Kirstin Coughtrie

This is key! Online learning means you can do it anywhere. If it’s well designed you should be able to listen to content on the go, while you’re travelling, going for a walk, waiting for a train… consider why you’re doing it too. It should be relevant and engaging, not an additional chore.

Start with the humans, shared goals and company values before enforcing one-stop-shop-tech on everyone. Personalise the tech to suit each team member so they can focus their energy on their jobs. Choose platforms that safely integrate with company milestone calendars but enable team members to customise their preferred communication method so they can pause/silence notifications and have scheduled time to respond. Nothing beats a daily stand up or a monthly in person get together.

Let your users be your mouthpiece on social media. When they love your product or service they will share it authentically and widely to others who need and will love what you offer too. Learn how they describe your solution and focus on continually improving so they have more and more good things to share about you.

As a teacher make sure you take a mentoring or coaching role when using educational technology to build students' resilience. Don't feel like you need to be an expert or know everything about the edtech (apart from that it's safe and appropriate for the learners). Let them lead, play and explore with it. Be curious and open minded and support them to find creative solutions, deal with frustrations, suggest improvements or alternatives to meet their objectives. Focus on the learning process and the importance of trial and error. Educational technology is one of many tools for learning. Don't be blinded or distracted by whizzy gadgets. Keep technology in its place and human interactions and progress at the forefront.

This might sound revolutionary, but ask the children and young people using the educational technology about their experience of it and why they didn't like it, or why it didn't help them. Value their input and listen to what they want from educational technology and education more widely.

Collaborate with local councils and schools to repurpose accessible buildings (libraries, cricket clubs, village halls) where students can access technology outside of school. These safe community spaces provide a transition space for learners outside the school system to access tutors, mentors and subject experts beyond the limitations of the socio-economic geography of the community through 1:1 devices and interactive virtual classroom technology. This facilitates personalised tuition or self paced online courses to build skills and confidence and reintegrate into schools, colleges or apprenticeships.