Technology has reached the point where it has infiltrated most aspects of people’s daily lives – and the education sector is certainly no different. It’s no longer sufficient for schools to provide students with a single class per week that introduces them to basic computer skills – today’s schools and educators must be willing to embrace the use of technology if they intend to ensure that their students will be ready to face the world after finishing school.
Here are some ways to enhance school education by implementing the use of appropriate technology.
Using Digital Classrooms
A number of digital classrooms are available online nowadays, including Google Classroom and Schoology, and these not only facilitate lesson organization and general classwork; they help make all required learning materials more accessible to students and their parents. The days of students misplacing homework assignments or being unable to complete a project due to leaving physical books at school are over – everything they need can now be accessed online.
Introducing Online Field Trips
Although the pandemic has resulted in several physical school field trips being canceled, it doesn’t mean that students can’t still visit places of interest virtually. Apps such as Google Street View allow teachers and students to enjoy virtual field trips to local and even international places of interest from their classrooms. This provides opportunities for students to see landmarks, famous museums and other locations that they would otherwise not be able to visit in person.
Making Learning Fun with Apps
Using technology has not only simplified education; various apps and games that are being used in schools have made learning a lot more fun for students as well. For example, the First™ app teaches babies, toddlers, and preschoolers how to read, count, and identify shapes and colors, while apps for older children such as Spelling Stage and Science360 will teach older children how to spell and learn about the various concepts associated with science in fun and entertaining ways.
Using Visual Learning
Research has revealed that many students find it far easier to learn by watching videos pertaining to specific topics than if they had to spend hours thumbing through text books or library books. Although YouTube offers an extensive variety of video content that covers virtually every topic imaginable, other sites such as Udemy provide deeper insight into several subjects such as math, science, history, coding, music, SAT preparation and even financial literacy – making them valuable learning resources for older children and teens.
Simplifying Parental Involvement
When parents and caregivers are more connected with their children’s schools, these students will usually perform better academically. Teachers who use tools like Google Classroom, Google Slides and digital portfolio apps such as Seesaw can provide an easy way for parents to not only be aware of, but also comment on work that has been assigned to their children and uploaded upon completion.
When used alongside skilled instruction, the various forms of education technology have the ability to significantly improve academic results and provide a better learning experience for students, parents and educators overall.
