Apple For The Teacher

Patrick Wenham is head teacher at Bickley Park School in Bromley which is shortly set to celebrate its centenary year. By the end of this academic year, most pupils at the school will have their own allocated iPad in school to support their learning. Here Patrick discusses the uses of technology in the classroom – and the digital future of education. e-Learning Update issue 63/64

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      string(321) "... numbers working from home and elevated redundancy figures.The global pandemic also had the knock-on effect of kick starting a boom in the education technology (EdTech) industry. And this is just the beginning of a huge paradigm shift in how we view education and work.A proactive approachWe need ..."
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      string(5635) "What do Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Gen Z all have in common? They have all experienced a broadly similar education system, even though the youngest among those groups are facing a drastically different job market to their predecessors. In fact, the economy has morphed beyond all recognition since the mid-20th century.For the majority the idea of a ‘job for life’ is a distant memory. Even the traditional nine-to-five is fading away. Globalisation, digital transformation and, more recently, a worldwide pandemic and the prospect of the worst recession in 300 years have completely transformed every aspect of our lives and the very nature of work.The future of workWe cannot consider the progression of the education system without first contemplating the evolution of work. The truth is that some of the jobs we are preparing students for today could be non-existent by the time some of them graduate, which is why we need to challenge outdated views on the curriculum.Over the next 10 years, with the rise of artificial intelligence, automated technology, and augmented reality, traditional, manual and customer service based roles will diminish and there will be less need for a large workforce when computers and machines can do the role equally well. This gap in the job market will only add to the effects of the recession and unemployment as countries struggle to create a stable infrastructure in the aftermath of the pandemic.Since the UK’s last recession in 2008, self-employment numbers and the gig economy trend have been steadily rising. A 2019 study by the TUC and academics at the University of Hertfordshire found that one in 10 working age adults in the UK work on a gig economy app-based platform, up from one in 20 in 2016. The impact of COVID-19 is only set to increase the trend for gig work as well as the sharing economy thanks to increasing numbers working from home and elevated redundancy figures.The global pandemic also had the knock-on effect of kick starting a boom in the education technology (EdTech) industry. And this is just the beginning of a huge paradigm shift in how we view education and work.A proactive approachWe need to see the current crisis as a wake-up call to prepare children and young people for a radically different future. It’s time we had a 21st century curriculum that teaches how to create a job, instead of focusing on getting a job.The national curriculum needs to prepare students for a gig economy that requires entrepreneurial know-how, excellent collaboration and networking skills and the ability to pivot and adapt in a global market.The curriculum that most western education institutions follow centres around subject study and age-related targets, gradually honing down interests and passions to follow a direct career path. But what if this process is wrong, what if it isn’t equipping our future generations with the skills they will need and ultimately, students are ill-prepared to offer any meaningful value to the working world?Catching up with technologyWe are now moving even beyond the information society age into the impact or imagination society where there is a digital layer across almost every aspect of our lives. Big data collected by the internet of things (IoT) will be converted into a new type of intelligence by artificial intelligence (AI) and this will reach every corner of society. We cannot ignore this technological shift, and the curriculum must recognise and reflect these changes in society’s structure.The global pandemic has put digital learning in the spotlight. EdTech can provide the tools to equip students with the entrepreneurial skills necessary for creating their own opportunities, exchanging knowledge and collaborating in a digital economy. It has been pointed out to all of us that the future of learning must have a strong digital focus – interestingly, this is not the norm yet.Teaching entrepreneurial skills to studentsThe current education system is outdated and long before the pandemic it was not serving large numbers of our young people. It is fostering a lack of belief in ability and a lack of confidence to cope with the barrage of pressure youngsters are seeing in their daily life through social media.Looking to the future, we should also be putting more effort into equipping students with the knowledge to help manage the changing stresses and demands of social media and virtual communication in order to protect mental wellbeing.Our entire education system globally is now being challenged and it will be compelled to go through an inevitable and necessary transformation. We need an education system that will serve a rapidly evolving generation, and it will not suffice to teach them lessons from the past.To be successful in school, work and life, people need to effectively articulate their thoughts and manage conflict effectively – we need to be teaching these vital interpersonal qualities as part of the curriculum. Public speaking and leadership qualities should also be nurtured.There are also the personal qualities associated with entrepreneurism – like self-motivation, self-discipline, ambition, resilience, confidence and interpersonal skills – that have a tendency to be overlooked and undervalued in the education system today.Another key area we need to refocus our attention on in the curriculum is languages – particularly in the UK. Language and cultural studies should also be given a higher priority in order to enable young people to thrive in today’s increasingly globalised business environment. As"
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Leadership

