My Takeaways from FETC 2025: Insights on Education, Technology, & Future-Ready Leadership The Future of Educational Technology Conference 2025 conference offered a wealth of thought-provoking sessions and practical insights, showcasing the dynamic intersection of technology, pedagogy, and leadership in education. From AI-driven tools to transforming classroom culture, here’s a breakdown of my key takeaways and ideas that are shaping the future of education. The Curse of Knowledge: Navigating Communication in Education Tom Murray kicked off the Leadership Summit at FETC conference by addressing the "Curse of Knowledge" — the tendency to assume others share our perspective. Using optical illusions and examples like the "Red Car Effect" and "Old Lady, Young Lady Illusion," Murray emphasized how biases shape both our understanding and communication. He stressed the importance of stepping outside our own lenses to truly connect with students and colleagues. Curating a Skills-Driven Future in Education Mary Hemphill highlighted the role of leaders as curators, creating learning environments that are not only tech-savvy but also foster creativity and innovation. She discussed the shift from knowledge-based to skills-based systems, asking leaders to reflect on where their districts stand on this continuum. Hemphill introduced an “Instructional Walkthrough Checklist" to assess what learning spaces look like, sound like, and feel like, guiding educators in embedding human-centered behaviors.
Jill Siler’s session focused on leadership traits and the role of courage in guiding teams through both successes and failures. She discussed how clear expectations and strong support systems are crucial when helping those who are struggling, echoing the importance of learning from failure. She also recommended the book Deliberate Discomfort by Jason VanCamp to dive deeper into this concept.
insight into how these factors limit growth and how leaders can address them. SanFillipo encouraged leaders to look up, urging them to step out of their usual spaces to see things from different perspectives, and emphasized that a leader’s reaction to setbacks directly shapes the team’s response and attitude moving forward. Highlighting a shift from being reactive to proactive, SanFillipo advocated for being helpful over being a help desk, suggesting that real growth happens when you help others become better, rather than just fixing their immediate problems. He also identified two types of people: those who want to get better and those who want their problems fixed, encouraging leaders to align with the first group. SanFillipo concluded with reflective exercises, prompting participants to ask themselves: “If I want my team to _______________, then I must _________________.” This exercise helped leaders establish clear action steps for moving forward. The session was a dynamic blend of leadership strategies, personal reflection, and practical advice for creating a positive school culture and empowering teams.
Tech Integration and Transformation: Canva and Apple Elisabeth Bostwick and Apple’s Ron Chandler shared their insights on how technology tools are reshaping the classroom experience. Bostwick shared Canva’s new features, including Magic Studio, allow for easy design creation and content transformation (such as turning presentations into poems or generating AI-powered designs). Bostwick also highlighted how Canva supports accessibility features like alt text, translation, and captions — empowering students to create in diverse formats. On the Apple front, Ron Chandler and the Apple Education Team discussed the company's advancements in accessibility, showcasing tools such as eye tracking, live captions, personal voice generation, and mobility aids, ensuring all students have access to educational resources. Apple's holistic integration of accessibility across its products was a key highlight.
AI in Education: A Digital Workforce in the Classroom Sabba Quidwai’s session explored the role of AI in creating a "digital workforce" within schools. She posed the question: What tasks do we want humans to do, and what should be delegated to AI? Quidwai also presented the concept of "AI Teams," where AI becomes a collaborative digital assistant in education, helping to streamline tasks and support both students and educators. She also illuminated the importance of Jensen Huang from Nvidia’s quote that stated "In a lot of ways, the IT department of every company is going to be the HR department of AI agents in the future." The idea of AI being a “digital twin” — acting as a companion to students and teachers — was also discussed using HeyGen, along with tools like Notebook LM that allow students to interact with and analyze their notes. This shift is creating a more team-oriented environment, where digital and human workers collaborate for more efficient and effective learning. The Power of Collaboration: Teamwork in Education A recurring theme throughout the conference was the idea of collaboration. Sabba Quidwai argued that much like chefs, doctors, and CEOs work in teams, educators should also embrace teamwork to tackle the complex challenges of the modern classroom. The sense of community and collaboration was also emphasized at Opportunity Central project in Forney ISD, where students engage in real-world work and internship experiences across different fields, blurring the lines between school, career, and community. This school is extraordinary!
innovations are not just about automating tasks but enhancing the learning experience for both students and teachers. I am always in awe at how much content Eric creates and shares with the community. Find him at https://www.controlaltachieve.com/ and all social media.
