Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Technology Teaching Tips Learned During COVID-19

COVID-19 caused widespread changes in how people worked. The education community was dramatically impacted. Teachers were forced to quickly pivot from teaching students in person on-campus to virtually online. Among the challenges educators faced were the inequity of technology access and unreliable internet options. The move to virtual instruction necessitated creative use of educators’ existing technology skills and development of new skills to teach with technology. Among the technologies that teachers continued to use once they returned to the in-person classroom were video conferencing, incorporating student interactions and feedback into visual presentations, and continuing to explore virtual learning experiences outside the classroom. Some educators’ experimentation during the pandemic with different technology options to guide self-directed student learning shows promise for developing gifted students’ talents and interests.