Saint Andrew’s Takes Center Stage at ISTELive 26

Saint Andrew’s School made a powerful impact at the co-located ISTELive 26 and ASCD Annual conference in Orlando, Florida, as faculty members took the mainstage, led workshops, and showcased student artwork before an international audience of over 15,000 educators from 86 countries. Representing SA was a dedicated five-member delegation, which included Academic Technology Coach Dr. Carolina Seiden, Literacy Coach Lauren Thoms, former Math Coach Shelley Love De Fileu, Chief Information Officer Elias Bassil, and Systems Manager Joey Uriarte.

Highlighting the school's global presence, Dr. Seiden was selected to deliver a featured "Transformation Story" on the conference mainstage during Wednesday’s closing session. Her five-minute narrative centered on the principle of elevating student reflection. She shared the stage with prominent figures such as Pixar Art Director Deanna Marsigliese, PBS Reading Rainbow host Mychal Threets, and author Heather E. McGowan. "Pacing in the green room before going on, I was reminded that this conference is powered by thousands of people with a shared goal: to grow in knowledge and create conditions for students to build a better world," said Dr. Seiden, who also served on the 2026 ISTE-ASCD Planning Committee in Washington, D.C.

At the conference's "Creativity Crossroads," Lower School Visual Arts Teacher Lark Keeler curated a collaborative "honeycomb" exhibit merging individual pieces from 59 Lower School student artists into a single, collective masterpiece. To make the display interactive, SA team members Veronica Colteryahn and Joey Uriarte custom-designed and laser-cut 300 wooden hexagons for attendees to interact with or take home — running out twice due to overwhelming interest — while Elias Bassil transported the entire gallery setup to Orlando.

In addition to the art showcase, SA’s instructional coaching team of Dr. Seiden, Lauren Thoms, and Shelley Love De Fileu presented a popular Idea Lab workshop titled "The Coaching Multiplier: Build Your AI-Powered Support System." By demonstrating how technology, literacy, and math coaches can collaboratively harness artificial intelligence, the team offered international attendees a practical blueprint for supporting teachers and elevating daily classroom learning.

Ultimately, the true impact of Saint Andrew’s presence in Orlando extends far beyond the mainstage applause. By investing in faculty leadership, elevating student voices on a global stage, and bringing cutting-edge insights back to Saint Andrew’s, the school continues to shape dynamic, future-ready learning on campus.

Watch Dr. Carolina Seiden's presentation.