Daniel Edwards is director of digital strategy at the Stephen Perse Foundation – an independent selective school for three-to-18-year olds with a penchant for technology. Here he discusses the role technology plays at the school and how its use has been effectively embedded in the its approach to learning and teaching
Leadership by example; this is the approach taken at the Stephen Perse Foundation. It is exemplified in how technology is used in the school and, importantly, in how it has been embedded in the school’s culture. This was not an overnight development but a continuous progression.
Around five years ago tablets were introduced to the school. At this time, the deployment of tablets was in its early stages and Daniel and his team were tasked with its development, introducing a number of controls and education supports and resources. “The Foundation grew with the technology to understand how to enhance the learning process. Content curation and creation became a real focus for us and we found that technology facilitates this,” Daniel explains.
The right IT platform
When embarking on an ICT project, Daniel breaks it down into a three-part process. “The first thing you need to consider is desired learning outcomes – what do you want for your students? Secondly, you must look at your infrastructure – do you have the infrastructure – wi-fi and internet – to support what you’re planning? The third part is assessing and procuring the hardware and software that will deliver the learning outcomes you have initially outlined…If you don’t get these elements right there will be a failure point.
“The purpose of the hardware you deploy is to provide the appropriate access to learning resources; the key is selecting the right, readily available platform and software,” Daniel continues. But how do you decide what the right program is? Microsoft’s education software might trump Google’s in your school, for example. At the Stephen Perse Foundation there are three elements that the technology must drive to qualify; it must: enable seamless access to content, remove barriers to learning and supplement what teachers do best – teach.
Mobile technology, in conjunction with your selected platform, is particularly effective when linked to education. Together, they enable educators to teach in a way they’ve always wanted to, but which was, before, logistically impossible. “Using mobile technology resources are accessible any time anywhere; it allows real time collaboration to take place – students can access a document and answer questions simultaneously although they may not be in the same room,” Daniel says, and he warns, “Never invest or use technology just because it’s new and shiny; use it because it serves a purpose; technology is just a tool to be used where appropriate.”
- Set out what your learning expectations are – why are you doing it – and understand this clearly before you do anything else.
- Visit schools that have adopted a one-to-one programme. Use this as an opportunity to learn how they deployed the technology and to try and ascertain their learning outcomes and whether they were able to meet these.
- Finally, don’t focus on grades because there are so many different factors that lead to such quantified educational outcomes. To say that the technology you introduce has a direct impact would almost be negating all the other positive impacts that your teachers and school have had.
Whole-school change management
Introducing technology across the school – from staff to students – is always a challenge. Staff need to be fully aware of how to operate it and, especially, how to apply it in the classroom. More importantly, staff are responsible for modelling how to use it – after all, the misuse of technology has consequences.
The process of instilling appropriate digital etiquette in the school community involves large-scale change management, Daniel points out. “Change management can be difficult; sometimes people try and achieve outcomes too quickly and any shift in how education is delivered can be tricky.” It’s a gradual process, working best with quick wins at the beginning leading to longer-term effects. When people can see benefits, they want to explore more and, if the technology you’ve introduced is shown to work – you have the right infrastructure, the right device and the right platforms – then students and teachers will continue to use it. “As with any whole-school change, you’re looking for what we call the ‘chosen knights’ – people who understand what’s trying to be achieved, understand the platforms and can, therefore, lead by example in their own areas.”
Modelling digital etiquette
“It seems we’re at an important crossroads because, even though we have a number of elements of control over the technology we provide to students, it’s impossible to monitor every piece of software they have access to, particularly if they have access to the internet,” Daniel says. This is why it’s important not to rely on a one-off lesson on cyber-bullying or sexting but rather to focus on modelling digital etiquette, continually referring to what is correct or appropriate use and to ingrain this in students over time. This is the approach taken by the Stephen Perse Foundation and Daniel says that this has been made a lot easier by providing all students from 11 to 18 with a device.
“If we didn’t have these devices or platforms, and if appropriate digital etiquette wasn’t modelled by every member of staff, we don’t know how we would be able to model appropriately over a period of time for so many students,” Daniel explains. Again, the right platform can aid this; for example, at the Foundation communication platforms are used for learning, a domain where students can communicate about homework – but students know that the messages are monitored and can be seen.
Daniel’s fear is that, while trying hard to control the technology, students – ever creative – will find ways to subvert it. By embedding digital etiquette in the school’s culture, just as you would embed manners, you can moderate the use of technology and, if mistakes are made, these will be more manageable. Technology is ever-changing, becoming more complicated, a little more under the radar; fostering a culture in which there is open use means that you can be more aware of the technology that the students are using.
Technology and you
“Technology is just another tool that you’ll use; don’t expect the academic grade to be the outcome, an enhanced learning/teaching experience is the outcome you’re seeking,” Daniel advises. Technology is a facilitator – another resource in the teacher’s repertoire – it can enhance and support but it’s part of the process rather than the process itself. Daniel recommends that you look for the technology that is relevant in your context because needs differ from school to school. Furthermore, there’s a process of implementation to be followed. “Schools sometimes fail to factor in the additional cost of training for staff and the leadership of that,” Daniel says. “There’s a lot of investment in the support of the implementation and deployment.” It may be a winding road, and there may be a great deal to consider, but introducing technology to your school – in a smart way – will be reflected in teaching and learning outcomes.
As well as portability, the accessibility features of devices such as tablets are highly rated and can be of great assistance to SEN students. This is something that people are becoming more aware of and it certainly benefits learning outcomes. For example, students with visual impairments can dip in and out of accessibility features as necessary; the background can be changed as well as colours and sizes and there’s also VoiceOver, which means students can have everything on their screen spoken to them. These features, Daniel notes, have changed the way many students learn. Students can customise their device to meet their needs, empowering them. Plus, should a lesson change at short notice, all students can be brought up to par with ease through the accessibility provided by technology.
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