How can the usage of technology be a considerable ally?

New tools are developed daily to facilitate the routine and make activities more practical and faster. Given this scenario, the use of technology in education has also gained prominence.

As a result, improvements have been guaranteed both in the field of learning — by increasing the dynamism and participation of students — and in the administrative area, contributing to the optimization of daily processes.

In this context, we will show some of the benefits of investing in technological solutions aimed at the school environment, in addition to presenting practical examples of how the tool can make a difference in routine. Check out!

Technology as a teaching tool

In this first topic, our main objective is to address the role of new technological tools in the classroom. For this, we will divide the content into two parts: first, we will deal with aspects related to the teacher’s routine, and, subsequently, we will talk about the students’ point of view.

How can technology help the teacher in the classroom?

The use of technology in the classroom came to reform traditional teaching methods, taking teachers out of their comfort zone and seeking to generate greater student engagement. Thus, tools that were previously seen with some resistance by educators, such as cell phones, tablets, and notebooks, have become great allies for the education process.

There are several benefits generated by the use of technology in the classroom. Among them, it is possible to highlight:

• assist in the construction of a more efficient school planning;
• optimize the creation of lesson plans — bi-monthly, semi-annual, and annual;
• enable the elaboration and generation of learning reports — individual and class.

Taking advantage of these advantages, the teacher has information that allows a better analysis of the performance of the class. Thus, he can evaluate the positive points of each student and their main difficulties about the understanding of the contents taught to, then, propose new strategies – that help students to understand more complex subjects, arouse attention, and increase participation and integration between the teacher and the other colleagues.

To achieve this expected teaching model, it is essential that educators also constantly invest in training courses and always keep up to date. In this way, they will be able to contribute to the school as a whole, bringing knowledge, information, and innovative resources, in addition to helping to use them according to the age group and learning level of each does technology in education contribute to student learning?

For children and adolescents, technology is already part of everyday life, especially at home and during leisure time. Therefore, bringing this aspect to the classroom and investing in interactive content can make the learning process even more attractive, arousing students’ curiosity and, consequently, increasing their engagement and satisfaction in learning something new.

By allowing the interaction between traditional and innovative teaching methods, technology starts to offer more dynamism and originality to classes, without forgetting textbooks and notebooks, for example. In addition, the use of tools such as educational platforms and apps can make the study more individualized, leading the student to lead the main needs and difficulties.

As an example of a method to identify individual knowledge, we can highlight the methodology adopted in ENEM, the TRI (Item Response Theory). This assessment is done through the use of algorithms, which identify the individual’s level of knowledge and direct the student to choose the best way to acquire knowledge, helping him to develop a sense of responsibility for his moment of study.

Technology as an aid in school management

Now that you know the importance of technology in the classroom, we will show you in which other ways technology contributes to making school administration services more efficient. For this, we will present below the features of software developed specifically for the educational area, in addition to listing some reasons for principals to invest in solutions, such as systems and platforms for their schools.

What is and how does software for school management work?

In summary, we can define school management software as a system, or a platform, which has the function of automating the internal processes of the school, guaranteeing the optimization of daily student tasks. This technological solution allows the director to more efficiently monitor and monitor pedagogical and administrative activities, reducing operating costs and improving time management.

Through a platform developed according to the school’s profile, the software works by organizing documents, integrating information from the academic, financial, and commercial areas, and allowing the performance of the following functions:

• issuance of monthly payment slips ;
• organization of documents and secretariat data ;
• creating and sharing the school calendar;
• release and follow-up of notes;
• class schedule.

In this way, the principal can gather important information in a single system to have a broader view of all areas of the school and thus identify those that need special attention.

What are the benefits of investing in software for school management?

Practicality, process optimization, and time savings are among the main advantages of investing in software for school management. In addition, technology solutions in education can bring other benefits. Check out some of them below.

Integration of school information

By bringing together all the school’s information — pedagogical and administrative — in a single system, it is possible not only to access this data more easily but also to filter and organize it, reducing the time spent performing bureaucratic tasks.

Another advantage of this automated management is that it allows for greater personalization in the relationship with students. This is because the school can have a complete profile of each of the students in hand, enabling a deep understanding of their school and socioeconomic situation.

Based on this individual assessment, it is possible — together with the students’ parents — to seek solutions that contribute to their development throughout the school period, alleviating various issues, such as default, low performance in subjects, or school dropout.

