Navigating Digital Challenge: Dissecting the Teacher's Tech Tangle
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Teachers' Digital Stress: Unearthing the Burdens They Carry - Digitalisation's Impact on Educators: Examining the Pressure It Causes
In the evolving landscape of digital education, teachers are faced with a slew of technical snags. From network conundrums to printer pandemonium, it's often the educators who have to swoop in and save the day. Thilo Hartmann, chair of the Education and Science Union (GEW) in Hesse, shares his concerns about the growing digital stress in schools.
Teachers craft lessons with the assumption that technology will seamlessly cooperate. Yet, when this ideal turns into a digital dilemma, “teachers often lack a go-to person to help them troubleshoot,” explains Hartmann. Typically, these tech whizzes are among the faculty, with a few tech-savvy teachers stepping up to provide IT support on the side.
Daily Device Woes
In a school with approximately 1,000 students and over 100 teachers, the myriad of devices that need upkeep can be overwhelming. As a result, technical assistance is more than a side gig—it's a double burden that can't simply be taken care of on the fly. “Imagine a corporate IT department being non-existent,” says Hartmann.
From malfunctioning computers in computer labs to intermittent internet issues, the IT staff is on constant standby to swiftly fix problems and keep classes running smoothly. On top of that, devices need regular updates and protection from data breaches, a time-consuming process that requires learning new systems and working in harmony with numerous colleagues.
Kassel Steps In
In response to the growing demand on teachers' time, the city of Kassel introduced the “IT Supporter@School” project. By hiring twelve IT supporters, each assisting six schools, educators are no longer burdened with IT woes. In the words of Mayor and Education Commissioner Nicole Maisch (Greens), “These aren't IT specialists, they're teachers doing this alongside their regular duties.”
IT supporter Thorben Schroder explained how he and his colleagues provide quick, on-site assistance to address minor problems. They are the schools’ primary point of contact for IT-related issues and visit regularly, as well as in emergencies.
Carsten Horstmann, deputy principal of the Johann-Amos-Comenius School, expressed his satisfaction with the IT supporters, who can handle issues promptly, while teachers may not always have the time.
A Solid Digital Foundation
The digital infrastructure in schools, funded by the federal and state governments, has improved significantly, according to Maisch. The goal now is to make sure that schools in Kassel have a reliable digital learning environment, so that teachers can focus on teaching rather than dealing with technical complexities.
The Hessian Ministry of Culture acknowledges the complexities that arise from digitalizing classrooms, emphasizing the need for ongoing efforts to adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape. The digital tools provided by the state and school carriers aim to lighten teachers' workload by streamlining administrative tasks and facilitating personalized teaching methods. Further, the state supports technical assistance that relieves teachers in their daily work with technology.
GEW's Reflections
Despite the advancements made, the GEW remains hopeful but critical. Hartmann states that while digitalization in schools has surged due to the pandemic, there is still much ground to cover. Urgent funding is essential to address these remaining repairs and updates in the coming years, as existing equipment nears replacement. Additionally, the GEW advocates for an expansion of media education, ensuring digital literacy is viewed critically and all schools have equal access to digital resources.
Sources:
- Coughlin, J. (2021). How to reduce teacher stress without adding more work. Tech & Learning. https://www.techlearning.com/251440/how-to-reduce-teacher-stress-without-adding-more-work
- EdTech Magazine. (2019). Three Ways Educational Technology Supports Teachers. EdTech Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/three-ways-educational-technology-supports-teachers
- OECD. (2021). PISA 2025: Vision Summaries – The Knowledge Generation Learning for Tomorrow's World. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/knowledge-generations/ais-vision-summaries-pisa-2025.pdf
- UNESCO. (2021). UNESCO-IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Awards. UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/unesco-iioe-higher-education-digitalisation-pioneer-case-awards
- Westerman, G., Wilczek, W., & Tapscott, D. (2019). It's Time to Prepare the Education System for the Next Industrial Revolution. MIT Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614068/its-time-to-prepare-the-education-system-for-the-next-industrial-revolution/
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Key Insights:
- Educational institutions are investing in ongoing teacher training to enhance digital skills, fostering competencies in using learning management systems, AI in assessments, and data analytics.
- Teachers are receiving support to understand digital technologies better, including data collection methods, to reduce confusion and stress.
- Strategic partnerships are being formed between educational establishments, technology providers, and local governments to address infrastructure gaps and provide reliable internet services.
- Pilot programs are being implemented to test digital tools in real-world settings, ensuring practical applicability and reducing technical issues.
- School leaders are being trained in targeted digital competencies, focusing on cybersecurity management, data-driven decision-making, and technology-enhanced organizational change.
- Organizations like the OECD are assessing students' digital skills to measure the importance of foundational digital competencies, indirectly supporting teachers.
- The IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award encourages innovative uses of digital technologies in education, fostering more efficient systems and relieving teachers' burden.
- Projects aim to prepare future generations by training students as digital leaders, potentially reducing the burden on teachers by having students assist in promoting responsible digital practices.
- In the realm of community policy, it's expedient to incorporate vocational training for teachers to equip them with digitalization skills, alleviating stress and improving their ability to handle technical issues in the classroom.
- An integral part of this vocational training should focus on addressing the challenges arising from digital outages and malfunctioning devices, ensuring seamless digital learning environments for students.
- While cities like Kassel are hiring IT supporters to ease the tech burden on teachers, it's crucial for the education system to implement such policies on a broader scale, especially in science, health-and-wellness, finance, and technology sectors, where digitalization plays a significant role in education-and-self-development.
- Towns and schools should prioritize establishing a solid digital foundation, with ongoing efforts to adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape, efficiently streamlining administrative tasks and enhancing personalized teaching methods.
- Teachers' unions, such as the Education and Science Union (GEW), should advocate for equal access to digital resources, urging for ongoing funding to remedy remaining technical infrastructural flaws and updates, as well as promoting critical digital literacy through media education.
