Why Future of Learning Hong Kong left me more inspired than ever

It isn’t often that I walk away from a conference feeling genuinely energised, deeply appreciative, and full of momentum. But last week was an exception. Future of Learning 2025 in Hong Kong may well be one of the most valuable and enjoyable learning experiences I’ve had in my career.

Since its inception in 2019, Future of Learning Hong Kong (FOLHK) - led by Apple Distinguished Educators across the region - has grown into a standout, community-driven event. It remains completely free, powered by a shared commitment to give back to a passionate network of educators and leaders. Six years later, that spirit is stronger than ever: this year’s event welcomed more than 900 attendees and over 100 presenters.

In this article, I’m pleased to share my personal highlights, from Katie Novak’s powerful keynote on Universal Design for Learning and compassion-driven systems, to important conversations and developments around the role of AI in education.

Let’s dive in.

Compassion-driven systems

We kicked off with an energising keynote from Katie Novak, who immediately set the tone for the day, linking closely with the conference theme of 'Compassion'.

Her session, “Compassion Driven Systems: Designing Schools Where Everyone Thrives,” explored what happens when empathy moves from an individual trait to a design principle woven into every layer of school life.

Katie reframed MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) as what empathy looks like in action - a system that ensures every educator and learner gets what they need, when they need it, to thrive. This was broken down into 3 categories: Leadership drivers (the vision, planning, staffing, and resources we put in place), Implementation drivers (the structures, access to technology, and decision-making processes), and Competency drivers (professional development, coaching, PLCs, and evaluation). If you're interested in learning more about this, you can take a look a the self-assessment Katie provides to help leaders reflect on their current practice.

FOLHK Compassionate Systems (2).pdf

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The Power of Practical Ed-Tech

Kate Gower shared an honest look at how her and her colleague Steve Allan built a culture of innovation by starting small, staying practical, and focusing on what really works.

Their journey in creating The Shed - a hands-on, maker space - showed that meaningful change often begins with simple, intentional steps. I was especially inspired by their ‘Open Shed’ initiative, which invites students to explore the space freely and follow their curiosity. It resonated strongly with my own efforts to open up our Digital Learning space and create more opportunities for students to experiment and discover through technology.

Slides

Constructing a dynamic 10-year plan

This session explored how CIS is approaching long-term strategic planning in a genuinely collaborative way. Anne Gardon and Christine Doleman shared how their vision is intentionally designed to be dynamic - something that grows, adapts, and evolves alongside the school community.

Instead of a top-down model, they have brought together students, teachers, parents, leaders, and wider community stakeholders to shape the direction of the school. They spoke about the importance of designing a strategy that keeps pace with changing educational needs, where continuous improvement, regular feedback loops, and a readiness to adapt are core elements of their approach.

Making it stick (implementation science)

The first morning closed with a second keynote from Katie Novak, focused on how great ideas actually become lasting practice. She walked us through the Complex Change Framework, showing how missing pieces, like clear vision, skills, or feedback loops, often explain why initiatives stall.

Katie also highlighted the stages of implementation and the concerns-based adoption model, which helped explain why staff respond to change in such different ways.

We also learned about “action bias,” (illustrated through penalty-kick data), a phenomenon where we often rush to do things, even when a pause and thoughtful reflection might lead to better results.

Katie finished by connecting this to diffusion of innovation, showing how ideas spread from innovators to the early majority, and the crucial roles played by 'connectors', 'mavens', and persuasive 'salespeople'.

FOLHK Make It Stick.pdf

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Student-led learning

In the first keynote of the main conference, Katie Novak explored what it really means to shift power toward student-led learning. She began with a clear breakdown of learner agency, showing how students grow in ownership, goal-setting, and self-reflection - and how teachers can scaffold that journey.

Using a relevant camping analogy, she highlighted how lack of choice can unintentionally create barriers in the classroom. Inclusion requires designing options proactively, not just offering them reactively.

Katie's framing of AI as a “GPS that gives options, but you choose the route” captured the idea that technology can support, but not replace, human judgment and relationships.

She closed with a reminder of what AI can’t do: know our students, build trust, or notice the deeply human moments that make learning meaningful.

