Learn21's Weekly EdTech Update

October 16, 2025

Curious Leadership: Leading from Wherever You Are

If there’s one word that defines the kind of leadership we need right now, it’s curiosity.

Not the kind that’s surface-level or polite, but the kind that keeps you open when it would be easier to shut down—the kind that helps you navigate uncertainty, ask better questions, and truly see the people around you.

In education, we’ve all felt the weight of constant change. From staffing shortages and budget pressures to new technologies and community expectations, the work can feel relentless. But curiosity helps us stay grounded. It reminds us that we don’t have to have every answer, we just have to keep learning.

Curiosity Starts with You

Curiosity in leadership begins with knowing yourself. It’s about being reflective enough to notice your own patterns and humble enough to keep growing. When you stay curious about your own leadership—what’s working, what isn’t, what’s next—you model a growth mindset for everyone around you.

And when you approach your work this way, you signal that learning isn’t just for students. It’s part of what it means to lead.

Be Curious About Others

Curiosity also shows up in how we see and serve others. Every person you work with, teachers, students, families, colleagues, brings a story, a set of strengths, and a set of struggles. When we lead with curiosity, we take the time to understand what drives people, what they value, and what they need to thrive.

Curious leaders ask thoughtful questions, listen deeply, and stay open to perspectives that challenge their own. They build trust because their teams know that being seen and heard matters more than being right.

Curiosity, at its core, is relational. It reminds us that leadership isn’t about control; it’s about connection.

Stay Curious, Stay Human

Being curious doesn’t mean being indecisive. Curiosity means being intentional. It’s about creating space for discovery before jumping to solutions. It’s what allows innovation to happen and collaboration to take root.

As leaders, we set the tone. When we lead with curiosity, we create cultures where people feel safe to explore, share, and grow. And that’s the kind of environment where learning and leadership flourish.

An Invitation

If you’re ready to reconnect with your own sense of wonder and lead with greater empathy, join me for “The Leadership We Need: Culture is THE Strategy” at the 2025 ETLA Conference. Together, we’ll explore how curiosity can help us lead from wherever we are with purpose, authenticity, and heart.

Because when we stay curious, we don’t just adapt to change, we help shape what comes next.

Media Literacy Minute

AI Literacy: More Than Just a Tech Skill

Digital literacy is evolving and in this Psychology Today article, the author argues that AI literacy is simply the next extension of media and digital literacy. The same skills that help us question, verify, and understand bias in traditional media now apply to AI-generated content as well

Raising Kids Who Are AI-Native, Not AI-Dependent

In this Forbes piece, the author explores how families can raise children who grow up with AI, not for it. The article highlights the importance of nurturing creativity, reinforcing literacy skills, and setting healthy boundaries on AI use which helps kids treat AI as a tool rather than a shortcut.

“War of the Worlds” and the Power of Panic

This DW article revisits the infamous 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast to explore how mass media can spark confusion and fear. The event offers a timeless reminder that media literacy isn’t just about facts—it’s also about understanding influence, trust, and the psychology behind how we respond to what we hear and see.

Scary Apps Are Back: What K-12 Leaders Should Watch This October

by Stacy Hawthorne, Ed.D.

Every October, we dust off the cobwebs on common classroom tools and ask a simple question: would you invite this app into your district’s “digital house”? Our annual Scary Apps campaign isn’t about fear, it’s about clarity. Edtech leaders juggle safety, instruction, and compliance daily; this series spotlights apps whose terms, practices, or refusal to sign Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) make them poor fits for students.

This year’s campaign comes with an extra reason to celebrate: Mike Porter, our newest team member and Colorado-based data privacy strategist, took the lead on Scary Apps 2025. Mike brings years of experience helping schools navigate privacy agreements, and he’s already showing he’s not afraid to shine a light on the monsters lurking in app stores. (Welcome to the haunted mansion, Mike!)

Here are a few patterns and concrete examples Mike found to help inform your decisions this fall:

1) Age gates matter (and they’re often buried).

Several popular creation and productivity tools restrict use to 16+ or 18+. Examples in this year’s working list include Bambu Lab (16+, accounts for under-16 may be deleted), Corel Draw (18+), Trello (16+), MyFitnessPal (18+), and Read AI (18+). If your students are younger, those terms alone should halt classroom use—even before a privacy review.

