Classroom Technology

Inside ISTE 2026: EdWeek’s Daily Updates

By Sean Cavanagh — June 30, 2026 | Updated: July 01, 2026 2 min read
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Education Week’s reporters and visual team are on the scene at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference—the nation’s largest ed-tech gathering.

Here are highlights from EdWeek’s daily coverage of the massive show. We’ll be updating the list throughout the event.

Wednesday, July 1

Here’s What Happened When 6th Graders Designed Their Dream School
Two Arizona technology teachers sought to prod their students to use digital tools to fuel creativity, not passively consume content. So they charged them with designing their dream school.

How Educators Can Encourage AI Skill-Building Without Being Tech Cheerleaders
In Maine, education leaders say they’re hearing concerns from teachers about AI use leading to cognitive offloading—the process of using external resources to reduce mental effort—and loss of foundational skills.

What’s Missing in Career Education? A Case for ‘Career Identity’
A career exploration coordinator for one of the nation’s largest school districts argues that there’s something missing from the conversation around career exploration: a focus on building students’ career identities instead of just exposing them to a range of careers.

Tuesday, June 30

Tech-Savvy Educators Weigh In on ‘Techlash’
EdWeek’s reporters asked attendees at the show how they view the resistance to digital tools that has emerged in some school communities.

‘Building AI Apps Is Not Easy': Stretch, ISTE’s Chatbot, Is Finally Ready to Go
Supporters of the AI tool say it will direct a more focused set of resources to educators than they normally can count on.

Staffing, Mentoring, Strategy: Can AI Solve Big Problems at School?
The technology has the potential to help K-12 administrators find solutions to vexing challenges—even teacher retention, said one speaker at the event.

How to Use Paper to Teach About AI and Cutting-Edge Tech
Teachers don’t need to rely on AI tools to ground students in many of the core questions and implications surrounding the technology, a speaker at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference says.

Monday, June 29

How an English Teacher Helps Students Find Their Voices in the Age of AI
A middle school teacher in New York describes how she seeks to nurture student writing skills, and critical thinking, even as AI’s influence spreads.

What’s in a Name? Check Out the ISTE+ASCD Rebrand...ish
ISTE announces that it is choosing a name that goes back to its roots— with a twist.

Digital Literacy Isn’t a One-Off Lesson. How Teachers Can Build Student Skills
Navigating social-media and the overall online environment requires students to do more than fact-checking. They have to manage their emotions and take a sophisticated approach to challenging sources, an academic researcher at ISTE explains.

There’s a New Pledge for Schools to Show They’re Deliberate About Ed-Tech Use
The organization running the conference is partnering with GreatSchools.org on a pledge meant to help schools prove to parents they’re using tech thoughtfully.

Previewing the show

Tech Backlash Prompts Responses From Leader of Ed-Tech Group
EdWeek interviews ISTE+ASCD CEO Richard Culatta, who weighs in on how schools should react to parents’ concerns about tech influence and screen time in schools.

Events

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