empowerED: 3 Ways Technology can Empower Staff and Students
Before the New Year, we released the very first episode of empowerED: a brand new podcast exploring the realities of integrating technology in education. From planning, safeguarding, and even preparing for the future, empowerED sees educators from across the country sharing experiences on their deployment journey and their hopes for the future of the sector.
EmpowerED has given us the opportunity to reflect on the management of a 1:1 device project, no matter the scale or reasoning behind the introduction of tech in the classroom. As featured on the podcast, here are just some of the ways that classroom technology can empower staff and students.
1. Teaching and Learning
New teaching methods are a learning curve, no matter the method at hand, and the development of digital skills is important for students and educators alike. The introduction of technology in the classroom is an opportunity to explore teaching and learning together, streamlining and expanding lessons while providing a platform for the pupil voice to be more easily heard and recognised than ever before.
Even the planning and delivery of a device deployment can be a learning opportunity. Professional Learning Courses such as Apple Learning Institute can support your institution in the planning and management of a project, and every participant leaves the session with their very own Digital Learning Plan. Follow up sessions with Apple Professional Learning Specialists mean that educators can reflect on and adapt their Digital Learning Plan as and when, with support from our team every step of the way.
New technologies should be viewed as a resource enabling educators to discover innovative teaching and learning approaches. Similarly, it empowers students to approach their education through diverse methods, customising their learning journey to suit their preferences. Whether facilitating improved teacher-student communication or providing additional avenues to demonstrate student progress, technology is a potent asset in the classroom.
2. Bridging the Gap
In Episode One of empowerED, Hannah Croskery (Showbie) and George Barlow (St Bart’s Multi Academy Trust) discuss how the range of learning tools that classroom technology can offer opens doors for students to present their learning in new and creative ways. In the same breath, it allows teachers to provide personalised feedback, revealing new avenues for improvement for all students so that they can more easily achieve their goals.
Applications and third party learning tools are an essential aspect of teaching and learning with iPad. From safeguarding to the submission of work and the provision of feedback, tools like Showbie can streamline the way educators work and students learn.
Technology also provides classrooms with the means to provide equity for students of differing abilities. Accessibility options on devices like iPad are built-in, meaning no additional software or costs are required to provide equitable solutions to students who might otherwise need further support during lessons. Discover more about the importance of accessibility in the classroom on the upcoming empowerED episode, Empowering Everyone: Accessibility with iPad.
3. Preparing Students for the Future
The introduction of technology in schools has provided more access than ever before to the world beyond the classroom and with it, the opportunity to develop and maintain a wide variety of digital skills.
In the upcoming empowerED episode, The Classroom Connection, Richard Anderton (The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership) notes that research has shown the predictions for the current generation of students being that they will experience more career changes in their lifetime than any other generation. For this reason, it is imperative that they complete their education with the skills to carry them through the workplace, something that is made exponentially easier via the use of technology.
Digital literacy is essential for those now entering the workforce, and by instilling digital skills in students while in the classroom, educators are readying them for what to expect for the future.
Empowering Staff and Students
Technology can empower both students and teachers alike, and the implementation of edtech in the classroom is more prevalent than ever across the UK. Whether you’re only just considering a Trust-wide deployment, or you’ve completed the integration of devices in your classroom, empowerED has something for everyone.
Listen to the first episode of empowerED here. Want to watch the video? Watch here.