What are the best strategies for adapting to new Educational Technology projects?

Part of that planning should be an evaluation of the needs of the students. Too often the tail can wag the dog; you have to focus entirely on the benefit to the key users and those benefiting.

The starting point for the adoption of any Edtech tool should always be about the impact that it can have on learning. It is important to have a clear understanding of the area of learning we want to improve and then be on the lookout for tools that are capable of delivering that improvement. Having clarity of vision will help avoid the pitfalls of the shiny new toy syndrome.

Just like any product adoption, working backwards from your customers. The main nuance in EdTech is you have a multitude of customers across generations, tech profiles. Understanding these different profiles of teachers, students, administrators and in some countries, parents is critical.

Incorporating new educational technology into your teaching practice can be an exciting but daunting task. By embracing a growth mindset, seeking support, starting small, collaborating with others, reflecting and iterating, staying current, being willing to learn and adapt, and staying open to new ideas and approaches, you can approach new educational technology projects with confidence and effectiveness. Remember that it's okay to ask for help and to take things one step at a time. With the right mindset and approach, you can successfully integrate new educational technology into your teaching practice.

Como em qualquer projeto a ser implementado é fundamental, inicialmente, avaliar a necessidade de implanta??o e se as condi??es técnicas necessárias est?o contempladas. Pesquise as melhores op??es, questione outros usuários sobre os benefícios e mudan?as percebidas com a implanta??o em suas institui??es. Passado este diagnóstico e entendida a viabilidade , passamos para a sensibiliza??o de todos os usuários: alunos, pais, suporte de TI e todos que ir?o participar do processo. é imprescindível que o professor entenda que impacto esta mudan?a irá produzir positivamente em suas rotinas. A capacita??o deve ser constante, assim como a verifica??o de que as necessidades buscadas est?o sendo cumpridas.

The Stour Academy Trust adopts EdTech through targeted pilots in specific classes or schools, guided by expert Digital Champions and my oversight as Digital Teaching and Learning Lead. We rigorously test features and monitor outcomes, documenting findings in case studies. This strategic approach allows us to assess usability, engagement, and educational impact, ensuring that any technology we adopt is not only innovative but also aligns with our pedagogical goals and enhances learning. Adjustments are made based on solid evidence, optimizing our tech use for maximum benefit to our students' learning experiences.

Decide what you will use actually use it for, simply. Don't try to use every bell and whistle all at once. And never forget to apply the human element. Meaning don't coast on the technology alone. Get some personalized feedback from students and teachers.

By testing and learning, we turn the project into a classroom itself. We're confident to try new things, see what works and what doesn't, and keep our eyes on what matters most: how well it helps students learn and enjoy the process.

I believe every EdTech initiative should adopt an entrepreneurial or startup mindset, emphasizing continuous testing and learning. Conducting numerous experiments with a user base (ideally over 50 individuals) is crucial to discern effective strategies and iterate accordingly. For Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), prioritize leveraging data from the platform. Resolve technical issues promptly, offer user support, and actively seek diverse feedback through various channels such as surveys, gamification, webinars, reviews, and one-on-one interviews. This multifaceted approach ensures a robust understanding of user experiences and facilitates ongoing improvement.

In our EdTech journey, we fine-tuned our project like a musical composition. Breaking down the curriculum to core objectives, we crafted lessons precisely. Some features we thought hit the right note didn't resonate with students or parents. We adjusted, removed, and considered budget constraints – akin to refining a musical piece. So, embrace experimentation, listen to your 'audience,' and compose an EdTech masterpiece through testing, learning, and adaptation!

In my experience assisting numerous schools, districts, and countries with their edtech adoptions, I’ve observed a common mistake during the feedback phase: the ineffective selection of test schools or classrooms. If your project aims to diffuse throughout your entire school district, the schools or classrooms chosen for testing should be representative of the entire district. I’ve often seen systems simply asking for volunteers to participate, which can result in a biased group evaluating new projects.

At The Stour Academy Trust, we prioritise user feedback for EdTech integration. Through consultations with students, educators, and partners, we gather diverse insights, refining our approach to ensure technology aligns with educational needs. This feedback loop, essential for optimising tool effectiveness, also strengthens community trust, demonstrating our commitment to collaborative improvement and the success of our digital learning environment.

Remember, 'You are not the user'! Always keep this in mind when developing a new EdTech project. What might look and feel very good in terms of content, relevance and engagement might, in fact, not be for the end user. This is why it is crucial to seek feedback regularly, at various user and stakeholder levels.

Change is difficult, however, having a dedicated feedback system can greatly increase the chances of an EDTech project's acceptance by the users and client. This feedback allows for improvement in the EdTech project (if there is room for customization) and also helps identify ways we can support the user to adapt.

Conduct student surveys and when formulating questions, be sure to distinguish between students' emotional responses to a subject and their opinions about the tool.

At The Stour Academy Trust, we rigorously evaluate and reflect on every EdTech project. We review goals against outcomes, analyse successes and setbacks, and identify contributing factors. Acknowledging our team's strengths and growth areas, we celebrate achievements and pinpoint improvements, turning each project into a learning opportunity that sharpens our educational strategies and enhances our digital learning landscape.

Besides the regular (innovative) project reflect pdCa cyclus, within EdTech your target audience and level of support is essential. Assuming you have started with a pilot and the students and teachers are excited. Now, be honest why did you started with this group? Are the teachers tech savvy? Were they willing to overcome a technical glitch, improvise and move on? Were they involved in the development fase and hardly required instruction or training on the product? All those differences are essential for the success of your next implementation. The other aspect is the students/ student group. What type of learning goals did they have and how did the EdTech supported that learning style. Is there a relationship? Maybe not, but please check

HubSpot Academy leads with reflection. Reflecting on the impact and analyze what our outcomes were. This comes in a variety of ways including doing project debriefs looking at the positive and negatives and detailing out the impact. A great way to do this is think about how you would tell this story -- where did you start? Where did you go? Evaluating success is not just about reviewing numbers but reviewing the larger impact on the team.

