Part Two: Stakeholder Perspectives: Challenging the Status Quo: Innovate, Adapt, and Revolutionize Your Inspection Readiness

The field of education is rapidly upskilling itself to the modern world; the integration of technology has emerged as a transformative force and, like all movements, has for some time now promised to revolutionize teaching and learning experiences for everyone. However, the true potential of educational technology (edtech) lies not just in its implementation but in its ability to engage and benefit all stakeholders involved in the educational ecosystem. From governors and school boards to principals and administrators, then to teachers, and students, each stakeholder plays a crucial role in driving meaningful outcomes and ensuring inspection readiness, alongside research and data-driven impact. So, let's delve into how a robust and well-thought-out edtech platform can empower and support all of the school stakeholders involved.

At the very top of UK state schools are school governors or board members. Not all schools internationally have a traditional board like in the UK, which are often parent-led and voluntary; many internationally are requested or paid advisors. However, the top stakeholders all play the same role; they are the people who want to know that an investment that they have supported (in this case, the edtech purchased) is fulfilling its claims and being used and supported by the school—and if not, why. They want to see that students are making progress and that the school is, if not already, on its way to gaining an “outstanding” approval. Their role is to be the governance, to question, “Is it right?—and if you’re saying it’s right, show me what it has done to support our school to be the best.”

Ultimately, for governors and board members, having access to comprehensive, high-level data and insights into student progress is essential to better understand what is happening in the school across terms and over academic years. They do not need to see the drilled-down version, although some may be interested. A robust edtech platform provides them with a holistic view of the school's performance, highlighting areas of strength and areas that require further investment or support. By analyzing standardized-testing data and identifying trends, governors can make informed decisions when the principal and senior teams are asking for their support regarding resource allocation and strategic planning. On top of this, the platform dashboards allow them to monitor the utilization of technology across the school, ensuring consistency and equity in educational practices. Therefore, they can be happy in the knowledge that investments have been worthwhile and are supporting the progress of the school.

Sitting at the helm of the school, principals and headteachers rely on data-driven insights to drive instructional leadership and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The weight is on their shoulders to ensure that the systems and processes deployed are benefitting the most important persons in the equation, the students. In addition, principals or headmasters have to prove via data that they are making the right choices when it comes to student learning and outcomes in the classroom.

An effective edtech platform enables school leaders to identify—by drilling down into the data—year groups, cohorts year on year, and curriculum areas that need support. It can highlight and address professional learning needs and provide targeted interventions for students who need support. These data points can then allow leaders to identify where staffing may be further required or even where strengths in teaching lie in certain year groups and cohorts. By leveraging real-time data and analytics, principals can track progress, which when used consistently over time, can show impressive effects and learner success. An edtech platform can also become a reflective tool for leaders to make small and impactful changes across the school. They can monitor teacher engagement with technology and facilitate evidence-based decision-making. Now, this is not about pinpointing educator weaknesses, but we know that technology in the classroom does not always come naturally to everyone, and leaders must be able to identify limitations in order to reduce stress and to support staff wellbeing. Introducing edtech is about supporting teachers in order to be more informed, so being able to acknowledge where support is needed is part of this important journey. The comprehensive understanding that edtech platforms provide to school leaders empowers them to lead change initiatives effectively and support teachers in implementing innovative teaching strategies.

A third level of stakeholders in this model our edtech journey is the teacher. Teachers are the fantastic people who are often struck with the implementations of all of the “new” ideas and agendas. They are another reason why making informed choices about the edtech we are using, and why we are using it, is key to its success in a school and the classroom. Teachers should be part of these decisions; they know their classrooms and students best.

The right edtech can serve as an invaluable tool for teachers in reducing workload, enhancing instructional practices, and helping them personalize learning experiences for students. No matter how passionate and dedicated leaders are to students and the school, they would not be able to accomplish those tasks quite as well without the innovative edtech tools now around for some support. Some teachers know their students so well that they can tell you exactly where learners are in their development at any given time; however, when it comes to school inspection, the word of anyone, even the most incredible outstanding teacher, needs to be documented and proven. By automating data collection and analysis, these platforms can help to do that by streamlining administrative tasks, while still allowing teachers to focus more on individual student needs and giving them progress-driven data at any given time.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) specifically, all schools are required to complete standardized testing; other schools choose to do so, and the insights derived from standardized-testing data help teachers to identify learning gaps or learners’ starting points, as well as to enable cohort benchmarking. Although this presents more data points that school inspections will look at, the focus will be on: “So, what did you do with that data?” Some schools have are so many students that reading and analyzing the data manually could take months to truly be able to build a personalized plan. But, plug that the data into an edtech platform, and a tailored instruction plan can be produced quickly, with learning goals that meet diverse needs. For teachers, edtech can then provide timely interventions for struggling students and guide them more efficiently to the source of a learner’s knowledge gap.

