By Tamara Fyke
In today’s world, educating the whole child requires attention to social-emotional learning (SEL) while also recognizing that technology is an essential, ever-present part of education. The important question for educators and families is this: how can SEL and educational technology (EdTech) work together to support students’ growth, resilience, and success?
To answer that, we need to look toward the future our children will inhabit. Technology now touches nearly every part of daily life—from online shopping and digital communications to workplace tools and creative platforms. Students must learn far more than how to watch videos or manage social media; they need practical, transferable skills such as information literacy, typing proficiency, and basic coding. As technology continues to shape careers and communities, the highest value lies not just in knowing the mechanics of tools, but in using them with purpose: ethically, thoughtfully, and for human benefit.
Ethics and morals—distinctions often summarized as the principles guiding group conduct versus personal judgments of right and wrong—are central to how we teach digital behavior. Across political and religious lines, many of us can agree on a core principle: act with care and consideration for yourself and others. Technology can make interactions feel distant and impersonal, which risks desensitizing users to real human impact. Popular culture has long reflected this concern in narratives that explore the tension between people and machines, suggesting that convenience must never displace our moral responsibilities.
As educators and community leaders, we are called to foreground human dignity in the face of technological change. Two core ideas should guide instruction and policy:
- Technology is a tool designed to serve human needs; people are not subservient to machines.
- There are real people behind and affected by every screen: individuals with rights, feelings, ideas, and agency.
With those principles in mind, SEL and EdTech can be intentionally integrated to reinforce students’ personal and social development. EdTech offers practical ways to develop the five core competencies identified by CASEL: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. When used thoughtfully, digital tools can move beyond rote practice and become platforms for meaningful growth.
For example, adaptive learning platforms and formative assessment tools give educators timely snapshots of students’ abilities, enabling tailored instruction that supports self-awareness. When students see clear evidence of their learning progress, they gain insight into strengths and areas to develop. Similarly, explicit instruction in digital citizenship—how to communicate respectfully online, protect privacy, and evaluate sources—builds social awareness and responsible decision-making.
EdTech can also foster self-management and relationship skills. Project-based digital activities such as coding challenges, multimedia storytelling, or collaborative media productions require planning, persistence, and teamwork. These projects demand problem-solving, meeting deadlines, negotiating roles, and giving and receiving feedback—skills employers value and that prepare students for real-world collaboration. The critical factor is intentionality: explicitly naming the SEL competencies students are practicing, reflecting on those skills, and connecting them to personal goals and community responsibility.
Three strategies for using technology to support social-emotional skill development
- Have the conversations. Use a common language for SEL and make explicit links between those competencies and the EdTech tools and projects students use. Discuss what skills are involved in each activity and why they matter for life inside and outside school.
- Make it human. Intentionally highlight the people on the other side of the screen: the creators of technology, the users, and those impacted by digital actions. Encourage empathy, perspective-taking, and ethical reflection about how designs and interactions affect others.
- Adopt a makerspace mentality. Empower students to create with digital tools and express their voices. Move beyond slideshows to offer diverse, engaging project formats—comics, short films, music, photo galleries, prototypes or business models—so students can explore identity, purpose, and collaboration through meaningful creation.
When SEL and EdTech are intentionally paired, technology becomes more than a delivery mechanism: it becomes a context for practicing empathy, ethical decision-making, collaboration, and self-regulation. The goal is to prepare students not only to use digital tools efficiently, but to use them wisely—to contribute positively to communities, exercise compassion, and solve problems with both skill and integrity.
About the Author
Tamara Fyke is an educator and creative entrepreneur dedicated to supporting children, families, and urban communities. She is the creator and brand manager of Love In A Big World, a social-emotional learning curriculum for K–8 educators that blends research-based strategies with practical resources to help students become emotionally healthy, socially competent problem-solvers who find purpose and make positive contributions to their communities.
Tamara edited the book Building People: Social & Emotional Learning for Kids, Schools & Communities, which gathers diverse perspectives on SEL for educators, parents, and leaders. She continues to advocate for SEL integration across classrooms and digital learning environments to help young people navigate the ethical and social dimensions of technology.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research and media organization focused on the shift to digital curriculum and the evolving landscape of education.