Cambridge Catalyst Issue 07 Web

EDUCATION

Local schools share how they’re harnessing technology to make education more engaging

hen schools across the country closed in March and remote learning became

meant that when pupils were sent home, teachers were already well- versed in delivering content digitally – but the school still had its work cut out ensuring everything transitioned smoothly. “Aware of the looming likelihood of lockdown, The Leys IT department and teaching staff went into overdrive – and in just a month, upskilled staff to deliver live remote lessons and pastoral support to our pupils,” recalls Geoffrey Howe, director of Teaching and Learning at The Leys. “Pupils accessed their teachers via iPads and were able to progress with their courses using Google Classroom and Google Meet. Teachers also began experimenting with different techniques to ensure remote lessons were engaging and

the ‘new normal’, teachers were forced to adapt at lightning speed. The need to deliver virtual lessons, keep up pastoral care and enable communication between colleagues meant adopting new tech like video streams and resource-sharing platforms, virtually overnight. In some cases, this prompted a quantum leap in school’s digital capabilities, with IT usage and integration moving on years in the space of a few weeks. But here in Cambridge, our tech-savvy schools had a head-start. The Leys has been investing in digital tools for years, offering iPads for all pupils and teachers and developing Google Cloud infrastructure. This

IMAGE The Leys has been integrating VR into teaching to create an immersive experience for pupils

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