Earlier this year, I attended the Microsoft support number Education Exchange (E2) event in Paris. It’s a chance to celebrate the work of educators around the world – and I haven’t stopped thinking about the impact the event has had on me and my practice. Three main thoughts about the direction and use of technology in the classroom have stayed with me.
1. Microsoft support number Nurture unique skills
Grimsby, where I’m from, is a far cry from the streets of Paris.
The old fishing town is almost completely cut off from the rest of England,
with no direct motorway connections and a limited railway station (if you want
to visit us, you’ll be taking country lanes to get here). During the entire
event, I only met two people who had even heard of Grimsby, and I felt quite
insignificant when chatting to people from more far-flung locales like
Melbourne, Nairobi, or Ho Chi Minh City.
It got me thinking, if I was feeling like that, how must others
from the town feel?
What would it be like if everyone from my home town experienced
an event like E2? Strangers from across the globe, joined together, split into
teams, and quickly finding that all-important team dynamic in order to
co-operatively solve a problem.
Then it hit me: this isn’t limited to an event like the
Education Exchange. This is life. This is how it should be, with individuals
drawing on their own unique strengths, skills, and perspectives – listening to
others and using these strengths to help everyone. Whether you’re a Grimbarian
or a Parisian, we all have a unique set of skills to offer our peers.
Developing that in our learners is vital to help inspire and build aspirations,no matter where they’re from.
2.
Technology needs purpose
Technology is continuing to transform the classroom experience –
but that doesn’t mean it’s something that should be used just because it’s
there. It’s shouldn’t be simply a box-ticking exercise. To treat it as such
misses the point and the power of technology in education.
·
Why you’re deploying it
·
How you want your students to learn
·
What you wish to achieve
This lets our learners collaborate, communicate, grow, and –
just as developmentally important – fail in a safe, guided environment.
Used in the right way, technology is an empowering force. In the
hands of the right educators, we have the potential to change the world – one
school, college, or university at a time. But any classroom technology must
have a purpose if it’s to support and engage a learner’s journey.
3.
Ed-tech breaks down social barriers
Education technology goes beyond a laptop in every school bag
and engaging PowerPoint slides on hi-tech TVs. We only have to look at the work
of inspirational educators like Koen Timmers to see how education can support
the reduction of poverty and inequality.
Tech is helping to break down barriers like these, as well as
overcoming obstacles like location, distance, and even time. With the right
tools, ed-tech lets students gain a greater perspective, learn about andrespect other cultures, and discover new worlds outside the classroom. We need
to harness these tools not just to help educate students in terms of the
curriculum, but also increase their worldly knowledge and empathy.
In other words, the final barrier is the four walls of the
classroom. There’s a wide and exciting world beyond it. The Microsoft support number Education
Exchange shows us that, but it’s the technology that helps every one of our
learners not just explore it, but experience it in all its glory.
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