Innovation University: 2025 Tech Expo Explores the Future of Learning
From AI to accessibility, educators gather to transform classrooms and unlock every learner’s potential
As the capstone event of the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Technology Leadership Institute (TLI), the 2025 Tech Expo brought together hundreds of educators, leaders, and technology experts to explore what’s possible when innovation and education converge.
Held May 15–16 at the scenic Crotonville Conference Center in Ossining, the two-day event felt more like a bustling university campus than a traditional conference, which perfectly aligned to this year’s theme: Innovation University.
With more than 50 learning sessions, unique professional learning strands, and a vibrant vendor floor, attendees had opportunities to dive deep into emerging technologies, share best practices, and rethink what learning can look like in a digital age.
Breaking Barriers: Jordyn Zimmerman’s Story of Access and Advocacy
Day One began with a powerful keynote by Jordyn Zimmerman, a passionate educator, disability advocate, and Head of Product Strategy at The Nora Project. Ms. Zimmerman’s talk landed on Global Accessibility Awareness Day—a fitting backdrop for a deeply personal and transformative presentation about inclusion, communication, and the critical role of technology in education.
Diagnosed with autism as a child, Ms. Zimmerman did not receive access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) until she was 18 years old. She opened her presentation by referencing the “beautiful pauses of silence” created by her communication method. What followed was an honest and moving account of her educational journey.
“I’ve been hurt by systems that should have supported my needs,” she told the audience, explaining how her Ohio school district failed to provide the resources she needed.
During her elementary school years, her inability to speak was misinterpreted as an inability to understand.
“A lack of speech is not always a lack of language,” she emphasized.
In middle school, Ms. Zimmerman shared how sensory overload and communication barriers led to behavioral challenges, including a traumatic incident in which she was injured while being restrained by a teacher.
Despite these setbacks, a pivotal moment came in high school when her parents eventually located a three-day a week program that was tailored to her needs, “even if it meant laying under desks to typing on my iPad,” she said.
She began to excel in her new program, using an iPad equipped with robust AAC tools to communicate.
“Speech is a motor function; language is a cognitive function,” she reminded the crowd, highlighting the importance of separating assumptions about speaking ability from true cognitive potential.
With access to AAC, Ms. Zimmerman’s life transformed. She joined clubs, made friends, participated in school dances, and even joined the debate team.
“Every person deserves a chance at a diploma,” she said.
Ms. Zimmerman graduated high school at 21 and went on to earn degrees from Ohio University and Boston College. She is now pursuing an MBA and working to ensure all students can access the tools they need to thrive.
“Each day, technology makes my engagement with others possible. It creates opportunities for connection,” she said.
Yet, she reminded the audience that many students are still left behind. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 19% of students with speech or language impairments received special education services in 2020-2021, and millions of students in the U.S. still lack access to essential assistive technology.
“Everyone can learn. When students are provided with resources, everyone benefits,” she concluded.
During a Q&A session that followed, the room grew quiet as Ms. Zimmerman typed her responses on her iPad. The “beautiful silence” she had referenced earlier became a symbol of attentiveness, inclusion, and respect.
Reflecting on the discussion, Chelsea Griffith, a Speech Language Pathologist from the Mount Vernon City School District, shared her perspective.
“I thought the presentation was really empowering and humbling because there are times where we as educators get stuck in a mindset without giving individuals with disabilities a chance to open up and tell us what they need,” she said.
“We definitely need to push harder for accessible communication at a younger age so they can maximize their potential and understand there are different modes of communication outside of verbal speech.”
The Future of Learning: Dr. Mason Mason’s Vision for Education
Day two kicked off with another inspiring keynote from speaker Dr. Mason Mason, a member of Apple’s U.S. Education Team. He asked Tech Expo attendees to think back on the cultural zeitgeist of 2005—MySpace, Blackberry and Blockbuster—and to consider how much the world had changed.
“I can only think about, as we prepare our learners of today for the next 20 years, what will this look like?” Dr. Mason said. “We’re at a distinct inflection point in society and especially in education.”