To Cope With The Rise Of Robotics And The Gig Economy Entrepreneurship Must Be On the Curriculum

9 Oct 2020

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      string(2429) "‘we want learner autonomy and intelligent textbooks do this. We will continue using it because it ultimately is the most effective way to provide textbooks for students and, from the educational point of view, we get positive feedback from students so want them to continue.’Intelligent textbooks as an example of how technology can work for schoolsUltimately, any EdTech product should strive for this—engaged students who find learning enjoyable and rewarding. Intelligent textbooks are an evolved version of something that has existed in the classroom for centuries, but had not been adapted to the rapidly changing landscape of education. It is, in my opinion, a great example of how we don’t need to tear up everything and start again—incremental changes designed with the right intentions of empowering teachers to teach and students to learn can cause widespread, positive effects. What it takes is a willingness to look at problems with a different mindset and design products that work for the ecosystem, teachers and students. We have to take responsibility to ensure that the transition to a more technology-based classroom is as smooth, beneficial, and empowering as possible. Karin Bjerde is the Head of Strategic Growth at Kognity, a Swedish EdTech company which publishes intelligent, digital textbooks now used in over 90 countries, for the GCSE, IB, and IGCSE curricula. The content is interactive with text, videos, animations, and 3D graphs, students receive automatic feedback on their progress, and teachers can send assignments that are automatically corrected.Kognity is a Swedish EdTech (Education Technology) company launched in 2014 by former International Baccalaureate (IB) students. Having realised that technology, with all its potential, had had little significant impact on learning efficacy in classrooms around the world, Kognity aimed to do something no one else was doing—making the textbook a living resource, aimed to empower the teacher and engage the student on their individual learning journey. Since launching in 2014, schools in over 90 countries have chosen to implement Kognity’s intelligent textbooks, with great results. In one customer survey, 87% of students who replied claimed that Kognity helped them improve their grades and 95% of teachers said that it helped their students learn. "
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Leadership

Unlocking Potential with Digital Textbooks

23 Jan 2019

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      string(1729) "School Based Advisor for Achieving for Children relates how the school uses an online collection of creativity tools as a basis for cross curricular projects.About The SchoolTrafalgar Infant School is a three-form entry school with 270 pupils on its roll, catering for five- to seven-year-old children. Trafalgar Infants has been running for over a century and is named in commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar; its foundation stone was laid in 1906 on the 100th anniversary of the event. Proud to have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted since 2011, the school fosters a nurturing environment where pupils flourish academically and personally. In April 2019, Trafalgar Infant School celebrated winning an LGfL Digital Excellence Award in the category ‘Use of j2e Tools’ for its creative, cross-curricular approach to using education technology. Run by edtech charity LGfL, the Digital Excellence Awards celebrate the innovative ways schools use LGfL’s services and digital learning resources. The ‘Use of j2e Tools’ award recognises schools for their inventive use of the j2e (‘Just too easy’) Tool Suite, a collection of creativity tools, apps and games designed to engage, motivate and inspire pupils. Available to all LGfL schools as part of their subscription, the j2e set offers opportunities for children to enhance their digital and imaginative skills as well as engage pupils in the computing curriculum. The judges commended the school on its “Extensive evidence of creative cross-curricular use of the j2e resource, with even very young children able to access the resource independently.”Further Readinghttp://webquest.org/ https://www.teachingtimes.com/news/ctl-webquest.htm"
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Digital Learning

Very Young Children Can Be Creative Digital Learners!

