Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

Texthelp Blog - Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

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Over 40 million Americans are dyslexic, but only 2 million receive services to help with everyday learning. Here's 5 ways Assistive Technology can help dyslexic students progress at school.

5 Ways Assistive Technology Can Help Dyslexic Students in the Classroom

Picture this: 8th Grader, Lucas is sat in his English class; everyone is taking down notes from the board and the extra pearls of wisdom from his teacher. The bell will ring any minute now, and he’s working at break-neck speed to get everything down. Meanwhile, his non-dyslexic classmates leisurely jot points down without breaking a sweat.

*School bell rings* (sighs in relief) Lucas had finished his notes, but after glancing back over them, all that extra stress and effort seems a waste to him now, because he can’t understand a word he’s written.

To celebrate, we've created some Pi-themed activities using EquatIO Mathspace. Mathspace makes it easy for you to save, share and assess digital math activities. Check out the examples below, and click the links to save them to your own Mathspace dashboard. Enjoy! 

Forget plain circles - let your students practice calculating area, circumference, and diameter with this pizza-themed exercise. 

If you and your students have more of a sweet tooth, try these dessert pies! Download the activity here.

Looking for a Pi Day activity that combines real world objects with digital math tools? Look no further than our Finding Pi activity, which asks students to find, measure, and collect data on classroom objects. A great option if you want to get students working in groups. 

This pie-topping activity provides a great visual way to help your students understand and practice using fractions. Plus, it's got our stomachs rumbling! 

Last but not least, explore the wonder of the number Pi with EquatIO's Counting Rods. Have students find patterns and anomalies in this fascinating number. 

We hope you and your students enjoy these activities. If you came up with your own Mathspace activities, we’d love to see them! Show them off on Twitter by tagging us @texthelp, or send them our way via social@texthelp.com. 

Here are four quick and easy ways to celebrate Pi Day with EquatIO mathspace.

Get a Piece of our Pi Day EquatIO Activities

March 14th is just around the corner, which means it’s nearly time for the biggest event in the math calendar: Pi Day! 

As Zeina Chalich, Principal of St Francis Xaviers, NSW,  said in our "Education and Technology in Uncertain Times?" roundtable - “Digital learning during lockdown gave us a glimpse of EdTech’s potential. What will it’s ongoing impact be?” 

We’re going to take a look at our top 8 predictions for education in Australia and New Zealand for 2022. If the future of education is something you’re interested in you’re going to want to sign up for webinar series - Future Building in Education. 

This webinar series is dedicated to education in Australia and New Zealand. We’ll be hearing from a host of experts, some of whom you will have heard from before through our channels, and lots of new friends who will bring fresh perspectives. The topic 'Future Building in Education' is one close to our hearts.

Now let’s take a look at our 8 predictions for education in 2022. 

The increase in remote working allowed many people to reconsider where they live. It used to be that people had to live where the jobs were, and that's no longer the case. Working remotely can be done from anywhere, somewhere with more access to outdoor space, or closer to family. We're seeing people shift from the cities to more rural areas. 

As the borders are just opening to allow people back into Australia we can expect an increase in migration. Being able to recruit from abroad again can help companies address staff shortages. High salaries, quality of life and better weather will appeal to people who have spent the last two years in dreary lockdowns. It is likely that we will see a growth in population and demand for schools as a result.

Ben Dyer, Customer Relationship Champion at Texthelp adds “Migration benefits all society. The more  global perspectives we have the better equipped we are to problem solve and come up with creative solutions''

There are already many online schools operating across the globe. As home working allows adults to work a distance from their offices, online learning offers young people the same flexibility. There are families who prefer remote learning and find that it suits their circumstances better. 

During the last two years our children and teenagers spent more time online. It became their source of education, entertainment and social interaction. It offered a way to connect with family that there was no other way to see. Young people have become so comfortable with using technology throughout their day, it’s an integral part of our lives. Our next prediction is in direct response to that, and probably won’t surprise you. 

Schooling, socializing and play all took place online over the last while, and for many this was seen as a response to the unique circumstance we were in. Ideally, we might not like our kids to be online so much, and prefer them to socialize more in the real world. So we could see parents trying to reduce screen time back to pre-pandemic levels. 

Our roundtable guests also included Jacinta Keenan. Jacinta is a STEM teacher from St John’s Catholic School in Richmond, Tasmania. Jacinta told us ‘The days of “What did you do at school today?” - “Not much” are over.  Now parents can see what their kids are doing, becoming more involved in their child's learning’.

