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Key points:
Every school year brings an influx of IT solutions designed to reinvent K-12 education. Schools are primed to jump on the latest technologies to address the issues most impacting our students. Yet, in districts’ rush to innovate, we often allow technology and convenience to replace the curiosity and joy in learning.
What if the latest trends in edtech aren’t related to new products pitched to us, but to new ways we as educators can shape innovation? Instead of being passive customers, we can become co-designers and decision-makers in building the future of education.
I recently spoke with two tech leaders who shared firsthand insights from the field, highlighting tech trends on the horizon and how school leaders can thoughtfully leverage them for their students.
Universal access is no longer just be a nice-to-have
One of the most significant shifts in education is moving beyond “who” has access to IT toward usable access for all, while at the same time, prioritizing privacy and security. Schools are increasingly investing in technology that promotes a Universal Design for Learning (UDL), erasing barriers and embracing flexibility and adaptability.
At the same time, procurement teams have become far more discerning. Rather than be swayed by overpromises, they are focused on securing tools offering single sign-ons, offline modes, and built-in inclusive features like adjustable interfaces, screen readers, and text-to-speech support. With IT asset management solutions, districts can understand how and where devices and tools are used in order to make smarter decisions that best support learners’ different needs.
Just as important as choosing the right tools is reshaping how students engage with technology. According to Jen Hall, content integration specialist for Atlanta Public Schools, the district has focused on developing best practices for using AI rather than establishing policies and guidelines. The key has been providing extensive training to teachers and students on the safe and ethical use of technology.
Students will become conductors of their learning
Educators are understandably concerned about students’ over-reliance on AI shortcuts. Technology has allowed them the luxury of cognitive offloading, stifling their critical thinking, independent research, and analysis skills. Students need mental struggle to learn and retain information–instead, the reliance on instant answers actually weakens the brain’s neural connectivity.
As AI lowers the floor for routine tasks, educators need to raise the bar for deeper thinking, allowing opportunities for inquiry, critique, design, and impact. Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, executive director of the EdTech Leaders Alliance, recommends focusing less on tests and more on activities that activate higher-order learning skills.
It’s simple for AI to create a test and familiar for the students to take them. It’s much more challenging–and at the same time, more motivating–when students take ownership of demonstrating mastery, whether that’s writing extended chapters of a book they just studied, launching a letter-writing campaign about a policy issue, or relating a math concept to a hobby they are interested in. The goal is to lean into tools and resources that allow students to explore and become experts.
The walls of the traditional classroom are starting to come down
New innovations are pushing education toward greater flexibility in student learning. Teachers have to unlearn what a traditional classroom should look like, embracing the mindset that exploration flows when students can connect with technology and each other.
In Atlanta, Verizon Innovative Learning Labs have been launched in Title 1 schools throughout the district. In these collaborative spaces, students can easily transform information learned from textbooks into hands-on projects that offer a tactile learning experience, from designing 3D models to coding programs. For instance, augmented reality (AR) tools in the lab allow students who are studying the solar system to explore the physical features and orbits of each planet.
This approach to greater student autonomy, turning learners into creators, is central to the district’s 21st Century Classroom initiative, centered on building future-ready skills through critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.
Districts will hand the keys to learning back to teachers
To effectively integrate AI and technology into the classroom, more districts are empowering teachers with the space and autonomy to innovate. Instead of administrator-led classroom observations that evaluate compliance and surface-level learning, many schools have leaned into personalized coaching centered on experimentation and creativity, offering support rather than judgment.
As part of this effort, teachers should be encouraged to adopt a simple three-phase approach when trying something new. In phase one, the goal is exploration–if a new strategy isn’t harming student learning, but shows genuine promise, that’s a win. Phase two focuses on refinement–reiterating, adjusting, and improving. And in phase three, share what works with colleagues who might benefit. When educators build on one another’s successes, that’s when innovation truly takes off.
In today’s tech-driven world, there will always be an initiative du jour that captures our attention. But with the influx of new products and services headed our way, it’s important to remember that when working with AI, we can’t abandon HI–the human, intelligence part of learning. The greatest innovations come from the teachers who remove the guardrails of learning and show their students the joy and excitement in trying something new.
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