When in a worldwide pandemic crisis, where highs and lows of lockdown are a reality, celebrating successes of the positive changes we have made is critical. This certainly applies to the education industry.
We live in an era where technology is prevalent in all aspects of education delivery and this is the time to keep alive the momentum of technology adoption that started due to the 2020 pandemic crisis, and to further enhance teaching and learning for all learners.
Celebrating successes
Embracing changes in technology in normal times can be a challenge for many. But, in the midst of a pandemic, changes appeared to bombard us from every angle.
Although teachers may have struggled with the increased demand on technology, they quickly adopted new technological processes to keep continuity in student learning, because educators always have the students at the forefront of their mind. Acknowledging just how much of a challenge and change this was for many means we can appropriately applaud those who have stepped up.
Certainly there has been an ongoing dedication from teachers to embrace technology, and for many schools, this has gone hand in hand with a large dedication from the administration team in terms of professional development (PD), investing in new online management tools or providing additional support. In fact, many schools provided specialised PD as they recognised the value of adequately equipping their teachers for the pandemic and beyond.
The future landscape for K–12 education
Experiencing a continuation in disruption to face to face teaching and learning can be frustrating. But remembering the positives is motivating, and reminds us to remain solution focussed and have the bigger picture in mind, the future of education for K–12 students.
Think of it like compound interest. Any great maths teacher can give you a quick run down. Essentially, paying into a small investment now pays great dividends later on. But, adding to the funds little and often can help speed up and increase the reward.
Now is the time to continue the momentum by adding to our technological ‘fund’.
Understanding that these new ways of teaching and learning can have even more positive impacts upon our students creates greater reasons for us to keep exploring.
Learning remotely has reaffirmed the belief that with greater ownership of their learning, students are able to feel more empowered.
3 must-have technologies—moving forward
So, to continue the momentum in your school’s technology journey for the future betterment of your students, here are three must-have education technologies to embrace.
Learning Management System (LMS)
An LMS facilitates teaching and learning in one place, with an effective online portal that has clarity and cohesiveness for the whole school. If your school already has an LMS in place, it’s now time to continue exploring the capabilities and find new and inventive ways to enhance learning. Maybe there is a course component you haven’t yet utilised, or an integration that requires further investigation.
If your school doesn’t have an LMS, there is no better time than now to invest in research and implementation to serve your school’s needs. Contact a Schoolbox expert to find out more.
Community communication portal
Community communication portals are a place to celebrate school success, share news and events and provide a shared space where all members of the community can interact.
A portal of this sort may already be up and running at your school, so the next step here will be to increase engagement within your school community. The period of extended remote learning confirmed the importance of a connected learning community to support the education of K–12 students.
You may be able to use the portal to create a schoolwide challenge for tracking and increasing exercise, or to promote positive ways to recycle or minimise waste. Sharing work samples from the classroom, or using it as a place to advertise larger school events, is also common.
If your school does not have a community communication portal, investing in this implementation will do wonders for promoting togetherness in your school community. Schoolbox houses both an LMS and a community portal in one platform, so if you are needing a solution, reach out to us today.
Video Conferencing
Depending on your school, you may have used video conferencing prior to and during the period of forced remote learning. Zoom, Google Hangouts or Microsoft Teams are some common ones.
Seeing teachers’ and students’ faces has a huge impact on engagement in the learning journey and maintaining positive relationships. Video conferencing also has the screen share option for students to share their ideas, create presentations, or for the teacher to demonstrate a task easily.
If your school doesn’t already have this technology available, it’s time to start that dialogue. Don’t lose sight of the discoveries made during remote learning to enhance education for students. Ask us about our video conferencing integrations.
The only way is up
Accepting that this has been, and still is for many, a challenging time puts into perspective all that we have achieved so far. Now is the perfect opportunity to take hold of the technological momentum created and continue to enhance education for K–12 students.
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