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Year of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MATL)

Directing Professor

Dr. Teri Wagner

Abstract

In February 2020, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in the United States. By mid-March schools across the nation had closed their doors to in-person learning, leading to major changes in the course of education. This paper analyzes the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the use of technology in teaching, with a focus on both the personal and professional impacts. A qualitative research approach was taken to answer this question. Educators from a school district in southwest Virginia were interviewed about their experiences in the immediate aftermath of the school closures and when schools reopened on a hybrid/virtual schedule in the fall of 2020. Three major themes developed from that research. First, educators indicated a major increase in workload, due to more time spent learning to use new technology, additional time spent lesson planning, more time spent grading, and an increase in parent and student contacts. Second, educators indicated that the use of technology to replace face-to-face teaching is leading to strained and non-existent relationships with their students. Finally, educators say they see the benefit of technology in the classroom and believe that the future of education will take a virtual form.

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