| |
| August 18, 2026 |
| CONNECT WITH ISTE |
| CONNECT WITH ISTE |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| |
| Edtech news for those building the future of edtech
| SIGN UP ⋅ SHARE |
|
|
 |
| (AI-drawn with SmartBrief editor's direction.) |
A SmartBrief and Tech & Learning survey of US K-12 decision-makers shows a shift from traditional seasonal buying to year-round purchasing, with 54% making decisions on a rolling basis. Top spending areas for the next two years include professional development, instructional tools and AI.
SmartTake: Funding and budget constraints remain the biggest challenges, influencing purchasing behavior significantly. We pulled the top reasons sales don't go through into the chart. What can you change so those aren't an issue for your edtech tool?
|
|
|
|
|
Join us on Sept 3 for an interactive live webinar exploring AI integration in education with a focus on vital governance. The conversation will be kicked off by Kanoe Namahoe, SmartBrief's Editorial Director, and moderated by Jess Steinbach, Head of Custom Solutions at FutureB2B. Gain insights and strategies to effectively integrate. Register today! |
|
|
|
| ADVERTISEMENT |  |
|
 
|
Matt Kuhn, chief technology officer for Volusia (Fla.) County Schools, says the district's well-considered AI program has evolved since it started in 2024 and says it's important for schools and parents to know that AI isn't like ChatGPT. "It diagnoses student needs and gives them a prescription in real time," he says in this video, noting that it helps students who are far behind or those who need more challenges and allows students and teachers to work more effectively. Kuhn says it's important to explain that schools are only using a specific set of vetted AI tools that protect student data and augment rather than replace learning, and adults should monitor any home AI usage.
|
|
|
Linguistics students at the Language & Technology Research Group at Columbia University's Teachers College, led by Erik Voss, collaborate to develop and test edtech tools rooted in linguistic research. The group emphasizes subject matter expertise and research-driven development, shaping tools that are responsive and specific rather than one-size-fits-all.
|
|
|
|
Virtual and in-person training on AI from the American Federation of Teachers through the $23 million National Academy for AI Instruction is expected to help 400,000 educators through 2030. The program helps teachers examine the technology's potential benefits and risks and empowers educators to make informed choices about the use, if any, of AI in classrooms. The training emphasizes practices that protect student cognitive development, privacy and independent thinking.
|
|
|
|
Indiana has spent $327 million on classroom technology since 2016, and now some parents and lawmakers are pushing to limit its use due to concerns about children's attention spans and social skills. After passing a statewide cellphone ban in schools, legislators like Rep. Jake Teshka are exploring restrictions on school-issued devices and one-to-one technology policies. For example, a suggested state grant program would help districts end edtech contracts and purchase print textbooks.
|
|
|
|
Top stories from last week's newsletter
|
|
Every school district writing AI policy right now is making a bet about the future, often without much data behind it. On This Week with EdSurge, we look at that bet from two very different vantage points: one guest who spent a year studying policy from a distance, and another who helped write it from the inside. |
|
|
For the most part, public school students have made significant strides in returning to subject proficiency levels from before the pandemic, but a disturbing exception is the lowest-achieving students in middle school, whose reading scores have suffered greatly. Keep reading. |
|
Want to help shape the ISTE=ASCD Annual Conference 2027 in Boston? Reviewer & Leader selection process begins 8/15/26. Apply now. |
|
|
| About ISTE Solutions Network |
|
| The Solutions Network a member-based community that aims to 1) connect innovative solution providers to one another to learn, explore, and share best practices, 2) engage with the ISTE/ASCD member community to gather feedback and increase the impact of high-quality learning solutions, 3) engage in thought leadership conversations and 4) provide benefits for the annual ASCD + ISTE conference, where approximately 16,000 educators, decision-makers, and vendors convene. This community is made up of edtech companies of various sizes that are interested in engaging with each other and with ISTE to discuss Edtech’s role in teaching and learning, industry trends, and solve common challenges. Members of this network can benefit from connecting with industry experts and thought leaders, as well as from gaining key buyer information and insights.
|
|
|
|
| Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual ASCD + ISTE endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD + ISTE.
|
|
|
|
|
| Got this from a friend? Subscribe now and stay in the loop! |
|
 |
|
| |
| When you play chess alone it's always your move. |
Charles Simic,
poet, editor, Pulitzer Prize for Poetry recipient, 15th US poet laureate |
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Copyright © 2026 SmartBrief. All Rights Reserved. A division of Future US LLC. |
| Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036. |
|
|
|
