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Back in March 2020, educators were faced with a level of disruption to classroom teaching that no one was fully prepared for.
Overnight, new methods of teaching and learning were brought in to help combat the new challenges we had to face, with lessons delivered from our kitchens, children taught from home with support from their siblings and parents, and our ability to adapt and react quickly and efficiently put to the test.
It became immediately clear that technology had to be how we were going to make the new remote normal work as best we could.
Many of us were no doubt already familiar with various edtech solutions as they were becoming more and more embedded in our classrooms and daily teaching plans.
And we might have also noticed just how much opinion was beginning to surface on how beneficial the right solution could be for schools.
A report from the Westminster think-tank, Reform back in 2018, championed its potential to ‘improve outcomes of every pupil… particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.’
While the potential for edtech became more apparent to – in the words of Brookings researchers – particularly reward ‘disadvantaged or underserved communities as a unifying force that encourages collaboration.’
With so much research and opinion out there, it was and still is hard to navigate what to take on board and what to ignore.
What might spark a great conversation in your next departmental meeting and what might go down like a lead balloon?
There’s a lot of research out there, particularly surrounding edtech, and it’s only increasing, with the recent pandemic sparking the launch of numerous studies on the loss of learning and how technology can support recovery. So how do you sift through the reports and guidance to get to what’s sound, useful and relevant to you? Especially when you’re already bombarded with information overload at school and at home? Here’s a few of my top tips for engaging with edtech research to get you started.
In the fast-moving landscape that is edtech, and like anything in education, it’s so valuable to keep an ear to the ground for what might be happening now and what could unfold in the future. Let the researchers do the work for you and then sample what you need so that you can remain aware, implement change, and look ahead.
Gordon Reid is a principal teacher in North Lanarkshire and co-owner at G&C Education.
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