sa国际传媒

To someone running a school website, it鈥檚 not always clear which developments in the web you need to follow. Many websites are commercial projects and so what matters to them may not matter to you.
One of the most important developments in recent years is the growth of SSL certification. This raises two important questions for anyone running a school website:

• what is SSL? and
• do I need it for my school?

What is SSL Certification?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It鈥檚 the name for the predecessor of Transport Layer Security (TLS), a system that lets computers communicate safely with each other. Though SSL is now redundant, the phrase 鈥淪SL certificate鈥� still refers to a public key certificate, an important part of the TLS system.
An SSL certificate is a digital file associated with your website. It has two important effects.
Firstly, it provides evidence that this is the real version of your website and not an imposter using your name to gain people鈥檚 information.
Secondly, it is used to encrypt information your users put into the website. This means that, if someone intercepts the information, they will not be able to read it. Only you can decrypt the data and read the message. This is very important when making financial transactions or sharing private information.
You can tell if a website has an SSL certificate in three ways:

• Its address starts with https instead of http.
• Your browser may show a padlock next to the site鈥檚 address.
• Depending upon your browser, the browser bar may change colour to draw attention to the certification.

Why Does SSL Matter?

Whenever you use the internet, you are sharing packets of information. This might be something seemingly small, like a request for the contents of a website to be sent to your browser. It might be something more important, like details of a bank card. Every time you click on a link or fill in a form, you share a little bit of information and you get a bit back.
For websites without SSL certification, this information is not encoded. If someone intercepts it then they can read the information you have sent. The growth of wireless networks and mobile browsing has created more possibilities for interception than ever before.
SSL is important because it lets people use . Those packets of information, however big or small, can鈥檛 be read if they are intercepted.
This has a lot of implications for a school website.

Peace of Mind

One important thing that SSL provides is peace of mind. Not everybody understands SSL or the importance of internet security, but most people have noticed the padlock symbol in the browsing bar. They know that it shows that a site is safer to use.
SSL certification gives reassurance to your site鈥檚 users. Internet savvy parents will recognise that you are security conscious and that your site is safe to use. Even those less informed about technology will recognise that familiar padlock logo.
Importantly, browsers sometimes flag up sites that don鈥檛 have SSL certification, with a glaring red symbol to show that the site is not secure. This can be alarming for users, whether or not they understand what SSL is. It may not be something you want associated with a school site.

Sharing Information

SSL lets you securely share information through your website. This lets you turn the site into an interactive experience, a valuable hub for communication and work.
With SSL certification, you can provide secure webforms for parents to send messages to the school, book events, and keep up on their children鈥檚 activities. You can provide online spaces such as e-portfolios for pupils to upload their work and network with their peers. Your website can become a central hub for learning.
You can also use a secure website to communicate with staff. Information and resources can be shared through a secure site.

Visibility

One of the reasons for a school to have a website is to increase its visibility, both in the local community and in the wider world.
Visibility on the web is increasingly dependent upon SSL certification. Google, the most popular search engine, gives higher search rankings to sites with SSL certification than to those without, as it steers its users towards safer sites. If you have SSL certification, your site will show up higher in the rankings and so be more visible to people surfing the web.

Setting an Example

Schools have to consider a factor that most other websites don鈥檛 鈥� their role in educating both pupils and parents.
Schools set examples, whether good or bad. If pupils and parents regularly see a school website without SSL certification then they will get used to it. They are more likely to view unsecured websites as safe to use. After all, teachers are expected to know what they are doing, even in areas outside their expertise.
On the other hand, if the school website is certified then parents and pupils are more likely to treat this as the norm. They will ask questions if they see a website without signs of certification. This will make them safer in their use of the internet.

Does My School Website Need SSL?

SSL certification isn鈥檛 essential for a school website. It鈥檚 not yet the universal standard for legitimate websites.
But certification brings a lot of advantages. It lets you make your website more interactive for pupils, parents, and staff. It provides a sense of security for people using the site. And it supports the school鈥檚 role as an educator, setting an example in the safe use of information technology.
You might not need SSL certification to get your website up and running, but to create a modern site and set your school up for future success, it鈥檚 almost certainly worth the extra effort.

