5 Things We’ve Learned From Teachers

We’ve had a very busy start to 2023 and we’re not slowing down! In the last few weeks, we attended the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) and the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Convention & Exposition, and were able to meet brilliant leaders and bright minds in the education technology field. As we reflect on these conferences, we wanted to highlight some of the most important things we’ve learned while speaking with the attending educators.

Pocketalk Provides a Way to Communicate that Once Wasn’t Possible

Schools with large populations of MLL students typically have an interpreter on-site or on-call to help bridge communication barriers. This, however, can come with long waiting periods, fractured relationships and missed opportunities for direct conversation. With Pocketalk, teachers are able to have one-on-one connections with MLL students in more than 82 languages, and in real-time. This has improved student-teacher relationships and education outcomes.

There is a Growing Demand for Translation in Schools

We’ve always known teachers will turn over every stone to provide the best education to their students. And, all the teachers we spoke with described the urgent need for easy, reliable translation solutions in their schools. MLL student populations are growing across the country, putting extra stress, and costs, on educators and interpreters to support learning and outcomes.

Freedom to Communicate Around Campus is a Must

There are a multitude of ways to translate language: interpreter, complicated computer systems, tablets, etc. The greatest challenge is making these resources available in an always-on, always accessible way. With a handheld hardware solution, like the Pocketalk S, conversations can flow from the classroom to parent teacher conferences, to the playground and student dropoff and pickup.

Translation Needs Go Beyond the Student-Teacher Relationship 

Student success comes from a supportive community, home and school environment. Educators shared with us the endless ways translation solutions could impact their work. Here’s a few:

• Communicating with parents before school or during parent-teacher conferences.
• Students connecting with their peers at recess.
• Invaluable solution in the classroom for instruction, assignments, and overall experience.

Teachers are Enthusiastic about Pocketalk

We made a first introduction to Pocketalk for around half of the educators we spoke with. After sharing a bit of information about our solutions, the potential impact was clear. Pocketalk could help students in every educational setting.

We gained so much great insight in all of our conversations over the last month, and we’re excited to take that feedback back to our offices to continue offering best in class translation for educators. We owe our educators a great thank you for all their wisdom.