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It happens all the time. You make a purchase and sign your name with your finger, knowing that it looks nothing like your real signature. But at a store, it doesn’t really matter. Imagine, though, you’re in second or third grade, not only learning how to write but also studying English as a second language. Suddenly, every stroke and line matters. For bilingual learners at schools with 1:1 programs, edtech can either be a saving grace or yet another obstacle to an equitable education.

Featuring a case study from Richard J. Lee Elementary (TX), the edLeader Panel “Building Confident Bilingual Learners with Purposeful Edtech” offered strategies for choosing edtech that helps students become more confident, engaged learners.

Tech Challenges

First, administrators at Richard J. Lee faced several familiar challenges using edtech with all of their elementary students, which were only compounded with bilingual learners. For example:

• Protection: While there are many positives to having a 1:1 iPad initiative, it also brings constant worry about damage. This is especially concerning when the device is the way to access assignments and communicate.
• Distraction: The school is formatted with open architecture. In other words, each grade has open spaces that teachers can reconfigure as needed for lessons. However, that means students have to deal with continuous background conversations and noise.
• Complexity: Some accessories were complicated to pair with the iPads. But more importantly, if the student left the accessory at home or it got damaged, the student couldn’t participate in the day’s lessons because the accessories were synced to a specific device.
• Age-level requirements: There are many accessories for the iPad, but not all are appropriate for second and third graders. Asking kids to write with their fingers or a pen meant for adults causes unnecessary stress.

Thus, the critical step was to select technology accessories to mitigate these obstacles. The goal, according to Dwight Goodwin, Executive Director of Technology Services for the Coppell Independent School District (TX), was to find tools that allow the technology to fade and let teachers and students focus on the learning. Working with Logitech, they piloted several devices to find ones that complemented their tech, their students, and their learning goals.

Tech Solutions

• Strong, protective cases that can stand up to rides on the bus, drops on the floor, and the overall use of an elementary school student. Instead of worrying every time an iPad falls, the students can pick it up and continue their lesson.
• Wired headphones with noise cancellation to block room chatter and make it easier for teachers and families to set up, share, and use. Having a plug-and-play system means no one is left out of the learning for the day.
• Logitech Crayon for writing on the notepads. Goodwin noted that this was especially important because the width of the device mimics the larger pencils that elementary students normally learn to write with, and it was compatible with all of their apps. Students could write, draw, and do math with ease.

Overall, the school saw many benefits from their pilot, including for their bilingual students. The tools allow kids to express themselves at volume and with more confidence. And because they feel comfortable using the devices physically, the students can use them for sustained periods of time, helping them focus.

Learning Impact on the Bilingual Community

• Reducing friction and building confidence: When it’s a new language and a new device, having user-friendly tools lets children express themselves in a natural way.
• Supporting multimodal expression: Students can freely draw, type, listen, and use their device to its full capacity. This helps bilingual learners who are not expressing themselves verbally at the start.
• Minimizing distractions and maximizing focus: Rather than the device adding to the cognitive load—like having to write with their fingers—the chosen devices helped reduce friction.
• Fostering a sense of belonging: When students can easily share work and ideas with each other, they feel included in the class.
• Hardware working together with the pedagogy: School leaders intentionally chose tools that worked well with their apps and made sure everything was age appropriate.

A national study from Logitech and FullScale on purposeful edtech supports these findings. Teachers said that successful tech integrations are key to deeper learning. Both the hardware and software matter equally when it comes to sustaining focus, and many teachers believe that with the right edtech, students are engaged longer with their lessons. Most importantly, when considering adding tech—or not—to the classroom, the panelists advised that educators think about how their kids learn best and provide them with the tools that will let them reach their full potential.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Building Confident Bilingual Learners with Purposeful Edtech, sponsored by Logitech.

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Article by Stacey Pusey, based on this edLeader Panel