If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that our technology is a necessity and not just a luxury. This is especially the case when it comes to classrooms. Transitioning into distance learning has made technology more crucial than ever.
As we begin to transition back into in-person teaching and learning, does that mean that we should get rid of the technology we've started to rely more on in our classrooms? No way!
There are tons of benefits of technology in the classroom that exists even in an in-person (or mostly in-person) learning environment. Read on to learn more about why you should use technology in your classroom.
Technology is an ever-growing part of our society. More and more jobs today require some level of technical expertise and being able to start learning about technology from a young age is a huge leg up.
Having knowledge of technology will make their later endeavors much easier. This includes college or other job opportunities that might await. The further students get into their careers, the more their knowledge of technology will continue to benefit them.
Technology has the capacity to make subjects that might seem boring to some students more fun and accessible. Virtual lessons can often feel more interactive than traditional teaching methods.
Teaching with technology can also facilitate gamification. This makes learning feel more like playing a game. This motivates students to keep learning at all times, perhaps even when they aren't in school!
Technology allows students to take greater ownership of their own learning process. This intrinsic motivation not only makes students more productive but also allows them to have more fun in the process.
Along those lines, technology makes it easier to bring school and learning to your students, whether they're in the classroom or at home. With technology, you can easily send materials or assignments to your students from wherever you are and to wherever they might be.
Technology can be expensive for some families. Being able to lend technology like laptops or tablets to all students makes learning from home accessible to everyone. This can help allow equal opportunities for learning regardless of background.
Mobile learning doesn't just have to be for pandemic times. Mobile learning allows students to keep up on what they've already learned over long breaks. They can even catch up on work they might have missed in class due to an absence.
Without technology, students go through a huge amount of paper and textbooks every year. Digital textbooks and assignments eliminate this need for paper, saving thousands and thousands of trees.
Depending on the size of your class, one day could mean hundreds of sheets of paper (not to mention all of the printer ink is used). Digital learning eliminates this need for paper, helping to save the environment but also saving schools money in the long run.
Technology makes it even easier for students to collaborate in (and out) of the classrooms. Now it's easier than ever to connect with fellow students and teachers. This allows us to promote positive skills like communication and teamwork.
These skills will undoubtedly come in handy later in life and are required in nearly every workplace environment. This is another major part of the reason why having reliable internet in the classroom is so important.
As class sizes grow larger and larger, giving personalized support for every student gets more and more difficult. Fortunately, classroom technology can help to better target teaching strategies towards individual students.
With educational apps and tools, it's easier than ever for teachers to track students' progress. Now you can even monitor classroom attendance and behavior.
Studies from the National Math and Science Initiative have shown that students benefit from a blended classroom learning environment. A blended learning environment benefits everyone involved. It helps to facilitate cost reduction, gives students unlimited access to materials. It can also help improve focus in students.
Many students from elementary school to college students actually prefer to integrate technology in some way into the curriculum. Technology can help students to feel more independent and claim more ownership of their own learning experience through self-guided learning.
Technology is also a great way to aid students with special needs or requirements. Assistive technology can be a major tool to help students who might struggle verbally, aurally, or visually. Technology also aids greatly with concentration, increasing productivity in all students, no matter their needs.
Most students nowadays are already using technology in their everyday lives, from their smartphones to tablets to laptops. This technology helps students to navigate the world outside of the classroom, so why shouldn't it at least be a part of the learning experience?
If you haven't already started to incorporate technology into your classroom, you are already behind. Technology is no longer just a luxury but a necessity, and the benefits of technology in the classroom are truly neverending.
Even if your school hasn't already started to incorporate technology into the classroom, the technology that students already have access to is a great place to start. Not only will incorporating technology into your teaching practices easier, but your students will also thank you for it.
Check out more distance learning and other classroom technology solutions from Premier Wireless today!