Covid-19

If you were an educator in 2020, you likely remember March 2020 and its profound impact on both our personal and professional lives. In that month, schools worldwide closed their doors, and for at least the next 18 months, the educational setting changed significantly. By Fall 2022, many schools began to adapt to a new "normal," with students returning to in-person instruction and extracurricular activities resuming (Jacob & Stanojevich, 2024).

I started my teaching career in the Fall of 2019, just months before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was hired as an ELA resource teacher (Special Education), working with K-5 students. As a new teacher, I was eager to embark on this journey, focused on fostering growth and creating lasting memories with my students. However, like many new educators, I recognized that I had much to learn. My primary focus at that time was on building relationships and understanding my students' IEPs; I did not prioritize the integration of technology into my teaching, and I did not realize how much that was going to cost me.

Fast forward to March 2020. Following Spring Break, we did not return for the rest of the school year. My school began to develop a plan for how to incorporate technology into our teaching. Educators, including myself, discovered innovative ways to engage students that we had not previously considered. Platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom became invaluable resources for me. I quickly taught myself how to create interactive lessons for my students in just a few weeks.

However, our district faced numerous challenges in supporting students’ success during remote learning. Many of our students came from low-income backgrounds and lacked access to the internet or computers. In response, the district established buses equipped with internet routers throughout the town to provide internet access and distributed computers to students who needed them.

This transition not only changed my role as an educator but also impacted my family life. I needed to adjust my schedule, often starting my day at 7 a.m. to see students online and frequently logging in again at 8 p.m. to assist them with assignments. My commitment to supporting my students in the best way possible drove these changes.

\With the absence of professional learning communities (PLCs) and a more relaxed curriculum, I had to find creative solutions for my special education students. I organized scavenger hunts during Zoom sessions to facilitate hands-on learning experiences. At times, we even cooked together, integrating directions and measurements into our math and ELA lessons. As our students were not accustomed to a fully virtual learning environment, the use of manipulatives significantly enhanced their understanding.

Text-to-speech technology became an essential tool for my students. While I would read materials to them during class, it was challenging to be available for one-on-one sessions at all times. As a result, many students relied on the text-to-speech feature. Additionally, several of my students utilized closed captioning, which supported those with hearing impairments in participating in lessons.

One particularly beneficial tool I discovered during this period was the word-prediction software feature. Although I was aware of its existence, I had never implemented it in the classroom until Covid. This feature proved invaluable for students with speech difficulties. I also adapted to using online data tracking to monitor my students' progress, moving away from traditional paper methods.

Before the pandemic, my use of technology in the classroom was limited, primarily because it had not been integrated into our curriculum. However, upon returning to face-to-face instruction, my goal was to incorporate as many digital activities as possible for my students. Throughout remote teaching, I observed increased engagement from my students with digital applications, and some even taught me valuable tricks in technology.

As the learning gaps widened in the following year, educators consistently researched innovative methods to incorporate technology to address these challenges. We recognized that technology serves to enhance our lessons rather than replace our roles as educators.

Five years later, I have incorporated more technology into my lessons. While not to the extent I would prefer, I do rely heavily on running reports with student data. This significantly saves me time, allowing me to focus on creating interactive lessons for my students. Blended learning mixes in-person and online elements, giving people more flexibility and options. Interactive tools and gamification make learning fun and engaging. Data-driven education uses learning analytics for personalized lessons and tracking progress. Tech helps build future-ready skills like digital literacy, collaboration, and communication, getting students ready for what the future job market will require (Joshi, 2023).

While it is easy to view the COVID-19 years negatively, I believe they offered invaluable lessons in using technology more effectively, understanding diverse learning styles, building strong relationships, and adapting to change. This change that many educators today struggle to adapt to due to not having all the resources needed in their classroom for students to be successful.

Jacob, B. A., & Stanojevich, C. (2024, August 26). Rewiring the classroom: How the COVID-19 pandemic transformed K-12 Education. Brookings.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rewiring-the-classroom-how-the-covid-19-

pandemic-transformed-k-12 education/#:~:text=Accelerated%20adoption%20of%20technology&text=The%20switch%20to%20remote%20learning,on%20these%20digital%20tools%20persisted.

Joshi, S. (2023, June 22). The role of technology in education, post pandemic. eLearning Industry.

https://elearningindustry.com/the-role-of-technology-in-education-post-

pandemic