How technology will help future-proof your school provision

It’s hard to think beyond summer break at the moment and many schools are purely focused on getting through summer term, whatever that ends up looking like.

With the plan dropped for wider school opening, how will you continue to teach your pupils over the next 6 weeks and beyond?

EdTech has been pivotal in teaching remotely

Whether schools are using free resources or platforms like DB Primary, it is safe to say that online provisions have been vital in helping schools teach pupils from afar.

EdTech providers like ourselves have seen usage like never before. Our latest customer survey shares insights from our DB Primary customers, with some describing our provisions as vital!

How do you long-term plan?

Aside from those owning a crystal ball, it is impossible to know what the next few weeks, months or years hold for educators.

The one thing schools can do is look to future-proof their provision to ensure they are ready and prepared.

Online learning resources

Schools should audit the online resources they have available. Are you using all the tools you have available to you? Speak to your providers for best practice tips and ensure that you are getting the most out of your tools.

Not only that but look to learn from the last few months. What has been your biggest struggle with teaching remotely? Do you need more resources, increased opportunity to share and collaborate on work or more interaction between staff and pupils?

There are lots of free tools as well as paid for platforms, which will give schools what they need to be able to create virtual classrooms. Although these will never replace the personal interaction of a teacher-led classroom, it will get you as close as possible.

Continuity in provision

Schools should look to introduce resources and incorporate them into the wider teaching when teaching returns. In the event that schools need to switch back quickly to remote teaching, it will be easier with tools and resources that the children are already familiar with. This is a recurring theme in our conversations with schools.

We have had schools who have said the process of remote teaching has been an easier adjustment as the pupils were already familiar with using the DB Primary platform.

Communication tools

How you communicate with pupils, parents and staff will have a big impact. We appreciate there are schools who are better placed for online communication purely based on the tools they have available. Communication apps such as SchoolPing and our learning platform DB Primary offer an efficient way to communicate with a school community.

Whatever tools you have available, try to ensure you are using them as effectively as you can.

Do your provisions offer 2-way communication? It is really important that you are able to get information to your school community quickly and efficiently but as the educational effects of the pandemic continue, the opportunity to allow 2-way communication in a controlled and effective manner becomes more important.

Communication apps like SchoolPing come with full tracking so you can see who has read and received messages, plus you can offer 2-way communication through the forms feature. Teachers can communicate and send work to their classes and individual pupils. Staying connected is key.

For those schools fortunate to have learning platforms, this communication and collaboration will be easier. DB Primary offers some great ways to maintain school community with blogs, forums and a safe internal email facility.

Don’t forget your website!

Every school has a website and regardless of whether your school has other provisions, this should be used as a central hub to house documents and important information needed during the next few months.

For more information about how our EdTech products can help you maintain school community and keep teaching, contact our team today.