Preparing for the Practical Use of AI
Countless sessions at TCEA 2026 aim to help teachers, staff, media specialists, librarians, IT directors and other K–12 stakeholders navigate AI. This includes everything from the legal implications and risks to data and governance, IT constraints and basic questions about which tools to use.
Some sessions will explore specific schools’ journeys and chronicle their lessons learned.
Other sessions will focus more on best practices. All of them center on using AI responsibly and meaningfully. We identified a few key AI sessions to keep bookmarked:
- AI Matchmaker: Finding the Right Tool for the Right Task
- AI Readiness: Data Security, Governance and End-User Adoption
- Our AI Journey Is Still Unfolding
Working Toward a Future-Ready Classroom
Break-fix strategies, grant funding for the latest tech, streamlining device management with limited staff: All of these will be covered in-depth during TCEA 2026.
Most notably, Bruce Ellis, director of professional development for TCEA, will present a Sunday morning session titled Evidence-Based Practices for Technology Integration. The one-hour presentation will examine “which technology-supported strategies consistently improve outcomes across grade levels,” according to TCEA’s website. Other sessions we’re looking forward to include:
- Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Grant Funding for Schools
- Beyond the Break/Fix: Designing Future-Ready School IT
- Streamlining Device Management With Limited Staff
- Small/Rural Schools Tech Director Forum
Strengthening Security Remains a Districtwide Imperative
The name of the game has always been doing more with less. This is despite a challenging cybersecurity environment and clear threats from AI regarding data privacy.
Some sessions will focus on how AI (which presents threats of its own) is helping with cybersecurity and physical security. Others will highlight why, and how, IT and AI are becoming bigger parts of all things pertaining to school safety and security. Physical security will also be heavily discussed, in addition to these topics:
- Harnessing AI for Good: The Bright and Dark Sides of AI and Cybersecurity
- The 5 Playbooks Everyone Needs
- Who’s Watching You? Protecting Student and Staff Data-Cybersecurity
- The Future of School Safety: Doing More With Less
ICYMI: Check out our coverage of FETC 2026.
Interactive Media and Esports Take Center Stage
Last but not least, CDW — a sponsor of TCEA 2026 — will present multiple sessions about how the company has helped schools use esports (and Minecraft specifically) to facilitate engagement and learning in K–12 settings. This includes a panel featuring members of Fort Sam Houston Independent School District’s esports team.
Other school stakeholders and districts will also be presenting stories about esports and gamification use cases. Below is a list of some of the sessions worth checking out pertaining to interactive media and esports:
- Learning To Use Minecraft for Education With Fort Sam Houston ISD
- Panel Discussion With Fort Sam Houston ISD’s Esports Team
- Level Up: Building a K–12 Esports Program That Inspires All Students
- Code Word: ESCAPE (Session on using Google tools to develop digital escape rooms)
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