isteofficial

This Black History Month we are honoring Sheldon L. Eakins, an education leader, author, and founder of Purposeful Teaching Academy. Sheldon draws inspiration from Benjamin Banneker and reminds future leaders to lead with courage, curiosity, and compassion.
How are you leading with purpose today?

Join your peers at ISTELive 26 and the ASCD Annual Conference 26, June 28 to July 1 in Orlando or online to:
✨ Strengthen your leadership
🔎 Discover strategies
🤝 Connect with leaders
Register by March 2 for the super early bird rate. conference.iste.org/2026

How AI Makes Differentiation Possible AI tools provide a path to sustainable differentiation—helping teachers meet students’ needs without burning out.

Differentiation has always been the goal, and today’s tools are changing what’s possible.
Jessica Garner shares how AI can support diverse learners while protecting teacher capacity.
Read more: www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
ISTE+ASCD members get unlimited access.

The first weeks of school feel magical. Then reality hits. What helps classroom culture last? Intention, consistency, and a little joy. Catherine Cottingham shares how routines and micro-rituals help classroom culture stick all year.
Read more: www.ascd.org/blogs/buildi...
#ClassroomCulture

When educators respond to errors with curiosity, learning deepens. Wrong answers become reflection, momentum, and growth. What shifts when mistakes feel safe instead of risky? Try one strategy this week. www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
#TeachingStrategies #StudentLearning

Reigniting Purpose and Possibility in Learning with Personal Interest Projects It’s time for more individualized, in-depth learning that bridges the academic and real world.

When learning starts with curiosity, purpose follows.
Elizabeth Agro Radday shows how Personal Interest Projects connect academics to the real world. As AI is reshaping the academic landscape, PIPs build skills that matter beyond school.
www.ascd.org/blogs/reigni...
#StudentCenteredLearning

Join ISTE+ASCD on Feb 20 at 10:00 AM ET for Prototyping and Pitching Your AI Innovator Project. Learn how to build simple prototypes, strengthen your pitch, and show responsible AI use. Register now: iste.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#AIInnovatorChallenge #AIinEducation

@sheilaescobedo.bsky.social is our #Connect Community Member of the Month - and shares her passion.

🫶 Find out more about Sheila & watch the full recording on Connect - anyone can join #ISTE + #ASCD community platform:

🎥 bit.ly/SheilaEscobedo

@isteofficial.bsky.social @ascdofficial.bsky.social

🎤 Keynote announcement!
We’re excited to announce Michelle Culver, Founder of The Rithm Project, as the keynote speaker for this year’s Solutions Summit presented by ISTE x Whiteboard Advisors.
📅 Sunday, June 28 | 📍 Orlando, Florida 
 
Learn more and register: conference.iste.org/2026/exhibit...

A Member Learning Event 🗣️

Join our online workshop on Feb 12 @ 2 PM ET.

Discover how to lead with clarity by doing less, ensuring your staff initiatives are meaningful & sustainable.

Not a member? Learn more!

bit.ly/MLNFeb12th

@isteofficial.bsky.social @ascdofficial.bsky.social

Coach Today, Save Time Tomorrow A coaching mindset brings calm to busy schools, strengthens relationships, and promotes problem solving among staff.

When school life speeds up, a coaching mindset helps leaders slow down with purpose. Coaching first builds trust and saves time by empowering educators to solve problems together.
Read Coach Today, Save Time Tomorrow by Melinda Glowacki: www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
#InstructionalLeadership

ISTE+ASCD welcomes new members to our Board of Directors and shares leadership updates for 2026. Ulcca Joshi Hansen, Jamar Knox, and Jacqueline Smalls join the board, with Patricia Brown elected as incoming president-elect to serve alongside current president Jeremy Owoh. iste.org/news/iste-as...

Kicking off Black History Month by spotlighting Paula Polk, an ISTE+ASCD author with 16 years in education supporting multilingual learners PreK–12.
Inspired by Mary McLeod Bethune, Paula reflects on the power of education to uplift communities and future generations.
#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackVoices

Leveraging What We Know for Better PD Studying five common challenges can help educators close gaps in professional learning.

Zachary Herrmann and Pam Grossman break down 5 common PD challenges—and what actually works in real classrooms.
Want meaningful learning for students? Start with educators.
Read more: ascd.org/el/articles/leveraging-what-we-know-for-better-pd
#ProfessionalLearning #TeacherDevelopment

AI and Ethics: What School Leaders Need to Know Five must-follow recommendations for navigating the complexities of AI in your building.

Ethical AI isn’t just policy—it’s practice.

In AI and Ethics: What School Leaders Need to Know, Torrey Trust and Robert W. Maloy share 5 practical actions to address privacy, bias, and responsible AI use.

Which action matters most for your school?
www.ascd.org/el/articles/...

