From reporting on Chromebooks in schools to exploring how tech giants are urging schools to adopt AI tools, all while teachers are working to equip students to ask deeper questions about the societal impacts, New York Times reporter Natasha Singer has spent more than a decade examining technology in schools. That’s why we can’t wait to welcome her as the featured speaker at the College Section Luncheon at the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention, happening in Philadelphia November 19–22.
Singer’s first book—Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools, which will be on shelves in September—recounts the inside story of how tech companies catalyzed and ultimately came to capture computer science and AI education in America.
“Natasha Singer chronicles how classroom technology, from laptops and smart boards to AI tutors, advances the tech industry’s interests far more than those of students and teachers, and why that matters now more than ever,” writes Greg Morrisett, the dean of Cornell Tech.
Coding Kids also features teachers who are teaching students to navigate the new world of AI and ever-changing technology. The book has been called “essential reading” and “a necessary book for anyone trying to understand the powerful role of technology in the schools.”
Singer will talk tech and Coding Kids in Philly this fall. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear her speak on Friday, November 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Access to the College Section Luncheon is available as part of your #NCTE26 Convention registration for an additional $75, which goes directly to fund the event.
Save your spot now: Early-bird pricing is available through October 7!