Additionally, an edtech platform can allow access to curated curriculum-aligned content and resources. When teachers can see that students are not grasping a new concept, they can access a wealth of alternative ways to enable learners to master it. Teachers are a wealth of knowledge in their own right, but when faced with large classes of students where English may not be the native language of learners and some who have moved from school to school, a successful edtech application can help support teachers to scaffold new concepts, differentiate instruction, and foster student engagement with all learners in the classroom, no matter what their start is in education.

At the ground level of stakeholders are the students themselves. No matter how tired teachers may be, they return to the classroom day after day because of those fabulous learners in front of them. Every individual personality becomes another reason for teachers to make sure that every lesson they deliver is engaging, fun, and helpful to enable students to take another step in the educational journey.- Students are at the heart of education, and they benefit immensely from the personalized learning experiences facilitated by edtech platforms. These platforms should be engaging and interactive, which are qualities that students are used to as digital natives. If edtech is removed from the classroom, students can become disengaged. This is not to say that stakeholders want students to only interact with edtech; these learning environments should be used as a tool to promote a love of learning. By developing tailored environments, schools can meet everyone’s individual needs. Providing instant feedback and personalized recommendations can help keep students motivated to learn and make progress. Edtech that has embedded adaptive learning pathways means that students can take ownership of their learning journey and progress at their own pace, at school and at home. In fact, teachers can even differentiate between if students are at home or school, which allows further insight into where they learn best—or just perhaps who they are learning with. Edtech can also regulate learners, making sure that they are not passively scrolling or guessing. It can prompt them to take a pause or do something different for some time.

Edtech platforms are able to recognize and celebrate student achievements, which ultimately fosters a positive learning environment and boosts the confidence of students. It enables students to have individual milestones recognized, without them being compared to others, which is so valuable to the learner mindset. Sometimes, edtech can provide students with the anonymity they need to succeed. Overall, by empowering students to track their own progress, especially as they get older, and access resources independently, edtech platforms begin to promote autonomy and self-directed learning. So, in essence, they will become lifelong learners.

To summarize, a robust edtech platform serves as a stimulus for driving meaningful outcomes across schools. It can support fostering collaboration across all stakeholders in the educational ecosystem by bringing them together with a focus and a data-driven reference for change.

Edtech can provide access to actionable insights, personalized learning experiences, and streamlined workflows. It can involve all stakeholders, no matter their role and, more importantly, empower all students to achieve their full potential and thrive in today's dynamic world with a wealth of change and adaptability ahead of them, which requires a core understanding of the basics.

As schools strive for inspection readiness, which is data-led, and continuous improvement, the strategic integration of edtech becomes increasingly indispensable in unlocking student success and shaping the future of education. Edtech should be explored to ensure that all stakeholders are effectively invested.

Summary

1. Education is rapidly evolving, with technology integration promising to revolutionize teaching and learning experiences for all stakeholders.
2. A robust edtech platform empowers governors, principals, teachers, and students by providing comprehensive data insights and personalized learning experiences.
3. At all levels, including governance and classroom instruction, edtech fosters collaboration, streamlines workflows, and promotes student autonomy, driving meaningful outcomes and ensuring inspection readiness in today's dynamic educational landscape.

To continue reading:

• Part One: Challenging the Status Quo - to learn about the elements schools should consider when evaluating an edtech platform to enhance inspection readiness and contribute to the school's success.
• Part Three: Integrating Effectively - to realize that effective integration requires careful planning, strategic implementation, and continuous support."

The article is written by Philippa Wraithmell, founder of EdRuption—a dynamic consultancy at the forefront of educational transformation. Passionate about positive school leadership, meaningful technology integration, and safeguarding Philippa brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As an accomplished educator and award-winning author, Philippa’s expertise lies in integrating technology effectively into educational settings and her passion for meaningful technology integration has empowered schools to enhance student learning experiences.