Jan 27 2025
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TCEA 2025: What to Expect at the Largest Ed Tech Convention in Texas

This year in Austin, educators will focus on AI, cybersecurity, leadership and more.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the upcoming 2025 TCEA Convention & Exposition is no different as it takes on K–12 professional development in a big way. This year’s conference marks 44 years of TCEA bringing educators, technologists and administrators up to speed on a cross-section of the hottest educational and technology topics.

The event will be held February 1-5 at the Austin Convention Center and will feature more than 700 sessions. Participants can select from topics such as augmented and virtual reality, career and technical education applications, science, technology, engineering and math, special needs and more. “We always take a balanced approach to the curricular topics — teaching and learning, higher education, leadership and technology — that educators are interested in,” says TCEA Executive Director Lori Gracey.

Even so, one of the common throughlines at the conference will be artificial intelligence, with opportunities for participants, no matter their role, to approach AI from multiple angles.

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Don’t Miss Out on AI Credentials, AI-Focused Leadership Summit

The AI-focused sessions will address boosting student mental health, empowering district leaders, techniques for teaching and assessment, navigating ethical landmines, AI’s impact on augmented and virtual reality and more. In one of the sessions, CDW and Advanced Learning Partnerships will share lessons learned from schools that took a year to intentionally implement AI. There will even be a student panel on AI.

For the first time, convention organizers will offer a leadership summit for administrators to take a deep dive into how emerging technologies can impact some of the most pressing issues in K–12. The summit will include several panel discussions and workshops addressing AI and its impact on leadership, cybersecurity and data privacy.

Those looking to hone their expertise in generative AI, may want to consider getting one of TCEA’s newest microcredentials: AI in Education. Attendees will need to attend at least six sessions to earn the credential. Sessions range from increasing student inquiry, defending against AI cyberbullies, customizing your AI teaching assistant and mastering prompt engineering.

Learn How to Lock Down Student Data

Even though more states have joined the federal government in offering K–12 schools cybersecurity funding, guidance and support, there is a lot more to learn about protecting student data. Some of the cybersecurity sessions at this year’s convention will address cybersecurity and AI, cyber resilience, cybersecurity controls, using AI to automate your security stack, vigilance through systematic thinking and a Google for Education security workshop.

DISCOVER: How states are stepping up to fight hackers in K–12.

Level Up Your Adobe, Google and Microsoft Skills

The convention is also an opportunity for participants to become proficient in popular applications from Adobe, Google and Microsoft.

The Adobe sessions will share how to get the most out of Adobe Express, animation, podcasting, responsible generative AI and more.

RELATED: Here are the latest updates in Adobe Express for Education.

In the Google sessions, participants will learn strategies for enhancing engagement, boosting efficiency and productivity and implementing automation. Other sessions will cover data-driven individualized instruction, data loss prevention and how to audit your Google domain.

Microsoft sessions will offer attendees the chance to develop expertise in its power applications, planner, collaboration tools, learning accelerators, automation and Minecraft Education.

To ensure you don’t miss a moment of TCEA event coverage, keep this page bookmarked and follow @EdTech_K12 on the social platform X for live updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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