ISTE Orlando Day 1 Recap: A New Name, A Big Keynote Moment, and the Future of Education Is Here
I have been waiting for this day for a long time. And I don’t just mean the conference — I mean this moment. The moment where everything I’ve believed about the future of education, about the power of technology, about what students deserve — starts to feel less like a vision and more like a movement. Day 1 at ISTE Orlando 2026 delivered that moment—multiple times.
I’m writing this recap still buzzing from everything that happened today, and I want to share it with you while the ISTE energy is fresh — because if you work with kids in any capacity and use tech for learning, as a teacher, a parent, a homeschool educator, a camp director — what happened at this conference today matters to you.
Big News: ISTE+ASCD Has a New Name
Let’s start with the headline. During the ISTE Orlando opening keynote today , Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, and Board President Jeremy Owoh made a major announcement live from the mainstage: ISTE+ASCD is officially changing its name to the International Society for Transforming Education.
I’ll be honest — when I heard it, I felt it. Not just as a conference attendee, but as someone who has spent years in classrooms and developing STEAM programs, using innovation to reshape what learning can look like for kids.
The new name isn’t a rebrand for the sake of rebranding. It’s a declaration. As Culatta said from the stage: “Education is at an inflection point. Around the world, educators are rethinking how learning happens, what students need to thrive, and how schools can prepare learners for a rapidly changing future.”
That landed for me. Because that’s exactly what I see every single day — in my STEAMventure programs, in conversations with homeschool families, in the questions parents ask me about what their kids actually need and how to prepare for the future. We are not in the same educational moment we were ten years ago. And the organization that has been guiding educators through that shift is naming that reality out loud.
Culatta futher explained, “Our new name captures the work our community has been doing for years — helping transform education by focusing on developing exceptional instructional leaders, thoughtful use of technology, and a deep understanding of what students need to succeed. This isn’t a change in direction. It’s a clearer expression of who we are and the impact we’re working to create.”
The International Society for Transforming Education. It says what it does. And it does what it says. Their full mission is helping educators transform learning for every student.
What stays the same: memberships, educator certifications, the ISTE Standards, professional learning programs, and publications all continue without interruption. What’s new is a clearer expression of the mission. And while technology remains central to this work. And I love that they were clear about that — technology isn’t the whole answer. Still, it is one powerful lever, alongside instructional strategy and educator practice, for transforming what students experience as learners. That is a message I will be repeating to every family and educator in my community.
I don’t cry at conferences. Except apparently I do now. This ISTE Orlando announcement really brought it home for me.
Up Next: I’ll be sharing real-time ISTE Orlando updates on Instagram, and a full recap will be live on NYCTechMommy.com later this week. If you have questions — about the tools I’m seeing, the sessions I’m attending, what any of this means for your classroom or your homeschool — drop them in the comments or connect with me on my social channels. I’m your eyes and ears in Orlando this week.
The future of education is being designed right now!
About the International Society for Transforming Education
The International Society for Transforming Education is a nonprofit that guides and inspires educators to create purposeful, high-quality learning experiences that reflect each learner’s skills, interests, and identities through aligned instructional strategies, technology, and educator practice. Through a global community of educators, evidence-based standards, trusted professional learning, independent journalism, leading authors, and research-driven insights, we provide unparalleled support across curriculum, instruction, and educational technology.
ISTE serves 80,000+ educators across 85+ countries — with the ISTE Standards formally referenced or adopted in all 50 U.S. states — helping instructional leaders invest with confidence, educators teach with purpose, and solution providers deliver meaningful impact, so every student is prepared for success in school and beyond. Learn more at iste-ascd.org.
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