Your school website design is an important part of your school鈥檚 presence in the world. It鈥檚 a line of communication with parents, a way of celebrating your achievements, and a tool in attracting both pupils and staff. So how can you make the most out of the design?

Clear Navigation

It may not be glamorous, but the first thing you should think about is making your website easy to navigate. It affects the structure of the website, and so is fundamental to its design.
To do this, group pages together in a logical hierarchy that fits what people are used to seeing on the internet. Address, phone numbers, email, and a map to find the school should all come under 鈥渃ontact us鈥�. Information about subjects can go together under 鈥渃urriculum鈥� or 鈥渨hat we teach鈥�. Information about events should start with what鈥檚 coming next. A calendar with links to individual event pages can be a great way to tell people what鈥檚 going on.
Minimise how much effort it takes to find information. Whenever possible, visitors should be able to find the information they want within three clicks.

Accessibility

A few simple measures can make your website more accessible for a variety of users.
Use font colours that stand out well against the background. Black text on a background that鈥檚 white or pale is usually best. When making text stand out through different colours, avoid those that might be indistinguishable to the colour blind.
Use alt text for images. Make it describe what you want the picture to convey, as blind or partially sighted users will rely on this text.
Use clear, descriptive text for links, to help those using screen readers.
Some website providers, like sa国际传媒, include a translate option. If your school serves a diverse community then this can be a huge help by communicating with parents in their first language.

Use the Layout

Use the layout of each page to make it clearer and more accessible. For a page with lots of content, include jump links to each part at the top of the page, so that users with limited mobility can get down the page without much mouse use. Include drop down menus and links to break up text and provide extra options.
Because of the way people read, more information is absorbed from what鈥檚 at the top and left of each page. Focus the most important information here, to make sure that people see it.

Pick Your Font

The font you use can make a huge difference in how easy your website is to read. Avoid quirky choices like Comic Sans or old-fashioned ones like Times New Roman. The best fonts for online reading are sans serif fonts like Arial and Verdana, which are easy to read while looking elegant and modern.
Size matters. The best font size for online reading is 16px. You鈥檒l also want to use other sizes for headers. With these, keep to the same font and to no more than three different sizes, to avoid mess and clutter.

Get Visual

Images are great for getting people鈥檚 attention and creating variety. You can use them to make pages more attractive and to draw readers to important parts of the page.
When using photos, take care in your choices. To keep them safe, children should not be identifiable from photos, so be careful with faces and don鈥檛 match them with names. Photos of eye-catching work can provide an interesting alternative.
Slideshows are another way of making the site more interesting. The movement they provide draws the eye, and they can show visitors a variety of images and text without taking up lots of screen space.
Bright colours create an emotional response and so can be good for drawing attention to important information. Use them sparingly so that they have more impact when they appear.

Use White Space

As you try to make the website more eye-catching, it can be tempting to fill it full of images and text. But too much can be overwhelming. Don鈥檛 be afraid to leave plenty of empty background space. Then, the text and images you provide will stand out better, and it will be easy to see what鈥檚 important.

Clear Writing

is as important as the way it is presented, so think carefully about what you鈥檙e saying and how you say it.
Wherever possible, use plain English to make your message understandable. If you can choose between two words with the same meaning, pick the simpler one.
Break the text up into small paragraphs. It might feel odd as you write it, but simpler, shorter blocks of text are easier for a reader to take in. Where possible, limit paragraphs to around three sentences and don鈥檛 let those sentences run on.

Break it Down

Divide the writing up with headings and subheadings. Like small paragraphs, this makes the text less intimidating and easier to take in. It also makes it easier for users to navigate the page, skipping to the relevant heading to find what they want.

Keep it Relevant

It can be tempting to cram in a lot of information, just like it鈥檚 tempting to go overboard on the visuals. This might seem like a good way to tell people more, but in reality it鈥檚 often overwhelming.
To avoid this, think carefully about what the important part of your message is and how you can get it across. What do you want people to know after each page? How much extra is going to be interesting or useful?
If you want visitors to do something after reading a page, make this clear through a call to action. For example, a page about an upcoming school trip might end by suggesting that parents fill in the booking form, and then provide a link to the form.

