A New Chapter for Technology Integration

While many school leaders thrive on new technology—diving into generative AI tools to enhance efficiency and improve writing, for example—the thought of introducing new tools to their school and practice can be draining for others.

Writing about “techno-stress,” principal Jason Reeves explains how the pandemic-fueled shift to virtual learning and a tech-dependent learning environment can lead to techno-overload that contributes to burnout (see “Alleviate 5 Kinds of Techno-Stress” on page 28).

An additional techno-stressor is the growing concern surrounding student mental health due to increased screen time, smartphones, and social media. Reviewing Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Texas principal Cooper Hilton questions whether we’re overrelying on technology as a tool for learning. “As we look at new instructional tools, we will be evaluating resources specifically to consider more hands-on opportunities and more tools that facilitate interstudent cooperation and collaboration,” he says. Read more of your peers’ insights on the book in this issue’s Book Talk (page 44).

If you need guidance in selecting from an exhaustive list of ed tech products, turn to “Digital Transformation Demands Quality Tech Tools” on page 16 for the five quality indicators to seek out. Author Jean-Claude
Brizard, president and CEO of Digital Promise, explains that digital transformation should be scaled to “encourage an intentional redesign of education systems to engage more learners—particularly historically and systematically excluded learners.”

We hope this issue of Principal magazine provides the guidance on technology integration strategies educators need to be more efficient in their roles and enhance personalized learning experiences for each student.

Kaylen Tucker, Ph.D. is Editor-in-Chief of Principal magazine.