Use of performance evaluation metrics

Here, it is possible to carry out assessments of both the faculty and the students — from the point of view of the class or individually. Find out more about each of these aspects below:

• how to use assessment metrics for students: with access to grades and more detailed information about the performance of students in the classroom, it is possible to create graphs and reports that indicate how they are responding to the content taught and the activities offered by the school. Based on the results of these analyses, the principal, together with the coordinators and teachers, can study new ways to arouse the interest of the classes and present proposals according to the needs of each class and their age groups;
• how to use evaluation metrics for teachers: given that the technology platform can integrate information regarding lesson plans, contents covered, and student performance, the analysis of these data also allows evaluating the performance of teachers within the classroom. Thus, it is possible to study the pedagogical solutions that have the best results, create a space for debates between the management and other teachers, in addition to promoting training and qualification actions, which contribute to updating the training of teachers about educational practices.

Assistance in the elaboration of the strategic plan

Establishing a well-structured strategic plan — both from a pedagogical point of view and from an administrative and financial point of view — is one of the essential points to ensure the good performance of school management. Thus, by integrating the information and providing an overview of the various aspects that form the school’s administrative environment, the software presents itself as an extremely useful alternative, ensuring more efficiency in all processes, reducing the occurrence of errors, and optimizing time.

Increased productivity in school management

By being able to access all school information from a single system, professionals linked to the direction, secretary and other administrative sectors optimize time, checking records, reports, and other significant documents with just one click. In addition, the use of the tool eliminates the need to print such documents, also becoming a solution that generates savings in the expense spreadsheet and contributes to sustainability.

How to implement software for school management?

There is no prerequisite for introducing a technology platform at school. After all, the systems can be adapted according to the number of students and educational segment — kindergarten, elementary, high school, etc. The important thing is that the directors seek the work of a committed and qualified team to carry out all the necessary steps to implement the chosen system efficiently.

Once the professionals responsible for the development of the software have been chosen, it is necessary to survey the characteristics and needs of the school, to define which features should be included in the platform. From there, it is possible to elaborate the system and the school institution will finally be able to implement it. However, for everything to go according to plan, it is essential to carry out a training course with employees who will use the new tool in their activities.

In addition to training, it is also important that the school can count on specialized monitoring throughout the implementation process, that is, support to resolve doubts and possible irregularities, whenever necessary. After the implementation of the new system, a good way to ensure that the chosen software is achieving the expected results is to apply, for a certain period, a satisfaction survey with users — to measure the real performance of the platform on the day of teachers and staff.

Examples of the use of technology in education

After learning more about the importance of using technological tools in the classroom and school management, it’s time to check out some examples of how these solutions can be used in practice.

Video classes

Currently, the video format is among the main tools for generating and sharing content on the internet. In addition, this format has children and adolescents as its main audience. In this case, the presentation of video lessons or videos with educational content can be an excellent alternative to arouse students’ interest and deepen the studies of the subject seen in the classroom.

E-books

Many students say they don’t like to read but spend hours consuming online content on their smartphones or tablets. So, how about using this equipment to stimulate reading and introduce students to e-books? There is a lot of material of this type available online and for download, in the most diverse styles of language: from classic books to the most modern titles and comic books.

Online dictionaries

Indispensable to every student’s routine, especially in Portuguese and Foreign Language classes, traditional dictionaries began to weigh less in backpacks. This is because, currently, there are online versions of renowned dictionaries — such as Michaelis or Caldas Aulete — as well as applications that bring not only the meaning of words and expressions, phonetic signs, and syllable separation, but also audios with the correct pronunciation of the more different words.

Forums

In the online world, forums are great tools to generate discussions and clear up doubts about a wide range of subjects. In the case of the school environment, a good suggestion is the creation of internal forums, in which teachers can create debates on topics covered in the classroom, in addition to providing online monitoring to solve students’ questions, optimizing their time in the classroom.

Forums are also interesting to encourage the exchange of information between teachers and pedagogical coordination. After all, they work as a space for the presentation of ideas and materials, which can contribute to the performance in the classroom.

Researches

With a large amount of content available on the internet, one of the main challenges for the teacher is to guide students through the work, to avoid the use of unreliable sources or the occurrence of plagiarism. In this case, it is necessary to teach them to look for information on the websites of responsible institutions and companies, in addition to encouraging them to visit several pages and then compare them. This will make sure that the content is true, developing analytical vision and critical sense.

Gamification

The strategy of using game elements, such as rewards and phase changes, to transmit content in a playful and differentiated way, has become one of the best alternatives among technology tools in education. For students, this is a stimulus to deepen their knowledge and study the content learned, even outside the classroom.

