Welcome to the 2026 #8WeeksOfSummer blog challenge! You may already be experiencing the Digital Backlash in Education, not need to welcome you to that.
Digital Backlash
This summer, HLT dedicates the #8WeeksOfSummer blog challenge to exploring the changing role of technology in education. Over the past two decades, instructional technology has transformed how we teach, learn, communicate, assess, and connect. Yet alongside rapid innovation has come growing resistance, skepticism, and important questions about student privacy, artificial intelligence, social media, screen time, digital wellness, and the role technology should play in our schools.
This summer, HLT invites educators to engage in thoughtful reflection about the promises, challenges, and unintended consequences of our increasingly digital educational landscape. Whether you are a classroom teacher, instructional coach, technology specialist, administrator, higher education faculty member, or simply interested in the future of learning, your voice is important. Please join us in crowdsourcing perspectives from educators across the profession.
[Tweet “#8WeeksOfSummer blog challenge explores the evolving role of technology in education. Join the conversation about AI, student privacy, digital wellness, and the future of learning. #edchat #edtech”]
The 2026 #8WeeksOfSummer blog challenge runs June 8 – July 27, 2026, and is open to any educator. Each week, participants will respond to a prompt designed to encourage reflection on some aspect of instructional technology, digital culture, or educational practice.
The Rules
Have a Blog: You may blog on a traditional blog, podcast, Substack, LinkedIn, Facebook, or any platform that provides an independent URL for each post.
Write & Include:
(1) This statement at the beginning of your post:
“This post is week ___ of 8 in the #8WeeksOfSummer Blog Challenge by HotLunchTray.com.”
Please link that statement to:
https://www.hotlunchtray.com
(2) Please use the hashtag #8WeeksOfSummer when sharing your post on social media.
Comment on the Prompt:
Post a link to your blog in the comments section of each week’s Blog Challenge prompt. As educators, summer schedules are flexible, so posting within a couple of weeks of each prompt is perfectly acceptable.
This 2026 #8WeeksOfSummer blog challenge runs June 8 – July 27, 2026, and is open to any educator. The challenge encourages educators to reflect on their experiences, beliefs, questions, and observations regarding technology’s role in teaching and learning. Each prompt invites participants to explore a different aspect of professional practice and share their perspective with the broader educational community.
Check HotLunchTray.com on June 8th and every Monday through July 27th for a new prompt.
[Tweet “#8WeeksOfSummer • Week ___ Blog Prompt • Blog Challenge #ETCoaches #BloggingBuddies #TECHtalkGA #ReflectiveTeacher #edchat #edtech #DigitalLearning #AIinEDU”]
Check HotLunchTray.com on June 8th and every Monday through July 27th for new prompts. Any educator may participate in the #8WeeksOfSummer Blog Challenge.
Participants who complete all 8 weeks by posting, linking back to the prompt, and sharing through social media will receive one entry into a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. The drawing will be conducted shortly after the challenge concludes—just in time for educators preparing for a new school year.
We look forward to learning from your experiences, hearing your perspectives, and continuing the conversation about the future of teaching and learning in a digital age.