Reflection on he importance of technology in our lives
Holidays are a great time for reflection and for looking at things with fresh perspective. Returning to the world of education with an emphasis on embedding digital into how we learn and what we do in life and in working life it got me thinking about how and how often we used technology on holiday. We went on a road trip through France and Spain organising everything ourselves. Here is what we had to do digitally just over a 2 week period:
- Book accommodation – several apps ie booking.com. hotels.com, air bnb
- Digitally track stays for additional bonus night offers
- Use digital tolls on the roads via contactless payment
- Look at online bank statements to track spending and cost on the tolls
- Follow digital instructions and codes to access properties without the owner
- Pay online for parking via digital apps
- Scan QR codes for information in hotels, restaurants and at visitor attractions
- Use search engines to choose activities, visits and places to eat
- Book online via various apps for all of these
- Take photos and videos on our phones
- Share these on social media platforms and directly with friends and family via Whatsapp
- Post testimonial feedback reviews on a variety of platforms
- Have an online planning meeting with a college back home via zoom
- Pay for parking online via phone app
- Use QR code to access rules and regulations digitally
- Use online banking app and finger recognition to transfer money
Etc etc etc Lots of evidence on how digital our lives have become. This has led me to consider the importance of embedding digital skills proficiency into our classrooms. It is a key employability skill and this really should be Education 4.0 preparing us for Industry 4.0 and Life 4.0 - does this exist? It should! As educators we have a duty to ensure that we support our students on this digital skills journey so they are ready for life and employability ready to be part of a modern workforce.
How can we engage students using phones and computers?
- Encourage and train them to use these tools professionally which is different from how they do this in their personal lives (the same as how we adapt language use in both settings)
- Link them to how they are used in our life and their specific industry sectors
- What gamification tools are available and appropriate at different stage of the lesson to change pace and keep engagement?
- Can we use multimedia to set context and introduce content?
- How about a live poll used diagnostically to check the knowledge in the room, set context, or create interest in a new topic ?
- Capture and gather everyones’ input on a live padlett
- Store shared documents on digital folders where everyone can contribute and access the information
- Link with the outside world using technology communication platforms
- Use social media as a means for research, marketing, showcasing work and connecting with appropriate networks
- Capture opinions, feedback, lessons learned, presentations on on different digital platforms e.g Flipgrid, Nearpod etc
- How can students use digital timers in the class to have more ownership over activities they are involved in and to work with pre agreed time deadlines?
- Which digital tools could be used for assessment and checking learning? Try quizlet, kahoot etc
How can we help teachers?
Let’s help teachers with this by starting with exploring their own mindsets around using technology. Remove any fear or embarrassment around what they don’t know yet. Alert them to how often technology is needed by all of us in life and in our working lives to get real buy in. Build confidence in their own abilities by help them digitally upskill and share what is available with them. Ensure they can access ongoing support to develop their skills. Here are some ideas :
- Encourage a culture of sharing and experimentation
- We have to help teachers build up their digital teaching toolkit.
- CPD sessions which use technology naturally at different stages and for different purposes for teachers to recycle, adapt and take away,
- Create a safe environment with the opportunity to practise using them with support for experimenting.
- Lots of colleges have coaches, APs ,TLMs or digital champions on hand to help 1-1 too. This is a great way to provide ongoing support to encourage change and innovation