How Technology Can Enrich the Learning Experience

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, myriad new technologies emerged that have allowed educators to engage students no matter where they are. Our panel of experts talks about some off the most influential of these technologies, and what can be done to avoid potential current and future educational pitfalls.

What is the biggest challenge you see educators facing today?

Education technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. We’re asking teachers to implement new learning technology, adopt new curricula, and expand their knowledge around critical issues like social-emotional learning, and still empathetically and genuinely meet students where they are. And we’re asking for all of this without making a significant investment in their professional growth as educators. The world of education has changed and we need to support educators with real tools to help them be successful.

Where have you seen education technology make the biggest impact in helping to overcome these challenges?

Technology in the classroom has made student-centered learning more approachable than ever, empowering students to take ownership of their education. To be successful, teachers are required to orchestrate a learning environment where all students thrive no matter their background. The best lever we have to positively impact student success is to provide comprehensive professional learning support for educators as they take on this work. 

Where do you see the adoption of education technology headed in the upcoming school year?

COVID only accelerated technological shifts in the education world — it’s as if we pulled 20 years of expected change into a 24-month period. We’re going to see more and more districts embrace flexible classrooms that can bring learning to students wherever they are. 

For example, we’ll be able to bring school to students who have been impacted by natural disasters that keep them out of the physical classroom, which is a major step in accessibility for students. I also see classrooms continuing to embrace digital delivery of content and curriculum, and more comprehensive data feedback on student performance and wellness. 

Which technologies have you seen make the biggest impact in enhancing student engagement within blended and remote learning environments?

Our ability to use video conferencing to make virtual classrooms and student-teacher connections has changed the way we define classrooms. But we have to avoid the temptation to just throw kids on Zoom and really think about what it means to have a well-orchestrated virtual  classroom experience. 

What tools do our teachers need to create a learning environment that is geared toward student success? 

No technology is going to replace the impact of a teacher, period. What we can do is use technology to support our educators in meeting teaching goals and having a significant, positive impact on students. 

What would your recommendation be for a school or district that wants to invest in edtech but does not know where to start?

I think you need to ask yourself, “What are my district’s goals? What skills do my teachers need to be successful in this new world? How can we get students engaged in their own learning?” While there is plenty of great software out there, there is no better investment to improve student success than supporting our teachers as they create learning environments that support all students’ needs. 

Implementing curriculum, creating a more flexible classroom model, differentiating instruction, incorporating trauma-informed practices, supporting social-emotional development, these are the practices educators are struggling with every day. Providing personalized professional development for educators builds a foundation for success.

What is the biggest challenge facing educators today?

This school year, educators are reconnecting with their students for the first time, in some cases, after more than a year in a remote environment. And with that, one of the biggest challenges is learning where their students are in terms of their learning, how to meet them where they are, and how to increase their skills so they’re learning as much as possible over the course of the year.  

Teachers understand students are going to be in many different spots. The challenge is figuring out how to differentiate and personalize instruction for each student. Often, teachers have the dual challenge of addressing those skills that are below the grade level the student is currently in, while also trying to teach current grade-level standards and skills.  

Where have you seen education technology make the biggest impact in helping to overcome these challenges?

Having a very adaptive, personalized pathway for each student to achieve is very hard, if not almost impossible, with traditional print/core programs designed to teach one level of learning across an entire classroom. And if it can be done, it requires a tremendous amount of knowledge and data analysis work on the part of the teacher. 

Technology can be a tremendous partner in gathering data and information as the students work through the program. One of the challenges of remote work was assessing the students’ strengths and areas of development. Some technology programs can help collect data to build those profiles and help the educator use their time more efficiently and effectively, and they can do that even in a remote learning setting. 

Where do you see the adoption of education technology headed in the upcoming school year?

I believe schools and districts will continue to use those technologies they found to be effective and engaging throughout the remote learning environment. Those educators who may not have adopted technology will hopefully benefit from the learnings of their peers, and will look at the evidence that shows how the various technology programs provide and adopt programs that have proven through rigorous research that they are able to meet students where they are and accelerate their learning. 

What would your recommendation be for a school or district that wants to invest in edtech but doesn’t know where to start?

Look for evidence that it works. There are a lot of “solutions” out there that make grand promises, but do they have the backing of rigorous research, in the schools, that support those claims? 

You can look at the company’s website or use a tool like the Evidence for ESSA site that’s run through Johns Hopkins University. The ESSA site will help show the level of research the programs have, and how big a difference there was between the group using the program and those not using the program. 

