| | 19CIOReviewJULY 2021were able to be scripted while others required working with a vendor or paying for additional integrations. Due to the demand of remote learning requiring instant access for students and teachers to online platforms, the systems that were slower to integrate began hindering instruction. This then allowed technology to explain to decision-makers the value and importance of plugins, APIs, and LTI to decrease turnaround time and provide a higher level of support.I would be remiss if I did not mention home Internet inequity during COVID-19. Although local free WiFi was available and our district installed additional outdoor wireless access points, home internet access still suffered. Lack of cell tower coverage for wireless carriers and high-speed internet created a wide spectrum of internet availability in our county and across the country. This message has been heard. An increasing amount of fiber is being installed, telecom companies and the government are working together to provide internet services in creative ways, and the internet is starting to be viewed as a utility. It is going to take time in addition to back and forth, but we have already seen a lot of planning and changes over the last year. It will be exciting to see the impact of a more connected world on the educational experience. Technology is an ever-changing field, and change management comes with the territory. Pre-COVID-19, people were used to change in managed, slow waves. COVID-19 broke this fixed mindset by forcing a growth mindset in order to adapt to a remote educational environment. The early adopters of online educational tools were able to more easily adapt to this new environment than the late adopters who resisted changing because they continued and recycled historical practices. The late adopters were also forced to seek out instructional technologists or other pertinent personnel to be successful in this new environment. The greatest experience that I witnessed during COVID-19 was a widespread acknowledgment of the value of face-to-face interactions and the people connections and relationships. Technology can provide increased efficiencies, access to complex data, and allow for increased connectedness across large distances. Technology helped to bridge the gap, but we also need to be more strategic about the implementation. The early adopters of online educational tools were able to more easily adapt to this new environment than the late adopters who resisted changing because they continued and recycled historical practices
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