It’s July, which means that SxSW Edu has opened up its call for speakers. I am going to apply with the topic, Constructive Conflict. I’ll let you all know when it’s in and hopefully you can vote me up.

I remember the last time I spoke at SxSW Edu, in 2019.

I was attending, not speaking, and I got a text from my friend Kevin Custer, who runs the EdTech investing and advisory firm ARC Capital Development with our mutual friend Rita Ferrandino.

Kevin: One of my panelists just canceled, the presentation is in an hour, can you be a substitute?

Me: Sure, what’s the panel on?

Kevin: Accessibility. I think the title is Accessibility: the ins and outs of making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn or something close to that.

Me: That’s not really my field. know education has to be accessible, and when I design content, I make it in a way that incorporates Universal Design for Learning into instructional materials, but I am not an expert in accessibility, or hardware that assists accessibility.

Kevin: That’s okay, you can demo an application and talk about how easy it is and how it caters to people with alternative learning styles.

Me: Ok. I’ll be there.

Forty five minutes later, I’m at the presentation meeting room, and I see two chairs on the stage.

Me: Kevin, I see two chairs, who else is on the panel?

Kevin: It’s only you and me

Me: I thought it was a panel and one of the panelists canceled.

Kevin: It is a panel, it will be you and me.

Me: This is an hour?

Kevin: Don’t worry, we will have plenty to talk about.

At the top of the hour, Kevin and I go up on stage, and there are about 100 people in the audience.

Kevin starts, and introduces the topic, himself, mentions all the accessibility companies that Arc has helped and invested in, talks about the goals of making sure education works for everyone and how that can be challenging.

Then I hear him say the following:

“And now, I would like to introduce Mitch Weisburgh. Mitch has been involved in education instructional design for over thirty years. With his wealth of experience, Mitch knows more about accessibility than anyone I know. Mitch, take it away.“

And that’s when panic set in. You know the feeling when an adrenaline storm hits your gut? When you can hear the pounding of your heart beat and the flow of the blood pulsing through your ear drums? I think this was probably worse.

But, I stood up and walked to the podium. I thanked Kevin, who was sitting down smiling.

I announced that I wanted to show an application and describe how it could be used in a diverse classroom to involve all students, and asked for comments. There was one comment and one question, and I looked at the clock and we still had fory-five minutes left.

I took a deep breath, and had a flash of insight.

Ok, I know that most of the presentations you attend here have sages on the stage, and they dispense their wisdom which you are expected to soak in.

Let’s do something different. Let’s see if we can make this especially meaningful for all of you.

Let’s start hearing about your concerns with accessibility, and then cover those concerns so you can go back with practical solutions to the challenges that you face.

The first question came in about reading and reading readiness that could meet the needs of students with different abilities, disabilities, and learning needs.

That’s a wonderful question. For those who might not have heard it, the question asked about reading and reading readiness, “in a first grade class, how do you conduct classes and provide materials and hardware support so that all kids are engaged and learn?”

I am a firm believer in Angela Maiers’s assertion that the smartest person in the room is the room. Who else has encountered that issue?

Okay first, you on the left, can we get her a microphone? Okay, can you relate how this has challenged you and what you are doing about it?

And that forty-five minutes flew. We were able to cover six or eight real problems that educators or education publishers were facing, and for each of the problems, we heard two or three practical ways that others were handling that exact situation.

I didn’t even realize the time had run out until Kevin stood up and thanked the audience for participating, flashed a slide that had our contact information, and the audience stood and clapped.

I shook Kevin’s hand. We laughed about his intro. He said he meant to say that I knew more about game-based learning than anyone he knew, but that the word “accessibility” must have just slipped out. As he noted, no blood no foul.

MindShifting in action.

---

About MindShifting with Mitch Weisburgh

MindShifting is transforming how individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their full potential—whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or personal growth journeys. Developed by educator, author, and thought leader Mitch Weisburgh, MindShifting combines the latest insights from psychology, neuroscience, and practical experience to help people overcome barriers, shift mindsets, and achieve lasting results.

Through his writing, keynote talks, and engaging workshops, Mitch empowers educators, corporate teams, and life coaches to embrace new ways of thinking and problem-solving. His unique MindShifting framework provides practical tools for building resilience, resourcefulness, and collaborative skills that drive real-world change.

To continue your exploration of MindShifting, visit www.mindshiftingwithmitch.com.