EdTech Helps School Counsellors Support Student Mental Health Better

Schools have always been more than just educational hubs. They have been a place to get in touch with people who are like-minded and make friends. Most of us make our friends from the school that we are in. We meet peers and learn so much on an everyday basis. It is said that human beings are social animals. It is because we are designed to function in groups. We like talking, getting in touch, socialising, sharing and thriving together. That's just who we are.?

Schools and colleges and other educational institutions are therefore not just a place we can go and attend lectures at. They have been a habitat to build meaningful relationships and create memories. Talking to people who understand you makes you feel light and happy about yourself. It is like this amazing venting mechanism that just makes you feel at peace and heard.?

The onset of the Pandemic was therefore a big blow to everyone who was forced to quarantine. People were sick and in despair. They were battling an unknown disease without their loved ones. They couldn’t touch or see the people they loved in real life. The lockdown drastically affected the lives of students too.

It was seen that the students missed not only their classes and daily schedule but so much more. They missed meeting their friends, sharing things with them, hanging out, talking to their teachers, taking their guidance. This loneliness often affects the delicate minds of teenagers and can push them into anxiety and depression.?

More students ended their lives in 2020 than in 2019, according to data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Student suicides spiked to a new high of 12,526 in 2020 contributing 8.2% of deaths.?

Therefore it is extremely important to protect our children and students at all costs. Educational institutions have moved over to online education platforms. It is a great step and has revolutionised the world of education. Online training, lectures, tests, meetings, projects and so much more has taken the world of education by a storm.

Mental health care has also been revolutionised in the most unconventional ways. Today every activity of the students can be tracked and any unusual user behaviour can be identified as a problem symptom. The students, even though they are apart, can use the technology and connect with their friends and teachers.?

The management of the schools and educational institutions can use the technology of Edtech to better monitor each and every child and take care of their needs and requirements?

1. Using hotline numbers to offer support and advice- Hotlines have been recently set up in response to the COVID?19 pandemic, as well as those which were already established, are playing a significant role in providing emergency support to students and parents. The students can take advantage of these 24 x 7 hotline numbers and can talk to a therapist or a counsellor who can help them give the mental health care that they need.
2. The educational institutions can hire trained counsellors and therapists who can provide mental care for students in distress. Mostly all of these services are free of cost and use edtech to conduct their sessions and therapy classes.?
3. Using text messages (SMS) and messaging services such as WhatsApp to create a peer to peer networks and change behaviours- Interventions targeted at teachers or parents using messaging apps, SMS, and social media apps are both cost-effective and user friendly and can be used to reduce parents’ information gaps, improve student attendance record, and improve students’ overall sense of connection and sense of learning. Small scale research studies on education also suggest that the flexibility and immediateness of these mediums can help eliminate the perception of physical and social isolation among students and teachers.
4. Thus even though the students are far away, the technology can make them feel so much more connected and taken care of. It is due to this reason that these sessions can make the students feel heard. This, therefore, helps in significantly reducing the adverse mental effects that this pandemic has on students?
5. Using online platforms and apps and gamification strategies to provide socio-emotional support and coaching- It is no secret how much this young generation loves games and esports. Mental awareness can be spread through a lot of fun ways such as this. Educational games and quizzes involving mental health care can be used through ed-tech to spread awareness among students. ?
6. EdTech-related pedagogies and modalities by themselves may also support psychosocial wellbeing as they enable communication at local and global levels, often involve some element of play and recreation, and require skills such as teamwork and planning.?

All these steps along with love and care at home can significantly help in lowering the stress-related issues among students and peers. Ed-tech can thus play a significant role in achieving this, especially in the post-pandemic era.?

????????????'?? mission is simple, to bring a positive change in the world by empowering educators. By taking their invaluable knowledge making it reach millions of students, creating a global community of learners. To find out more about the important aspects of eLearning, contact us at ?https://edneed.com/