It is fair to say that the classrooms of today are incredibly dynamic places, utilising a broad range of tech solutions for teaching, learning and the day-to-day efficient running of the work of the school. Yet making the most of the EdTech available to us presents an ongoing challenge. It takes time to research what may be most suitable for our needs and to implement our choices. Fully integrating EdTech into our daily work and utilising it fully is very obviously easier said than done. Digital poverty alone presents significant issues to be overcome.
PSTN switch off
Simon Blackwell, CMO at TelcoSwitch has some valuable insights into tech for communications in schools. He explained, “The Department for Education defines EdTech as any technology that can be used to, ‘support teaching and the effective day-to-day management of education institutions’. This includes ‘hardware, such as tablets and laptop computers’, but also ‘digital resources, software and services’.”
While it is clear that most schools have a range of solutions in place for the challenges they face such as remote working and teaching, Blackwell feels that there is still a lack of overall integration with communications. He said, “For example, a school might be using Microsoft Teams to conduct video calls either as part of SLT or Governor meetings, or when conducting parent’s evenings or pastural care, but many still use a separate telephone system for their reception switchboard. This is especially key given that BT will be switching off their Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in 2025, moving from traditional phone lines to faster, clearer Internet Protocol (IP) technologies instead. This has played a big part in the increase in demand for cloud-based telephone systems nationwide, and while this change is well-known about in the private sector, we still encounter a great many schools who don’t know about the PSTN switch-off, what it means for them, and what they should do. 2025 might still seem a way off, but waiting isn’t prudent.”
Where are we now?
Ty Goddard, chair of EdTech UK, points to the SARs-CoV-2 pandemic as a kind of turning point in EdTech terms. He explained, “More schools, teachers, parents and young people saw the benefits of EdTech; not only in terms of connecting people and school and college communities but to underpin teaching and learning.”
However, EdTech is not just for a pandemic to be used as an emergency response tool. As Goddard explained, it supports key areas of teaching and learning, enhancing knowledge, feedback and assessment. He said, “It's a workload buster if used with focus across an institution. We'd never seen adoption and use at such speed with new more agile professional development based on profound teacher collaboration. As we look to the future England really can't afford to be left behind. Ideology or lack of leadership is no reason not to reap the benefits of digital for Institutions, teachers, pupils and that ever vital home school communication. Ofsted can't afford to go missing in action on education technology - it is of such positive benefit to school & college improvement and capacity.”
Liz Jones FCCT, international educator and EdTech enthusiast with more than thirty years teaching in primary education feels that home learning presented an opportunity to schools. In the moment schools had to respond and make good decisions to cope with this challenge. “However,” Jones said, “there is now an opportunity to consider benefits and opportunities where digital tools can give us choices alongside more familiar learning ways.”
Seeing EdTech use blossom in schools has meant that educators who may have preferred to engage less with digital options are now more accepting of them as a requirement. “Many people now have greater skills and are less inclined to avoid these tools,” Jones said.
As EdTech has become more embedded throughout the work of a school, we can more comfortably explore wider possibilities. For Jones this might entail, “the administrations side with online parents’ evenings which seem to suit parents and teachers better or considering flipped classroom and blended learning options. It’s a great opportunity. A key factor in successfully benefitting from our home learning experiences is providing the opportunity for teachers to learn more. We are a great profession for adapting and problem solving but higher-level success using EdTech will only come when teachers have stronger skills. There’s a direct link between those skills, attitudes and confidence to make really embedded change.”
Our response to EdTech needs to be effectively managed, and for Jones, this means providing options so educators can learn in different ways, flexibly. She explained, “Digital learning benefits that will help our students can also help us. There are a range of benefits in this time for all those involved. We need to be brave enough to explore them for the educators, the learners and the organisations. We also need to support collaboration where people share techniques, share expertise and help each other to reduce our workloads through digital collaboration.”
Imagining the future
We have reimagined the classroom in recent years in spite of financial constraints and the immense challenges posed by a global pandemic. Although many schools need more robust ICT support, they are also using EdTech well to engage and support not just children, but their families too. EdTech is a necessity in our schools so a vision for the future is key. As Goddard said, “We'll need to capture the positives for the whole system by a new EdTech strategy with a focus on investment, purposeful digital tools and testing impact. We also need a national Office for EdTech at the heart of government to provide the verve and leadership sadly lacking across Whitehall. Leadership across the system is there - it just needs to be unlocked. The EdTech promise pays dividends when it is based in the reality of schools and colleges; purposeful and creative."
For Jones, it is crucial that we retain an open mind, “that educational establishments provide time and space to explore options. I would love to see people developing a new educational strategy where EdTech is a sound part of learning with the aspects that it serves best.”
Find out more…
- Unified Communications SaaS & UCaaS Solutions | TelcoSwitch
- EdtechUK
- @ty_goddard
- @lizjonesLTM
- What Is Digital Poverty and Why Edtech Is Responsible for Driving Change? – InsideSources
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
