You are probably aware that the role of technology and its use in the current and in the future education system in linked and will be more interconnected in future.
In the 21-st century, an increasing number of teachers are using different classroom technologies like smart boards, tablet computers, smartphones, projectors, digital videos, and games which are undoubtedly are great tools for helping students learn.
Technology as an aid that should solve problems for students and teachers, but we will have to wait for the time when we will have the technology fully replacing the current educational scheme.
So far I can say that these are the top reasons to say “Yes” to technology integration in education.
Students love using technology
It is a proven fact, they do. The interest of all students in technology allows teachers to vary activities of the day and engage students. Most of the students spend hours using smartphones, and other technologies like laptop, tablets, and television when they get home from school, so why not use these tools in their learning through these devices?
Power of collaboration
The power of internet used in the direction of collaborating is not new to the world. It provides a unique opportunity to engage a group of students, makes them more interested and bringing better results in the learning process. Whether it is a case where a student has to read an audio book, to get help in storytelling, view video lectures, clear any doubts, test listening skills, or doing a custom activity, there are so many useful tools for student-to-student and student-to-teacher interaction and collaborative learning, that it will be negligence not to make use of them.
Communication in real time
Some areas of studying, for example, language learning and special education, spend more time on auditory listening skills, due to the nature of the study. This will provide students an opportunity to hear native speakers have a conversation and with this help, they learn the best way possible of coping in real life. Good tools like Duolingo, Starfall and Babbel are of great help to students for language learning.
Real-World Experts lessons
When you want to connect the students to real-world experts and rich resources, only the sky is the limit. Students can use tools like Twitter for research, and with the growth of open online resources, MOOCs, you can engage them with content from the smartest and best teachers in the world. With the help of podcasts and free online videos in the digital age, learning never stops and improves all the time.
Professional development
By using new technologies students learn skills’ set that will help them in their future career and life development. It is not only students who benefit from technology. The teachers are using technology for their own development, as well. One of the great places for them is Google Hangout for Teacher Development.
The education technology industry is getting larger and the educational institutions with the help of educational professionals using technology should utilize it properly for the development of their students and teachers – so that they can better know and understand technology and its role in education (teaching and learning).
Making life easier for teachers
Teachers have a variety of tasks outside of teaching. They have to plan the lessons, attend it, grade the students, take care of the discipline, meet with the parents, and plus some administrative work.
For all these purposes they can they use tools like Learnboost, Engrade, BetterLesson, EduCreations, and Eliademy to ease their tasks.
Learning should be fun
The use of technology in education can help learning fun through gamification, game-based learning or quest-based learning. Educators in schools and colleges who have practiced game-based learning have been mesmerized to see the results.
Homework encouraging
Teachers, who never believe that students can be encouraged for their homework, now believe in this. This is the reason why teachers should be encouraged for flipping their classrooms.
With the concept of Flipped Classroom, students easily overcome barriers during the class, by quickly removing frustration and irritation that is sometimes developed in the learning process. Teachers are using various tools like TEDEd and Khan Academy to flip their lessons and have time in the classroom to clear the doubts and try it.
Students who want to go home and rest after school are not usually eager to put their head in a book, but would rather spend time on the Internet playing games. This is why we should channelize the learning process of students through the Internet and games.
Students need to be surrounded by good teachers wherever they go, whether physically or virtually. By encouraging the students to use social media in education the vital role is to stay connected with your students and to encourage them for their homework with guidance.
Saving money
Although using new technology has an initial investment, it will save money to the schools by multiplying the number of teachers in a classroom. So, instead of having one teacher teaching twenty students, adding technology will increase the number of functional-teachers in the classroom and free up the real teacher to answer questions and help students. With the ability to use free content online, teachers will not have to spend as much on curriculum or resources.
This infographic shows why technology should be used in education.
“Teachers will not be replaced by technology, but teachers who don’t use technology will be replaced by those who do.”
Tell me what you think on the education and teachers interconnections? What are your reasons to use or not to use technology in education?
