 We always start the new year with great intentions for our teaching practice, but sometimes it’s hard to let go of old habits. Why not use the new year to make a fresh start and make some positive changes to benefit both you and your students? Here are 5 tips that will help you prepare for a seamless year in the classroom.
Whatever goals you strive to set, the start of the year is a fantastic time to get some good habits in place. These habits will drive your classroom practice for the rest of the year so ensure you get them right early on to have a seamless and effective year of teaching!
0 Comments
 It is hard to believe we are at the end of 2022! It has been an exciting year at ClassHive and time has flown. It has been really rewarding to see our vision realised. We have reduced teacher workloads and saved admin time by simplifying routine tasks such as managing digital subscriptions and the associated logins. This year saw us move from pilot trials with a small number of schools - as we developed and refined the ClassHive tools - to general release. This milestone is an exciting one but isn’t without its challenges, particularly in this space. Teachers are busy, so busy that finding time to check out the new tools offered by the already-saturated edutech market is difficult. Making change to working practices that, while hectic, get the job done can be scary. Convincing decisions makers that the disruption of change is worth it is hard. Teachers seemed more time poor than ever in 2022 as they faced the growing number of things thrown at them with increasing teacher shortages; increasing student complexities in an increasingly complex world; changing curriculums; changing parent demands; and all at times with no end to the workload in sight. I am really proud that we were able to provide some support to teachers through this demanding year with ClassHive and its time saving capabilities. The feedback from our users has been amazing and as I reflect on the impact we have had in this short time I would like to share some of the journey with you.
We received some amazing feedback from teachers which, for me, is how you know you are being part of the solution. Hearing the impact you are having directly from the people you set out to support is the most rewarding part of working at ClassHive.
We also received feedback from parents whose children have brought ClassHive home:
And perhaps my favourite feedback of all, is this amazing feedback from students – the hardest critics of all!
Teachers really do work so hard and I am really excited to see the impact of the support we offer over a longer time period. Teaching isn’t getting easier but with the right tools, we can help lighten the load. I am really excited about what ClassHive will achieve in 2023! [1] Based on teacher feedback of time saved and an average use of 1 whole class session per day
[2] Based on teacher feedback and comparison of Wingaru Kids data pre and post ClassHive adoption  Getting a class full of students logged on to a digital platform can be mayhem. The chaos and time constraints make what could have been a great lesson a disaster! Every teacher knows just how long it can take to get 26 eight year old's logged on and ready to go. Before you know it, half the session is gone and you feel too deflated to do the important part - teach. It is frustrating, demotivating and some days enough to make you swear to never use digital tools again! As teachers, our workloads can be overwhelming. Curriculum planning, creating a positive learning environment, dealing with the mental health of students, forming relationships, professional development… And I haven't even touched on the administration side of teaching yet! On top of that, teaching in the 21st century means loads of ICT and digital tools - which of course have many benefits but can definitely add to the headache of our jobs. Which is crazy because the benefits in terms of accessibility, differentiation and diversity of content alone make these tools so worthwhile.
ClassHive is there to make things easier. It lets us get back to what's important - teaching! ClassHive is definitely a must-have for the classroom but don’t take my word for it – book in for a webinar and see it in action!
 Teaching today is dynamic. Long gone are the days of the same worksheet for every student or rote learning from the board. We now know there are a multitude of ways students learn and that our modern life as outgrown these traditional methods. With remote learning came a rise of technology use in the classroom and many teachers saw the deeper benefits of using digital tools. They saw how the classroom could be redefined to improve engagement and a sense of success amongst students. Below are some benefits of using digital tools in today's classrooms.
 Digital learning tools are an essential part of learning in the contemporary classroom, bringing with them many benefits – diversity of materials, engaging content, differentiation and the list goes on. As teachers we all have our favourites and most students look forward to using any digital tool. But with all the benefits and fun comes the workload associated with managing accounts, passwords and access. Here are 5 ways you can manage your classes accounts:Photocopied login sheets for each studentA photocopied sheet for each child showing all their logins is a popular management strategy.
Collection of credentials per platformWhether you keep your logins in a folder, a tray or on a key ring, storing credentials sorted by platform makes sense. After all, your class will regularly be logging in to the same resource at the same time.
