Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 12

Sharing Good Practice
SUPPORTING STUDENT AND TEACHER
WELLBEING WITH TECHNOLOGY
BY: AL KINGSLEY
Where possible, schools should endeavour
to engage parents in eSafety training to
empower them with the knowledge and
skills to support their children at home.
Supporting teachers
The ongoing census has revealed concerns
over teacher workload, which is having a
negative impact on their wellbeing. This
is a universal issue and one, schools must
address if they are to continue to attract
and employ great teachers.
W
ellbeing has become
a hot topic across the
globe, for teachers as
well as students. It has
been revealed by the Ministry of
Education that about a quarter of all
school pupils in the UAE are being
bullied. In addition, results from the
Adults@School Wellbeing Survey (of
20,000 school staff) revealed that 40%
of participants were ‘just getting by’.
Wellbeing should no longer be seen
as an individual’s issue but as a
collective school duty. As Dr Abdulla
Al Karam, Director-General of Dubai’s
Knowledge and Human Development
Authority (KHDA), says: “Wellbeing of
students is no longer optional but a
right that schools must uphold”. He
also refers to wellbeing as “a human
right” for pupils, teachers and parents.
Supporting students
The use of technology in schools
provides students with new ways to
connect, communicate and learn, so
it’s crucial that staff can support their
wellbeing by ensuring a safe online
environment, including combatting
cyberbullying.
Although technology can never
replace teachers’ ‘eyes and ears’
within the school, it does support staff
who can’t be everywhere at once and
help them keep abreast of constantly
evolving risks. Armed with tools that
oversee students’ online activity,
concerning trends and vulnerable
students, they can hold assemblies or
group sessions to tackle issues such
as stress, depression and bullying etc,
and provide support to those in need.
12
Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
A new concept to supporting
wellbeing is the use of contextual
analysis. It uses variables such as;
the devices used, time of day, and
websites visited (including previous
alerts triggered) to create a numerical
risk index, based on the context and
history of a student’s activities. This
helps school staff to identify genuine
concerns and prioritise accordingly.
Allowing students to report concerns
they might have, is also key to
encouraging wellbeing and pupil
voice. This feature is especially useful
for those who feel uncomfortable
speaking directly to a staff member, as
it allows them to share their problems
and get help from staff without
having to approach them in person.
In addition, providing them with
independent access to a tailored list
of safeguarding resources can further
support student empowerment.
When it comes to internet metering,
sometimes it’s best not to blanket ban
everything, and instead use effective
controls that can help monitor and
educate students on positive digital
behaviour.
Additionally, in the classroom, a
student feedback mode is a great way
for teachers to capture how students
feel, their confidence in a topic and
whether they need support – allowing
teachers to take appropriate actions
where needed. Using classroom
management tools, teachers can
also confidently teach children best
practice on the use of social media
(e.g. not sharing personal information,
appropriate language, the ever-
present risk of grooming and so on).
Class Time
Classroom
technology
is
heavily
embedded within education and, when
used effectively, can make a real difference
to both students and teachers in terms
of saving time and boosting learning
outcomes. But first, schools must ensure
the technology they have is easy to use.
It sounds simple, but so many teachers
struggle to use technology effectively or
simply lack confidence – which, in turn,
causes them anxiety and stress. Schools
can address this by, for example, using
solutions that have graded user modes,
making them more accessible – or, if
the investment has already been made,
create student digital leaders to help and
support the teachers in their class.
Once the teacher is up and running, they
can start to make the little gains that
add up to a big win for teaching and
learning in the classroom. For example,
with the click of the mouse, they
can push a specific website to every
student’s computer in the classroom,
instead of wasting vital moments
waiting for them all to get to the
correct start point. Small time-saving
measures such as this can soon add
up!
Using online assessment tools that
allow the teacher to design tests and
examinations (including text, picture,
audio and video questions) with
minimum of effort, and monitor in real-
time, progress and results achieved,
will reduce manual workload and allow
the teacher to instantaneously capture
student understanding on a topic.
Al Kingsley is group managing
director of NetSupport. Additional
roles include being chair of a multi
academy trust in the UK and chair of
a city’s Governor Leadership Group