Tech4Teachers – Dacorum Education Support Centre.
Case study: Dacorum Education Support Centre
Why is closing the digital divide so important?
“It provides inclusive opportunities for all, regardless of learners’ backgrounds (social, financial, behavioural, experiences etc).“
How will this programme help you?
“Going digital as part of the school’s green initiatives helps us to provide more using less.
As technology becomes more and more integrated within society, it is important that all learners feel sufficiently comfortable with it to engage in activities and extract the most opportunities from what it can offer.
It encourages consistent communication, which will ensure no-one is left behind.
By providing laptops for staff, Currys has allowed our school to focus resources to provide better laptops to learners, enabling them to access online lessons, which is crucial during a pandemic, as everyone is struggling to work around staff absences. This affords our learners the same access and opportunities for education as others, not only bridging the digital divide, but also the divide between families for whom digital technology is considered a luxury they are unable to afford.”
How did lockdown impact you and your school? What challenges did you face with homeschooling?
“The main challenge of home schooling during lockdowns was the lack of appropriate equipment and internet access among our pupils and staff. The school prioritised the children and ensured that those who were in need were provided with a laptop. However, it meant that we did not have enough equality equipment to give out to staff to allow them to teach from home. As a result, many staff members still had to come to school to deliver online sessions.”
How did lockdown impact you and and your school? What challenges did you face with home-schooling?
“As a Pupil Referral Unit, we are a much smaller provision but have learners who have more social, emotional, or educational needs than mainstream.
As a result, lockdown impacted our learner’s timetables, their integration, their learning progress, and their motivation for education. Our learners often have additional needs such as ADHD, ADD, dyslexia or dyscalculia, so engagement in education will always be an additional challenge for them.
Many of our learners do not have appropriate technology for learning – trying to do online learning on a phone is very difficult – so this programme helps to overcome this barrier.”