29 May 2020

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      string(409) "... consider themselves to be a technology user. However, budgetary pressures are already having a significant impact on the use of edtech; and many fear that technology could become less prevalent in cash-starved schools. WEB LINK The State of Technology in Education Report 2017/18Keywords Technology, education, teachers, interpersonal skills ..."
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      string(4690) "The report found that 63% of teachers think technology has hindered the interpersonal skills (collaboration, listening, manners etc) of pupils the most. Thereafter, 58% of teachers feel technology in the classroom has deterred the emotional intelligence of pupils (the ability to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as others). Communication is the third soft skills which teachers consider to have been significantly hindered by technology in the classroom at 41%. On the other end of the scale, only 7% of teachers believe technology has setback the researching capabilities of pupils. Just slightly above by 1%, only 8% of teachers think a pupil’s technical literacy has been harmed by the presence of technology in the classroom. Perhaps unsurprising, given the long amounts of time that pupils now spend interacting with technology – they are now more digitally savvy and competent than ever before. Technology has drastically evolved the way in which schools teach and children learn. The wide adoption of smartphones and tablets by students inside as well as outside the classroom has made studying more engaging and interactive. Consequently, the unquestionable benefits of introducing technology in the classroom has encouraged schools to annually spend an astonishing £900m on education technology. Moreover, according to the report, 57% of teachers place online assessments as the technology which will have the biggest growth in education over the next five years. Within the same time frame, teachers think online content and resources (56%) is the technology that will have the next most substantial growth, followed by cloud-based lesson planning and delivery tools (41%). Key Findings: Technology is now an accepted part of the classroom with just 3% of all educators indicating that they don’t use technology very much, and don’t feel that it is necessary to. Furthermore, many teachers feel that there is increasing pressure to use technology for technology’s sake, rather than when it is relevant to teaching and learning. Educator attitudes towards the use of technology have remained static over the last 12 months. The majority of teachers still believe that it is a necessary part of everyday life and that this should be reflected in lessons. Educators also agree that technology is an excellent way to engage students using a medium familiar to them. 48% of teachers believe that schools are either not allocating enough budget to technology, or are investing in the wrong things. Likewise, only 5% of teachers believe that they receive full training and support when it comes to the educational technologies at their schools. Overall, teachers feel that a lack of funds is the main reason for insufficient technology and training in school. Today’s educational leaders recognise the role technology can play in helping them deliver their current school strategy. Even if, in reality, it is not being deployed as effectively as it should. When it comes to priorities, the most important goals for leadership teams relate to student attainment, improving attendance, and implementing new pedagogical techniques/learning strategies; and most educators agree with these objectives. Teachers of STEM classes are continuing to use technology in education more than any other subjects and, in 2017/18, there doesn’t appear to be any significant increase in the use of technology across softer subjects. Furthermore, despite being available, newer equipment is not being put to good use widely in schools. Keeping pupils interested remains one of the biggest challenges facing teachers today. While technology is commonly cited as a fundamental issue when it comes to student focus, in reality it could be the solution to this problem. With technology now increasingly prevalent, both in and out of the classroom, most teachers are using edtech in some shape or form, even if they don’t consider themselves to be a technology user. However, budgetary pressures are already having a significant impact on the use of edtech; and many fear that technology could become less prevalent in cash-starved schools. WEB LINK The State of Technology in Education Report 2017/18Keywords Technology, education, teachers, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, pupils, communication, technical literacy "
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Leadership

