AI can explain a concept, summarize research, recommend resources, and create personalized learning in seconds. If the only purpose of a conference were to deliver information from the front of a room, it would be fair to question whether that model still makes sense. But that is not what IDEAcon is.

IDEAcon is a phenomenal gathering because educators come together to learn from one another. They bring practical experience from classrooms, libraries, districts, and other learning environments throughout Illinois and beyond. They openly share what they have tried, what has worked, and what they are still trying to understand.

That spirit has always made IDEAcon special.

At the same time, a strong conference cannot stand still. IDEAcon must continue evolving every year as the needs of educators, students, and communities change. AI makes that evolution more important, but it does not diminish what IDEAcon already does well.

Connection Creates Possibilities

Some of the most valuable conference experiences happen outside the scheduled sessions. They begin when someone asks a question, shares an honest struggle, makes an introduction, or says, “We are working on that too.”

In a May 2026 article, University of Chicago behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley explains that conversation is much more than an exchange of information. His work explores how the responsiveness and rhythm of real conversation create social connection.

That distinction matters. A presentation may introduce an idea, but the conversation that follows helps an educator understand how it might work with actual students.

Those conversations can also lead to mentorship, collaboration, career opportunities, new projects, and relationships that continue long after the conference ends.

Educators Sharing With Educators

One of IDEAcon’s greatest strengths is the willingness of educators to share their work.

Preparing a conference session takes time, thought, and courage. Our presenters are willing to open their practices to others, share lessons they have learned, and talk honestly about the work happening in their classrooms and communities.

That lived experience matters.

An educator can find endless information online. What is harder to find is a trusted colleague who can say, “Here is what happened when I tried it,” “Here is where my students struggled,” or “Here is what I would change next time.”

Those practical conversations will make this year’s IDEAcon special once again.

Learning Together Strengthens Educators

AI can personalize information, but professional growth also requires reflection, dialogue, and trust.

The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research published Using Data to Improve Schools in November 2025. Drawing from research and experience in Chicago Public Schools, the work emphasizes aligning educators around a shared vision, building trust, and creating a collaborative culture of improvement.

Information alone does not improve a school. Educators need opportunities to interpret it, connect it to their students, challenge assumptions, and decide what to do next.

IDEAcon creates that opportunity. Sessions introduce ideas, but the learning becomes more meaningful when educators question, create, practice, discuss, and reflect together.

Educators Help Shape the Learning

AI can create resources and recommend solutions, but it does not know every classroom, student, or Illinois community. A 2026 study from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers examined how teachers, scientists, community organizers, young people, and educational researchers worked together to determine the direction of professional learning.

The researchers identified several important elements, including diverse participants, dialogue, time for reflection and action, and a focus on meaningful real-world problems. Teachers were not simply receiving professional development designed by someone else. They helped shape their collective learning.

That is also an important part of IDEAcon. Educators are not passive participants. Their proposals, questions, experiences, and willingness to contribute help create the conference.

Continuing to Evolve

Evolving IDEAcon does not mean abandoning what has made it successful. It means building upon its strengths.

We can continue creating more opportunities for:

• Practical conversations about what is working and what is not
• Hands-on experiences where educators practice and create
• Classroom educators to share their experiences and ideas
• Reflection about the implications of AI and technology for students
• Connections with educators throughout Illinois
• Learning that continues through IDEA’s Regional Communities and Spotlight Communities

We also need both in-person and virtual learning. Virtual opportunities expand access and support continuous learning. Gathering in person creates space for spontaneous conversations, meaningful relationships, and shared experiences that are difficult to reproduce online.



IDEAcon should remain a gathering point within a year-round community.

Come for the Ideas. Stay for the Community.

AI is changing how we access information. It should also encourage us to keep improving how we learn together. IDEAcon already gives educators something that AI cannot: a trusted community of people willing to share their experiences, listen to one another, and help each other grow.

That is why I talk so much about continuing to connect, grow, share, and inspire.