International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

News Summary:

The K-12 edtech calendar's biggest week, ISTELive26, recently concluded in Orlando on July 9, where the W/A team moderated panels, ran a media room for global reporters, and co-hosted the Solutions Summit with ISTE for the third consecutive year. Earlier, on July 2, during the conference, panelists encouraged school districts to exercise discipline in their investments. This guidance came as districts contend with shrinking budgets, declining enrollment, and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, alongside pressure to improve student outcomes. The conference, the second annual co-located ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference, brought together 15,201 participants from 86 countries and all 50 states in Orlando and online from June 28 to July 1, 2026. This event featured major announcements, research, AI initiatives, and professional learning opportunities. During the conference on June 30, ISTE announced that Stretch, its chatbot for K-12 educators, is now ready for use. First introduced in 2023, Stretch is trained exclusively on ISTE-vetted materials. On June 28, the opening day of the conference, discussions highlighted the importance of prioritizing teaching and learning goals in AI development, embedding trust, governance, and cybersecurity into K-12 technology strategies, and utilizing role-based device strategies to optimize performance and instructional time.