Bridging Tech and Social Emotional Learning
When implemented effectively in education, technology can help students find their identities through social emotional learning practices.
By Jayden Liberty, marketing professional at SXSW EDU // University of Texas at Austin class of 2021
In the past, when we looked into where students develop their sense of self, we would turn to time spent with peers in the lunchroom or after-school clubs. What happens when that gets taken away? How does this impact our youth when there is no one to sit next to in class? And can technology serve as a bridge between in-person interaction and our new hybrid worlds?
Two years into a global pandemic, there is an opportunity for curriculum change and student interests to be explored. Schools have begun to include coding and computer science as required programs of study, seeing a link between these courses and better problem-solving and improved brain capacity. When implemented effectively in education, technology can help students become more marketable for their futures, all the while making certain a foundation is provided that allows them to engage responsibly. The digital world can provide tools to help students discover who they are. It can connect them with communities that reach around the globe.
The Context
The benefits of remote learning include flexibility, time-management skills, and improved virtual collaboration. Learners have more control over their learning and typically feel more motivated when they have a say in what and how they learn. However, limiting student interaction within physical classrooms has potentially negative effects. The value of social connection in schools not only enhances knowledge of literacy and problem-solving skills but teaches students critical thinking, collaboration and communications, all formative parts of their learning experience.
With a significant portion of Gen Z experiencing intense emotional stress and feelings of isolation due to the pandemic, online learning has taken a toll on the mental health of students and shown serious implications. We are living in an era where we have no other choice but to meet both students’ social and emotional needs. Social emotional learning builds a foundation for students to learn in positive environments by making connections for students inside the classroom that mirror a variety of elements of one’s identity: gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, race, family structure, interests, values, and beliefs. In a world where students are more diverse than ever, these techniques are essential to set students up for success in school and later life.
The Impact
Bridging social emotional learning and technology supports students taking action and finding their voices online. Social media can be used in classrooms to help students find and identify conversations to partake in, explore a student’s passion points, and promote active participation in online cultures where their values are celebrated and public problems can be addressed. From improving student attitudes towards school to promoting suicide prevention through online storytelling, every student can benefit from the pivot toward hybrid learning and a personalized blended experience.
Social emotional learning practices provide an opportunity for students to use the internet as a tool for identity development and promote responsible decision-making. Social connection online has, and continues to help develop those ideas and beliefs that are not yet fully realized in adolescence. Educators are key to helping our students strengthen relationships and empower others inside their classrooms and across the globe. With the use of the internet, youth identity can be supported and educators can reimagine ways to connect their students to the world from inside their homes.
