Mental health and EdTech – from mental well-being to social-emotional learning
Mental health and EdTech are not two worlds apart. As a matter of fact, the pandemic stressed the importance of integrating social-emotional support into school curricula.
First, the pandemic heavily affected younger students from the K-12 age group. From one day to the next, they found themselves isolated from their peers and missed almost two years of such a pivotal period of their lives. Secondly, the pandemic amplified mental distress for college and university students alike.
On the other hand, we have teachers. They needed to adapt to an unprecedented challenge with all means necessary – didactically speaking – while also focusing on their pupils’ struggles.
As we are apparently getting closer to normality, it’s important to treasure the lesson learnt in the past two years and make sure we leverage technology to monitor mental health and wellbeing in education.
EdTech, social-emotional learning and mental health in K-12
Although technology is often depicted as an enemy of mental well-being when it’s improperly used, EdTech can truly support students’ mental health.
Today, companions such as Acer notebooks and Chromebooks have become students’ favourite helpers and will continue to be valuable resources. Whether in person or remotely, teachers can rely on them to deal with the long term consequences of the pandemic.
In other words, technology will still help pupils acquire 21st Century skills, manage emotions, show empathy and foster positive relationships. And that’s the core of social-emotional learning.
What most teachers have accomplished remotely in the past two years now must be reprised in the classroom. Take gamification strategies, for example. They engage students at different levels and keep the classroom mood high.
Moreover, engaging tools such as Google Jamboard or Microsoft Flipgrid make learning more dynamic and fun. Creating projects and showcasing them to the classroom helps students develop self-awareness and self-management, improving their attitude toward peers and teachers.
If you wish to integrate these handy tools in your lesson plan, visit Acer Academy. Inside our free training library, you will find Tips & Tricks, webinars and tutorials that will help you master these resources in your classroom.
Supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools with tech
As obvious as it might sound, different age groups have different needs. In fact, college or university students deal with varying struggles than primary or secondary pupils.
Many campuses have already built support networks for their students in the past two years. For example, thanks to anonymous online surveys, higher education leaders can identify the areas of struggle. Thanks to statistics, administrators can create tailored digital support services.
Moreover, the pandemic helped the number of teletherapy groups to grow. A great alternative to in-person counselling, these channels will provide timely and personalised interventions to treat early signs of deteriorating mental health.
Data-driven assessments will become a mainstay in smart campuses to address ad-hoc needs and channel the full potential of the Internet of Things and blockchain technology.
Are you looking for the best EdTech companions for your K-12 classrooms?
Would you like to build a tech-savvy campus with our devices? Contact our team. We’ll find the best solution that fits your needs: acerforeducation.emea@acer.com