Learn by Example

You don鈥檛 need to reinvent the wheel. Check out other schools鈥� websites and learn from what works for them. For some examples, check out our sa国际传媒 website. There, you can also find out how sa国际传媒 can help you make your own great website.

Today, there鈥檚 an app for almost everything.
Just by downloading an app, you can make certain aspects of your everyday life easier: it may help you plan your schedule, track your fitness, do your weekly shopping, keep up to date with your social media profiles, or countless other tasks.
The explosion of apps is just part of the ongoing reign of the mobile device. Smartphones and tablets (though primarily the former) are essential companions for millions of us, helping us get through our professional and personal lives. Businesses and organisations are consistently recommended to invest in mobile advertising, and to ensure their websites are optimised to be mobile-friendly.
Your school can benefit from embracing the mobile market too, across both your website and an app 鈥� but why do you need both?

The Benefits of a Mobile Website

Mobile websites are basically similar to any other site: they revolve around connected HTML pages, incorporating numerous features and media.
However, what makes a mobile website different from those we tend to explore on our computers is that they are designed for smaller screens and touch-screen interaction. Google鈥檚 search algorithm now gives greater prominence to , and this is only going to increase in years to come.
Mobile websites can present any form of media, just as standard domains do: images, video, text, animations, and submission forms can all be incorporated into your mobile website. Whereas accessing websites on mobile phones may have led to clumsy, monochromatic visuals once upon a time, you can now expect the same performance as you would on a high-end PC.
Mobile websites are immediately available, unlike apps which need to be downloaded. Why does this matter? Well, for example, let鈥檚 say you send an email to parents inviting them to check important resources on your site, and include a link to the relevant pages.
Parents will then be able to click the link and go directly to the information they need to see; if they do this on their mobile phone or tablet (as many of them will, especially if on the move or if they have no desktop computer at home), your mobile website will present the key information in a clear, accessible way.
If the same resources were available only via your app, parents would then either have to go to the effort of downloading it before they could access it. Alternatively, they may prefer to contact your school to get the details 鈥� taking more time out of their busy day.
Another reason your mobile website is an essential complement to an app is that they are compatible across multiple devices. Your app may only be available on, say, Android and iOS, meaning parents with a Windows phone would be unable to use it, but they would be able to reach your mobile website with no trouble.
Mobile websites have broader reach, too, as not every parent, grandparent, or guardian will feel comfortable downloading an app; they may even not understand how to. You need to ensure your online presence is as accessible to everyone as possible.
With all this in mind, it鈥檚 easy to think a mobile website alone is enough, but apps are equally important.

The Benefits of a Mobile App

Your school should invest in setting up an app for various reasons. First and foremost, mobile apps enable you to send push notifications or alerts to parents and other key users; these allow you to keep them informed of details either instead of, or alongside, emails and letters.

These notifications can be used for less-important information or to remind them of upcoming events. Notifications can either be clicked on to go to the relevant page of the app, or cleared from the screen if they are irrelevant. These are much less hassle for the recipient than a letter or phone call.
Another key difference between apps and mobile websites is that the former can be used offline. Not all functions of the app may be accessible without an internet connection, but others will be: parents and guardians can check on school calendars, reports, and more whilst offline.
A school app may also include maps of your grounds, the location of upcoming sports events, and destinations for field trips. Parents can even explore what homework has been set, take part in surveys, and more. Mobile apps do consume storage space on users鈥� mobile devices, so it鈥檚 vital to keep them down to a manageable size; if your school app demands too much storage space, parents may be reluctant to download it.
Your app typically requires more time and attention to manage than a mobile website, but giving your students鈥� parents a portal to your school they can carry with them at all times is an effective way to build bonds.
Mobile apps typically require access to certain functions in a user鈥檚 phone, such as finding their location, accessing contacts, and others. You need to make them aware of this before they download the app.
Offering an app also demonstrates that your school is on the cutting edge and able to meet the demands of modern life. If you want to give parents and guardians access to complex data on your school 鈥� such as , visual information through graphs and charts 鈥� an app can process this a little more efficiently than a mobile website.
You can include certain features across both mobile sites and apps, of course. Communication options, such as email submission forms and click-to-call buttons, may be integrated into both with minimal effort; these provide users with a choice of contact methods in the palm of their hand, without having to dial a number, drop into the school, or even worry about typing email addresses properly.

