Back in 2008, I was working on the Indian government project drafting a national policy on ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in schools in India. While studying global best practices, it was evident that the new millennium was witnessing an overarching development of educational technology in schools in terms of the presence of computers, laptops, tablets, projectors, Internet, and multimedia tools. Though, it needs to be studied why it took over a decade for these ed tech companies and products to establish their awareness across the global education system? Also, why is it that their integration in the education system is still superficial even in many developed nations? Whether in the global south or the global north, all parts of the world have evolved to the present time which witness technological presence in varied fields, be it health, finance, livelihood, or education. Though, education systems have made the least integration with technology despite the potential ed tech holds. Research has brought out many reasons for this. Lack of technological infrastructure and technological teacher training can be attributed as two biggest reasons for ed tech to miss in the global south. And, lack of school district focus and funding can be major reasons prohibiting ed tech to become ubiquitous in the global north.

I have been interacting with many public and private elementary school teachers in New York City across pre-, during, and, post-pandemic times. The last couple of years have certainly been revolutionary for ed tech. Educators differed in what they valued about the use of media and how they went about selecting or creating media in the pre- and the post-pandemic times. There have been steeper challenges for teachers to find, assemble, and manage digital materials and tools to engage remote, hybrid, or in-classroom students. Once teachers had instructional support from their Science Coach or tech team, exploration of creativity in ed tech saw a boom. Teachers have been recording themselves conducting experiments at home, sharing videos and clips, having real-time assessments, creating their homeroom websites and exploring school ed tech recommended tools like learning management system, digital educational apps, etc. which were not a part of everyday classroom. Taking time to adapt their curriculum over the last few years with respect to the pandemic, educators have created digital resources that could be used in the future as well. The present education space across the world has opened up to ed tech. The next couple of years would be critical for ed tech in terms of either fizzing out from the hype or really altering the teaching and learning space. Ed tech funding for VC-backed companies across the education sector has witnessed soaring heights. The interest in the field has never been higher as close to $21 billion in investment was seen in ed tech last year which is a strong indicative of the opportunity.

Along with all these developments in the education sector, what is significant to realize is that the evolved contemporary space and time has children who are natural tech-savvy millennials. Availability and accessibility of cheap smartphones and mobile apps across the global south has revolutionized the presence of digital technology in the lives of the masses. Now, it gets crucial for global education policy makers, educationists, technologists, business lines, and parents to recognize and assist to integrate ed tech seamlessly in teaching and learning so that the young generation do not look back at ed tech as a missed opportunity but could share stories of their changed times where digital tools ubiquitously got embedded in the education systems and transformed the face of the traditional classroom. It’s yet a desire of many educational technologists like me who see the blurring line and wish the clearing up of the space into the best possible scenario for the generations to come.

Indians have been migrating to the US for many decades but there has been an exponential rise in the numbers doubling up in the new millennium. Some of the wider attributions for many young Indians to come to the United States can be put to liberalization, global connectedness, rise in educational and job opportunities, escalating Indian community abroad, and, opening up of the political will to acknowledge Indian heritage.

Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival and is deeply rooted in Indian mythology. The festival symbolizes victory of good over evil, and, light over darkness and is celebrated primarily by lighting up earthen lamps called diyas. In the global North, especially in the USA, on one hand, it is said to be a land of immigrants and on the other, there exists deep-rooted problems of supremacy of whiteness and racism. Amongst all these, political leaders like Barak Obama (the 1^st non-white US President) in 2009 stepped up to recognize the Indian diaspora and celebrated and recognized Diwali as a festival that could be celebrated by everyone as a call for dispelling darkness over light.

The approach towards Diwali was certainly very different with Trump administration at the White House where the President lit up a lamp probably just as a protocol to be followed. The present Biden Administration has Kamala Harris as the Vice President which marks a historical moment as a woman hailing from Indian heritage holding the position. This year the Diwali celebration at the White House was at a scale never seen before. Many folks from the Indian diaspora were invited to the reception and a grand display of Indian culture through dance, music, and art was presented. Can it be said that Diwali is seeping into the American culture of celebration or is it still just a few political leaders who lean left and are choosing to acknowledge inter-cultural festivities?

The macro-level political presentation of Diwali in the US this year has been exemplary, which showcases acceptance and respect of Indian heritage and culture. It’s a changing time as well in terms of the global Indian leadership— Rishi Sunak, a politician of Indian origin recently appointed as the UK Prime Minister is a watershed moment in British history. In recent times, there have been so many Indian-origin CEOs leading American companies. With visibility comes recognition and with political will comes reinforcement. But do these macro-level acts of recognition and reinforcement lead to acceptance and practice of intercultural festivals? The micro-level questions which arise include whether individuals are really open to intercultural and, in the case of the US, international acceptance of Diwali? Whether schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods are ready to integrate the essence of the festival into their systems as a readiness toward exposure to different cultures?

For the first time, the public schools of the suburban New Jersey district where I live observed a Diwali holiday. The decision for school closure on Diwali came up as an act of recognition of the expanding Indian community in the school district. Also, for the first time, one of the elected board of education members in the town is an Indian American woman. At my children’s elementary school, the Home School Association’s equity and inclusion team provided volunteering opportunities to many enthusiastic Indian parents who had planned Diwali presentations in each of the classrooms.

While I was presenting at the school, I wondered if there would be a day in my children’s school when this much-hyped-about Indian festival Diwali would be integrated into the school system so that teachers present and do something (like a DIY craft) instead of a few Indian parents coming in to do so. During the 1st half of that day, all the students of the school were in the field with their teachers for the pumpkin patch. I wonder if, in coming years, Diwali teaching becomes part of school curriculum, and teachers—just the way they do Halloween and Christmas celebrations in classrooms—celebrate Diwali as well.