For faculty and other school employees, gamification is an excellent training and qualification tool, as it ensures increased team engagement and motivation, generating very positive results.

Major mistakes when introducing technology into schools

We already know how effective technology is in inspiring creativity and enthusiasm in the classroom, being considered a powerful tool for education. However, if not used properly, it can have the opposite effect than expected.

Often, the school may not offer the basic and necessary structure to receive digital resources or, even, there may be a lack of adequate training for the faculty to deal with the new teaching format. All this can worsen the scenario, making it difficult to insert innovative methods in the school institution.

Undoubtedly, there are many challenges that technology provides to school directors, so it is of fundamental importance to know what are the main mistakes made when inserting the tool in schools. Knowing this, many problems and dissatisfaction, both from parents and students as well as from teachers and other employees can be avoided. See below for the most common errors.

Team without training

Several teachers still find it quite difficult to manage the new teaching methodologies. Many are still used to a more traditional style of passing on content in the classroom, using mainly lectures. Thus, for technology to play its role, teachers need to seek training to understand how the tool can transform the educational experience.

It is also important to highlight that the new format can promote autonomy and protagonism, that is, the educator becomes a facilitator, in the sense of giving more guidance than commands to the class. In this way, you can offer more interesting and attractive classes, often leaving students curious and engaged for longer.

Perform systemic migrations

The task of inserting technology into everyday school life requires a profound change in old habits and procedures. Any change, therefore, requires effort, dedication, and, above all, time. Therefore, it is not possible to adopt a resource overnight without technology being integrated into pedagogical planning.

For this, the director must act to prepare students and teachers to adopt the new method, considering the entire educational community. Initially, it is necessary to prioritize teacher training, sensitizing and familiarizing the professional with the tool, so that it can be integrated in the best way in the curriculum of the disciplines. Training, therefore, must be continuous and systematic, as the transformation of educational practice requires a period of construction and adaptation.

Inadequate structure

A very common mistake is not having an adequate structure or, still, being unprepared to handle technological tools. Before opting for the format, the school director must be clear about the educators’ intentions, the school’s working conditions, and, above all, the real needs of the students. Therefore, it is recommended to make a more targeted choice that considers the points listed.

Also because the purpose of using technology in education is precisely to transform the teaching method into something more modern and adaptable to the student reality. Thus, it is necessary to list the main objectives of inserting the tool in the classroom, including so that the school infrastructure can be evaluated, checking if it needs any resources to be implemented.

Choosing the best school software

Undoubtedly, optimizing the processes of the school institution is an urgent reality for the principal. Therefore, implementing software that takes care of school-related information offers several advantages. This is because a system aimed at managing material, physical and financial resources promotes greater control over the maintenance of the educational environment as a whole.

Thus, to make an intelligent choice, it is interesting that the software is of quality. Therefore, to make sure that the material is efficient, the director can request a test and verify if the system meets the main needs of pedagogical planning. By proving that the system meets the curricular goals, it will be easier to make the decision.

For this, check out, below, some points that should be considered before opting for one of the several software options available on the market.

Data integration

The first step is to analyze whether the system is capable of integrating all processes or only specific niches of school dynamics. In general, integration provides an additional gain in communication and in the execution time of tasks, both for teachers and the rest of the team. In other words, the data is optimized and the school institution has even greater security to preserve its information.

Support offered

The director is under no obligation to be an expert in this type of tool, and even so, the various functionalities can seem confusing, especially at the beginning of the implementation. Therefore, it is necessary to check with the software manufacturer if there is any communication channel that directly deals with issues related to system support, in case it is necessary to use it at some point.

Tools for the financial organization

Good platforms offer specific tools that are specially developed to deal with the financial area. With them, the directors can register, control and analyze the data related to the school’s accounting, always in an organized way. This allows the computerization of the sector and prevents errors from compromising the progress of operations. Therefore, the system helps to reduce bureaucracy, optimizing and streamlining financial control directly through the platform.

Reporting

With the software, it is simpler to issue important reports, which improves the performance of the school as a whole. For example, the information can significantly contribute to verifying student performance, detecting in which subjects students are having the most difficulty. With this, it is possible to develop preventive actions and measures to prevent both evasion and disapproval.

Performance reviews

Finally, evaluating the performance level of staff and teachers is another essential step. This is because it is possible to understand how they carry out their activities, how they stand out, and also what needs to be improved in their teaching activities. In this way, there is a real overview of the work of professionals, understanding what the routine is like and how they deal with their functions.