Using technology to help pupils' Love Learning' at Aberdeenshire Council

About Aberdeenshire Council:

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Aberdeenshire Council oversees a diverse educational landscape comprising 149 primary schools, 17 secondary schools, 88 nursery schools/units, and four special schools. This serves over 36,000 pupils aged 3 to 18. The council strongly emphasises leveraging technology to enhance pedagogy and support learners.

We spoke to Julia Rickard, Education Support Officer for Digital Pedagogy at Aberdeenshire Council, about using Skriva Stylus.

The Challenge:

Aberdeenshire Council is a forward-thinking council, offering an edtech lending library to over 160 schools and nurseries in their area. The aim is to help schools try new technology to see whether it will benefit their school before committing financially.  All schools need to be careful that when they commit financial outlay, the benefits are well considered before purchases are made.  This is especially true in smaller, rural schools who have limited budgets.  

The lending library created by the 'LoveLearning' team is an innovative approach to help schools embrace edtech that's right for their schools' needs.   Like most schools across the UK, a key goal for the council's education department is closing the attainment gap and helping children to progress after lost learning time during the pandemic.

Schools in Aberdeenshire use various devices, including iPads, Chromebooks, and Windows machines. The council purchased Skriva styluses for use in schools that are loaned out to schools and will become part of a lending library.

The selection of the Skriva Stylus was driven by its seamless integration with the council's tablet infrastructure, along with its efficient charging capabilities—factors such as quick charging, USB-C connection, plus converter. Also, the automatic switch off to preserve battery was a great feature, ease of use and an attractive price.

Implementing Skriva Stylus:

Aberdeenshire purchased styluses for their lending library to support a large-scale project focussing on improving literacy outcomes across Aberdeenshire schools.  The Skriva Stylus helps schools to see what is possible when using a stylus in class. Schools can also play around and see how that works on the iPad. Teachers like that there are no more lost pen lids in class, and the Skriva doesn't run out of battery quickly because it will switch itself off if idle after five minutes.

Improving handwriting:

Using the Skriva Stylus helps pupils to work at their own pace in the classroom. For teachers, it enables fast and effective feedback so children can easily see where they need to adjust their work, allowing them to progress with their handwriting. Using a stylus facilitates creativity and supports muscle memory for handwriting.

Pupils are more engaged with handwriting as the Skriva shape replicates an HB pencil. Pupils can see instantly whether they are improving as their learning journey is more personalised, and they can see instantly how they are progressing.