Upskilling educators: How edtech bolsters on-demand teacher training
As technology redefines our world, on-demand learning provides educators with access to helpful learning tools unlike before.
One of the biggest challenges faced by educators today is the lack of skills and encountering crucial gaps in education. Traditionally, the teaching community has been at a disadvantage when it comes to upskilling, as skill upgradation has been dependent on gaining knowledge through a conference or workshop.
This model causes hindrance even though it is spaced out and operates as per a set timetable as it does not necessarily bring any changes into the practice.
Upskilling for teachers is both complex and multi-dimensional in nature. But in recent times, learning for educators has been bolstered by advancements in edtech.
In today’s digitalised world, it is becoming a necessity for each one of us to stay relevant. Whether it’s a vocational worker, a software professional, a financial analyst, or an educator, every job will require some form of new learning going into the future.
Teachers, who are responsible for educating others, also need to be ready to impart future-ready skills. As technology redefines our world, on-demand learning provides educators with access to helpful learning tools unlike before.
Importance of digital learning
Digital learning has made upskilling much simpler, given that the learning pace of individuals can be different from one another. The usual technology makes it simple for educators to have their own study plans and learning models. In essence, digital learning helps boost learning capabilities irrespective of age or abilities.
The process of learning is dovetailed in such a way that it ensures transparency to the educators involved in upskilling. From improving teaching skills to becoming more active in their own professional development, edtech offers a low-cost, non-prescriptive approach.
There are various solutions that the use of on-demand teacher training can provide in the context of the present day. The COVID-19 pandemic has made a huge impact on the teaching industry, bringing in a huge shift in the way learning and training are imparted.
Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, robotics and science, and mathematics have all found appreciation. Likewise, mobile devices and cloud-based resources are helping educators upgrade their professional knowledge in a more relevant and convenient manner.
Edtech also helps in keeping pace with digital transformation, making it a simpler module to bolster on-demand professional training.
Incorporating new skills and methods
Educational institutions that are actively engaged in imparting teacher training using edtech are looking at new skills and methods away from the earlier rote learning. Edtech plays an important role in educating teachers and getting their skills honed. Educational policies are now increasingly aligned to cater to industry demands as it is the need of the hour.
Edtech facilitated on-demand training ensures that both education and industry find a meeting point so that the educators are able to impart employable skills that are not found in the textbooks.
For instance, educators of mathematics and science need to be able to get trained on-demand in science and mathematics concepts that go beyond definitions and formulae but are factual.
Educators need to upgrade their skills into becoming experts in the classroom. It is not about just staying relevant as studies show that upskilling can also boost the motivation and self-confidence of the teachers.
Enhanced learning opportunities of an educator, no matter at what age, increase self-importance with beneficiaries reporting a higher life satisfaction coupled with greater confidence.
By incorporating new skills and methods like on-demand training using edtech, the demand for professional growth and development too is shaping up into a key component for educators.
Edtech makes embracing new learning opportunities easy and helps find professional satisfaction. By embracing technology-enabled tools, the entire upskilling experience is now engaging, effective, and can be conducted on-demand.
Eventually, in the fast-paced world, upskilling ensures that educators stay relevant within and outside the classroom. In the virtual world, where there are many edtech tools available today for regular and timely upskilling that will vastly benefit content creation and delivery, collaboration, and evaluation.
Edited by Kanishk Singh
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)