Imaginar melhores estratégias para nos adaptar aos novos projetos de EdTech significa ter uma organiza??o pensada em duas etapas: anterior a qualquer intera??o e outra pós implanta??o. A primeira diz respeito à inte??o de uso da tecnologia e prepara??o do especialista, o que inclui o cronograma de quando e se o recurso tecnológico se faz necessário, pois a tecnologia já fora esmiu?ada. Na fase de planejamento recomendo que o objetivo seja tornar a tecnologia como algo parte do repertório dos usuários, fazendo com que vejam sentido, tenham alguma frequência de intera??es e desenvolvam autonomia para o uso. Quando acontecem trocas entre pares sobre as fun??es diversas e descobertas a partir do uso, pode-se entender que houve apropria??o.

Reflection is how we grow. Looking back at what we've done, we can celebrate our wins and learn from our slips. This makes sure that not only does our project get better, but we do, too.

Always be learning. It was a core principle for us at HubSpot Academy when I was there. Learning doesn't mean you have to be doing a class. It could be trying a new tool or doing something you don't normally do that is out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to seek advice and feedback from others (yes this means you often have to ask for it.) If you stop learning you stop growing. I like to incorporate a "growth mindset" into all my reviews and my teams' reviews so we stay on top of how we are all learning. It's a great quarterly check-in to see if you are indeed continuing your learning journey.

At The Stour Academy Trust, we actively seek support from peers, mentors, and experts for EdTech projects. Facing challenges, we reach out for advice, and reciprocally share our insights. Engaging in relevant communities, we exchange best practices, fostering a collaborative ethos that enhances our collective expertise and confidence in delivering effective digital education.

Lastly, nobody knows everything, and that's okay. Seeking support means we're smart enough to know when to ask for a helping hand. Sharing our journey with others in the field opens doors to new ideas and friendships, making the road a little less tough.

I often talk about having a "Board of Directors" that can be your folks around the table to provide mentorship, advice, and yes sometimes some tough-love when you need it. This is important not just for you but for your team members working together on a project because you can bring in unique perspectives and pass down clarity on next steps.

Collaboration is very crucial in achieving effectiveness in edutech project . Seek collaboration from peers and experts in the field. You can learn from others experiences and gain confidence

Approach new educational technology projects with a growth mindset, openness, and a positive attitude. Seek training and support when needed, start small, collaborate with others, reflect and iterate, and stay current with the latest developments in educational technology.

At The Stour Academy Trust, our adaptation to EdTech is ongoing. Post-project, we continue to explore and stay abreast of the latest in EdTech. We seek new challenges and collaborations, applying and broadening our knowledge to stay at the forefront of educational technology, ensuring our approach remains dynamic, relevant, and impactful.

By keeping these strategies in mind, we ensure that every step we take in EdTech is a step forward for learners. We need to keep that focus at all times

Those of us in the field of educational technology must commit to continuous learning, stay updated on the latest innovations, participate in professional training, and collaborate with experts in the field to effectively integrate new technologies into the educational environment.

In the new era of Educational Technological advancement ,the learners based education system seems to work perfectly especially if the kids are given a free hand to express themselves using the very best material available at their disposal guided by the teachers inputs.

I have been developing educational digital resources for almost 30 years, and one of the difficulties I have faced, like certainly many others, has been the change in Ed-tech, which has forced me to regularly migrate my achievements to new environments. This can be a lot of work, as we experienced with the abandonment of Adobe's Flash technology. So always think about choosing open development environments, allowing you to retrieve as many things as possible by exporting them in universally accepted formats. HTML5 is probably a good choice from this point of view.

1. Ensure that you have adapted curated, safe resources available for the students to work/Study. 2. Ensure that the students have the technological tools that will enhance their learning. 3. Ensure that the learning space is safe and well protected. 4. The strategy will not work with all the students...students unwilling to work should be detected as early as possible and traditional ways of learning should then be used.

Recognizing the evolving nature of audience boundaries is critical in today's interconnected world. The distinction between internal and external audiences is becoming more porous, necessitating a flexible approach. Educational technology strategies should be designed to cater to both internal and external stakeholders, acknowledging that these groups may (and will) overlap. This inclusivity ensures that the materials deployed are versatile enough to meet the diverse needs of learners, whether they are within the organizational ecosystem or external partners and clients.

So much of our edtech life is really about change management, helping folks develop a mindset for engagement and adoption. I always think back to my lessons learned from reading Switch: How to change when change is hard by Chip & Dan Heath. This book focused on a simple analogy of the 3 aspects of support all types of personal and team transformations: attending to the path, rallying the elephant, and guiding the rider. I put together some additional summary materials on this effective, simple to remember, three pronged approach and am happy to share!

Edtech is an opportunity to make education truly global and promote equality and social justice .It's important that the technology should be as simple as possible to make testing it easy across multiple platforms and social classes.Making courses gamefied and a freemium model will help make learning fun .It's also important to keep it inclusive and have both text,video,audio content and maybe even an option to have the course material in digital libraries too.That I feel will really help keep it self sustaining as well creating a massive educational resource for the future plus make money too for the creators.Having a how-to-sell-it plan without being a sellout seems to be crucial in the Era of fast expanding and even faster collapsing .