Remember the wonder you felt when you first went online? The beeps and screeches of that old modem were less an annoyance and more a promise of the wealth of information awaiting you – just on the other side of those digital doors.
This was when there was still a divide between the world of 1s and 0s and the rest of our lives. Yet that dichotomy is fading more and more as the cohort of youngsters known as the digital natives grows up. For them, there is no boundary between the internet and what some might call the real world. The internet is the real world, and the classroom is part of it.
Hence, educators have no choice but to incorporate digital learning into their routines. The educational opportunities can be transformative, but like any powerful tool, teaching methods that embrace digital technology should be employed with ample preparation and a healthy dose of caution.
Here, we'll look at some ways technology can transform classrooms for the better, but also how it can present some pitfalls that you should avoid.
Different approaches for different learners
Computers, digital projectors, smart boards, iPads: Versions of these tools are all pretty much standard issue in today's classrooms. They can make it more convenient to learn and they can also enrich learning materials and deepen the student's academic journey.
Harnessing the flexibility of new learning technologies is one way to make sure students see these benefits, because everyone learns differently.
Some students particularly benefit from visual learning, for instance. Sometimes, what a student really needs for a concept to click in their mind is to look at it from different angles. Think of the student in class who's always drawing; their teacher might take advantage of that predisposition by having the student create an infographic explaining the concept at hand.
Expanding the classroom
The level of flexibility afforded by digital technology has vastly expanded learning opportunities beyond the school building, allowing for more efficiencies in the learning process. The “flipped classroom” model is one example of this.
In a flipped classroom, students can engage directly with educational content such as online lectures on their own time, while using classroom time to ask questions and further refine their knowledge. In essence, they "flip" the traditional learn-in-class-do-homework-at-home model.
That process can be augmented in the classroom with digital tools as well, such as programs that allow students to give instant feedback through their digital devices instead of raising their hands. This engages more students, opening up the classroom to new voices who might otherwise avoid speaking up in class.
Organization aids
The technologies that are taking over classrooms have benefits beyond direct instruction; they can also make life easier for teachers to stay organized. Through applications such as MyStudentsProgress and the TeacherCloud Progress Tracker, teachers have access to tools that can help them monitor student performance. From there, teachers can adjust instructional approaches accordingly.
Teachers also have access to resources such as the Google collaboration suite. This comes in especially handy when group projects are assigned, as it becomes easier for students to communicate outside the classroom and for teachers to make sure their students are staying on track while working with their peers.
Technology also brings the potential for distraction
While it would be inadvisable for a teacher to ignore the modern resources at their disposal, making the best of these tools requires a measured, strategic approach. That means accounting for the drawbacks that can come with various technologies, too.
While teachers and students take advantage of social media to stay connected and up to date on classroom happenings, the potential pitfalls of the medium remain, especially the potential for distraction. A teacher might provide updates to the class through Twitter, but they should know that part of that medium's success is its ability to hold users' attention – and often, keep them from the work they're supposed to be doing.
Think about the hardware
Even when students are using their devices in the classroom with the sole intent to learn, they can still detract from that end, some educators warn. This New York Times article by an education professor from the University of Michigan points to evidence, specifically in college settings, that shows a drop in grades when students use laptops or tablets during lectures. Old-fashioned note-taking is not only more active, but it includes fewer opportunities for distraction.
Taking the critique of those devices further, research has found that students achieve better comprehension scores when reading on paper versus digitally. There's also concern about the eye fatigue that can come with LCD screens and the like.
E-readers are different, however, according to the Office for Science Society at McGill University in Montreal. E-readers use something called “e-ink,” which is supposed to better mimic the printed page than the standard screens on digital devices.
The temptations of cheating
The advent of digital communication has made information easier to get, but by the same token, it's also made it easier to cheat. The social media and chat apps that make it so convenient for students to connect also make it convenient to share test questions. The internet browser that takes students to the reputable sources they need to write a paper can also help them find an online clearinghouse of papers for sale – or ghostwriters offering to do someone else's assignment for a fee.
On top of all that, the wealth of material available online also brings more opportunity for plagiarism, while the potential for students to stumble across dubious information is also a hazard.
Clocks tie it all together
Schools can't control the entire internet, but they can choose what kinds of technologies they deploy. And it's not only about classroom instruction.
Sometimes, keeping students informed just means letting them know how much time they have to get to class. Digital clocks with countdown timers help students get to class on time, for maximum instructional hours and minimal disruption.
Clock technology goes further than that, though, as evidenced by EverAlert from American Time. As a synchronized clock system, EverAlert, of course, tells the time, but it also serves as a communications system for emergencies and everyday school-wide messages.
Using digital screens and tones, the system provides alerts about severe weather, fire, and other building emergencies. EverAlert stands by to be called upon during emergencies, but also provides an added sense of security in promoting a comfortable learning environment and school-wide cohesion.
Educators spend a lot of time harnessing technology for their classrooms. It makes sense to ensure they're working in an environment that maximizes the results of those efforts.