The Bottom Line

Optimising your website for mobile devices and releasing an app will empower your school to build stronger relationships with parents and guardians, catering to all types of mobile device and preferences. Those who would rather download an app than navigate their phone鈥檚 browser will be satisfied, while anyone reluctant to add your school鈥檚 app to their device can just hop online instead.
Both school mobile websites and mobile apps allow you to customise their look and feel, reinforcing your institution鈥檚 鈥榖rand鈥� with your school鈥檚 colours and logo. Putting your school at the forefront of mobile technology is key to to maximize engagement and build strong bonds for years to come.

We bet you love your new , with it鈥檚 attractive theme to match your branding and its ability to act as a VLE. (PS. If it鈥檚 not multi-function, it鈥檚 not sa国际传媒.) All the content has been installed and you鈥檝e uploaded the data to comply with 聽statutory requirements. Have you forgotten something? Apart from the more obvious information to have on your site such as the school鈥檚 contact details and a link to your most recent OFSTED report, there are a few more obscure items that you shouldn鈥檛 forget.
Bats and Balls
If your school receives the PE and Sport Premium Funding, you must show how you have or intend to use the money, as well as stating how this has affected your pupils鈥� involvement and attainment. Providing a larger and more varied range of equipment can help inspire children to become more active, which is a plus point for your school.

Governors Laid Bare
Not literally of course but it鈥檚 important to include details of governors鈥� financial and business interests on the school website. If they get a kick out of being part of a governing body and are on multiple boards, this must also be declared.
Attention or Detention?
Whatever strategies you鈥檝e implemented to deal with challenging and unruly behaviour, these need to be outlined in detail. Parents will want to know how the school approaches bullying and any form of bigotry, which is in the news on a daily basis. This of course should be in keeping with your school ethos.
Levelling the Playing Field
Pupil Premium Funding may seem inadequate but at least it goes some way to helping schools provide extra support for disadvantaged pupils, in the hope they can reach similar attainment to their peers. Details of how and why this is spent, together with evidence of how it has helped disadvantaged pupils鈥� attainment must be on your school website.
Touchy Feely
While you might think it鈥檚 obvious to prospective parents what your school is all about, it may not be. In any case, it鈥檚 imperative that you spell it out on your website. What values do you promote? Do you place most emphasis on academic attainment or pastoral care? As parents and carers browse school sites, most seek out a school鈥檚 ethos and values first, rather than the latest SATs results. Don鈥檛 just tell them what they want to hear; make it personal and relevant to your school, and your way of doing things.
Regardless of whether you think anyone will ever read the statutory requirements, they鈥檙e not an option. To see exactly what should be included, visit the .

As a retired primary teacher I find it unsurprising that numerous studies show a gender gap where girls are significantly outperforming boys in literacy. One of the latest studies, commissioned by Save the Children, has found that the female advantage is established even before they step foot in the classroom. Understanding the Gender Gap in Literacy and Language Development was undertaken by researchers from Bristol University鈥檚 Graduate School of Education. Apparently in the 2014/15 school year, one in four boys were behind in language at age five and started Reception without being able to follow simple instructions or speak a full sentence. The report also states that for those children who start school behind, few will catch up.

