Technology to Support Pedagogy of Care
In a connected world, technology can be used to support the pedagogy of care – making sure learners are supported both academically and emotionally. One way that technology can support the pedagogy of care is by providing opportunities for students to connect with their peers and educators outside of the traditional classroom settings. For example, using non-verbal feedback in online settings through thumbs up and/or down; emojis; or digital polling with open answers or predetermined answers. Such methods can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for learners.
Microsoft Reflect
In 2021, launched the Reflect app was developed in collaboration with social and emotional learning experts to develop a language to talk about feelings and emotions at any given point in time. There may be a point in the day that you feel will benefit from this check-in, for example, at the start/end of the day; or after a particular activity; regardless you can get information about how your learners are feeling at particular points of time. In this post, you can see how easy it is to set up today.
Don’t have Microsoft? No problem!
If you are facilitating online sessions; most platforms now have a series of emojis that learners can use to engage and provide feedback to you as the educator.
Digital polling
You have probably come across digital polling from Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, or Mentimeter. This is one way you can use technology and get responses real-time. This provides an opportunity for you to compare and contrast feedback over time and see if there has been a change in a learner. This may open a conversation with the individual or indicate a need for some support.
Learning analytics
Technology has always been a powerful tool for pedagogy, but with the rise of big data and analytics, it has become an even more essential tool for educators. By tracking learners' academic progress and emotional well-being, educators can identify early warning signs of trouble and intervene before problems escalate. And by sharing this information with parents and other caregivers, they can create a more informed and supportive environment for all involved. So, have you looked at the analytics you have access to, and what information it can tell you? Firstly, what do you want to find out? For social and emotional wellbeing, you might want to look at assessment submissions, is there someone that is continually late or getting extensions? How can you help that learner? If you are facilitating face-to-face and use an LMS for your content, is there particular points in time the learners aren't engaging? Have you considered why/why not?
Connect using a holistic approach
Finding time to connect with every student and parent/guardian can be difficult for educators. Technology can help make it easier for educators to communicate with learners and parents/ guardians. By using technology, educators can keep track of who they have contacted, when they contacted them, and what was discussed. This helps ensure that everyone is on the same page and no one feels left out or forgotten about. Additionally, technology can help automate some of the more tedious tasks that come along with keeping in touch with learners and parents/ guardians, such as sending reminders or follow-up emails.
What’s next?
In a world where we are more connected than ever, it seems that the social and emotional wellbeing of people is lower than ever. As an educator, you are inadvertently making a difference in many peoples' lives, and, hopefully, this has given you some helpful tips on how you can use technology to enhance the social and emotional wellbeing of your learners.
