CoSN Announces 2026 Top Topics in K-12 Innovation
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released an advance look at its 2026 "top topics" driving innovation in K-12 education. The annual look at hurdles, accelerators, and tech enablers for schools is part of the organization's Driving K-12 Innovation initiative, in which a global advisory board of educators, technologists, and thought leaders select the challenges, trends, and technology tools that will define education's future.
The top topics for 2026, categorized by hurdles, accelerators, and tech enablers, are:
Hurdles (roadblocks that "force schools to slow down, prepare themselves, and make a leap)
- Attracting and Retaining Educators and IT Professionals
- Ensuring Cybersecurity and Safety Online
- Critical Media Literacy
Accelerators (things schools can utilize to "help motivate and increase the speed of innovation")
- Building the Human Capacity of Leaders
- Changing Attitudes Toward Demonstrating Learning
- Learner Agency
Tech Enablers (things schools can utilize to "surmount Hurdles and leverage Accelerators")
- Generative Artificial Intelligence
- Data and Information Visualization
- Tools for Privacy and Safety Online
"The power of this work lies in its collective intelligence," commented Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, in a statement. "When leaders come together to identify the forces driving, hindering, and enabling teaching and learning, we're not simply naming trends — we're shaping how innovation takes root in schools. These insights give educators everywhere a clearer sense of what matters most and how to move forward with purpose."
CoSN will dive deeper into these topics at its annual virtual summit, taking place Feb. 4, as well as in its forthcoming Driving K-12 Innovation Report. Past reports are available here on the CoSN site.
About the Author
Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].