Credentials glued into student workbooksA staple in many classrooms; gluing login details into the cover of a workbook is very popular.
Credentials fixed to student desksA roll of contact, a pile of printed login cards and an hour or two in a student free classroom and you will have a beautifully arranged set of credentials on each student's desk.
ClassHive Account The newest solution in the classroom, ClassHive, keeps all your digital resources in one easy to access digital dashboard and doesn't require student usernames and passwords!
 When I started Wingaru Education I did so with teacher support in mind. The tools we have are designed to make it easier for teachers to include Aboriginal content and reduce workloads by bringing resources and know-how together. Over the years we can see we have helped. So have many edu-techs who are providing quality digital resources that support teachers with content, systems and tools all designed to make life easier and, importantly, save time. However, it is also very clear that busy workloads mean that many teachers do not have the time to utilise these tools because digital resources come with an admin workload. They require initial set up, annual roll over, and ongoing management of teacher and student accounts. Anyone who’s tried logging 25 six-years-olds into devices at the same time knows it’s not for the faint hearted.  Digital tools are an important part of today’s classrooms. We all have our favourites – Wingaru Kids, Mathletics, Essential Assessment, Typing Tournament, Reading Eggs, Google Classroom, just to name a few – whatever your chosen resources, digital tools are an everyday part of learning. They support teachers to cater to a diverse range of learning styles; offer an extensive array of content otherwise not accessible; make transitioning between school and home learning easier; share knowledge in a way that makes knowledge more accessible than ever; and support students to develop important ICT skills, just to name a few benefits. But the reality is the workload associated with digital tools means some teachers miss out on the benefits. Every school is different in its approach to digital tool management – some schools have dedicated teachers coordinating digital resources and others have multiple teachers each taking responsibility for a resource. Regardless of the approach the time dedicated is significant. Across the board, the amount of time spent by schools on administrative tasks is considered to be a burden and these necessary tasks are having a negative impact on education as teachers are stretched between increasing admin and teaching time.  The increasing workload of teachers and how we can help is a constant conversation at Wingaru. Teachers tell us they don’t have time to set up digital tools; they tell us that they don’t have time to facilitate access to the many quality resources available for their class – the coordination of passwords and logging in just takes too long; and they tell us they'd rather not spend their lunchtime typing in each child's login (and similar workarounds) just to have enough time to teach the computer-based lesson. School administrators tell us they struggle with keeping track of subscriptions; managing set up demands and overseeing accounts; and each year, as staffing changes occur, they spend a considerable amount of time tracking down resources and making sure access is not disrupted. What if I told you we can help with all of those barriers to digital tool use? That we can manage and coordinate all of your resources – from class set up to facilitating whole class logins so they take just a few minutes. That we can completely remove the need for teachers to print, cut and photocopy login credentials for all of their chosen tools. That we can offer the magic of automatic logins via a secure one-stop portal. That we can help teachers and students get more out of the resources they have access to by creating more time to use them?
 For TeachersMost students have access to 3-6 digital learning tools. Each one requiring management by classroom teachers. ClassHive provides the tools to manage all of these from one web-based portal. No more lost student login credentials – ClassHive provides a single access point for as many resources as you choose. Logging in the whole class to any resource takes just minutes. Teachers are also able to keep all of their digital teaching tools together with simple access via their ClassHive dashboard.  For StudentsBy accessing their resources via ClassHive kids will no longer need to manage multiple login details or websites – all their online resources are accessed via the ClassHive app. The App is available from the Apple Store or Google Play with desktop access facilitated by a plugin. Students log in to ClassHive with a simple QR code and from their dashboard have instant access to all their favourite learning tools with our automatic login feature. ClassHive does not modify the learning experience in any way – it simply provides streamlined access so students can start learning faster. Students will use the same resources that have been carefully selected by their teacher.  For AdministratorsBy bringing all their digital tools together, schools can reduce the time spent managing accounts. Beyond having everything in one place, the ClassHive optional concierge services mean we do all the work for the annual rollover of your accounts, removing this workload from teachers and other school staff.
|
|
ClassHive acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to the Elders past, present, and emerging.
|
|
|
ClassHive Pty Ltd - ACN: 652 193 925 - ABN: 76 652 193 925