Dr. Mason’s talk focused on ways learning environments are impacted as new technologies catalyze changes in the workplace. Students must build and develop new skills to succeed in the classroom and beyond. And it’s more important than ever to empower educators to teach those skills and for schools to invest in educators.
Sharing personal reflections on his youth in Ohio—growing up in a family impacted by drugs, poverty, crime, and teen pregnancy—he spoke candidly about the challenges that continue to motivate him. A former English teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator, Dr. Mason credits his mother’s emphasis on education as key to his success after a turbulent childhood.
Technology and education transformed his life, he said. That was first true when he stumbled into a job in an Apple retail store in 2011 and would resurface with Apple’s Education Team, for which he serves the New York City Public Schools.
If the last 20 years saw massive change, what would 2045 look like, he asked. AI was barely a topic four years ago and it dominates discussion today. How do we prepare students for a world that’s moving quicker than we ever imagined, he asked.
“The goal of every educator is to unlock every child's unique genius,” Dr. Mason said, asking, how do we empower all learners today and prepare them for the skills of tomorrow?
In his own arc as an educator, he found himself in front of the classroom doing all the work until he learned to leverage technology to engage students’ heads, hearts and hands—metaphors for those in-demand skills. All teachers and classrooms deserve the technological resources and tools to ensure every student benefits equally, he said. That’s especially true in the age of AI.
“Al has the potential to transform the way you teach and the way students learn,” he said.
From Inspiration to Action: Breakout Sessions Spark Practical Innovation
After the keynote, the breakout sessions that followed gave participants a chance to connect the keynote messages to their own practice. These sessions sparked meaningful conversations and practical takeaways that they carried back to their districts.
Nicole Quigley, a STREAM Teacher in Nyack who plans to run a STEAM night in her own district next school year, said she picked up a lot of great ideas for activities and organization from the Unplugged K-5 STEAM Night session.
The session, led by Dr. Jessica Kingsbury, Jean O’Brien and Meghan Hak from the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, provided an inside look at Tarrytown’s K-5 STEAM Night. Participants explored interactive, unplugged stations, and dove into hands-on STEAM activities.
“They were super helpful,” Ms. Quigley said. “They shared their slides with us, and they encouraged us to reach out if we had any questions, so I’ll definitely be in touch.”
Michael Garguilo, a science teacher in Tarrytown, agreed. He came away inspired and convinced that any district can have a successful STEAM night if they follow the outline provided
“What they’ve created is outstanding and it’s so well organized,” he said. “It really is inspirational.”
Middle School math teacher Noah Appleton from Dobbs Ferry said he found the session “From Rubric to Results: AI-Powered Student Feedback” inspiring. He presented “The Positive Power of AI in Math Lessons.” He enjoyed networking with people who share his particular interests, calling that a key benefit of Tech Expo.
Rachel Naraine, a STEAM teacher at Furnace Woods Elementary School in Hendrick Hudson, had just left a session on AI and media literacy. The discussion centered on the importance of AI but also on teaching students about its biases and limitations as applied to their work.
“It was cool because it still gives them useful strategies and ways to use it but also making sure that they are creating their own projects and using AI in helpful ways,” Ms. Naraine said.
“This is one of the highlights of my year,” presenter Mark Silviotti, an Instructional Technology Facilitator in New Rochelle, said, “coming to the Tech Expo, seeing what other people do and also showcasing what we do.”
As the 2025 Tech Expo wrapped up, the power of educational technology to drive equity, innovation, and transformation was clear. Attendees left inspired by cutting-edge tools, forward-thinking strategies, and real-world stories underscoring the urgent need to reimagine learning for today’s students.
On October 25, the Technology Leadership Institute (TLI) launched its 2024-25 series of keynote lectures, conferences, and workshops with a “Fall Get Together” at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Harrison campus.
By adopting this perspective, educators can create experiences that not only meet academic goals but also resonate personally with students, making school a place they want to be.
The event also featured a keynote address from Dr. Gene M. Kerns, Chief Academic Officer at educational technology company Renaissance and seasoned educator with experience from elementary through the university level. He challenged attendees to rethink the origins of talent and expertise, with a message centering on the idea that genius is not born but made—a concept supported by extensive research presented in the book The Talent Code by Dan Coyle.
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