Student engagement and experiential learning have entered new eras with the full-fledged arrival of generative AI, virtual reality and other advanced edtech. FETC 2026, which begins Jan. 11 in Orlando, offers education leaders and their teams new insights on harnessing these technologies for learning.
“AI is a fundamental piece of our civilization and it’s going to continue to be a fundamental piece,” says featured FETC speaker Matthews Winters, the AI education specialist for the Utah State Board of Education. “I don’t think AI will ever be able to replace a human fully, especially in a context of a classroom, because there’s so much happening there from a human standpoint.”
Winters’ agency received a $500,000 grant to train thousands of Utah teachers to use AI. Winters is also part of a team that will soon release Portrait of a Graduate-style frameworks called “Portrait of an AI-Ready Student” and “Portrait of an AI-Ready Teacher.” Teachers, students, administrators and community members contributed to the projects.
Schools need AI guidelines
School leaders looking to integrate AI into their classrooms successfully should take a guidelines approach, rather than enacting rigid policies, says Ken Shelton, an edtech thought leader and featured FETC speaker.
“The most effective guidelines encourage critical thinking, center human decision-making and allow for nuance,” Shelton says. “If you have a set of policies that are likely to be interpreted in a binary way, you’ll spend more time than you want constantly updating them.”
Guidelines should be drafted in collaboration with classroom educators, students and leadership. The most effective guidelines align with a district’s profile of a learner, profile of a graduate and strategic plan.
The most effective guidelines encourage critical thinking, center human decision-making, encourage reflective thought and allow for nuance.
“When used in ways that are both ethical and responsible, AI can most definitely streamline tasks, support idea generation, automate many things and expand learning opportunities,” Shelton says. “The key here is to know when to use it for these purposes and to identify which platform works best.”
From hype to integration: Become an AI expert at FETC 2026
Personalized learning culture shift
Personalization in today’s K12 system requires more than a new curriculum. It’s a culture shift that prioritizes student voice and choice, strong student-teacher relationships and proficiency over seat time, says Nicki Slaugh, principal of the Weber School District’s Innovation High in Utah.
“That’s centered around moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach, and helping educators and leaders look at education through a new lens,” says Slaugh, a featured FETC speaker.
“It’s increasing engagement by focusing on student-centered learning versus teacher-centered learning, and removing the barriers to let students move at their own pace.”
She has eliminated traditional point-based grading, percentages and extra credit. “We got rid of the whole game of school,” she explains. “Students advance upon mastery of skills, feedback and conferencing, and regular self-assessment and self-reflection. And then learning—not the grade—became the celebration.”
Tech evolves ‘every minute’
Middle school librarian Brandi Grant believes the library is a place where every student should feel seen, heard and empowered. Students also need guidance from educators as technology changes “every minute,” says Grant, an educator at Pearson Middle School in Texas’s Frisco Independent School District.
“The reason why I became a librarian is to create a space of collaboration, creativity and a love of reading, and help students navigate this ever-evolving world of information and technology,” says Grant, who will share her insights as a featured speaker.
Teaching students how to use technology responsibly starts with staying up-to-date on the latest digital trends. Educators must at least dabble in social media platforms to better help young people navigate the digital world. Simply dismissing these sites will only build barriers with students.
“Digital citizenship shouldn’t be what they can’t do or how they’re gonna get in trouble,” Grant explains. “If you automatically X out what they like, how are you going to be open to talk about digital citizenship?”
Microschool success
Wichita Public Schools Chief Information Officer Rob Dickson launched the Creative Minds microschool, a K-6 vertical classroom where technology and design transform students into active, engaged learners who “create meaning through doing.”
Dickson’s also an advocate for alternative sports, including drone soccer. “Gaming Concepts” is the most-taken elective among the district’s 50,000 students. He says programs like this are what help bring relevance back to education.
“If you want some form of toughness to learn, it will help you retain it,” he says. “But you also have to have relevance, which we’ve lacked in public education over the last couple of decades.”
Making time for self-care and communication
Rachel Edoho-Eket, Ed.D., a Maryland principal, aims to help educators build some of their soft skills amid the edtech innovations at FETC 2026.
Edoho-Eket encourages other leaders to do their work during designated work hours, even as they’re pulled in multiple directions, and become aware of how much work they’re bringing home. Leaders can then make the necessary shifts in their work schedules so they can accomplish tasks during the school day.
Another skill she has been honing since COVID is communication, and tailoring her outreach to the channels preferred by families. She and her leadership team still make phone calls and send emails, but now they text and video message families with help from an automated translation app.
She has also learned the value of being both a mentee and a mentor during her career in K12. She said she was more than content teaching kindergarten when a mentor recognized her potential to move into a building leadership position.
“We can ask people what they are passionate about, and then give them more opportunities to do it,” she concludes. “That’s how you develop great leaders, and growing other leaders is our legacy. Who did we lift up into more leadership?”