FOHKL From Compassion to Action EDUCATORS PDF.pdf

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Building a future-ready technology program

Coby Reynolds’ session was a practical deep dive into what it really takes to build a sustainable, future-ready digital technology program. Instead of focusing on tools or devices, he framed digital transformation as a strategic, whole-school effort - something clearly reflected in the five-domain Digital Learning Framework: Student Learning, Professional Learning, Leadership, Innovation & Culture, and Infrastructure.

Coby took us through each domain of the framework, highlighting what balanced practice looks like: developing digital pedagogies, strengthening PLCs, amplifying student digital leadership, ensuring equitable access, and nurturing a culture of innovation.

The session was a grounded, actionable workshop that helped clarify not just where our digital programs are, but where they can go next.

FOLHK - Building Digital Technology Programs (1).pdf

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Empowering student voice with iPad

My own session, Voices That Matter, explored how iPad creativity tools can help every learner share their story in meaningful, authentic ways. We looked at how apps like Camera, Markup, Freeform and Keynote can unlock student voice across the curriculum.

A big focus was on accessibility, and how built-in features can remove barriers and ensure students feel supported and confident as they express their ideas.

We also explored Clips, which has sadly since been discontinued, but remains a great example of how simple, playful video tools can make student expression feel easy and joyful. Finally I shared some cross-app workflows that showed how students can capture their thinking through a combination of video, narration, annotation, and reflection.

Voices that matter (1).pdf

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Teaching, leading and learning with AI

This panel discussion, hosted by Tina Peji, Sandra Chow, and Penny Ma, alongside student leaders from CIS, offered a grounded and human take on AI in education. Hearing the different experiences of teachers, leaders and students instantly highlighted how AI is being used, questioned, and reshaped across roles.

For the students, AI isn’t theoretical for them anymore; it’s already woven into how they study, communicate, and solve problems. We discussed excitement, hesitation, ethical challenges, and the practical realities of using AI day-to-day. The facilitators encouraged authentic table conversations, prompting everyone to reflect not just on what AI can do, but what it should do in education.

A key takeaway for me was the need for balance: while AI is already enhancing creativity, streamlining admin tasks, and supporting personalised learning, there is still a gap in AI literacy, policy guidance, and shared understanding.

Teaching, Leading & Learning with AI.pdf

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Hands-on AI resources

This workshop, led by the brilliant duo of Dalton Flanagan and Cora Yang, was one of the most practical AI sessions of the event. What I appreciated most was how intentionally it centred on the real experience of teachers: busy, overwhelmed, and often unsure where to even begin with AI.

We moved quickly through hands-on activities like Quick Draw, spotting patterns in datasets, analysing images, and using tools to evaluate AI outputs. These simple tasks made AI feel accessible, not intimidating.

Through activities such as “AI or Human?” and “Can you spot the AI?” , we explored bias, hallucinations, and the limits of AI in ways we could immediately bring back to the classroom.

Dalton and Cora showed that when teachers feel supported, AI becomes less about fear and more about possibility - something that can help us care for students, not replace the human connection at the heart of learning.

Empowering students through code

The final session I attended was Rachel Smith’s From Idea to App, which showcased a brilliant Year 6 project that combined design thinking, creativity, and accessible coding. Rachel walked us through how students took an initial app concept and developed it into a functioning prototype, starting with simple designs in Keynote before bringing their ideas to life in Swift Playgrounds.

Students used tools like Canva to design icons and interfaces, Keynote to map out their user journeys, and Swift Playgrounds to build actual interactive features. The process included problem-solving, iteration, and making something meaningful for a real user.

By identifying authentic problems and designing solutions, learners weren’t just “using” technology, they were creating with it. The collaboration and conversation happening throughout the design thinking process made it clear how empowering this approach can be for upper primary students.

Final Reflections

Leaving Future of Learning Hong Kong, I felt a warming mix of inspiration, clarity, and optimism. Across every session, the message was consistent: education moves forward when we lead with humanity and design with purpose. What struck me most was how aligned the speakers and workshops were in acknowledging both the enormous potential of technology and the equally enormous importance of empathy, community, and thoughtful implementation.

I left with new ideas, new connections, and a renewed sense of why this work matters: to create learning environments where every student feels empowered, every teacher feels supported, and innovation is always rooted in care. Future of Learning reminded me why I’m passionate about this field, and how much we can achieve when we build the future together.