Transforming classrooms into spaces where students gain agency, hands-on experience and the confidence to make decisions with integrity was a major theme at FETC 2025. Schools can achieve this by creating environments that nurture curiosity and innovation to prepare young people to lead with a purpose.
That’s according to Sabba Quidwai, CEO of Designing Schools and a keynote speaker at the Future of Education Technology Conference, who shared the concept of design thinking and how leaders can use its framework to inspire creativity with AI.
For instance, Quidwai recommends the SPARK framework when interacting with AI to achieve a particular goal. The acronym stands for:
- Situation: Describe the current state or context in which you’re operating
- Problem: Identify the specific problem or challenge you’re facing
- Aspiration: Articulate your desired outcome or vision for success
- Results: Define the specific, measurable results you hope to achieve
- Kismet: Add an element of serendipity or surprise
Here’s an example of the SPARK framework in action with ChatGPT:
Spark: I teach 10th grade English and I’m concerned about the issue of cheating, particularly with essay writing in my class.
Problem: Despite the potential of AI to enhance educational outcomes, I’m struggling to ensure that students engage authentically with their assignments.
Aspiration: We aim to redesign my lessons to not only address cheating but also equip students with critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
Results: I want students to showcase their understanding through projects that reflect real-world application and creativity.
Kesmit: Can you share three to four ideas to get me started?
3 elements to the AI mindset
As you’re applying this concept to your work, it’s important to stay true to what Quidwai calls the “AI mindset.” Here are three common mindsets—one to avoid, one to lean into and one to hone for the future:
Fixed mindset: I’ll never be able to change anything, I’m just a teacher and the system is too big for me to do anything.
Growth mindset: I may not control the entire system, but as a teacher, I can start by creating small changes in my classroom that inspire my students and influence my colleagues.
AI mindset: How can AI help me identify opportunities for change, save time on repetitive tasks, and amplify my ability to make an impact?
Meditation, guided imagery, breathwork … edtech?
Before Diana Haneski, the library media specialist at Stoneman Douglas High School, began her presentation at the Library Leaders Summit at FETC, she led the large breakout room through a breathing meditation.
Accompanied by her therapy dog, River, Haneski spoke about the power of audio-guided meditation services districts can take advantage of to help students reduce their stress.
“I wanted to show how easy it is and how quickly you can feel better with a breath, but not every teacher is ready to stand in front of everyone and do that sort of thing,” she says. “The technology can really help.”
Some might find a foray into holistic wellness peculiar, but Haneski has witnessed the restorative power of self-care techniques firsthand in the aftermath of the infamous Parkland shooting. The librarian shielded 50 students and teachers in an equipment room while a former student opened fire, taking the lives of 14 people.
To this day, Haneski has committed the library as a space for rest and wellness since it was first flooded by counselors and pastors to help students in the wake of the tragedy. She encourages students (and even teachers) to take advantage of various mindfulness apps and the library’s five smartboards to decompress and, in her words, “chill.”
“You don’t have to have survived something so awful to feel trauma,” she says. “There is stress and anxiety in all our lives, ups and downs.”
Is it time for K12 to reconsider its take on AI?
Since November of 2022, all you’ve heard is “embrace AI, embrace AI!” But maybe it’s time to pump the brakes and ask how and why.
One of the greatest controversies surrounding AI is whether or not teachers can regulate academic dishonesty. However, it begs the question: if teachers can use AI, why can’t students?
That’s the idea George Couros, an adjunct instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, author and speaker, brought to his audience at FETC 2025.
For example, if using AI to create lesson plans and grade papers is the solution to shrinking teachers’ workloads, we ought to be content with students using AI as a tool for learning, too.
Instead, Couros encourages leaders to consider the following questions before integrating AI into education:
- What are some of the negatives and positives of AI?
- What are some ways that AI can be used in our everyday lives?
- How can we use AI in our current roles to make our lives easier and improve learning?
- How can we help students utilize AI for their learning in and outside of school?
Another common misconception of AI is that it makes us “dumber” because it can do anything we ask of it. That couldn’t be further from the truth, Couros argues.
Rather, how we choose to use the technology—or not use it—will always be the biggest influence on our intelligence and ability to connect.
Check out this blog post from Couros that dives deeper into the points he made during his presentation.
FETC puts new CTE advancements in the spotlight
Texas’ Forney ISD has crossed a new CTE frontier and its scope may come as a big surprise.
The rapidly growing district, located about a half an hour from Dallas, opened its Opportunity Central campus in early 2024. The “OC,” as it’s called, is a shopping mall open to the public and operates seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Student- and community-run retail shops include a hair salon, a florist, clothing stores, eateries, a mechanic and a day-care center, among other businesses. Students learn everything from managing inventory to arranging storefronts to accounting.
