Maximise the technology resources you have to expand learning

Joe Basketts

Founder, Satori Education 

The potential of technology resources for learning is huge, but budgets are tighter than ever. 

Schools want to provide the best resources they can, and this includes technology. But investing in new equipment isn’t always the answer. Here are some ideas for how you can do more, without spending more. 

Assess your existing technology resources 

An audit of what technology is being used, as well as by whom and when, will enable you to get more out of items such as laptop trolleys. Scan your software subscriptions for unused or duplicated titles. Busy teachers/edtech leads may not have had time to learn how to get the most out of edtech already on-site. Investing in training could negate the need to buy any new software or hardware.  

Understanding your education technology usage is vital to working out how to improve it. Tools such as the Naace Self-Review Framework allow you to build a complete picture of your school’s current situation — and to benchmark it against national expectations. 

Sweat those technology assets 

By upgrading components such as discs, RAM and wi-fi, it’s often possible to double the lifespan of devices. You may also be able to repurpose old, slow Windows devices which can fly if using an alternative operating system such as Chrome OS Flex.  

Older computers that are removed from design or media studios can be reused — instead of disposed of — in more general areas such as libraries and learning resource areas. Since specialist software is not typically needed, older computers can still be used for web browsing and research. 

Understanding your education technology usage is vital to working out how to improve it.

Let the cloud do the work sustainably 

Because cloud software runs in a browser, you can often use cheaper, lower-specification devices to access it. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace can be accessed via the web, requiring less processing power and disk space. Traditionally, multimedia editing has required high-performance machines. However, web services like Soundtrap, Wevideo and Adobe Express do all of the processing on their servers, meaning that local machines don’t have to. 

Moving file storage to the cloud means that you can reduce the size and specification of your servers, lowering costs associated with replacing, maintaining and cooling them. Implementing measures like these can save money, reduce waste and ultimately contribute to saving the planet.