The pandemic that we’ve lived through has caused changes and just about every aspect of life. For adults, it meant working remotely, and for many children, it meant learning virtually. Although most students are back in the classroom, learning from home has been striking. Determining where your children are in their ability to control their emotions at school is not a skill that parents are ready to assess. Continue reading to discover how EdTech has been a vital foundational component for social-emotional learning.
Social-emotional learning, also known as SEL, describes how children deal with their emotions. It includes building relationships with classmates and friends, stress management, empathy, and having a sense of self or identity. It is an important aspect necessary for success as children grow into healthy adults.
Education technology, also known as EdTech, uses technology and IT tools along with the best educational practices to enhance student learning. It is hardware, software, and traditional education methods to benefit children. It puts education in formats that make learning fun and engaging for students. Some ways that EdTech is fostering SEL include:
EdTech Helps Develop Self Awareness in Students
EdTech helps students develop self-awareness by assessing their strengths and weaknesses. They are learning in different situations and can assess themselves in multiple ways. It can also show students their limitations and help them recognize some of their emotions, such as anxiety or depression. EdTech is designed for children to use without the stigma attached to getting help from outside sources.
Self-awareness is a large part of what makes a student successful. Having a sense of self-awareness will help children decide earlier what areas of education they enjoy and may want to pursue later in life.
EdTech Supports Teachers
The tech helps teachers assess how students are developing. The different platforms make it easy for teachers to collect and follow up on students. According to Hapara, which specializes in open educational resources for k-12 students, “digital resources help teachers meet the needs of all learners.”
EdTech programs and platforms will help support teachers and help make their jobs as educators more rewarding. It will allow them to focus on students who need extra help in certain areas. It also helps teachers distinguish which students work well on their own and which students need more attention.
EdTech Helps Students Build Relationships
Many students are dissuaded from working in groups because there is also always an imbalance in the workload. However, EdTech helps teach children relationship skills. It provides a platform for communication and working together online for presentations. Where students want to add tech can allow them to work with students worldwide.
There are also game-based activities for children to learn strategy, team building, and communication. Games are designed to help children deal with competition in healthy and friendly ways. They also are designed to make learning fun. EdTech makes it easier for students to not only build relationships but help them enjoy working on group projects.
EdTech Helps Students Make Decisions
When students are using technology, they have the space to utilize judgment and make decisions for the outcome they are looking for. Applications for education are an excellent place for children to learn skills such as working at their own pace and providing feedback.
EdTech Helps Students Think Outside the Box
Technological teaching tools are an innovative way to help students broaden their imagination. Technology allows aspects to be customized to each student’s needs. Students will have to ability to move at their own pace which is perfect for students who want more of a challenge and perfect for students who want more time to review.
As you have read, the pandemic has changed the way we live and learn. It has shifted the burden of children’s development from parents to teachers and now to both. EdTech helps teachers foster a good foundation for learning and teaching.
