“I came specifically for the AI,” said Hontz, the academic software developer for GOAL Digital Academy in Ohio. “I really wanted to get my mind around some of the new things that are coming out.”
“My main goals were to network and see how AI is being introduced to schools,” said Jackie Chambers, CEO and founder of Best School Tools. “It’s nice to see so many new innovations.”
Others, like Lauren Farrow, founder and CEO of Teacher to Techie, came to speak and share information on AI. “I’m really championing the ethical and responsible integration of AI, making sure we take an intentional approach and balance modern technology with traditional pedagogy.”
Mike Kentz, a former English teacher at Georgia’s Benedictine Military School who now serves as the CEO for the professional development company he founded, Zainetek Educational Advisors, noted the benefits of presenting a poster session. “We talked about durable skills in the age of AI, and we got people involved. I loved the audience engagement. We said, ‘What do you guys think?’ and let them tell us the answer.”
DISCOVER MORE: AI leads the trends to watch in K–12 educational technology.
Some attendees came with an open mind, not knowing what they’d find at FETC.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” said Lorianne Leblanc, an educator at École Whitehorse Elementary School in Canada’s Yukon territory. Her colleague, educator Ines Receveaux, added, “I came with an open mind, and I learned so much. We’re taking back a lot of stuff to the Yukon.”
Two attendees from New York’s SAR Academy — Technology Director Rebecca Glassberg and educator Kayla Weil — agreed, sharing that everything they encountered at the conference felt like a highlight. “I was looking for ideas and tools to empower teachers to embrace what’s happening in the ed tech world right now, which seems to be AI,” Glassberg said.
“All of the topics we heard about were about AI,” Weil added.
Coaching, Networking and Coding Stand Out Among Conferences
AI was the Mona Lisa in this year’s FETC Louvre: It was a highlight for many individuals in attendance, but it wasn’t the only thing to see.
“AI is the buzzword of the year, but for my particular role, information on coaching and support teachers is the most valuable,” said Teena Hine, the director of learning design-innovation for Out Teach, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.
Khonn Hazell-Fleming, a technology integration coach for Anguilla’s Department of Education, also sought out coaching resources. It was her primary goal for her first FETC conference. “My focus was around finding resources to improve my professional development sessions with my teachers. I wanted to make sure I could cater to them,” she said. “This is one conference I will definitely be attending again.”
Hazell-Fleming and Hine weren’t the only conferencegoers who attended FETC looking for technologies specific to their niches within K–12.
“I’m a network technician, so I was looking into networking products,” said Hunter Victorious, who works for New York’s Newark Central School District. “We use Wi-Fi 5. We have some Wi-Fi 6, but it’s mostly Wi-Fi 5, so we’re upgrading all of our infrastructure.”
RELATED: Schools share their successes with Wi-Fi 6 upgrades.
Not only did Megan Jackson, digital learning teacher leader at Florida’s Volusia County Schools, introduce LEGO coding to her students last year, she also started a FIRST LEGO League in her school. “It’s my first year competing,” she said. “At the LEGO location in the expo hall, I got to speak with someone who referees for FIRST LEGO League, and he gave me a lot of insight getting from icon blocks to word blocks.”
Conferencegoers Celebrated FETC Speakers and Presenters
Certain keynote speakers and presenters made for a memorable conference experience as well, according to attendees.
Hontz noted that technology integration specialist Eric Curts was a highlight of FETC 2025 for him and his colleague, GOAL Digital Academy’s Operations Director and Principal Jeff Grimmett. “There were multiple sessions every day that I found myself in without even knowing he was going to be the speaker,” Hontz recalled. “He’s from Ohio, so we’re trying to get him down to the school to do some speaking.”
Curts was also on Weil and Glassberg’s list of memorable speakers. They also called out ed tech experts Leslie Fisher and Matt Miller as top speakers at the event.
