Educational Technology and the Pre-K-12 Environment: Implications for Education Leaders, Teachers, and Students
Author Neil Grimes of William Paterson University shares an excerpt from an open access chapter, “Educational Technology and the Pre-K-12 Environment: Implications for Education Leaders,” Teachers, and Students. The implications in this chapter include the impact that educational technology had on education during remote teaching during COVID-19 and the impact it will continue to have on Pre-K-12 education in the post-COVID-19 era.
Educational technology has accelerated in recent years, and it has had a profound impact on current teaching and learning in the Pre-K-12 environment. In future years, advancement and innovation in technology will continue to empower teachers to customize students’ learning experiences. To accomplish this, teachers will need ongoing professional development, which includes engaging in learning activities associated with technology play theory that focuses on educational technology and technology integration involving the technology integration planning cycle. This article will discuss the impact of content neutral technologies on pre-K-12 grade levels and content areas, the use of educational technologies used in remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of TPACK, the importance of creating a sense of belonging in the online learning environment, the need for teachers to pursue micro-credentials related to digital learning, and the impact that virtual reality, augmented reality, the metaverse and artificial intelligence can have on teachers, administrators, and students. Governments, schools, and families increasingly value technology as a central part of the education process and invest accordingly. Technological innovation over the past two decades has forever altered today’s education landscape. ICT and content-neutral technologies will continue to empower Pre-K-12 teachers to change the way they teach their students in the 21st Century. Teachers and students in high needs schools will continue to need the greatest support to implement and use the latest ed-tech tools.