Exploring AI and Learning with Visiting Expert Rita Bateson 

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape our world, what does it mean for schools, teachers, and students? This question was at the heart of a recent conversation between visiting expert Rita Bateson, and WAB’s Kevin Crouch and Stephen Taylor, in our latest WAB Podcast. 

Rita, an experienced IB educator and Director of Education at Eblana Learning, spent the week at WAB leading sessions with teachers, students, and parents about the future of AI in education. Her focus: finding balance between the opportunities AI offers and the responsibility we have to protect learning and wellbeing. 

“For every risk, there’s an opportunity and for every opportunity, a risk,” she shared. “Ultimately, what we want to safeguard is students’ learning, their progress, their options, their futures.” 

Throughout the discussion, the group explored how AI literacy and AI ethics can coexist, helping students use these tools thoughtfully and creatively while ensuring that learning, curiosity, and human connection remain central. 

Kevin and Steven reflected on how WAB’s learning culture, built on innovation and inclusion, positions the school to adapt thoughtfully. “Culture is what will help schools thrive through this transition,” Stephen said. “At WAB, the close connection between teachers and students, and our focus on experiential learning, means we can respond to new technology with care and intentionality.” Kevin added: "As educators, we’re already mindful of the risks of letting AI do the thinking for us. The real challenge isn’t just technological, it’s cultural. How we communicate, create, and build trust as a community will define whether we come out ahead of this change."

Rita also met with parents during her visit and noted the community’s depth of engagement. “The questions I heard from WAB parents were insightful and open-minded,” she said. “They clearly want the best for their children, and they trust the school to explore these changes responsibly. If we lost everything else,” Rita added, “the one thing teachers must always retain is the ability to spark curiosity. Without curiosity, there’s no movement, no light, no learning.” 

As AI becomes a greater part of our daily lives, WAB continues to focus on preparing students not only for the tools of the future but for the values and mindset that make thoughtful use of those tools possible, balancing innovation with wellbeing, and technology with humanity. Listen to the full conversation on this week’s episode of the WAB Podcast.