Factors
While the gap appears to exist for all socio-economic groups, it was wider for those children eligible for free school lunches. Whereas the overall ratio was 25% of boy starters unable to answer simple 鈥渉ow鈥� and 鈥渨hy鈥� questions compared to 14% of girls, this escalated to 35% and 23% for lower income families. Several of the schools where I taught had 鈥榖reakfast clubs鈥� before school, run by volunteers. It was a sad fact that this club was bursting at the seams. Whether this was simply due to poor time management by parents or because of economic factors, cereal and toast were gobbled up greedily. Once the children鈥檚 blood sugar levels rose, behaviour improved and they stayed on task longer. But where gender difference is concerned, evidence from the Save the Children study couldn鈥檛 definitively point to biological, developmental or social causes. An earlier study in 2008 by the Institute of Education (part of the ) found that for both sexes attainment was better for children with two working parents, particularly if they held qualifications. Pupils in stepfamilies or with one parent had lower achievement.
Department for Education
The DfE produced a report in 2009 entitled where they tended to refute most of the gender gap findings, however the evidence spoke for itself when it came to girls attaining higher in English. At key stage two, the gap is considerably wider for writing than reading but this is hardly news to me, as I repeatedly felt like I was hitting my head against a brick wall trying to get boys to write. The DfE say that increased provision has been made for Early Years practitioners to try and redress the gender gap but is it too little, too late?
Solutions
I recall an old study that maintained girls were better communicators because female babies tended to be carried facing inwards, whereas boys faced outwards. Facing inwards allowed babies to see their parents鈥� faces and be spoken to directly. They would learn to read facial expressions and understand nuance more quickly than if carried outwards. Somewhat controversially, the Save the Children study advocates treating boys more like girls. Girls tend to be sung to and have nursery rhymes recited to them. The researchers want to boys to experience this in equal measures, as well as having storybooks read to them and being given rewards for good performance. More creative activities such as painting and drawing are also seen as a way to help with cognitive development. But is it fair to lay all the blame at parents鈥� feet for the gender gap in attainment? Schools need to build a trusting relationship with parents and carers, working with them to promote the importance of one-on-one activities at home. Pupils need to be taught the value of being self-reliant and independent learners, which will raise self-esteem.
Role Models
There are relatively few male Early Years practitioners in UK schools. It鈥檚 more typical for men to teach at secondary level, with a view to obtaining headships. With so many single parent families where dad is seldom seen, a positive male role model is vital. In my last primary school they had no less than four male teachers out of 12, one of whom was in Early Years. This state school had some of the best behaviour I鈥檇 experienced and the male teachers certainly contributed to that. They provided a different caring style and allowed children to see a more natural gender mix, representative of society. Surely the DfE should do more to recruit male teachers into primary and particularly Early Years.
Methods of Delivery
There is little doubt that even the youngest pupils relate to technology, as it can be exciting and varied. In my KS1 class, while girls would often grab a book and sit in the reading corner, the boys competed for the two computers where they could play games, albeit with an educational objective. More provision should be made at Foundation Stage for pupils to have access to a. Lower achievers could work through specially designed modules to help them catch up with language skills. As many schools may not have the funds to provide sufficient portable devices to use, a BYOD (bring your own device) policy could be introduced, so that pupils could bring in a tablet or smartphone from home. If boys are more reluctant to read and write, interactive storyboards and gamification could provide the catalyst needed to spark their interest. The beauty of BOYD is that any elearning content can be easily accessed at home as well as at school, hopefully encouraging parents to get more invested in their children鈥檚 education.

Captology is the study of computers as persuasive technologies. The term was coined by scientist B J Fogg, whose Persuasive Technology Lab is at Stanford University. He specialises in creating systems to 鈥榗hange people鈥檚 behaviour鈥� and while you might be thinking he works for a covert government agency, nothing could be further from the truth. In 2007, Fogg taught a course on the 鈥楶sychology of Facebook鈥� and his students designed apps that saw 16 million users in ten weeks, making a number of the app developers quite wealthy in the process. Persuasive technology is anything that encourages the user to modify their behaviour. This can be information or incentives delivered via websites, apps, mobile phones, games, etc. The question is whether persuasive technology is actually coercion or simply a way to encourage or motivate someone to act in a certain way?

Consumerism

Even something as seemingly benign as a website allowing you to stay logged in could mean you visit that site more often and even spend money. Amazon鈥檚 famous one-click ordering and same-day delivery make shopping fast and uncomplicated. Yes, you could shop around and find the same item for less, but this would mean logging in, adding the item to the basket, checking out and filling in your payment details. Amazon has made it mind-bendingly simple, which is why its shares perform so well. Getting points or cash back for using a credit card is another example of persuasive technology, as the consumer might otherwise pay cash for the item or not buy it.

Pressure and Guilt

How often have you acted under pressure? When you watch the horrific and tear-jerking ads for dying children in third world countries, what makes you pick up your phone and text a donation?