The State of Technology in Education Report 2017/18

10 Apr 2018

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      string(305) "... a group discussion.In education, I don’t think anything surpasses human connection, so it’s a central part of the company’s ethos that technology doesn’t replace teachers. I think edtech is most effective when used as a tool to enrich teaching in the classroom and I want ..."
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      string(369) "Form time and assemblies can be great opportunities to engage interest in the world, encourage empathy and promote wellbeing as young people explore who and how they want to be. A new digital platform is providing creative solutions to maximise the potential of non-structured classroom time. This Q&A with founder Elysia Willis outlines the highlights of the program."
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      string(5623) "Luminous is a new platform that delivers weekly digital resources for tutor times and assemblies that cover areas of the curriculum that may be difficult to engage with at other times. It is reducing the burden for form teachers, providing much-needed structure to tutor times or class-based assemblies. The platform is divided into the sections ‘Ideas’, ‘People’ and ‘Wonder’—themes with the potential to spark curiosity, empathy and discussion. There is also a dedicated wellbeing section and religious page for faith schools.We met up with Elysia Willis, Creative Director and founder of the platform to learn more about how it is increasing the impact of form time and assemblies. What exactly is Luminous?Luminous is a subscription resource that comes out weekly. Each edition shares three videos which relate to three sections: ‘Ideas’, People’ and ‘Wonder’. Some examples include Growing Lollipops (Ideas), Tackling PTSD Through Art (People) and How Tennis Rackets Got their Shape (Wonder). Prompt questions accompany the clips so that each video’s themes can be discussed and debated. As we all engage with video in such an immediate way, it’s a highly effective medium for explaining an idea, telling a story and opening pupils’ minds. As a former art teacher, I have always been fascinated by creative communication and how to relay information in the most engaging way. During my years in the classroom, I found that pupils were most captivated by lessons that used mixed media (words, images, music and videos) rather than text-filled screens or whiteboards, so I thought it was important to incorporate that as the basis for the platform.I tend to choose videos for each edition that are only a few minutes long—enough time to engage the attention of the class, but also allowing ample time for teachers and pupils to discuss the content together. I want young people to be more than consumers of information: I hope the subjects will inspire them to take action or become creators themselves! The discussion questions in the resource are particularly important to me as I think that social media and the internet can foster solitary behaviour, which is undoubtedly detrimental to emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. This can be combated by using technology to promote better human relationships—the internet allows people around the world to share ideas and form connections. I wanted to maximise this collaborative potential by structuring the Luminous platform so that each video is followed by a group discussion.In education, I don’t think anything surpasses human connection, so it’s a central part of the company’s ethos that technology doesn’t replace teachers. I think edtech is most effective when used as a tool to enrich teaching in the classroom and I want Luminous to encourage and support this. How do the activities connect to the curriculum?As part of a Section 5 inspection, Ofsted inspectors must consider pupils’ SMSC development when forming a judgment of a school. In order to receive an ‘Outstanding’ grade, a school must show ‘thoughtful and wide-ranging promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and [ensure that] their physical well-being enables pupils to thrive.’ At school, it’s so important to support development in all aspects of being human and recognising that character is just as important as curriculum! As Creative Director, I aim to support this development through the content shared and discussions inspired by the platform. The team selects diverse, interesting and challenging videos from around the world that we hope will spark spiritual, moral and social discussion and debates. For example, we recently shared a video about fashion designers who have been creating clothes for those with physical disabilities and another which explores how language is written in various countries and cultures. To form well-rounded and open-minded young people, it’s crucial that students are aware of a range of lives different from their own. How is this approach advantageous for teachers?Teachers have to spend so much time preparing for lessons and with so much to do, tutor times unfortunately often fall to the bottom of their list! With Luminous I wanted to reduce this pressure and make it possible for tutors to enjoy the time with their groups, secure in the knowledge that every week there is content ready to go! A new edition is published every Friday, which keeps the resource dynamic and gives teachers time to take a look before the beginning of the week.Do the students like it? I have had some very encouraging feedback from both staff and students. The teachers love it because the resource meets a combination of objectives: it provides structure for tutor time, helps build meaningful relationships between tutors and their tutees, sparks curiosity and provides a welcome respite on busy and pressurised school days. The students really love the content and find that it’s really impacting their lives. Some of the comments I’ve received include:  ‘The videos we watch and the stories we’ve read have really made a change in my life and have also changed my attitude towards people. I now think twice before opening my mouth and saying something unkind.’ (Year 9 student)‘I think Luminous is a good way for people to think together as a group and helps people become more confident in speaking up. It also helps by providing advice on how to live life.’ (Year 10 student)‘It’s a great way to spend tutor time, actually"
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Digital Learning

Making the Most of Non-Structured Time

10 Mar 2020