We all know that education is changing at a rapid pace. The combination of Covid-19 forcing our hand and the advances of EdTech has really made the difference. We, however, must be sure that we don’t forget about pedagogy when chasing technology!

The Blessing of EdTech in Schools

For so many years, schooling was dependent entirely on the teachers and their ability to hold their students’ attention. We had a few choices:

• Present great material that captures the students’ interest.
• Be superly animated.
• Use puppets or other props.
• Play games with the children that teach the concept.
• Offer rewards and prizes.

Nowadays, these options are still available, but we also have other options available to us. We have the blessing of education technology!

EdTech can be used in many ways! It can be used as:

• An introduction to capture the students’ interest;
• A prop to explain a concept;
• A game to further teach a concept;
• A reward;
• An immersion experience to add to the learning.

At one time, it was nearly impossible to hold every child’s interest and attention in the classroom on every subject for every moment. When you lose a student’s interest, they don’t learn the concept you are teaching as well because they are not paying attention. Lack of interest can also lead to boredom and misbehavior in the classroom. Therefore, the less ability a teacher has to hold the attention of her classroom as a whole, the more it reflects on her as a teacher, her classroom management, and her students’ grades.

EdTech has made this heavy burden of holding the students’ interest much lighter. When used correctly, classrooms utilizing education technology see a rise in good grades, acceptable behavior, and comprehension.

Don’t Forget about Pedagogy!

Due to these assets, many schools are implementing EdTech in the classroom. However, as they implement them, they forget to train their teachers in the proper use of the tech. 

Don’t get me wrong. They bring someone in to show the teachers where the “on” button is, how to turn the machine off, and how to make the EdTech do what it’s meant to do. But they don’t train teachers how to use the technology pedagogically in the classroom!

Rather than bringing a tech expert in to train their teachers on the new EdTech, school boards and administrators should be bringing in pedagogy experts. They should be training their teachers on how to incorporate technology into the classroom!

Don’t Forget the Teachers!

Administrators must include the teachers in the decision-making process when choosing education technology and upgrading it. Similarly, they should include teachers in any decisions with moving forward on integrating the EdTech in the classroom.

The teacher sees the EdTech in action, sees how it affects the students, and understands how it affects their learning. They can give insight into all of these things.

Conclusion

It’s vital for the administrators not to forget the teachers when considering which EdTech to choose. They must remember to properly train the teachers in the pedagogical side of the EdTech. Lastly, they should have frequent meetings with the teachers to get their insight on which adjustments to make and how to make them. Lastly, administrators must remind their teachers not to forget about pedagogy when chasing technology.