Even something as overtly positive as a fitness app can motivate out of guilt. They want you to believe you should be: lighter, thinner, stronger, fitter, more flexible. By using social media to compare results (similar to what weight-loss classes do) this motivates users to stick to diets or face embarrassment. It鈥檚 quite amazing how peer pressure alters behaviour. Opower鈥檚 home energy management software lets you compete with the energy consumption of similar homes but for the pinnacle in throw downs, you can now upload your utility bill to Facebook and compete with your friends. Baby Think It Over, an infant simulator, is aimed at stopping teenage pregnancies by taking the user through the sleepless nights and inconveniences of having an infant to care for.

Incentives

Many apps use incentives to change patterns of behaviour. Get Rich or Die Smoking is a clever little app that shows you what you could buy with the money you鈥檙e saving by not smoking. Kwit also tries to get users not to smoke but they use gaming and achieving levels as their rewards. Others give you daily words of wisdom or support from the community of addiction-breakers. How well they manipulate choices depends on what motivates the individual user.

Macrosuasion and Microsuasion

While an entire piece of software aimed at altering behaviour is seen as macrosuasion, smaller design elements within larger programs are classed as microsuasion. An example of this would be a school learning management system with a facility to offer praise or rewards for completing tasks. The function of the LMS is to educate and the incentive is designed to persuade. Webanywhere鈥檚 , sa国际传媒, is no exception and with the Merits app pupils can create their own avatar with points earned. The more merits, the more they can customise their avatar or donate to charity. It鈥檚 behaviour modification but through positive motivation.

We cannot escape persuasive technology, as it permeates everything we do and experience, in one form or another. Whether it鈥檚 a form of coercion or free will is difficult to determine. Perhaps we all need to take a step back and ask who is pulling our strings?

In 2012, the Hwb+ portal was offered to 1,600 Welsh schools free of charge, in the hope that technology could improve overall learning. The portal is built on Sharepoint, which is known for its excellent file sharing capabilities. Feedback has not been overwhelmingly positive however, so let鈥檚 look at some of the possible reasons for this.
CMS or VLE?
Both Sharepoint and open source LMS offer great content storing and sharing capabilities, however Sharepoint鈥檚 core function is as a CMS, rather than a VLE. While it can be configured to act as an elearning platform, this requires a significant amount of effort and expertise. An open-source聽LMS, on the other hand, is designed primarily as highly flexible that acts as a spine to your elearning programme, whether a subject is taught exclusively online or just occasionally. You can use it for delivering and assessing course content, interactive and collaborative activities, quizzes, reporting and much more. The Forum activity allows pupils to exchange ideas and get support from peers and teachers.

Flexibility
Sharepoint must integrate with the MS Office Sharepoint server platform, so won鈥檛 run on standard Linux or Windows, whereas open source LMS can integrate with different servers and open source software including Drupal, Joomla and Postnuke. Being open source means it is constantly being enhanced from plugins and tweaks from the supportive LMS community. It also uses multiple authentication systems (AD/LDAP/POP). A particularly extensible platform, it has the potential to do just about anything with the right input, so perfect if you have a techie on staff who likes to tinker.
Individuality
While a default template is unexciting, there are other themes provided so you can choose a more inspiring feel. Sharepoint has a more corporate look unsuitable for schools, particularly primary. Furthermore, all their sites are very similar and lack individuality. If a user is unfamiliar with Sharepoint, it can seem cumbersome and not very student-friendly.
Time Management
An open Source LMS integrates well with an existing MIS (SIMS, CMIS, etc) cutting admin time. With the Homework plugin, teachers can upload an entire block of homework ahead of time, with it being released at predefined times automatically. It can then be marked through the LMS interface. Pupils don鈥檛 have to worry about lost homework and parents can track how their child is doing.
Cost
Software with a per-user license fee, such as Sharepoint, can prove very expensive for schools, particularly those with a large enrolment. The beauty being open-source is that there鈥檚 no per-user fee, although it can be hosted and maintained externally if required. After going through a rigorous assessment for quality and value for money, Webanywhere became approved as an elearning platform supplier to the UK Government Procurement Service.

For an elearning solution for schools, we believe an open-source LMS is a far more intuitive platform than Sharepoint. It鈥檚 more cost effective and brimming with adaptability.

