Teachers have become more critical of technology tools, a record number of students now have their own school-issued digital gadgets, and there is a significant effort being made at the federal, state, and local levels to connect every home to high-speed internet. All of these advancements have played a role in how technology has affected our schools in the last 5 years.
However, it is not so simple to transfer all these advancements into better technology use in classrooms.
On #worldteachersday, we want to analyze these challenges using in-depth experiences from teachers, administrators, and district executives.
Below is an outline of the tech priorities schools must address now and next school year, with links to helpful resources for how to tackle those challenges.
1. Getting virtual instruction right
Teachers, principals, and district leaders should be thinking hard about how to make remote learning better, especially if they are continuing to offer it even as most students have returned to school buildings.
2. Connecting SEL and technology
Social media, virtual learning, online gaming, and ubiquitous devices present new social challenges for kids. So, what social-emotional skills do they need to flourish in an increasingly tech-centric world, and are schools teaching them?
3. Cutting down on excessive screen time
Without even counting digital instruction, the number of hours teenagers and kids spend staring at computer screens and phones rivals how much time they would spend working on their school work. Educators and children’s health experts alike argue students need more support to prevent the overuse of technology from leading to unhealthy behaviors in the classroom.
4. Protecting student data
Student data privacy encompasses a broad range of considerations, from students’ own smartphones, to classroom applications discovered and embraced by teachers, to zonal-level school data systems, and to Computer-based Tests (CBTs).
5. Using artificial intelligence in smart ways
Schools are embracing education technologies that use artificial intelligence for most things from teaching computers to learning robotics. But how can educators standardize these learning methods? And what happens if they can’t duplicate it in all schools?