The comprehensive CTE hub also features a 7,900-seat arena, an esports lab and high school classrooms, among other facilities, Superintendent Justin Terry said during a visit to the DA Newsroom at FETC in January. It has several spaces where community groups can host events.
Terry describes the OC as a career, college and community center all at once. “What makes this facility and the approach different than anything in the nation right now is this community aspect,” Terry said.
“The first floor is basically a mall. We have students in district-run businesses that are operated by students. We have businesses that rent space from us,” he continued. “We also have sponsored spaces and things where the community can just come and integrate in.”
Terry and his team have hosted groups from other districts eager to tour Opportunity Central and potentially build a similar campus in their communities.
“It’s a pretty unique place,” Terry concluded. “Anything you can think of, when it comes to how to run and operate a business, students are going to get that experience—and there’s a pathway connected to it.”
Advice for educators: Err on the side of winning
Certain qualities make a remarkable person, and Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist at Canva and former Apple product manager shared those traits during his FETC keynote address.
Enraptured by his insight and off-the-cuff wit, the 5,000 educators present were unaware of one unlikely source of inspiration he received when writing his speech: ChatGPT.
Or rather, KawasakiGPT, a modified version of the popular generative AI engine that’s amalgamated the content, books and podcasts he’s created over the years.
“My kids are somewhat resistant to AI, which I find amazing,” he says. “They think it’s cheating. Well, I cheat every day.”
For the man who pioneered Apple’s software for the Macintosh computer, it’s undeniable that AI is vital for the future of education. The disruptive technology can empower teachers to keep the classroom interesting and dynamic despite a district’s funding, Kawasaki says.
“There’s only going to be two kinds of people in the world: losers and people who know how to use AI.”
5 ways to improve communication
Learning is messy, and leaders ask teachers to do new things all the time. During the District Administration Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Summit at FETC 2025, attendees learned the importance of communication and how it can make or break your district’s culture.
When you’re communicating your vision to your staff, it’s not about how you say it, but how your audience understands it, says featured speaker and Director of Innovation at Future Ready Schools Thomas C. Murray. He kicked off the summit by sharing five tips that may help you overcome communication issues in your district:
- Understand your audience: Emphasize the importance of knowing who the audience is, what they know and what they expect.
- Use clear and concise messaging: Avoid the “buzzword bingo” that’s commonplace in education. Don’t assume your audience uses the same terms and phrases you do.
- Incorporate visuals and examples: Visuals can help clarify complex concepts and enhance understanding, making abstract ideas more concrete and relatable.
- Seek feedback and clarity: Assumptions in communication can lead to misinterpretation. Seek feedback to overcome the “curse of knowledge.”
- Leverage the power of storytelling: Stories help you connect on a personal level. Stories can evoke emotions, create connections, and highlight real-world applications, making communication more impactful.
What to know about web accessibility
Districts should now be getting a handle on the U.S. Department of Justice’s new web accessibility guidelines issued under Title II of IDEA. Christine Fox, vice president of operations at CAST (the organization that created Universal Design for Learning), visited the DA Newsroom to detail the actions district leaders and their teams must take to ensure all users can navigate their websites, mobile apps and other online resources.
District leaders and their teams should be examining the products and tools they currently have, how teachers are creating digital content and asking the right questions about accessibility during procurement.
“Unfortunately, many things are built without accessibility in mind,” Fox said. “So, it’s like when you see a building and they added the wheelchair ramp outside afterward and it doesn’t quite flow.”
The guidelines include adding alt text on images and other steps to enable screen readers. The rules also call for captioned videos, simpler URLs and other tools. District pressure can help make vendors aware of the coming requirements.
What we heard from attendees
District Administration’s editorial team was on the ground throughout the week asking folks what they value most about FETC and what it has to offer. Here are some takeaways from those conversations:
January is the perfect time for a conference like FETC! Most districts aren’t very busy, but they are planning next year’s budgets. FETC allows them to meet with vendors and decide what they can bring back to their district’s next school year.
Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of Brigantine Public Schools, says the conversation should continue after FETC.
When I go back to my team and we run into a situation, I know I can call somebody from Texas, Florida, California… there’s just so much to take from here that if you leave here and the conversation stops, you’re doing something wrong.
Eric Mitchell, IT director at the Okaloosa County School District in Florida, says every initiative a district could imagine is represented at FETC.
Courtney White, national district relationship manager for IncidentIQ, appreciates FETC not just for sourcing prospective clients, but to earn honest feedback from loyal customers.
I love chatting with customers and asking them one thing they don’t like about [our product]. It’s really opened up our collaboration, I love it.
