Teaching with Technology

Teaching with Technology.

  The use of technology in education has improved student's academic performance with the time passing by. Though traditional classroom teaching may still be prevalent , many educational institutions are coming forward in embracing technologies. For instance, they use digital white boards, flipped classrooms and 'chrome-books' replacing textbooks. and who best support this movement than teachers themselves?

In this blog i chose to introduce some innovative technology ideas to use in the classroom that is transforming the world of education.

*Slideshow presentations with multimedia.

Text-only slideshow presentations are behind the time due to its monotonous content delivery. Also, it's evident that slideshow presentations are already part of the curriculum. Therefore, if teacher adds a variety of multimedia elements to the performances, it could capture student's attention for a long time. Few examples of multimedia elements that ca be include in the classroom are: Short video clips, graphs, animations, gifs, sound tracks, colorful images etc..

*Podcasts do matter.

Podcasts for all the academic lessons can aid teachers with the teaching process in the long run, especially motivated podcasts, interviews and online courses.Likewise, there are a lot of podcasts available online on various topics of interest. Few examples of Podcasts teachers can include in the classroom are: Basic research on an academic topic, lessons from other educators, podcasts blogs. If teachers want to take it to the next level, they may ask the students to create their podcasts.

*Keep the class schedules online.

Google calendar helps teachers create and share a class calendar. This keeps students informed about the class, duration and important dates. Therefore, emailing the calendar's hyperlink to the students will do wonders. This will help teachers stay organised, in turn, make students come prepared for each class.

*Use virtual manipulatives.

Visualizing concepts is sometimes difficult. Virtual manipulatives tend to be very effective. They are relatively new technology modeled for a better adoption. Reinforcing concepts with virtual manipulatives allow students to understand complex concepts. Therefore, incorporating it in the classrooms is not only comfortable but appeals to hands-on learners as well.

*Videos for teaching.

Watching videos helps in remembering key concepts longer than reading. They help teachers to record digital whiteboard explainers, classroom activities, peer presentations as videos. Adding videos to the classroom resonates with visual learners, allowing them to learn at their own pace. Besides, teachers could establish a deeper connection with the students and comprehend clarity through videos.

*Hit social media.

Social media is not only for grown-ups. Teachers could avail the benefit of using social media in education too. Therefore,they could come up with an exclusive hashtag and encourage students to tweet their inquiries, academic doubts, homework,presentations etc..This could be beneficial to those who may not be comfortable asking questions in front of a large crowd.

*Video feedback, Quiz and Surveys.

Teachers could record personalized feedback on student's work as a video. This allow them to give peer feedback through videos which help them speak an opinion instead of keeping it writing focused.Related to the academic activities, teachers encourage students to create forms, quiz and polls with a tool like Google Forms,so this could be one of the easiest ways to introduce technology in the classroom with the usage of the classroom electronic devices. 

*Gamification.

They say learning by playing is the best way to understand a complex concept. This applies true to all the students. When a complex concept is taught in the form of games ,it sets the foundation right. For example, learning students to type faster can be taught in the form of playing typing games in the computer lab. Not only are they incredibly engaging for teaching students to speed typing but they also invoke fun and excitement for them. Teachers can ask students to to form pairs or groups and encourage them to collaborate with each other while learning by playing. This also encourages teamwork among students,which is an essential skill when they want to grow up in their career.

*Social groups.

Students spend  so much of their time in social media, more than adults do. So,bringing social media into the curriculum is among the most innovative ways to use technology in the classroom. Teachers can connect students to curriculum, classroom resources and one another. Create a Facebook, Whatsapp or Slack group specifically for the class where can post discussion topics. There is a lot of technology in education ideas available to teach and engage students. However, finding out which one best works for students and implementing them will reap teachers more benefits.