What School Leaders Really Need to Know About AI With Ann Palmer

Send us Fan Mail Artificial intelligence is reshaping education, but are school leaders ready to guide this transformation? Veteran educator Ann Palmer, with over 35 years of leadership experience, shares her journey from headteacher to AI advocate, revealing a striking contrast between the UK's cautious approach and the Middle East's enthusiastic embrace of educational technology. After recognising how time-strapped administrators struggle with strategic tech integration, Palmer wrote her book on AI leadership and uncovers a surprising trend of "covert AI use" amongst UK school leaders who quietly experiment with AI tools but hesitate to discuss them openly due to lingering "cheating" associations. Palmer's vision for AI in schools extends far beyond typical cheating concerns, encompassing reduced administrative burdens, personalised professional development, efficient data analysis, and cross-curricular integration. What makes this conversation particularly valuable is her balanced perspective - whilst enthusiastic about AI's potential, she remains steadfast that emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and human connection must stay central to education. "We are leaders, so we lead the developments. We don't let AI lead us," she asserts, offering a framework for thoughtful implementation that keeps humanity at the forefront whilst leveraging technology for more equitable, personalised learning. Leading with AI - Order Now @ BIO : Ann Palmer has over 35 years of experience working in education, with schools and universities. She has partnered with schools and other organisations across the UK and internationally and is the founder of the RACE Charter Mark which is an award recognising effective race equality strategies. She has supported sectors outside of education with setting up similar accreditations. Ann has been a facilitator on a number of professional programmes, is a public speaker and is highly acclaimed in the field of DEI, leadership and Artificial Intelligence. She is a Generative AI Training Advisory Board member in the UK. Ann is a qualified Executive Coach and Team Coach, coaching CEOs and other senior personnel and teams internationally. She is described as "a leader who leads with flair and vision" and is described as "inspirational". As an entrepreneur, Ann currently holds roles across a number of businesses, including Race Excellence which is a consulting business offering high quality and personalised diversity training and accreditation for co Support the show Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools. Visit our website Tweet us:

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What School Leaders Really Need to Know About AI With Ann Palmer is an episode from Teach Middle East Podcast by Teach Middle East.

This episode is 34:46 long.

This episode was published on Jun 22, 2025.

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