AI Literacy for Educators As artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in education, understanding its implications and practical applications is vital. J. Matt Miller and Holly Clark’s session focused on AI literacy for educators, breaking it into three primary components:
AI Literacy for Educators Dr. Marc Cicchino’s session focused on how AI can be integrated effectively into the classroom while promoting AI literacy across various stakeholders—educators, students, and parents. Cicchino emphasized that AI literacy involves not only understanding the tools themselves but also the ethical dimensions of their use in education.Key themes discussed included:
Key Takeaways:
Looking Forward: A Future-Ready Education System As the conference wrapped up, it became clear that the future of education lies in the intersection of technology, collaboration, and skills-based learning. Tools like AI, accessibility features, and digital design platforms are not just transforming how we teach, but also how we engage with and empower students. Education in 2025 and beyond will be marked by more personalized learning, stronger teamwork, and a greater emphasis on developing skills that prepare students for the future workforce. The FETC 2025 conference reaffirmed the importance of evolving our educational practices to keep pace with technological advancements, ensuring that students are not only consumers of knowledge but creators and collaborators, ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The conference also underscored the transformative power of technology in education. From leveraging AI to curating creative learning spaces, the conversations and insights shared at the conference pushed educators to think beyond traditional models of teaching. The future of education is collaborative, adaptable, and driven by technology that enhances human potential. As educators, leaders, and innovators, it’s our responsibility to harness these tools to create inclusive, engaging, and future-ready learning environments for all students. The journey has just begun. Slide Credit: Adam Bellow
Presentations/Session Materials: Agenda and Links from the Executive Leadership Summit with Tom Murray, Mary Hemphill, Jill Siler and Joe SanFillipo The AI Toolbox from Eric Curts - (Session Notes Doc) Vibing Visuals from Elisabeth Bostwick’s Canva Presentation Matt Miller and Holly Clark’s Presentation on AI Fluent Students: Empowering Students with AI Literacies for the Future Protocols for Effective Data Discussions Resources (Mostly Ai but not All): Reaching All Learners with iPad - iPad is designed with accessibility features built in, enabling all people to learn and create in the ways that work best for them. The Achievery - A free and safe online learning platform created by AT&T to provide K-12 students with engaging and entertaining videos paired with educational activities. HeyGen - Produce studio-quality videos in 175 languages without a camera or crew. Adobe Express - Design (Generate Template, Generate Text Effect), Image (Generate Image, Remove Background), Video (Animate Characters, Caption Video, Remove Video Background) Hotshot - Image Generator, Video Generator Gamma - Presentations, documents, and websites. No design or coding skills required. Plaud - Wearable AI voice recorder (Video) Suno - Make a song about anything Infinity - Infinity is a video foundation model that allows you to craft your characters and then bring them to life. Vurbo.ai - Vurbo.ai turns your voice conversations into smart, multilingual transcriptions that are easy to display, share, and organize. Easily transcribe meetings, lectures, or interviews in real time while translating conversations on the fly. D-iD - This AI-powered animation tool turns static photos and moving videos into dynamic, lifelike Avatars napkin.ai - Napkin turns your text into visuals so sharing your ideas is quick and effective. elevenlabs.io - The ElevenLabs voice generator can deliver high-quality, human-like speech in 32 languages. Perfect for audiobooks, video voice overs, commercials, and more.
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October 2023
Whittney Smith, Ed.D.Dr. Smith is the Director of Instructional Technology & Assessment and former Principal of Mineola High School in Garden City Park, NY. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Long Island University. |