鈥楥hange鈥�, 鈥榠nnovation鈥�, 鈥榓 new way鈥�, 鈥榩aradigm shift鈥� – all these are familiar terms in the education technology industry. The pursuit of the new, the framing of a product as something different and therefore something indispensable is a recognisable marketing technique as companies attempt to both distance their own product from that of their competitors, make their product seem more desirable in the eyes of the user, and whip up excitement surrounding it.
But is this technique a particularly effective one when it comes to teaching, training and education?
After a decade working in the sector, there is something that has become very much apparent to me as I try to keep up with the newest curriculum, teaching fad or 鈥榚ssential鈥� bit of kit – education is an area that is seemingly in a constant state of flux. From government policy to classroom pedagogy, the rate of change is such that practitioners can often feel like they are running a race they are ever destined to lose, desperately scrambling to get a handle on something, only for it to irrecoverably transform as soon as they feel as if they have a handle on it.
In a sector where consistency and stability is such a rare commodity, is more change really what is needed?
There is a narrative that paints teachers and other practitioners in educational establishments as cripplingly hesitant when using technology, as holding back the inevitable onset of progress in the classroom, as preferring a chalk-dusted, Victorian model rather than the glistening chrome and neon learning area of the future. Undoubtedly, this can sometimes be the case, but I also believe that there is something else afoot. I see hesitation in using technology as a symptom of a more general malaise that may not be to do with technology at all. I label it 鈥楽hift-Fatigue鈥�.
Shift-Fatigue is a malady suffered by those in education as a result of the unending process of change that they are subject to. An underlying anxiety brought about by uncertainty, a lack of enthusiasm in reference to something newly introduced as the (often correct) assumption is that it either won鈥檛 be there for long, or, if it is, will change into something unrecognisable and a cynicism regarding a newly introduced policy or tool; these are the effects of working in a sector that is defined by its rapid and often ill-thought-out revamps, reshapes and reforms at all levels. If teachers and other education professionals are overly cautious and hesitant, then there are some very solid reasons why that is the case, not least as a reaction to the working environment that they find themselves in.
What can be done to ensure that marketing doesn鈥檛 fall victim to these symptoms of Shift-Fatigue when trying to promote an educational product? If promoting the 鈥榬evolutionary鈥� aspects of a product can be counter-productive, what is the alternative?
Perhaps marketing techniques need to go through a shift of their own. A movement from the more traditional techniques of emphasising a narrative that focuses on the uniqueness of a product, how there has 鈥榥ever been anything like it before鈥� and other statements that (if we are going to be truly honest) are little more than empty superlatives and hyperbole and a move towards highlighting aspects of the product that reinforce how it is dependable, will compliment and augment already existing practice, and will take very little time and effort to integrate is an approach that may not seem particularly 鈥榮exy鈥�, but may be a way to swerve the Shift-Fatigue that educational staff may exhibit.
By offering stability, reliability and support, a product can set itself apart in a market where promotion is often in thrall to newness and a difference to what has gone before, readily perpetuating a way of thinking that educational professionals may be extremely wary of. Instead of trying to sweep up potential users in the excitement of yet another piece of technology or approach that will 鈥榗hange everything鈥� (yet again), going the opposite way, and presenting the product as something that is to be depended on in times of uncertainty, may help it to stand out.
In a sector where constant change has become the norm, a company that offers a change from change, a shift away from shifts and are innovative enough to leave innovation (or at least talk of it) behind could be well on its way to finding new opportunities.

The human element of the learning process is a difficult one to predict. Even if training content is well-designed and engaging, support for completion is forthcoming and the subject is one that is essential for either education or work, there is still the infinitely complex landscape of a learner鈥檚 interior world to be considered. Teaching and learning is an essentially human undertaking encompassing motivation, ability, skill-set, attitude and a wealth of other factors and is not necessarily a simple case of measurable inputs and outputs.
Basically, it鈥檚 complex.
In any market it鈥檚 entirely natural to focus on product. Product is relatively easy to analyse, to breakdown, to improve if needed. But when it comes to training and other educational offers, the product must always be viewed through the lens of learner interaction and this can be a frightening prospect as learning can be an unpredictable, often chaotic process (in fact, at its best, it often is) and the people doing the learning bring with it their unpredictable, chaotic selves.
Offering the best product is not just about the product itself. It is about an understanding of people and an understanding that sometimes learning isn鈥檛 a smooth, clinical process. Learning can be emotive, even painful at times. A user鈥檚 motivation may change, increase or diminish, seemingly at whim. Both internal and external factors may have positive or negative effects and these factors are often difficult to pin down.

