Given the pandemic’s drastic impact on the education industry as well as the rise in the use of education technology, Renaissance, a global provider of leading edtech solutions, has hosted an Educator Insight Day to discuss ways to reduce teacher workload in the current learning environment.
The half-day event was held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Dubai and brought together educators and leaders from schools across the UAE. Speakers included Thomas Blakemore, TikTok and YouTube content creator and primary school teacher; Steve Gibson, R KS2 Literacy Leader at Jumeriah English Speaking School; Michelle Thomas, Director of Education at The School of Research Science; and Heather Howard, Head of Year 7, GEMS Wellington Academy, Dubai. Discussions at the event focussed on practical tips to reduce teacher workload, using data to manage work, the importance of looking after staff, and the power of self-care.
Educators and school leaders come together to discuss ways to reduce teacher workload
Joan Mill, Managing Director of Renaissance International commented, “Greater demands for effective hybrid or blended learning environments – resulting from the pandemic – have exacerbated the need for teachers to adjust their lesson and assessment models. This will accommodate the needs of all pupils’ learning, both in the classroom and at home. Teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement, therefore, it is critical that resources and technology support them to maximise teaching time and minimise unnecessary workload.”
Factors that contribute towards teacher workload include curriculum planning, marking and feedback, reporting and data management
Factors that contribute towards teacher workload include curriculum planning, marking and feedback, reporting and data management, as well as classroom management and lesson delivery. The event shed light on various education technologies and solutions that can be incorporated to address these issues, including:
- Curriculum-aligned assessments, lesson plans, and content in reading and maths that are customisable to meet students’ needs and assist them to progress towards mastery
- Assessment and practice platforms that automatically mark pupils’ work and offer teachers real-time data to scaffold feedback to help pupils move forward and build prior knowledge
- Computer-adaptive assessments and practice platforms for reading and maths which personalise learning for each individual pupil, alleviating the need for teachers to differentiate manually
- Data and analytics that are easily accessible and effectively organised to guide teachers on ‘what is next’ and help leaders to benchmark and support teachers in their implementation
Working with over 120 regional and local schools, Renaissance is actively promoting literacy and numeracy development to combat the challenges faced by schools as they provide distance learning to young students. The products and solutions also support differentiated instruction and personalise learning to optimise overall student development.