How Technology Can Be Used to Enhance Teaching and Learning
Technology has come a long way from the days of dial-up internet and AOL chat rooms. From online lectures, to webinars, to virtual classrooms and Skype, the use of technology in teaching is prevalent. It can help encourage more active learning and provide new ways to reach students. It can also give teachers more time for one-on-one contact with students who need more attention.
The Benefits of Technology in Education
Technology can be used to enhance teaching and learning. As a result, it’s no surprise that more and more schools are turning to technology in order to provide more engaging, higher quality lessons.
A study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that by 2020, students who grew up with digital technologies will make up 75% of the global workforce. It also found that 10-15% of jobs will require “high digital know-how” which includes programming skills and fluency in languages like HTML5 or Javascript.
It’s not enough for students to learn how to use technology; they need a deep understanding of how it works.
Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom
There are many ways to use technology in the classroom, and each has its own benefits.
Online lectures: **A teacher can stream live lectures from their office or home studio to a classroom. This can be done using webcams or digital projectors, depending on the capabilities of the equipment. Lectures can be recorded and played back at any time for those who miss them when they’re aired live, which can encourage students to sign up for more online courses.
They also allow teachers to reach a global audience, which is an excellent opportunity for instructors who teach online classes.
Virtual classrooms:** These are another excellent way for students to use technology in the classroom. Virtual classrooms allow teachers and students from different schools or states to interact with each other through video conferencing software like Skype or Zoom. For example, virtual classrooms allow schools from different regions of the world (e.g., one school in Africa and another in America) to work together on projects that require collaboration between multiple schools across borders.
Online Lectures
Online lectures allow students from all over the world to tune in to live lectures. This is a great way to share knowledge without having to be physically present.There are many platforms that offer online lectures, such as Coursera, Udacity and EdX. These platforms offer subjects from computer science to public health for free or at a very low cost.
Webinars
Webinars are a great tool for educators.Webinars allow students to ask questions and interact with the speaker in real-time. Studies have shown that teachers who use webinars see increased engagement from their students.
Virtual Classrooms
Virtual classrooms are a popular way for students to learn from the comfort of their own home. With VR, students get the flexibility to watch lectures from any device and can even participate in class discussions with fellow classmates.
A few of the benefits that come with virtual classrooms are:
-Students have more time to study outside of class because they don’t have to commute.
-It gives teachers more time for one-on-one contact with students who need more attention.
Creating a digital library for students
One of the benefits of technology in the classroom is the ability to create a digital library for students. With a digital library, students can access resources for assignments and classroom topics from their laptops or smartphones. This eliminates the need for teachers to spend time hand-selecting resources for students and also makes it easy for students to find what they are looking for when they are researching.
Connecting with other schools around the world
Technology can also help ease the difficulties in education, such as lack of funding. Connecting with other schools around the world is a great way to share ideas and resources that you may not have access to in your own school district. With technology, teachers can connect with schools around the world through video conferencing software or creating a digital library of resources to share amongst one another.
Personalized learning experience with interactive whiteboards
Digital classrooms can be customized to a student’s needs. Interactive whiteboards provide this customization by allowing teachers to write on them with a specialized pen. Students are able to pick up the pen and practice writing as well.
One of the best ways digital classrooms can create personalized learning experiences is through interactive whiteboards.
Online community for students
Teachers can create an online community where students can connect with other peers and share their work with others. This would give them a chance to collaborate with each other on projects, as well as be inspired by the work of others. This would also offer a place for students to get feedback from their peers and teachers to make sure they are on the right track. The more students engage in the online community, the more likely they are to stay motivated to finish their work because it is so easy access at any time.
Make your instruction available 24/7 on demand through videos or podcasts
The ability to make your instruction available 24/7 on demand through videos or podcasts is a simple way to increase students’ accessibility to information. A lot of times, teachers have to put time and effort into creating different lesson plans for each student. But by making videos or podcasts available for students to view, it allows them the opportunity to get the help they need on their own terms. This also saves you time because you won’t have to create new lesson plans for each individual student.
Videos and podcasts
Videos and podcasts are a simple way to supplement your lesson plans. You can upload videos and audio files of your lessons onto YouTube and iTunes, respectively. Videos and podcasts are just as easy to share on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, too!
Conclusion
Technology provides a wealth of opportunities to enhance teaching and learning. However, it is important to remember that technology is not the answer to everything. It is a tool for educators, not an end in itself.
Educators should use technology as a way to enhance their lessons, not replace them.