Students Left to Their Own Devices: Balancing Learning & Technology to Reimagine Education

Has technology gone too far in classrooms? While some call for removing devices entirely and others push for deeper integration, the real answer may be neither extreme. This session challenges the false narrative of tech versus no tech and explores how educators can strike a thoughtful balance that harnesses effective technology to transform learning. Grounded in neuroscience, classroom practice and emerging AI capabilities, examine how the brain learns best and how technology can support or hinder those processes. Through the lens of the AweFull Learning framework and UDL principles, explore how curiosity, connection and meaningful experiences should guide decisions about when, why and how technology is used. Reframe the conversation around more powerful questions: What learning experiences truly matter? When does technology amplify thinking, and when does it replace it? How do we design learning that is both deeply human and technologically enhanced? Leave with research-based background knowledge, a practical framework for intentional technology decisions and strategies for balancing digital and non-digital experiences without losing human connection.