Help bring bold ideas in education to the SXSW EDU stage by voting for WestEd proposed sessions for the 2027 SXSW EDU Conference & Festival, taking place March 13–16, 2027, in Austin, Texas.
SXSW EDU convenes educators, researchers, policymakers, and innovators to explore solutions that advance teaching and learning. Community voting plays an important role in determining which sessions are selected for the conference program. Your vote can help elevate important conversations and innovative approaches that support meaningful change in education.
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WestEd Sessions
Belonging Is Product Quality: Rethinking Math EdTech
Format: Panel
Organizer: Saroja Warner (WestEd)
Panelists: Evenide Fanfan-Alcean (Roselle Public Schools), Lewis Ferebee (EdReports), April Mouton (Illustrative Mathematics), and Saroja Warner (WestEd)
Everyone says math edtech should engage students. Fewer can show whether a tool helps students feel seen, persist through struggle, and access rigorous math. This panel brings together researchers, product leaders, quality reviewers, and education decision-makers to ask this question: What would change if belonging were treated as product quality? We’ll move from culturally responsive values to concrete features, UX measures, evidence claims, and procurement questions that help districts demand better tools.
Creativity, AI & Computer Science: The FRACTAL Expedition
Format: Performance
Organizer: Eliana Tardio Hurtado (WestEd)
Speakers: Jose Blackorby (WestEd) and Joseph Wiggins (Katabasis)
Artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, yet computer science is still too often taught as coding in isolation. This hands-on workshop explores how art, computational thinking, and generative AI can work together to make computer science more engaging and accessible. Participants will experience three creative learning expeditions—from pixel art and programming to AI-powered design—and collaborate to create their own interdisciplinary learning experience that they can adapt for their classrooms or organizations.
From Pilots to Policy: Making Strategic School Staffing Last
Format: Panel
Organizer: Lennon Audrain (Next Education Workforce™️, Arizona State University)
Speakers: Lennon Audrain (Next Education Workforce™, Arizona State University), Bryan Hassel (Opportunity Culture), Brent Maddin (Next Education Workforce™️, Arizona State University), and Kate Wright (WestEd)
Education policy assumes one teacher, one classroom, and one salary schedule. As states invest in strategic staffing, that architecture can either enable durable team-based models or turn them into short-lived grant programs. Leaders representing research, policy, and two distinct staffing approaches will examine where models converge, where they differ, and which state choices matter most. Using state examples, the panel will build a practical policy agenda that balances local design flexibility with evidence, educator voice, equitable access, and safeguards against unintended consequences.