Written by Eva Yeung, BSD Education

At BSD Education, we are always exploring new ideas to help boost students’ engagement in the classroom. It is important to boost engagement levels because engaged students are more curious and motivated in any given subject matter. With a growing sense of curiosity and motivation, this can greatly elevate and improve their overall learning achievements and experiences. 

Can we boost student engagement with technology initiatives at schools and districts – for example, with increased computer lab time, 1:1 device programs, etc.? Just by introducing tech tools like smart screens, online quizzes and games will only boost engagement for a little while. What we want is to establish sustainable engagement that has a meaningful impact. 

Technology in the classroom doesn’t have to be a  distraction and burden for teachers. Let’s explore ways to take advantage of our students’ interest in technology as a vehicle for better student engagement. Here are 3 of our favorite ways in boosting student engagement:

• “What’s in it for me (as a student)?”

Our students want to know how and why the content they are presented with is relevant to them. This concept is not new and has long been associated with social psychology (Frymier and Shulman). As educators, we are on the lookout to connect with students to ensure that their learning is relevant to them. Consider introducing a simple tech project where students can gain practical skills in digital design and coding through online learning projects, such as creating a reading blog, or creating a dynamic adventure game to showcase their understanding instead of a traditional book report. Students will feel accomplished with a new skill that they have practiced and are able to apply in other areas of study.

• Change it up

When students get familiar and in a routine in your classroom, you might feel that you have your classroom management secured and that your classroom is running like clockwork, but it is also important to try something different from time to time to keep your students interested. You can pique your students’ interests if you introduce a new concept through an interactive tech project (that they can also code and build) instead of a more traditional approach, such as showing them a documentary.

• Give them choice

Allow students to make a choice in the projects that they do and how they want to learn. When students are given the opportunity to have an active role in their learning, they will feel more compelled to listen, engage themselves and take ownership in their learning. Technology projects may not be suitable or interesting to all students,  but we shouldn’t take away the opportunity for other students to thrive through tech projects. Promote student agency in your classroom by giving tech projects as an option of creative learning and output.

As educators, we should also ensure the content and learning objectives are presented clearly so that the chosen tech activities are meaningful and have immediate value to your students. When it is done right, technology can enhance student interest and understanding, as well as open opportunities for student agency and creativity.  

What strategies do you use to spark your students’ engagement and interest in their learning? Let us know by tagging us at @educationbsd on Twitter or find us on Linkedin.

Written by Mo Qureshi, BSD Education

At the end of every year,  our Education team dedicates time to research new developments and trends in education and technology, to ensure we create cutting edge, sustainable and up-to-date roadmaps for our future curriculum.

In 2019, the world of technology saw a wave of many new releases and updates, some of which can directly impact and transform Education. 

Here’s a list of trends we found that you should also stay updated on:

1. Digital Citizenship:
Although digitalisation has increased student and teacher access to information, there is no guarantee that information online and associated search results are accurate and factually correct. Due to the ubiquity and variety of social media platforms, it has become much easier to disseminate false and inaccurate information. To counter this, we’ve seen schools and education program providers create activities and lessons to teach about digital citizenship, with specifics around fact checking, countering misinformation, having civil dialogues online and general good online behavior. 

ISTE Student standards define Digital Citizenship as students having the ability to “recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical”.

For example, a school in France has begun teaching lessons on which information to trust on social media platforms like Twitter. The International Baccalaureate (IB) has also announced a new course called Digital Societies which will teach about fake news, social media algorithms, and privacy.

2. Genius Hour:
Genius Hour – “is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom.  It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school”.

The last few years have seen a growth in teachers giving their students more control over their learning. Teachers are playing the role of a facilitator of learning or a learning coach, and students select, define and lead their learning. One strategy is to introduce Genius Hour in the school timetable.

3. Teaching Empathy:
In an ever changing world with growing global connections, being empathetic will help students become more understanding, compassionate leaders and solve problems with  sustainable, human centric approaches. Lauren Owen states these 3 benefits of empathy in education: 

• Empathy builds positive classroom culture. 
• Empathy strengthens community. 
• Empathy prepares your students to be leaders in their community.
  

Want to introduce empathy in your classrooms? Read guide by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

4. Managing Screen Time:
After investing in devices for each student or shared devices in a classroom, teachers, parents and schools have been trying to balance how their children use these devices. It is essential to find a happy medium between a child’s offline and online time, as they also  need to play outdoors, interact with real people, navigate the world around them as well as use digital devices to learn important digital skills like communication, learning, collaboration and planning. This happy medium can be found by asking if the use of the device is appropriate, meaningful and empowering. Here’s a handy set of strategies by Common Sense Media to help you manage your students’ screen time effectively.

5. Maker Education:
We’ve seen Makerspaces or plans of creating one emerge at almost all the schools we work with. Some schools are creating special spaces for Maker Education, while others are modifying their Libraries, Art Rooms or Science Labs to include a Makerspace.

Maker Education allows students to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills and the opportunity to innovate, create real-world applications for classroom concepts and to learn from failure.

Planning on starting your own Makerspace? Here are 5 things we learned from running our own.

What exciting trends in education and technology did you come across this year? I’d love to hear from you! Share it with me at mq@bsd.education or tweet to me at @msaifq.