AMS Leadership Labposium - January 2025
Community. Collaboration. Creativity.
American Montessori Society is traveling to Austin, TX, for AMS Leadership Labposium 2025!
Who: AMS member school and teacher education program leaders, administrators, and veteran educators.
What: Leadership Labposium is part laboratory and part symposium
Where: Austin, TX
When: January 15 – 18, 2025
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A Must-Attend Event for Every Montessori Leader
The AMS Labposium (laboratory + symposium = Labposium) is an innovative and interactive event designed to foster collaboration, professional growth, and the exchange of ideas within the Montessori educational leadership community. Rooted in the principles of Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy, this unique gathering aims to bring together educators, administrators, and researchers to explore best practices, cutting-edge research, and the latest advancements in Montessori education.
Why Attend
- Connect with a diverse team of Montessori leaders who, like you, recognize the urgency of moving Montessori forward
- Gain leadership strategies and techniques from a proven expert
- Learn ways to amplify your unique voice and bring ideas for change to fruition
- Take home practical techniques for immediate implementation at your school community or teacher education program
- Work collaboratively with other leaders to develop an understanding of, and framework for, cross-institutional collaboration
- Create an action plan for inspiring community and social action
- And much more!
A Look Back at Labposium 2024
2024 Theme
Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Montessori Education
- Exploring the foundational non-negotiable principles and core elements of Montessori education, including the prepared environment, individualized learning, and respect for the child’s natural development
- Examining the thoughtful integration of technology within the Montessori framework, focusing on digital resources that complement hands-on learning and foster independent exploration (no previous experience with AI necessary!)
- Addressing strategies to create inclusive Montessori environments that cater to the diverse needs of all learners, promoting empathy and understanding
- Highlighting the integrated and holistic approach to curriculum design in Montessori classrooms, encompassing practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, cultural subjects, and more
Format & Activities
Led by Nita Farahany, the AMS Labposium 2024 will feature a diverse range of interactive activities, including:
- Keynote Presentation: key message and framing
- Workshops: interactive sessions focusing on innovative practices (no previous experience with AI necessary!)
- Networking and Research: informal gatherings and social events to facilitate networking, community building, and idea sharing, as well as time to think, research, and ideate
- Workshopping/ Hands-on Experience: practical group work to experience and naturally discover and delve into the theme
- Poster Presentation: an opportunity for participants to showcase their projects and research findings, encouraging peer feedback and collaboration
Keynote & Facilitator, Nita Farahany
Nita Farahany is the Robinson O. Everett distinguished professor of law & philosophy and founding director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. She is a widely published scholar on the ethics of emerging technologies and the author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending Your Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. Nita's TED Talk, Your right to mental privacy in the age of brain-sensing tech, has surpassed 1M views on TED and YouTube.
Nita spearheads research on futurism, law, and ethical implications of emerging technologies for society. She serves on the National Advisory Council for the National Institute for Neurological Disease and Stroke, as an elected member of the American Law Institute, and on the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks for the World Economic Forum. Nita is co-editor of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences and is on the board of advisors for Scientific American. Previously, President Obama appointed Nita to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, where she served for seven years.
2024 Agenda
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
6:15 PM: Dinner
7:30 PM: Keynote Address: ChatGPT and Your Brain: Changing How We Think About Thinking by Nita Farahany
“Using ChatGPT isn’t cheating,” says Nita Farahany. “It isn’t unlike the seismic shifts in thinking that we had when the calculator was introduced.” As a leading expert on neurotechnology and author of The Battle for Your Brain, Nita says that we simply need to adjust how we think about thinking, and start learning how to ask the right questions. She shows how we can teach the next generation the fundamentals of writing, research, and the foundational elements of art so that we can start to use this technology effectively. Through this, we can create critical thinkers who are aware of what they create, and develop a future where humans and technology collaborate and augment one another.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
9:00 AM: Welcome / Getting to know each other
10:00 AM: Exploring Generative AI in Montessori Education: Fundamentals and Possibilities by Nita Farahany
In this foundational workshop, participants will unravel the mysteries of generative AI tools, gaining hands-on experience with user-friendly platforms that form the bedrock of creative content generation. Through interactive sessions and practical exercises, attendees will grasp the core concepts of AI technology, enabling them to navigate its functionalities with confidence.
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Small Group Work: Question and Discussion facilitated by Nita and AMS Education Team Members
After 1:00 PM: Networking and Free Time
Friday, January 12, 2024
9:00 AM: Discovering AI’s Creative Potential in Montessori Education by Nita Farahany
As leaders, you need to understand the potential of AI to enhance school or teacher education programs. In this workshop you will learn how to align generative AI tools with Montessori practice, and collaboratively design innovative, age-appropriate activities that blend the creative power of AI with Montessori’s hands-on approach. Through engaging discussion, hands-on experience, and ethical consideration of digital citizenship, attendees will learn to unlock the potential of AI to foster critical thinking and curiosity, empathy and relational intelligence.
10:30 AM: Networking / Research
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Workshopping/ Hands-on Experience facilitated by Nita and AMS Education Team Members
After 1:00 PM: Networking and Free Time
Saturday, January 13, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Continued: Workshopping / Hands-on Experience facilitated by AMS Education Team Members
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Poster Session
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Closing / Next Steps
Snapshots from Labposium 2023 in San Diego!
