For more than 40 years, the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) has brought together thousands of educators and technology leaders to revolutionize K-12 education. This year’s event didn’t disappoint with a packed agenda covering the most pressing issues, the changing digital landscape and new learning opportunities for teachers and students. Across all of the discussions – on the agenda and on the floor, it all pointed back to the importance of the connected classroom. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the event:
The Hottest Tool in the Teacher’s Tool chest: Artificial Intelligence
With roughly a quarter of the sessions covering this important topic, AI was a major focus at this year’s conference. What does it mean for students and teachers? Is it a quality tool or an impending threat?
If used safely, the discussions highlighted a myriad of benefits for AI for enhancing the learning experience – from personalized learning, immediate feedback, enhanced content and accessibility and inclusion. Teachers are able to use AI for better classroom management by identifying disruptions and fostering collaboration. They are even able to boost their professional development, simplify lesson planning and automate dozens of more menial tasks in the classroom (i.e. attendance tracking) to save time for higher-impact tasks and instruction. There’s also data and analytics for personalization and enhancing the overall experience on campuses.
AI will take the connected classroom to a new level, and by taking the right steps now, K-12 schools have the opportunity to transform the learning environment to prepare for a bright future.
Cybersecurity in the Connected Classroom
With classroom lessons shifting to include more digital components, cybersecurity was rightfully a hot topic. From phishing, to data breaches, to social engineering, training teachers, students and staff on keeping safe online is critical. Just this month, schools across the country were notified that a widely adopted learning platform PowerSchool was hacked, putting 62 million students at risk of stolen personal information.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared K-12 school districts “a near constant ransomware target” in its 2024 threat assessment report. The security risk landscape in 2025 will likely include more sophisticated attacks as threat actors leverage AI and other emerging technologies.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a three-year, $200 million pilot program to help schools and libraries acquire cybersecurity equipment and services. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency provided recommendations to guide districts in prioritizing and implementing security measures. At a state level, they’ve also stepped in and offered funding, training and IT solutions.
Funding the Upgrades
Many schools struggle with the funding to properly upgrade their infrastructure to support the new tools. This challenge stems from a lack of awareness and understanding of how to navigate the funding landscape.
There are numerous funding options available to K12 schools, and FETC hosted discussions to ensure schools know what to do to secure these funds, especially with this year’s E-Rate deadline quickly approaching at the end of March. According to E-Rate expert Holly Davis during our funding session, she explained that nearly 40 percent of schools do not take advantage of the billions of dollars in government and private funding available.
The Office of Educational Technology’s 2024 National Education Technology Plan called on districts to close gaps in digital “access, design and use” to help students leverage technology in strategic and meaningful ways. These funds can be used toward upgrading internet access and on-campus infrastructure. Our goal is that we can help close the gap of the 1 in 4 school districts that have yet to meet the FCC’s 1 Mbps per student bandwidth goal.
Across teachers, students, administrators and even parents and the community, we all want to provide a solid foundation for our K-12 campuses.
Building the Connected Classroom with Nomadix
Nomadix provides safe, reliable connectivity and digital engagement solutions to K-12 schools, helping support and expand the connected classroom.
Our technology enables secure authentication and onboarding, which are indispensable components of a robust digital infrastructure. Crucial for safeguarding sensitive student and staff data, these measures ensure compliance with privacy regulations and prevent unauthorized access. Due to increasing reliance on digital tools and platforms for education, stringent onboarding processes become pivotal in facilitating seamless connectivity for students, teachers and administrators. Additionally, we empower K-12 educational institutions to strategically implement Wi-Fi technology, cloud telephony and safety badges.
Interested in learning more? Connect with us to see how you can upgrade your infrastructure to support e-learning and the new tools available for the connected classroom.
Michael Fox is Senior Director, Business Development at Nomadix, an ASSA ABLOY Company.