Classroom Technology in the Classroom

Implementing classroom's with latest technology

Educational institutions play a vital role in today's society and it is the backbone to improve and enhance the student's capability in learning. Let's see some of the technologies that could be implement in a classroom to provide a quality education.

Assign mobile computing technology for teachers

Creating classroom technology is nothing but providing the teachers and students, the technological skills and tools for quality learning. So assign the staff with laptop computer so that they could communicate with their students, their parents, department and administration. Mobile computing would help the students to get in touch with their staffs even during non-school time. It would also help to create a good relationship between student and the staff.

Learn technological skills

Implementing would not make anything valuable. For example, if a school implement an IWB in the classrooms and the staff's does not know how to operate it then there is no use. So make separate sessions and let the staff's to learn the technological skills that are implemented in their schools. Mastered in the skills are not enough, but they should easily integrate technology use into the classroom curriculum.

Use presentation tools

Today, there are so many presentation tools and software applications available in the market. Because presentation plays a major role to provide quality education to the student, the staff's should have enough knowledge about the functionality and features of the presentation tools. You could use tools like smart board or projector to teach the lessons and software applications such as spreadsheet, Excel, PowerPoint etc. These applications are easy to learn and use and helps in presenting your lessons more reliable and efficient.

Use Digitized board

Digitized board is nothing but smart interactive white board or IWB in short, a good example for classroom technology, is a huge white board which will project the content of the computer onto the screen. You could operate the screen to navigate, open files or run application. Your hand will work as mouse pointer and nowadays it is used in most of the school to provide quality education.

Provide computer and secure network for student

The classrooms should be provided in such a way where the students should have computer, network connection, printer, smart board etc. Give a safe and secure network connection so that they could gain knowledge, share information and could learn other technology based courses such as CAD, programming, hardware etc. If need they could take print-out using printer for reference when they are out of class.

How Can Technology Improve Education?

To show the effect of technology on education, Don Kenzek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education uses an analogy of technology in the medical field.

"If in 1970 you had knee surgery, you got a huge scar," he said. "Now, if you have knee surgery you have two little dots."

Advances in technology have allowed teachers to move beyond traditional methods of education, which primarily rely on the use of text-books and verbal instruction. At one time, a student's only exposure to technology was found in a basic computer class. Now, technology has enabled the creation of various teaching and learning tools that can "demonstrate concepts, assign projects, and assess progress."

The drawback with incorporating technology into education, though, is hesitation by U.S. schools to utilize new educational tools and methods. Other nations around the world are looking for ways to integrate technology and education, while we are still questioning whether this merge should take place at all.

Kenzek points out the following 8 ways in which technology has proved effective in instruction and student progress.

1. Improved simulation and models can assist teachers in demonstrating difficult concepts and specifically help students that are visual learners.

2. Global learning exposes students to other cultures and puts them in touch with other people around the world.

3. Virtual manipulatives allow students to experiment with unfamiliar concepts and ideas.

4. Probes and sensors allow students to collect data, compute statistics, and analyze results quickly and efficiently.

5. A more efficient assessment of student progress can be made and monitored with new forms of technology.

6. Storytelling and multimedia encourage teamwork and excites students.

7. E-Books create a level of ease, convenience and visualization that isn't available with standard print textbooks.

8. Epistemic games put students in real-world situations and train them to use innovative thinking.