Leading the Field: Leadership, AR/VR, and the Future of Learning with Laura Spencer

In this episode of the Innovative Pedagogy Podcast, host Chris Garcia is joined by Laura K. Spencer, Chief Academic Officer at Elite Academic Academy and former President of CALIE through CUE.This conversation explores leadership beyond a single organization. Dr. Spencer reflects on what it means to shape vision, culture, and responsibility at the field level through professional organizations. She shares how leaders can pursue innovation without chasing trends, particularly in emerging areas like AR, VR, and AI-supported learning.Together, they examine when immersive technologies add real instructional value, how leaders can establish ethical guardrails around new tools, and what professional organizations can do to support thoughtful, human-centered decision-making. The episode also addresses leadership sustainability and the importance of boundaries when contributing at scale.This episode is for educational leaders who want to influence the future of learning with purpose, equity, and clarity.