How the Pandemic Pushed Technology in Education in Schools

Education is a vital tool that has had a long-standing presence in the advancement of humanity. Schools and educators are looked at to perform well and solve the challenges that come with teaching. And that included even working through an unpredictable pandemic.

The evolution of technology has shown its value in daily life, showcasing just how important it is that teachers also recognize its benefits in their schools. According to a 2020 study, some 92 percent of educators understood the importance of education technology. 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a testament to how essential educators are and how quickly they had to revamp the way they taught while still providing adequate education to their students. What did those changes look like for some of them? 

On the latest “Voices of E-Learning,” co-host Leena Marie Saleh interviewed high school teacher, mentor, and podcaster Christopher J. Nesi about his style of teaching, podcast, how technology plays a role in education, and why he advocates for it. 

The pandemic was an eye-opener for many teachers. It pushed innovation on track to be utilized later and entirely new technologies. Some innovations would have never been used if not for the challenges the pandemic caused. Changes such as virtual learning were crucial for continuing the educational needs of students, and it tested educators’ status quo.

According to The New York Times, despite many students and teachers back in schools, virtual learning will remain a facet of education. 

“I think one of the challenges of education has always been teachers and school leaders being afraid and being uncomfortable getting uncomfortable. The pandemic, I think one of the bright spots, is it pushed us along, and it forced a lot of educators, myself included, to try and do things the way you had never done them before,” said Nesi. 

1. The importance of self-care for teachers 
2. How education technology provides educators with classroom plan 
3. Being open to new ideas and ventures, such as podcasting 

“Don’t worry about what other people are doing ‘because it doesn’t matter … don’t compare yourself to the teacher next to you, or across the hall, or in the other grade level. Every moment you spend comparing yourself to others is time you are wasting learning something for yourself that is going to make you better and could, in theory, positively impact your students,” said Nesi. 

Christopher J. Nesi is an educator and teaches high school social studies. He also hosts his podcast on education technology called House of EdTech.