Learn21's Weekly EdTech Update

July 10, 2025

ISTELive 25: Learning, Leading, and Connecting in San Antonio

We’re back from ISTELive 25 in San Antonio and what an inspiring few days! The Learn21 team was thrilled to present, connect, and collaborate with so many of our favorite people in EdTech. It was a joy to see old friends, make new ones, and exchange ideas with partners from CoSN, ISTE+ASCD, SETDA, and A4L. Events like ISTE remind us why we do this work.

The EdTech community is filled with passionate leaders working to make a real difference in schools, districts, and companies.

Our team presented three engaging sessions focused on leadership, cybersecurity, and digital well-being:

New National Cybersecurity Standards Demand Greater Leadership, Governance, Culture, Change, and Transformation

Kevin Ghantous and Stacy Hawthorne, Ed.D. broke down what schools need to know about evolving national cybersecurity standards .These changes demand bold, strategic leadership across education systems.

It Takes Longer Than 60 Minutes to Vet a Single App

Kevin was also proud to co-host a powerful session with David Sallay, Director of Data Privacy at the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC). This session tackled the post-ISTE reality that many IT teams face: an avalanche of app requests (and shadow IT) as educators return excited about new tools. Kevin and David walked participants through how to engage with district app vetting processes and emphasized the importance of ensuring students have safe, high-quality tools to support learning.

The Creative Leader’s Blueprint: Fostering Resilience in Education

Stacy led this high-energy Turbo Talk exploring the connection between creativity and resilience in school leadership. The session offered practical strategies for fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability. Stacy's seen first-hand the positive impact of this type of leadership and believes that it will buoy every educational leader.

SEL in Bytes: Quick Wins for Emotional Well-Being in Any Classroom

Erica Shumaker shared fast, accessible strategies for integrating social-emotional learning into any classroom. From using EdTech tools to foster connection to modeling SEL practices yourself, the audience left with quick wins they could implement immediately.

As always, we left ISTELive re-energized and inspired by the creativity, leadership, and heart in the EdTech community. We love hearing how school and company leaders are solving real problems and shaping the future of learning.

If we didn’t get a chance to connect in San Antonio—let’s not wait until next year. Drop us a line; we’d love to continue the conversation.

Media Literacy Minute

New AI Tool "IsItCap" Detects Fake News and Media Bias

A new free tool, IsItCap.com, uses AI to analyze the accuracy and bias of online content. Created by AI software company IsItCap, the tool allows users to paste links or text and get quick assessments of factuality and ideological leanings. The aim is to equip everyday readers, especially students, with an accessible way to critically evaluate what they encounter online.

Why Bad Ideas Go Viral—and Good Ones Don’t

In The New Yorker, staff writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus reviews “Outrage Machine,” a new book examining the failure of good ideas to gain traction in today’s media ecosystem. The book argues that sensationalism, tribalism, and algorithmic amplification help false or extreme content spread faster than nuanced, truthful reporting. A must-read for anyone interested in the psychology and mechanics behind misinformation.

EU Risk Assessments Still Key in Curbing Disinformation

A Tech Policy Press article explores how disinformation risk assessments, once a controversial part of the EU’s Digital Services Act, are gaining traction as an effective strategy. Advocacy groups emphasize that platforms must conduct regular evaluations of how their algorithms may amplify false narratives, especially during elections or political campaigns. Though debated, the practice continues to be a core recommendation for tech accountability in democratic societies.

The Power of Connection: Looking Forward to the ETLA Conference

After the incredible energy of ISTELive 25, one thing is clear: in challenging times, connection is more important than ever.

Whether we were catching up with longtime partners or meeting new EdTech leaders, ISTE reminded us that the best ideas often come from conversations. In an environment where schools and districts are being asked to do more with less, building relationships and sharing strategies across the EdTech community is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

That’s exactly the spirit we’re bringing to the 2025 ETLA Conference this October. With the theme "Game On," we’re ready to power up professional learning, spark new collaborations, and celebrate the innovation happening in our districts, classrooms, and companies.

What to Look Forward To

This year’s conference is packed with opportunities to connect, including:

Keynotes from Marlo Gaddis and Tom Burton
A TopGolf Social on Sunday to tee up connections in a fun, relaxed setting
A Giant PacMan game to bring the nostalgic vibes (and maybe a little friendly competition)
The return of DJ Dale on Monday night to keep the energy high and the dance floor moving

Early Bird Pricing Ends Thursday, August 21

Register now to lock in the discounted rate! ETLA member districts get an additional 10% off. If you are not sure if your district qualifies or if you have questions, reach out to our conference planner Erica Shumaker at conference@learn21.org.

Let’s carry the momentum from ISTELive forward. Join us at the ETLA Conference and be part of a growing community that believes in collaboration, creativity, and leadership. Especially when budgets are tight and the stakes are high.

Learn more and register today at www.learn21.org/conference

Big Ideas

Tor Alva: Baroque 3-D Printing Meets Alpine Opera

ETH Zurich’s “White Tower” is being robot-printed in 102 concrete columns and assembled in the tiny Swiss village of Mulegns. The 30-meter spire doubles as a 45-seat performance hall, shows how additive manufacturing can deliver ornate, relocatable architecture without formwork or waste, and prints its parts in just 900 hours. Picture pop-up cultural landmarks that travel as easily as a touring set—architects everywhere should be taking notes. newatlas.com

Microsoft’s Aurora Turns Weather AI Into an Earth-System Oracle

Trained on a million hours of atmospheric data, Aurora outperforms traditional models on 91 percent of forecasting targets, nails cyclone tracks days earlier, and even predicts sand-storm air quality. It even spits results out 5,000-times faster! By open-sourcing the weights, Microsoft invites researchers to fine-tune it for everything from crop logistics to flood mapping. It’s a glimpse of foundation models that don’t just chat, they model the planet. news.microsoft.com

Medicine Gets Personal—One Layer at a Time

3-D printers now churn out prosthetic hands for kids, dental crowns while you wait, and even color-matched exoskeletons, thus shifting care from “one-size-fits-most” to bespoke. Costs are dropping, insurers are warming, and new reimbursement codes are on the way, removing a key adoption hurdle. For health systems, the call to action is clear: build additive know-how now, or watch rivals print the future first. healthleadersmedia.com