and staff conversations.

Elizabeth’s leadership in this global discussion reflects Beacon’s commitment to preparing students for a changing world while safeguarding the values of critical thinking, integrity, and meaningful learning.

You can see more about the discussion here – The Teacher Is Always the Author of Insight: How Beacon School Uses AI to Write Better Reports