Parents had to supervise school work at home, helping kids when they got stuck, marking and correcting work. As a result they appreciate the work done by teachers even more than before. Schools can expect more help with homework going forward. Any gaps and issues can be identified and reported to the school.

This year Naplan will be fully completed online, this could be a logistical challenge for some schools. There are many people who have problems with  NAPLAN, so we may see changes going forward.  We’ll be keeping an eye on this during the coming months.

A focus on literacy and numeracy standards

Over the last few years Australia’s ranking in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has been a topic of discussion. The gap between the highest and lowest performing students had been widening before the pandemic - what will the ongoing impact be? We’re likely to see increased pressure from the Government to address these results and improve Australia’s standing in the international ranks. 

To access the webinar series all you need to do is register using the link below:

If you enjoyed this, we have loads more resources for you to check out: 

In this roundtable discussion we explore how tech-for-learning is paving the way for a more resilient education system - one that has the tools it needs to cope with uncertain times and diverse learning needs.

Education and Technology in Uncertain Times

In this episode Brett Salakas speaks to Texthelp's Greg O'Connor about future building in education. Brett is a teacher, leader, poet and the founder of aussieED (the largest online network of teachers in Australia) and the co-founder of both the ED Poets Society and TheWalkingED.

Future building in education - and the role of technology

8 Predictions for schools across Australia and New Zealand in 2022. Let's take a look at the year ahead for education in Australia.

8 Predictions for schools across Australia and New Zealand in 2022

As another school year begins many of us are still trying to process the last tricky 24 months. Now we're wondering what lies ahead for 2022. At Texthelp we have seen an increase in usage of educational technology over the last 2 years.  So we know that schools are adapting to ensure a great education for everyone. Using digital tools allows for creativity, flexibility and collaboration. 

with Al Kingsley, Jess Pather and Jane Davis 11:00 - 11:30, Leaders @ Bett Theatre.

Leading a digital strategy beyond crisis response

with Kate Broadribb, 15:00 - 15:30, Teaching & Learning Theatre.

Digital Leadership: By the students, for the entire school community

with Kristabelle Williams, 15:50 - 16:20, Teaching & Learning Theatre.

Using technology to improve literacy and build a reading culture

with Dr Louise Karwowski and Lisa Parish, 12:00 - 12:20, Tech in Action (North).

Neurodiversity in education

with Sarah Brown, 13:20 - 13:50, The Arena.

Sustainable equity in education

with Baasit Siddiqui, 15:50 - 16:20, The Arena.

Who's on your Island?

with Carol Allen and John Galloway, 11:00 - 11:30, The Arena.

Universal Design for Learning: Getting IT right from the start

with James Garnett, 11:00 - 11:30, Leaders @ Bett Theatre.

Bridging the Digital Divide is more than just pupil devices

with Kader Adjout, 15:50 - 16:20, Teaching & Learning Theatre.

Unlearning for deeper learning - fostering equity in the classroom

Bett is back and there's a lot to take in across the 3 days of inspiring content. To help we've put together a list of Texthelp recommended sessions focused on helping all students reach their full potential.

Helping everyone understand and be understood at Bett 2022

On 23 - 25 March 2022, over 20,000 visitors and 400 companies will come together at Bett. The global meeting place for all things education technology. Across 3 days attendees will be immersed in inspiring content, be able to network with fellow educators and meet leading solutions providers. It’s fair to say, there’s a lot to take in. To help we’ve put together a list of sessions not to be missed.

"To improve your web writing and nurture engagement, what's one tip to follow when writing for the web?"

Here is what they had to say.

Today's web surfers live in a multitasking world. Often content is consumed on-the-go. Some may snack on content in between meetings, while others digest it as they’re watching Netflix. When it comes to writing for the web, we asked 14 business professionals for their top tips.

14 tips for writing for the web

Today's web surfers live in a multitasking world. Often content is consumed on-the-go. Some may snack on content in between meetings, while others digest it as they’re watching Netflix. When it comes to writing for the web, we asked 14 business professionals for their top tips. 

In this blog, IBM's Disability Employee Network Group (ENG) Lead and D&I Champion, Alix Horton, shares how IBM champion disability inclusion.

Disability inclusion: A Q&A with IBM

IBM's Disability Employee Network Group (ENG) Lead and D&I Champion, Alix Horton, shares how they champion disability inclusion.

Blog

5 Ways Assistive Technology Can Help Dyslexic Students in the Classroom

Get a Piece of our Pi Day EquatIO Activities

8 Predictions for schools across Australia and New Zealand in 2022

Helping everyone understand and be understood at Bett 2022

14 tips for writing for the web

Disability inclusion: A Q&A with IBM

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