New Paths Forward: AI, Humanity, and the Next Era of Education
Symposium on Generative AI
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
8 a.m.—3 p.m.
The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, CT
Join us for the third symposium in Loomis Chaffee’s Generative AI series, sponsored by the Pearse Hub for Innovation and the Henry R. Kravis ’63 Center for Excellence in Teaching.
An uncomfortable truth is emerging within classrooms: AI technologies prompt us to question the value and structural integrity of many of our common programs and practices. From the tangible (out-of-class writing assignments, reading comprehension, and core research skills) to the intangible (academic traits like resilience, reasoning, and critical thinking), AI has made operating in a business-as-usual mode short-sighted or impossible.
It’s time to reimagine the classrooms of our future.
What we know to be true about the science of learning has not changed, but the paths for getting there just might need to.
We’ll examine AI's potential to create new learning opportunities and the spaces it leaves open — areas where traditional practices need rethinking and where solutions might lie outside AI itself. This symposium creates space to deeply examine our current approaches. In the wake of what may no longer be viable, we envision more than just AI-driven replacements — we seek to nurture more innovative, human-centered, and equitable practices.
What’s in Store
Keynote Speaker: Annie Murphy Paul
We are thrilled to welcome Annie Murphy Paul, acclaimed author of The Extended Mind, as our keynote speaker. Paul challenges the traditional view of cognition, revealing that our minds aren’t confined to our brains but extend into the environments, people, and technologies we interact with. Her keynote will explore how this understanding of the ‘extended mind’ can guide us in harnessing AI’s potential while recognizing the importance of embodied cognition: understanding that learning isn’t just a mental process, but one that is deeply rooted in our interactions with the physical and social world.
Engaging Sessions & Workshops
Whether you are navigating AI’s impact in the classroom or seeking innovative ways to foster human-centered, equitable education, this symposium offers a space to engage with leading thinkers and practitioners. Explore our session catalog to see our current offerings — we will continue to add more!
Agenda
View our tentative agenda — events and times are subject to change.
Arrival & Registration
8–9 a.m.
Welcome & Introductions
9–9:10 a.m.
Keynote: Extending Minds — Our Own and Our Students’ — With AI
9:10–10 a.m.
Annie Murphy Paul’s book The Extended Mind pushes against our ‘brainbound’ notions of cognition, offering insights into the myriad ways humans’ minds are extended through our environments, our relationships, and our technologies. Her keynote will examine AI in the context of this work and much of what we know about the science of learning.
Session 1
10:15–11:15 a.m.
Session 2
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Lunch
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Session 3
1:30–2:25 p.m.
Closing
2:35–3 p.m.
Join Us
Be part of the conversation at the third symposium in Loomis Chaffee’s Generative AI series, a dynamic event designed to explore AI’s role in education and its broader implications for teaching and learning.
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Location: Loomis Chaffee School
Cost: $50 (includes lunch)
This symposium will also include workshops from Loomis Chaffee’s:
- Norton Family Center for the Common Good;
- Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies; and
- The Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
A Glimpse of What to Expect
More than 75 attendees from 25 schools throughout the Northeast attended our Spring 2023 Generative AI Symposium.
Let’s shape the future of education together.
Questions?
Contact Matt Johnson, Sara Deveaux, and Scott MacClintic with any questions.