Also, look to see if schools nearby are using the tool so you can go and see it in action. Talk to educators and students who are using the program to get a first-hand user review. 

What is the biggest challenge you see educators facing today?

One of the biggest edtech challenges facing educators today is the amount of offerings and online tools for teaching and learning. It can definitely feel overwhelming to sort through all of the options that are currently available, especially if you are new to using technology in a classroom setting. 

Some tools work wonderfully in certain situations and not others, or are tailored to a specific type of learning environment, which can make it hard to tell if it is a “right fit” until after spending some time trying it out.

Where have you seen education technology make the biggest impact in helping to overcome these challenges?

With more educators using technology in a classroom setting, I have seen more thorough vetting of tools by teachers, schools, and districts. Educators in all roles are asking more thorough questions about privacy, data, and security, and looking to see if a technology platform connects to multiple goals before bringing into a teaching environment.  

Sometimes answers to these questions around COPPA compliance, and FERPA or data storage are easily found on a company’s website. Other times, educators may need to reach out to a company directly.

Where do you see the adoption of education technology headed in the upcoming school year?

In the upcoming school year, I think more schools will look to tools that help students share their learning in an authentic manner and support the creation of portfolios of students’ work. As educators examine the possibilities for alternative assessments — moving away from traditional testing — I think they will look to education technology tools that provide multiple ways for students to share their learning.

Which technologies have you seen make the biggest impact with regard to enhancing student engagement in blended and remote learning environments?

There are a few different edtech tools that have supported student engagement with blended learning and remote learning. This includes Flipgrid, which supports video responses for students, and Jamboard, which provides a collaborative space for students to post ideas alongside their classmates. Of course, with any tool or platform, it really comes down to how it is being used and if it is used intentionally to meet learning goals.

What would your recommendation be for a school or district that wants to invest in edtech but does not know where to start?

The edtech space is massive, and it can be hard to know where to invest financial resources and professional development time. When looking where to start, I would suggest thinking about the core areas you are looking to address, such as formative assessment or creativity. Then narrowing down from there so you have just one or two tools in each category that are adopted school-wide — or district-wide — so you can offer enough support so implementation is supported throughout the organization. This way you can have a smarter, simpler, more streamlined tool belt.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing educators today? 

Teacher morale is at an all-time low. Teaching has always been tough, but the challenge of recent times is unprecedented. The pandemic has pushed many teachers too hard, and the new politics of state curriculum legislation threatens to push even harder. 

Emotionally, teachers are spent. Many have lost touch with the reason they became teachers in the first place: the opportunity to use their hard-earned skills and creative freedom to share their love of learning and help students further themselves in all areas in a joyful and satisfactory way. It is vital that we work to restore the emotional well-being of teachers or risk rates of attrition from which our schools may never recover. 

Which technologies have you seen make the biggest impact with regards to enhancing student engagement in blended and remote learning environments? 

The obvious answer is asynchronous and streaming video as the analytics are overwhelmingly clear about this. Without improvements in this technology, student engagement would have been impossible over the past two years. But there’s more to enhancing student engagement than moving pictures; how teachers present themselves through video makes the difference. 

Technology matters, but it’s the human touch — the social and emotional connections teachers forge with their students and the communal structures within the classroom that fires the neurons that make new learning stick.

What role does social and emotional learning play in balancing technology usage and building community?

Social and emotional learning promotes healthy human interactions that help kids participate effectively in school communities. As technology permeates through the learning environment, we run the risk of creating a generation of isolated learners untethered from their peers and the people who guide their academic growth. Social and emotional learning addresses this by providing discrete opportunities for improving student self-knowledge and self-regulation within learning communities that are inclusive and inspiring.

What are the benefits of implementing a social and emotional learning program?

The research is clear that kids who receive high-quality and sustained instruction in social and emotional learning see many benefits. They regulate their emotions more effectively, increase their sense of personal agency, and their academic motivation improves. 

These students make better choices, and most students and teachers report they are happier in classrooms where social and emotional learning programs are well implemented. They also perform better academically. One randomized-controlled trial found a 51 percent improvement in math scores after implementing social and emotional learning throughout the school.

What would your recommendation be for a school or district that wants to invest in edtech but does not know where to start?

Technology moves fast and you want to stay agile and keep data portable. The best approach is to start small, keep contracts short, and iterate. Make modest technology acquisitions and evaluate. Base new adoptions on what has been learned through previous adoptions. Understand which technologies are making a difference in the lives of both children and adults through effective monitoring that allows feedback from all stakeholders.