How to Give Time Back to Educators by Increasing the Efficiency of Your EdTech Processes
Educators often spend significant time searching for the right set of edtech tools for their students. In many schools and districts, edtech request processes and resource management are a heavy lift for administrators, and sometimes create redundancies.
As edtech use continues to expand, district offices need to maintain accessible and useful libraries of effective and approved digital resources, offering a clear path for educators to research and request tools.
In our recent eBook, we offer school districts an in-depth guide to building an effective edtech ecosystem. Below is a sneak peek at two recommendations directly related to easing the burdens placed on educators: an edtech needs assessment and a new tool request process.
Needs assessment
This process asks districts to look for areas that need support from new or different programs and tools in the near future. Having this process in place helps avoid panic purchases or quickly reacting to new, popular tools.
How to do it:
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Review programs and tools with your team.
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Look for duplicate tools or gaps in program areas.
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Identify tools that could support these areas.
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Discuss whether the current selection is sufficient or if more are needed.
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Assess areas with low satisfaction among teachers and students.
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Compile findings for your implementation team.
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Schedule future needs assessments.
New tool request process
Districts need to have a process and workflow in place that allows teachers to request new programs and tools. This process is different from a curriculum review and is intended for all edtech, including complementary/supplementary tools. Having a clear process for teachers to follow, with a workflow set up for what happens when a request is received, ensures educators can quickly and easily make requests for tools to advance their teaching and student learning.
How to do it: This request process can be facilitated with a form or tool that collects necessary information about the requested edtech tool upfront, then creating a trigger to initiate an internal review.
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Create an easy-to-find, simple form for educators to complete.
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Set a timeline for response.
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Provide an avenue for educators to follow up on their requests, such as an email or phone number. You could even create an approval tracker that showcases where things are in the process, promoting transparency.
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Publicize this process through email, video and other media.
Processes create efficiency over time. A culture of trust will naturally develop when the above processes are specifically designed by district teams for district needs. Additionally, efficiencies will come from this work to streamline review and selection of impactful programs and tools.
Learn more about how LearnPlatform helps districts streamline their processes, improve compliance and support their teachers.
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