TeacherTalk: The Impact of Technology for Enrichment

Welcome to our educational blog. Here we explore all things pertinent to education, discuss current topics and provide tips, from research and educational experts, to aid practice.

This edition, comes from Simon James (Technology for Learning Lead) and Emma Darcy, Director of Technology for Learning at Chiltern Learning Trust. 

You can also see Emma's previous, two incredible editions of #TeacherTalk here:

• The Divisive Role of AI in Education: Debating its impact on the Future of Learning

  and 
• Promoting Sustainability in Schools 

The Research

Impactful learning extends beyond the classroom, reaching into the hinterland of enrichment opportunities that ignite students’ curiosity and passion for learning. Enabling students to problem solve, think critically and add meaning to their learning.  According to the EEF (2021), well structured enrichment programs led by teachers can result in three months of academic progress. Empowering students with leadership roles in these activities not only enhances their skills but also ensures sustainability by sharing the workload from teacher time.

In the past year, as Head of Computing at Putteridge High School and the Technology for Learning Lead supporting schools across Chiltern Learning Trust. I’ve seen students engage in diverse enrichment activities including digital book reviews, creating apps and celebrating their successes in events such as our Climate Change and Digital Innovation Summit (#CCADIS). Making time for these enrichment opportunities as a school has created positive attitudes towards learning for our students.

Enrichment in STEM

Sustainability is a topic of great interest to students, with 68% expressing a desire to learn more about it. Surprisingly, 51% of teachers report a lack of meaningful climate education in their curriculum (Teach the Future, 2022). At Putteridge High School, we delivered the ‘Innovate for Climate Change’ course as part of Apps for Good to students in Years 8 and 9 as an afterschool club. The course specifically enables students to learn about designing an app to act on climate change by working with industry experts to take action and prepare for a greener future.  This initiative not only supports STEM education but also attracts girls to STEM-related careers with 10 girls and 2 boys from our school. The students’ success was showcased at #CCADIS and they spoke with industry leaders, educators and researchers, furthering their understanding of the topics explored through their core curriculum learning in school lessons. The students were delighted to be interviewed by Apps for Good about the impact of their participation and one of our students Chloe mentioned how it helped “with my confidence a lot” and how she is “able to talk on a wider variety of issues”. 

The school has also joined Code Club, a global network of free coding clubs led by teachers. Through project-based learning, students explore various coding languages (HTML, Python), fostering digital skills crucial for future employment. Kamona Karim, a computing teacher from Putteridge has run the club alongside support from Year 10 students studying Computer Science. Our Year 10 students have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to teach other students, and this has permeated into their computing lessons. 

Our KS4 practice now involves students using flipped learning by watching a video on a concept and two selected students teaching that concept to the class the following lesson. Motivation has been exceptionally high, and students have been eager to volunteer to lead classroom learning supported by teacher assistance. In November, we’ll also be joining the CyberFirst Girls competition, aiming to inspire girls into a career in cyber security.

Enrichment in Digital Industries

In 2020, we joined the Digital Schoolhouse network (supported by Nintendo UK) focusing on working in partnership with Primary Schools and encouraging play based computing education. The introduction of a school esports tournament, involving over 110 students, has been a resounding success. Students take on diverse roles, such as Team Manager, Shoutcaster, and Tournament Admin, providing leadership opportunities and insights into potential careers in the media computing industry. The opportunity to compete in London against other schools and colleges builds community and a belonging for our students. Research by UKIE (2023) the industry body who founded Digital Schoolhouse, indicates a 40% increase in interest in computing, a 75% improvement in communication skills, and a 79% enhancement in team-building skills among participating students.

Enrichment through International Collaboration:

International collaboration adds another layer of enrichment, offering insights into global best practices and effective technology usage. Putteridge High School's collaboration with the UK Government in Brazil and Conexia Educação has created a network focused on leveraging technology for learning. In August, I travelled to Rio De Janeiro on behalf of both Putteridge and Chiltern Learning Trust to deliver a keynote presentation on ‘Empowering Leadership - Implementation of Technology for Learning’ to the network of over 400 schools in Brazil. One of the key themes they discussed was the importance of learning English in Brazil, to support social mobility and their deployment of bilingual schools with support from digital platforms such as ‘High Five’. In January of next year, over 25 Brazilian educators will be visiting Putteridge to speak to our students and discuss their education, enrichment and ways of connecting internationally to build for the careers of tomorrow. If we are really to future proof our learners, this type of engagement and enrichment is crucial.