Elements of T+L will now be part of NSBA's annual conference.

Reflecting the toll that the struggling economy has taken on education, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) said its 24^th annual Technology + Learning (T+L) conference, held last month in Phoenix, would be its last.

Roughly 1,000 school board members and administrators gathered in Phoenix for the final iteration of this major ed-tech trade show, which focused this year on fostering school innovation.

Opening keynote speaker S. Craig Watkins, professor and author of The Young and The Digital, spoke Oct. 19 about how to better inspire innovation in the classroom. His advice to attendees: Don’t tell today’s “digital natives” to power down.

The conference ended Oct. 21, with Steven Berlin Johnson, a social critic and author of Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, discussing the many factors that can lead to successful school innovation.

In between, NSBA released the results of its annual ed-tech survey, which found that redesigning school assessments to incorporate 21st-century skills and tackling cyber bullying are school administrators’ top ed-tech concerns.

And in the T+L exhibit hall, ed-tech vendors touted solutions for personalizing instruction, increasing parent involvement, and managing schools more effectively.

Here’s a full roundup of our conference coverage:

Last NSBA technology conference focuses on future of ed tech

Opening Oct. 19 with a flourish of red, white, and blue sails on the main stage, this year’s Technology and Learning (T+L) conference from the National School Boards Association will focus on “Innovation Delivery,” said NSBA President Earl Rickman. He also announced that this year’s technology conference would be the group’s last…

Survey reveals school leaders’ opinions on 21st-century skills

As school district leaders increasingly incorporate so-called 21st-century skills into their instructional strategies, many believe the federal government should support the development of new school assessment models that effectively measure those skills, a new survey suggests…

How schools can become innovation incubators

In a year of change for NSBA’s annual educational technology conference, T+L, the closing keynote session ended on a note that change can lead to a better future…

News from the T+L exhibit hall

Software that helps teachers personalize instruction for every student, helps parents stay connected to their children’s education, and helps administrators track progress toward key learning goals dominated the discussion in the T+L conference exhibit hall…