AI at VIS
JUNE 2025
Dear families,
The VIS leadership team and staff members are developing a strategy to thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence into the learning and teaching process. We aim to utilize AI to augment and enrich learning while prioritizing opportunities for cognitive struggle and building a case against finding the easy way out.
Considering these aims, we are carefully contemplating the recent advancements in artificial intelligence and its implications for education. Fundamentally, we recognize that for a human to become an expert in any field, they need to be able to reason and communicate at a high level. We aspire for our students to internalize at a young age that to be academically successful at VIS, it must be the student, and not the machine that produces assessed work. Our students are proud of their academic performance, and we understand that asking them to overcome the temptation to utilize artificial intelligence tools for school work is not a realistic task.
As such, VIS is making a commitment to assess students, in person, and with clear guidelines as to what technology may be used. We believe that through this policy – over time – students will view artificial intelligence as a means to enhance their learning, but not as a substitute for thinking. We acknowledge the potential for artificial intelligence to act as a personalised tutor when used effectively, and we encourage and will educate our learners in this practice in the day to day course of learning. But don’t mistake this for premature integration. We are actively building a use case for AI that is developmentally aligned with pedagogical goals.
We acknowledge concerns about the potential for AI to diminish originality. Protecting our children from the pitfalls of overusing AI is a priority. We must ensure that AI enhances, rather than replaces, their innate ability to create and imagine. AI cannot replace what we have in our heads, and imagination is crucial to raising critical thinkers. We anticipate that this will ensure our student body is fluent in the use of the technological skills needed to be competitive in the future workforce.
This commitment to developing essential skills, however, must be approached with careful consideration and intentionality. Ultimately, our approach to AI at VIS is rooted in balance. We are dedicated to guiding students in using AI as a means for growth and enrichment, rather than as a replacement for their own intellectual development. By fostering self-discipline and self-awareness in technology use, we believe our students will develop the vital skills and resilience needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving landscape. We see a future where our students confidently and responsibly leverage AI to unlock their full potential.
This perspective is echoed by our students themselves. In the words of a grade 6 VIS student, the use of AI to extend learning rather than replace learning “comes down to self-discipline and self-awareness”.
Sincerely,
Ms. Rebecca
This text was developed in collaboration with VIS maths teacher, James Marshall, who has provoked and inspired thinking about education and technology at VIS for eight years. James will move on this year but his legacy at our school will not be forgotten.
Gemini AI was consulted for final revisions for flow and consistency of tone.
Vilnius International School: Fostering Human-Centered Learning in the AI Era
AUGUST 2025
Dear VIS Parents,
As the academic year gets underway, I wanted to share some of the important professional development work our teaching staff has been engaged in, and how it directly impacts your child’s learning journey at Vilnius International School.
Our teachers have explored the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence under the theme of “Wayfinding in the AI Era.” Our goal is not to simply adapt to new technologies but to thoughtfully integrate them in a way that promotes, rather than diminishes, the human core of education.
Kathleen Naglee, former head of school and old friend to VIS, led our staff in three sessions differentiated according to level of user experience. A central shift in our approach is viewing AI not as a content-generating machine but as an adaptive tool. Instead of assessing the “outputs” students might produce with AI, our teachers are learning to focus on the “inputs”—the quality of a student’s inquiry, the questions they ask, and the critical thinking that guides their use of these tools. This is a fundamental change in our view of AI, challenging us all to “ask better questions” and to teach our students to do the same.
We also discussed a significant trend: the rise of AI companions and the potential concerns they present, such as emotional dependency or social isolation. As such, our year goal will be to foster a greater sense of belonging among our students, staff and parents through embodied experiences and positive emotional connection in our learning environments.
It is safe to say that our teachers finished the week feeling validated in their experience with AI, recognizing that we are more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Our ongoing challenge will be to embrace this technology not as a shortcut or an easy answer, but as a powerful tool for iteration and deeper inquiry.
VIS is currently preparing a series of AI related policies that will serve as guardrails as we become more active users. This intentional approach ensures that our integration of AI aligns with the highest standards of ethical use and regulatory compliance, including adherence to the EU AI Act.
We look forward to wayfaring with you as we chart our path through an era of radical change.
Sincerely,
Ms. Rebecca