2) Targeted advertising has no place in K-12.

We continue to see mainstream apps that track behavior and serve ads. Angry Birds and Nitro Type are notable examples; Goodreads and Quizlet also allow targeted advertising or use student PII for product development. That’s a mismatch with FERPA expectations and your community’s trust.

3) “Free” can be the scariest price of all.

Some free tiers are explicitly not FERPA-friendly. Padlet’s free versions allow public sharing of PII and don’t meet DPA requirements; only Padlet for Schools is designed for education compliance. Grammarly’s free consumer product raises concerns, while the education-specific version (G4E) is the safer path.

4) Refusal to sign DPAs is a red flag.

If a vendor won’t sign, it’s a signal to pause and reassess. Animoto, Roblox, GroupMe, and others in this set either don’t sign DPAs or require parental consent workarounds, creating equity and governance challenges. When a DPA is a “no,” your move is simple: seek a district-safe alternative.

5) Data flows you can’t see still count.

Discord notes data storage outside the U.S. and lacks robust age-gating; Bitmoji (a Snap company) shares PII across platforms. Even if students behave, the architecture may not.

6) “Beloved apps” can still be misaligned with K-12.

Duolingo states its services aren’t intended for children, uses third-party trackers, and refuses to sign DPAs; Spotify requires users to be 18 or have parental consent, and content risk remains. The question isn’t popularity, it’s appropriateness.

What district leaders can do this month

Audit your app roster against age and DPA status. Flag anything 16+/18+ or “no DPA.” A simple spreadsheet check will surface quick wins. Use “Not Approved” or “Approved w/ Parent Consent” labels consistently if your policy allows them. (See the Duolingo note on district postings.)

Prioritize edu-grade versions and safer substitutes.
Replace Padlet Free with Padlet for Schools or a district-vetted alternative.
Prefer Grammarly for Education (G4E) over the consumer/free edition.
Swap Quizlet for Knowt or Quizizz when student data use is a concern.
Use Sora (OverDrive’s K-12 product) instead of Libby.

Communicate the “why.” Families and staff appreciate transparent explanations: age gating protects students; DPAs codify vendor obligations; ad-tech models conflict with instructional spaces. Brief, plain-language one-pagers help principals say “no” or “let’s look for another tool” with confidence.

Align AI use with policy. Some tools in the list include generative AI or AI-enabled analytics with 16+ limits or unclear data rights. Confirm your AI policy covers age thresholds, model training on student content, and opt-out mechanics.

Close the loopholes. Parental consent isn’t a substitute for vendor compliance; it shifts legal risk and can undermine equity when families feel pressured to “sign or miss out.” Also, it creates additional oversight for staff to manage the classroom experience. Often, defaulting to education-grade products and district accounts over personal sign-ups is the better, less scary way to go.

The goal of Scary Apps isn’t to ban everything; it’s to buy back trust by making careful, student-first choices. Throughout October we’ll highlight specific apps, explain the risk in plain language, and point to better options. Follow along on our socials for daily posts and check our Scary Apps page for the running list and district-ready language you can reuse with your teams.

Want help reviewing your roster, drafting parent letters, or building a DPA-first procurement policy? Hit reply, we’re happy to partner so your students learn in spaces that are safe, inclusive, and ad-free where it matters most. Happy trick or treating!

Big Ideas

There’s likely a qubit in your future

Quantum computing continues to move from theoretical to practical technology as scientists continue to make improvements in their standards and practices. At its most basic level, quantum computing transcends the limitations of existing computing by moving beyond the binary state of “O” or “1”. In quantum computing, the basic unit of knowledge is qubit, and it exists in both states simultaneously. More on the progress of quantum computing here at phys.org

Hola Amigos

File under “I wish I had this in Spanish class.” Apple’s latest models of their ubiquitous AirPods include the feature of live translation. Early reviews indicate that the technology works pretty well, and will no doubt improve with time and machine learning.

Does it work for headaches?

Scientists at Britain's University of Exeter have found some promising practices in the area of pain relief by coupling natural scenery with virtual reality. They have found that using VR and relaxing, natural scenery has the same effect as traditional painkillers, and provide pain relief even beyond the VR session. Take a stroll over here for the article.