5 Ways How SEL and EdTech Go Hand in Hand Beautifully

In today’s digital age, the education industry has witnessed a dramatic transformation in various ways. Educational technology (EdTech) has taken the world by storm and opened doors to countless new possibilities for the learning process. Today, EdTech serves as a diversification of the learning process and brings learning closer to K-12 students. Such technology implementation also benefits student engagement, helps keep focus, eases learning for students with different learning styles and needs, and much more. And over the span of the last few years, social-emotional learning (SEL) has also become a crucial aspect of education. Educators started realizing the importance of addressing students’ emotional well-being – alongside the “traditionally” more important academic performance. 

What Does SEL Have To Do With EdTech?

SEL and EdTech are two different concepts, but they have been found to work hand in hand beautifully, helping to create a holistic learning environment for students. In this article, I will explore five ways SEL and EdTech intersect and support each other in promoting students’ mental health.

#1 Customizing Learning Options for Every Student 

EdTech offers a range of tools that can be used to personalize the learning experience for students. Modern tools make classroom management more effortless and more efficient than ever before. Using these tools, teachers can create customized student learning paths based on their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. This approach aligns with SEL’s focus on creating a student-centered learning environment that takes into account individual needs and preferences.

Do your students need help keeping up with the pace of learning? Are they perhaps faster than their peers and need additional assignments? Are some of them achieving better outcomes when the learning method is based on visual images, as opposed to clumps of text? Classroom monitoring systems cover all of this, and using tech tools allows students to stay in their comfort zone. And that is not all – using EdTech even encourages participation. Customized learning paths can help students develop a sense of ownership and engagement in their learning, leading to improved academic and mental health outcomes.

#2 Closing Gaps With SEL and EdTech 

SEL can improve students’ learning experiences in many situations, and learning gaps are not the only gaps the synergy of SEL and EdTech is overcoming. Integrating EdTech into the SEL-powered learning process can also help bridge the gaps students may face in developing their social and emotional skills. 

While EdTech is not intended to replace authentic teacher-student interactions, it can enrich these relations and elevate students’ learning experiences. This enables them to express themselves more deeply and strengthen their connections to the projects they are working on. It is precisely the complementary benefits of tech tools that enhance students’ social and emotional development. By incorporating EdTech into SEL content, students can effectively communicate their ideas and emotions, providing educators with innovative approaches to balance these aspects and create a top-quality learning environment.

#3 Efficient Classroom Screen Monitoring and Online Threat Detection 

Using EdTech in classrooms is also essential in maintaining students’ mental health. And monitoring students’ screens in the classroom and detecting potential online threats is very practical and efficient for this. 

Tools like Gaggle, Blocksi, and Securly are examples of tools that can monitor students’ online activity, alerting educators to any concerning behavior and giving them the ability to intervene before it becomes a serious issue. When SEL and EdTech join forces, it becomes easier to ensure that students are safe while also promoting their social and emotional development. Such integration of SEL and EdTech provides a holistic approach to supporting students’ well-being in both the physical and digital worlds.

#4 Monitoring Students’ Progress 

Such tools also provide the opportunity to track students’ progress. Overviewing students’ current progress and progress over time allows you to notice any problems and address them. And it not only gives you an insight into their comprehension but also helps you teach more effectively. Monitoring absences is also very important when mapping out student learning.

When you examine and understand students’ progress, you can make better decisions about giving them instruction and work out what works best for them. And when the progress is reviewed thoroughly and consistently, students are set for success.

#5 Building and Fostering Relationships

Using EdTech can help students create bonds and gives them a starting point for connecting with each other. So, you need to use technology in the most effective way for your students. For example, you can encourage more group work and organize activities fostering relationship-building. This is partly made easier with the technological support – besides communicating in person, students can talk using their devices. Such conversations, of course, shouldn’t replace classical communication and peer-bonding, but it is another way of students connecting with each other. And this is also another place where classroom monitoring tools come in handy – those that also contain student safety tools assure students’ communication is respectful and beneficial to their mental health and social-emotional development.

Besides that, EdTech also makes it easier for students to reach out to you. Even if they want to avoid drawing attention to themselves in the classroom, they can contact you through individual chats and get the needed guidance. And then there is also using digital tools, like interactive whiteboards, with which you can create a collaborative learning atmosphere encouraging students to share their ideas and views.

SEL + EdTech = Enhanced Learning

To conclude, SEL and EdTech can work together in a harmonious way, achieving synergetic results and benefiting both you and your students. Using EdTech tools can enhance the learning experience, encourage student cooperation, provide personalization and interactivity, and facilitate self-reflection. By combining both, you can assist your students in developing valuable social-emotional skills. For example, EdTech tools foster healthy communication and lessen the chances of harmful instances, such as cyberbullying. As we continue to explore the synergies of combining SEL and EdTech, we can anticipate even more innovative developments that will improve education in the future – all with the goal of bettering the learning education for everyone involved.

SOURCES
[1] Moraes, E. B., Kipper, L. M., Hackenhaar Kellermann, A. C., Austria, L., Leivas, P., Moraes, J. A. R., & Witczak, M. (2022). Integration of Industry 4.0 technologies with Education 4.0: Advantages for improvements in learning. Interactive Technology and Smart Education.
[2] How to Open Class Participation to Everyone