In my years as an Early Childhood teacher I had the opportunity to attend many professional development workshops and seminars, all of which has helped me in one way or the other to grow and develop in my ability, practice and confidence to continue to educate and meet the diverse needs of all my children.

However, as the COVID 19 pandemic swept across the world in 2020, the extended closure of physical schools changed my role as a teacher, and I was not very much prepared for such a change. As the school doors closed, education for my children and I moved into our homes and the use of technology became NOT an option but essential for reaching and teaching my children. I had the opportunity to participate in a series of Professional Development, Teacher Training Webinars, titled "Teaching in Times of Change" that not only helped me to better prepare for this "new normal" but it also challenged my thinking and helped me to improve my practice and the learning experiences of my children.

With the countless online resources and various educational apps, I became more aware of guidelines and tools and how to use them in the virtual classroom. I learnt more about navigating online platforms, the different apps, how to access learning programmes and trusted online teaching and learning resources, all of which has helped to make my teaching more effective, which in turn, kept my children more engaged in their learning.

As my children have a range of different abilities the digital apps provided opportunities for making differentiation easier, such as the the various tech resources and assistive devices that can be used for children with hearing impairments and speech delays, which can be used to help them to make better progress since they are designed for their particular needs. I am also able to make use of different opportunities to make learning for my children more fun and enjoyable. For instance, by taking them on virtual fieldtrips and allowing for us to interact in a virtual world. 

As a teacher, I am learning how to use emerging technologies to teach and prepare to meet the diverse needs of my children while my children are using advanced technology to shape how they learn.