This week we’re focusing on THE FUTURE OF LEARNING. Rapid adoption of educational technology is one silver lining of the otherwise devastating COVID pandemic. Read on to learn:
- 5 ways that online educational platforms help students and educators
- 5 things I wish I knew before I started teaching!
- What type of advice we should accept (and what type of advice to question!)
Let’s do this!
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING IS HERE.
ARE YOU AN EDUCATOR? If YES, 2 words: THANK YOU !!!
Thank you for dedicating your career to education. Teaching can seem a lot easier than it actually is. Teaching is all about COMMUNICATION, isn’t it? And there are high stakes. You’re shaping minds. Students have very high expectations. Parents have even higher expectations! Never mind the future of learning!
Recently I had the honour of interviewing Chris Besse (partner & chief commercial officer at EDSBY) for Ensemble’s THE FUTURE OF LEARNING conference.
Two of my kids go to a school that uses the EDSBY educational technology (edtech) platform, and I’m a big fan! You can watch the video of the conference (which includes an excerpt of our interview) HERE.
Andrea Wojnicki & Chris Besse at “THE FUTURE OF LEARNING” Ensemble Conference
This week’s ?podcast episode includes the entire interview with Chris Besse, who outlines precisely why edtech platforms like EDSBY accelerate learning and enable communication and collaboration amongst students, teachers, parents and administrators.
We should be excited about the Future of Learning!
Click HERE to listen directly on the Talk About Talk website
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? Click HERE to listen on your favourite podcast player
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? Click HERE to read the printable shownotes
Chris Besse of EDSBY
Thank you, Chris!
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING:
5 BENEFITS of ED-TECH PLATFORMS
1️⃣Edtech platforms shift the focus from teacher-centric to student-centric.
Chris Besse points out that if you walked into a classroom today (or at least pre-COVID), it wouldn’t be all that different than what it looked like when we were in school, or even when our parents were in school: teacher-centric, lectures and textbooks. Enter the future of learning!
- Edtech platforms shift the focus to a student-centric learning model where students are empowered in their own learning, and where teachers are guiding, framing, assessing and coaching
2️⃣ Improved communication and collaboration
- Yes – the magic word: COMMUNICATION!
- The future of learning means a shared online platform improves communication amongst key education stakeholders: students, teachers, parents and administrators.
3️⃣ Teachers spend more time interacting with students
- Chris Besse highlighted that teachers currently spend only 49% of their professional time interacting with students.
- The efficiency of edtech platforms affords teachers to spend less time preparing, more time teaching!
4️⃣EdTech platforms enable accessibility and immediacy of information regarding students’ progress.
- It’s like getting a report card every day. More importantly, access to this information can prevent late diagnoses of learning disabilities.
- And when the information is data, data analytics can be leveraged. Imagine the insights that can be used to optimize learning! THIS is the future of learning!
5️⃣ EdTech platforms encourage students to learn how to learn.
- Students have access to a familiar, private, social media-like system.
- Guided by their teachers, they can learn to explore what’s on the platform and beyond, and then become life-long learners.
Isn’t that inspiring?
5 COMMUNICATION INSIGHTS FOR EDUCATORS
(Or what I wish I knew before I started teaching! ?)
I remember my first year teaching at the University of Toronto. I was like a deer in the headlights. ? (Yes, of course I have stories…) But I took it very seriously and by my second year I won a teaching award! Here are 5 insights I wish I knew before I started:
?Leverage the power of STORYTELLING in the classroom ?
Research establishes that stories are engaging and memorable. Wait – isn’t that exactly what we want in the classroom? Engaging and memorable lessons? Yes!
?Seek the ideal level of CONFIDENCE with a growth mindset ?
Whether you need to boost your confidence or back-off from appearing arrogant, adopting a GROWTH MINDSET will help you achieve the ideal level of confidence.
? Go MULTI-MEDIA ?
Students learning accelerates when they hear it, read it, watch it, write it, play with it,… The more media you employ, the better.
?Embrace TECHNOLOGY ?
Your students may be a generation or more younger than you, and they may be lightyears ahead of you in terms of technology. Leveraging technology (including media and edtech platforms) will benefit you and your students!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ How to interpret teaching ADVICE ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the #1️⃣piece of advice I have for new teachers, and it’s relevant beyond the context of teaching:
- Accept teaching advice about what NOT to do (i.e. common teaching pitfalls) at face value. Advice to help you avoid common disasters (such as NOT assigning too much homework or NOT having a teacher’s pet) is probably valid.
- However, be skeptical of prescriptive advice about what you SHOULD do in the classroom. The reason is simple. The best teachers are not only passionate, they’re also authentic. They have their own style.
- Simply put, you’re a teacher, not an actor…
(image: Unsplash @ chuklanof)
Got it?
Two Key Takeaways on The Future Of Learning…
If you remember just two things from this newsletter, make it these two things:
- The adoption of TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM (e.g. edtech platforms like EDSBY) can accelerate learning. This is a “silver lining” of COVID!
- Generally, we can accept advice about what NOT to do at face-value. However, we should be more skeptical about prescriptive advice about what we SHOULD say and do. We need to be authentic! This goes for teaching, parenting, managing,…
To say that the COVID pandemic has impacted our lives is an understatement. Amongst other things, there’s been a rapid shift to ONLINE COMMUNICATION in all contexts: be it work, social, health & medical, education,…
(image: Unsplash @ samish_18)
JOIN US ONLINE? Do we have a choice? ?
That’s why Talk About Talk is focusing on topics such as communicating your PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE, optimizing your LINKED IN PROFILE!. and The Future of Learning!
Thanks again to Chris Besse for sharing his expertise. Please forward this email to your friends who teach – or to anyone else who might find it helpful. THANK YOU!
(image Unsplash @ element5digital)
I hope you enjoy this PODCAST EPISODE. As always, I’d love to hear what you think. Please ? EMAIL me, or ? RECORD your message. I ❤️ love hearing from you!
Have a great week!
Talk soon,
Dr. Andrea Wojnicki
Chief Talker & Communication Coach
Most Recent ?Podcast Episodes:
#63 – COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS & THE FUTURE OF LEARNING with Chris Besse
#62 – OPTIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE with Andrew Jenkins
#61 – WHAT I LEARNED FROM PODCASTING from crutch words to interrupting
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