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 – the Digital Backlash.
This week, Are We Building Better Learners or Better Platform Users?
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Many critics of digital learning tools point out the resources teachers and schools dedicate to teaching teachers how to use the platforms they use, rather than to teaching content. How do you address this claim?
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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.