Curiosity, Connection, and the Future of Learning: The ICS Faculty Explores Educational Technology with Author Peter Nilsson

Indian Creek educators explored these questions during October’s Professional Learning Day with Peter Nilsson, co-author of Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning. Through presentations, collaborative case studies, and conversations about ethical responsibility, the Creek faculty became learners themselves: asking questions, considering different perspectives, and thinking deeply about the future of teaching and learning.

Nilsson, whose book has become a hallmark guide on AI in education since its publication earlier this year, came to the Creek at the invitation of Head of School Booth Kyle, who worked with him in their early teaching days at Deerfield Academy in the early 2000s. Their reunion at ICS offered an opportunity to consider how AI can support learning while keeping students’ own thinking, creativity, and human connections at the center of the experience.

“I was especially impressed by the passion, care, and curiosity our faculty and staff brought to these conversations,” Kyle reflected. “Great teaching requires continued learning, and I am grateful to work with educators who take that responsibility seriously.”

That engagement carried throughout the day. Following Nilsson’s opening keynote, faculty and staff worked through case studies in small groups, connecting broader questions about AI to situations educators may encounter in their work. Afternoon department meetings provided time for further collaboration, with Nilsson joining the Humanities team before the full group reconvened to explore ethical responsibilities in a world of AI. Faculty participants brought varying experiences and opinions about artificial intelligence, along with a willingness to listen, question, and learn together.

Conversations throughout the day reflected a shared responsibility: understanding the technologies shaping students’ lives is essential to preparing them for the world ahead. Continued learning gives educators the knowledge to evaluate possibilities, examine concerns, and make thoughtful decisions about when and how AI can serve students.

At ICS, that work is grounded in the school’s core values: kindness, well-being, excellence, belonging, authenticity, curiosity, and connection. These values provide a foundation for ongoing conversations about AI use and school policies: How can our choices support authentic learning and independent thinking? How do we protect student well-being and human connection? What does excellence look like as the tools available to students and educators evolve?

The October Professional Learning Day created space to explore these questions together, drawing on perspectives across disciplines and roles. Those open-minded, ethical conversations will remain essential as the school considers how its practices and policies can best reflect its values.

Indian Creek’s relentless pursuit of excellence extends the adults who guide students every day. By approaching challenging questions with curiosity, care, and a commitment to learning, the ICS faculty and staff model the very habits they seek to cultivate in their students.