If an educational product is to be truly successful, the learner, with all their complexities has to be placed at the centre of every stage in the process from inception, design, implementation and beyond. A consideration and understanding of the very real hurdles that are faced by those using the product is essential, and efforts made to try and offset them through a realistic consideration of learners鈥� lives separate to the product itself.
Learners are people. When it comes to learning people react in different, unpredictable ways. If a business accepts this and adapts to the intricacies of learning behaviour in all its wonderful strangeness it will go some way to achieving maximum outcomes.

Using tech compliments the way I work but I completely understand that it鈥檚 not for everyone. Different teachers have completely different (sometimes highly idiosyncratic) ways of keeping on top of things. From extremely tech-centric, to utilising a bit of tech, to forgoing any kind of technology whatsoever, there鈥檚 a whole spectrum out there. I tend not to make any kind of value-judgement on the way people work as I鈥檝e seen the most connected teachers be completely useless and those who wouldn鈥檛 dream of picking up a mobile to help in their teaching absolutely storm it.

But then again, it鈥檚 always nice to have the choice. Whether tech savvy or tech-averse, being able to work in a way that means that you鈥檙e at your best is always going to be important. I use my phone to organise my workload, communicate with colleagues, streamline certain mind-numbing admin activities, so what can an institution do to try and smooth the way for someone like me? And they should because I rule.

Firstly, let鈥檚 talk a little bit about one of the essentials, one of the building blocks of effective tech use in school; internet access. Undoubtedly the provision of wifi in education establishments in reference to speed and reliability have improved exponentially in the time that I鈥檝e been teaching. But even now, there are places where this central tenet is neglected. Spotty, unreliable or easily maxed-out provision can be a real headache and effectively means that anyone using mobile technology is scuppered before they start (unless they fancy maxing out their 4G allowance, which is always an option but seems a bit like having to buy your own whiteboard markers, exercise books and A4 paper – tools that should really be provided). Decent internet and wifi that reliably reaches every room in every building is pretty much an essential now (and not just for me as a teacher, but for the kids as well.)

The culture in a school and how it views a particular way of working is also something that can either facilitate or discourage being productive with mobile apps. There have been places that have viewed my use of a phone or tablet to sort myself out with something akin to deep suspicion. I can鈥檛 really blame them as it鈥檚 the same way that I view the kids with something akin to deep suspicion when they鈥檙e on theirs. But then again, I鈥檓 a professional, and an adult (I won鈥檛 go so far to push it and call myself 鈥榬esponsible鈥�) and I think we鈥檙e now at a point that mobile device use, if not entirely 鈥榥ormalised鈥� in schools, is not as much as an anomaly as it once was. Being comfortable with staff using tech to help with their work, perhaps actively encouraging it (yet not enforcing. I鈥檓 still firm in the belief that a professional should be able to make a choice in how they work) can make life a little easier. Establishing an in-house forum where teachers can share some of the tools that they鈥檙e using and perhaps demonstrate the apps that are helping them conquer the day-to-day grind can also go some way to removing any possible stigma as teachers convince others that they鈥檙e not constantly on the Facebook or happily Snapchatting away as everyone else gets some proper work done.

Because proper work is proper work, no matter how you go about doing it. Recognising that it happens in different ways, and making efforts to try and enable it, whether it be using pen or paper or the shiniest new bit of kit, is key to helping teachers do the best that they can. An environment that identifies how to support teachers in the way that works for them is an environment that values professionals and the work that they do. That value then carries over to the kids as it鈥檚 often the case that what鈥檚 good for the teachers is also good for the students. Not everyone works in the same way, but by making it easier to work in the way that best suits your teachers, a school can help their workforce reach their potential.