Why This Conference Matters

The IFE Conference (Insights for the Future of Education) is organized by the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey. This conference brings together global leaders to co-create the future of education, transforming higher education and lifelong learning through research-based innovation that reaches millions of people worldwide.

The Institute for the Future of Education’s framework – FAIR Education (Fit for Purpose, Adaptive, Inclusive, Relevant)- aligns perfectly with the work we’ve been doing: creating AI-powered learning systems that adapt to learners, honor linguistic diversity, and provide equitable access to expert mentorship.

The IFE Conference addresses the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, hybrid learning, and evolving labor market demands as teaching methods, the role of educational institutions, and lifelong learning models undergo profound transformation. It’s a space for interdisciplinary collaboration where ideas, experiences, and solutions are shared to address the challenges of 21st-century learning.

Tecnológico de Monterrey is a powerhouse in Latin American higher education, recognized worldwide for educational innovation and research excellence. This isn’t just any conference – it’s where education leaders from across Latin America and beyond gather to shape the future of learning.

From Classroom Challenges to AI Solutions

Every teacher is a language teacher. No matter where you teach or what subject, you’re always teaching content through language and supporting language development.

But in multilingual or bilingual settings (like the fifth-grade bilingual classroom where I taught in Texas), this becomes even more complex. You’re developing two languages simultaneously while teaching grade-level content.

I was lucky to have mentors who helped me navigate this reality. But through my work with institutions around the world, I’ve seen that not everyone has access to mentors or someone available to answer their questions and guide them through these challenges.

That’s why we built Verónica.

Verónica is a comprehensive AI learning system that we’ve developed around our online courses and professional development workshops. She’s integrated throughout, present in our courses, in the activities, and in the feedback that is provided to learners. She uses carefully curated databases, specific prompts, and detailed evaluation rubrics to provide mentorship that is grounded in bilingual education best practices.

For the last two years, we’ve been working with Verónica at universities and school districts in the United States, receiving excellent feedback from participants. Most recently, we started integrating her into our online courses to prepare students for the TOEFL exam, and she’s now being used by pre-service teachers in Mexico and is expanding into Brazil.

Verónica is the foundation of what we’ve learned about AI mentorship. That spirit – that commitment to extending human expertise without replacing it – is what helped us create PraxitudeAI.

Introducing PraxitudeAI: The Next Evolution

At the IFE Conference, we’ll be unveiling PraxitudeAI, the culmination of years of experience creating AI mentorship systems, now brought together into a comprehensive platform designed for multilingual professional training.

Our approach is simple:

“Human-designed training, AI-powered practice.”

PraxitudeAI allows professionals to practice through realistic, meaningful scenarios while developing both their domain expertise. The platform honors what we know works:

• Immediate, personalized feedback that helps you grow
• The ability to practice and refine until you achieve mastery
• Human expertise at the center, with AI extending its reach

We’re not building PraxitudeAI to replace educators or trainers; we’re building it with them, always keeping the human in the loop as an essential component of the process. Our goal is to ensure that every professional, everywhere, can access the kind of mentorship that transforms practice, and in the language of their choice.

The platform is designed to serve multiple professions, from teacher preparation to hospitality training to healthcare communication, with a special focus on supporting professionals working across languages.

And we’re launching in Latin America.

What to Expect from Our Presentation

I’m honored to share the stage with Roberta Mesquita and Viviana Hall, who bring diverse perspectives on multilingual classrooms, active learning, and digital storytelling. Roberta is also helping us expand our work into Brazil, bringing AI-powered mentorship to Portuguese-speaking educators.

During our panel discussion, we’ll be exploring:

1. The pedagogical foundation: How Vygotsky’s concept of the “More Knowledgeable Other” shapes our approach to AI mentorship
2. Real-world applications: How AI mentorship systems are being integrated into university programs and professional development contexts
3. The technology in action: A live demonstration of scenario-based learning with AI-powered feedback, including seamless integration with learning management systems like Canvas
4. The vision: Why multilingual education and professional training across Latin America are ready for this approach
5. The research connection: How this work connects to doctoral research on AI and academic language development

The Bigger Picture

This work addresses a fundamental challenge: how do we make expert mentorship available to everyone who needs it, in the language they need it, when they need it?

We as humans have limitations: we cannot provide immediate, detailed feedback to hundreds of learners simultaneously, 24/7, in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese). Our limitations aren’t about expertise – they’re about time, availability, and human capacity. When designed with pedagogical expertise and practical field experience, technology can extend expert mentorship and human capacity across these dimensions while keeping human experts at the center.

PraxitudeAI personalizes the learning experience. Each professional can practice realistic scenarios, receive immediate, tailored feedback on their specific performance, and refine their skills – all in their language of choice, available 24/7. When learners need additional support, the system connects them with human experts, allowing those experts to dedicate their time where human judgment and guidance matter most.

Imagine a teacher candidate in Mexico City practicing a parent conference scenario in English at 11 PM, receiving detailed feedback on both pedagogical approach and language use,  while their instructor sleeps.

Imagine a bilingual teacher in Texas working through a challenging classroom management scenario in Spanish, getting personalized coaching that responds to their specific decisions, on a Sunday evening.

Imagine a nursing student in Brazil demonstrating medical terminology in English through realistic patient scenarios, receiving feedback on medical accuracy and language proficiency, in her second language.

This is personalization powered by technology, with human expertise at the center.

This is what we have built, and what we continue to improve based on ongoing feedback from our users and the human experts who work alongside the system. And this is what we’re bringing to professionals across Latin America and the United States.

Join Us at IFE 2026

If you’re attending the IFE Conference, I’d love to connect:

Find us: January 27, 5:15 – 6:00 PM, Edificio CIAP, Salón 306

Let’s talk about: Multilingual education, AI mentorship, or how these systems can serve your institution

Partner with us: We’re looking for pilot partners across Latin America

Can’t attend in person? Follow along:

• Conference website: ifeconference.tec.mx
• Connect with me: www.enablinglearning.com