| | MARCH 20258IN MY OPINION As we navigate our changing world, using technology to adapt the tools we use to communicate allows us to collaborate and build using new platforms and strategies to connect. In this process, it is critical that we also emphasize the role of human connection in the establishment of social-emotional soft skills and consider how new technologies may aid them.The pandemic has poked holes in the dream of reaching all learners via technology-- unsurprising to those of us embedded in the intersection of academia and technology but a shock to many others. While we've scrambled to get remote classrooms and asynchronous teaching and learning in place, it has been difficult to take a long view. However, even as we have struggled to maintain learning communities, recent technological strides are making remarkable progress, enabling us to interact better.We have simultaneously entered a new era wherein everything we say things is broadcast globally. While the benefits of addressing inequity in our society have been profound, honest missteps in speaking to others can now be live-streamed and preserved for all time, as if we are static beings. The need to build social-emotional communication skills and to provide space to make mistakes and learn is imperative. These skills are a crucial part of individual growth and are more critical than ever. Virtual and augmented reality provides one opportunity to construct such spaces, and artificial intelligence and machine learning can allow us to avoid harm and dynamically improve the learning process.BUILDING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS WITH TECHNOLOGYBy Clint Carlson, Director of Education Technology Innovations, University of Colorado
< Page 7 | Page 9 >