AI for Young Learners: Jump Start Guide by Nneka J. McGee helps early childhood and elementary educators and families introduce AI concepts safely and ethically through real-life examples and unplugged activities.
Get the guide: my.iste-ascd.org/s/store#/sto...
#EarlyLearning #AIinEducation

Step Out of the “Fix-It” Reflex The most powerful leadership tool isn’t advice—it’s attention.

Our instinct as leaders is often to fix, offer advice, or share a strategy.
But the most powerful move isn’t a solution. It’s attention.
What if you paused and said, “Tell me more”?
Read more: www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
#EducationalLeadership #InstructionalCoaching

The Other Half of Learning: Why Out-of-School Programs Matter Dr. Deborah Moroney discusses the new Future of Youth Development report and shares how school leaders can partner with out-of-school providers to coordinate student support, share meaningful data, an

What does meaningful learning after 3:00 p.m. really look like? 🎧
On the ISTE+ASCD Podcast, Deborah Moroney shares insights from the Future of Youth Development report and explains how school leaders can partner with out-of-school programs to better support students. Listen: ascd.org/podcasts/the...

Lauren Porosoff challenges educators to move beyond one-off initiatives and focus on instructional design that shapes students’ daily learning experience.
👉 ISTE+ASCD members can read the full Educational Leadership article: www.ascd.org/el/articles/...

Designing Meaningful Norms for Professional Learning These three strategies can move norms from a passive practice to a key part of PD.

Norms don’t have to feel forced.
In Designing Meaningful Norms for Professional Learning, Megan Kortlandt and Samantha Keesling share three strategies to make norms matter. Read more: www.ascd.org/blogs/design...
#ProfessionalLearning #InstructionalLeadership

Registration is open for the 2026 Solutions Summit at ISTELive! 
An exclusive one-day summit for edtech leaders, innovators, and experts to exchange ideas, network with peers, and shape what’s next for teaching and learning.
🔗https://conference.iste.org/2026/exhibitors/solutions_summit.php

Proactive Planning for Productive PLCs by Carrie Rosebrock shows how smart PLC design builds trust, strengthens collaboration, and keeps the focus on student learning. Members get 20% off! my.iste-ascd.org/s/store#/sto...
#PLCs #InstructionalLeadership #ProfessionalLearning

In The Year of the Sentence, Michele Myers shares how simplifying writing instruction helped students strengthen thinking, comprehension, and expression, with results that scaled across grades. www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
 
ISTE+ASCD members get unlimited access to Educational Leadership Magazine!

4 Universal Principles for Effective Teacher PD From Angola to Zambia, teachers across the globe share a common understanding of what makes PD truly valuable.

After interviewing 136 teachers across 29 countries, four principles emerged: PD must be relevant, collaborative, continuous, and teacher-driven. When those align, learning leads to real classroom impact.
Read more: www.ascd.org/blogs/4-univ...
#TeacherPD #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducatorLearning

Want more engaged students? Learning They'll Love shows grades 5–12 educators how Personal Interest Projects build curiosity and critical thinking—with ready-to-use tools they need to make it happen: my.iste-ascd.org/s/store#/sto...

#AIinEducation #StudentVoice #K12Education

Apply for a FREE AI Deep Dive for Educators (Feb 23–Apr 23). Get 15 hours of AI training, a certificate, a FREE 1-year ISTE+ASCD membership, and a chance to present at ISTELive 2026.
⏰ Apply by Jan 23
🌍 PK–12 educators worldwide + U.S. faculty
Apply: iste.org/generationai...

New year, same full plate.
Jill Handley and Lara Donnelly explore how small practices like intention setting and mindful breathing can help educators be more present every day.
Read more with ISTE+ASCD member access. www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
#MindfulTeaching

The Power of Condensing the Curriculum These three “powerplays” guide educators in paring down content and promoting deeper learning.

In this month’s EL, Thomas Hatch shows how integration, micro-innovations, and niches of possibility support deeper learning without overwhelming teachers. Use code MEMBER25 for 20 percent off ISTE+ASCD membership through Dec 31. www.ascd.org/el/articles/... #Curriculum #EdLeaders

Necessary, Nice, or Needless? Performing an audit of your school’s initiatives can help identify the most essential and sustainable programs.

Initiative fatigue is real. Teresa D. Hill shares a simple way to move from overload to purpose by sorting initiatives into necessary, nice, or needless. This helps teams reclaim time and refocus on student needs. What category fits your work? www.ascd.org/el/articles/...

Registration is open. Join the learning community in Orlando from June 28 to July 1 as ISTELive 26 and the ASCD Annual Conference come together for one immersive experience. Explore new ideas and leadership practices that move learning forward. iste-ascd.org/events #ISTELive #ASCDAnnual #EdTech