Whether we like it or not, technology has become a major part of our lives. Everything from the way we keep in touch to how we get up in the morning is connected through our phones, computers, and smartwatches. Following the rest of the world, classrooms are becoming more and more tech-friendly every year. Smartboards and online learning forums are only the beginning; as technology improves and becomes more prevalent, it will become an even bigger component of how students learn new information in the classroom.
Not only does technological innovation benefit students, it also helps teachers. Integrating new technology in the classroom can help in every area, from lesson planning to engaging students in new and interesting ways. Teachers are experimenting with new ways to use technology in their classrooms to increase retention by making content more engaging for students. Apps like Kahoot! and Edmodo introduce gamification and distance learning to the classroom, helping students learn in new and fun ways.
Educational technology has harnessed the power of video games as a tool for learning. However, the concept of educational games is not a new one, but more and more schools are including some form of gaming into their curriculum as a way of providing an immersive, interactive way of giving lessons. The United States Department of Education’s website states that the department “recognizes the proven power of digital games for learning and is committed to fostering the broader adoption of high-quality games in schools and informal learning settings.”
Video games aren’t the only way that technology can help make lessons interesting. According to a recent study, students prefer learning with technology because they believe it makes what they are learning more interesting and fun. Subjects that students normally find boring can be made more interesting when they are presented using videos, or on their computers and tablets in the form of virtual lessons. Some teachers have even started using “flipped classrooms”, a teaching method in which students watch videos at home and do homework in class. This way, students can self-pace their learning and get one-on-one attention in class.
Aside from making lessons more engaging, classroom technology allows teachers to educate students through a medium with which the students are already familiar. Technology plays such a vital role in the student’s everyday life that introducing it into classrooms is just a way of making sure educators can reach students.
Unsurprisingly, media is more interesting to many students than traditional methods. What you may not know is that research has shown students who used interactive visual media such as PowerPoint retained information better than they did from a simple class.
Similarly, word processing programs like Microsoft Word not only make it easier than ever to write and edit notes, but they also have built-in dictionaries and thesauri, which help improve students’ vocabularies as they write (as long as students use them!).
Another advantage that comes with integrating more technology into schools is that it allows teachers to keep track of students who are learning at a slightly different pace than the rest of the class. Using an online platform for lessons and assignments allows teachers to personalize lesson plans based on their student’s needs. As these systems become more advanced, the challenges of curriculum pace will hopefully disappear.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, using technology in the classroom prepares students for the future. We live in an age where technology changes rapidly. The more familiar and up-to-date with new technologies students are, the better equipped they are to continue to thrive in an increasingly tech-dependent workplace. While tried and true teaching methods will always have their place, the importance of technological literacy will only continue to grow. Simply adding technology-related subjects to existing curriculums may provide some benefit, but incorporating those same technologies into the learning process as well will not only give students the skills they need in that particular subject, but it also allow them to become increasingly comfortable with adapting to innovation.
Even jobs that traditionally rely on technology are beginning to utilize all sorts of new programs to make their industries more efficient. Virtually every graduate entering the workforce will need to use new technology in one way or another. The learning curve for many essential technologies is steep, and if students do not possess technological fluidity, they will be at a serious disadvantage.
However, incorporating technology into classrooms does come with a host of challenges. For example, sometimes note-taking involves graphs or shapes that are difficult to create quickly on the fly. Additionally, every teacher has different technological preferences. If every teacher requires different programs for their class, students may have to learn multiple technologies to thrive across all of their courses. Finally, sometimes technology fails. When it does, it can be difficult to move forward until it is fixed. The growing pains of the technology era can wreak havoc on the classroom. Over the next 5-10 years, however, these kinks should be addressed, and students will have a much smoother experience using tech to thrive in school. At least, that’s the idea…
Benefits:
Communication: Successful students learn how to advocate for themselves at school. Access to the plethora of communication tools on a tablet or laptop makes this skill easy to practice. From sending professional emails to asking for help through apps like Edmodo and Google Classroom, students can learn a host of valuable communication skills to help develop their ability to advocate for themselves.
Participation: Teachers who use technology to enhance lesson plans have found many ways to increase participation both inside and outside the classroom. Gamified learning like Kahoot or Quizlet has made classroom participation simple. That disinterested student hiding in the back of the room or the shy student who knows the answer but doesn’t want to raise her hand can now participate fully without social pressures. Outside of the classroom, teachers can send helpful video lectures flashcard sets, or even make themselves accessible for instant messaging.
Tech Competency: Technology is the future. Some people say that we should be teaching coding instead of foreign languages in school because coding is the language of the future. Having technology in the classroom makes skills like coding easily teachable. Successful students who can quickly become proficient in today’s technology have the world at their fingertips. STEM education is constantly promoted through curriculum development and scholarship incentives. Technology in the classroom is just another way to promote this STEM-based learning approach.
Information access: The days of library research and encyclopedias are long gone. Students can access helpful information online instantaneously. Access to information helps students apply their learning to real-world problems and creates an environment of innovation. Technology has also allowed the majority of students to access information that was previously reserved for extremely specialized or expensive schools. For example, every year, high school chemistry students struggle to visualize the chemical bonds they are studying. Since tech was introduced in the classroom, these students can access helpful three-dimensional models to help them understand the structure of various compounds.
Responsibility: Self-advocacy through communication is just one part of the puzzle for successful students. Access to technology allows students to keep an eye on their grades and make responsible choices about attending tutorials and asking teachers for help. Technology has given students control of their progress. Instead of relying on sporadic report cards and parent intervention, successful students can stay on top of their performance, preventing the occasional late grade from snowballing.
Automation: Students are forgetful. From forgetting to submit their essay to Turnitin.com to leaving their soccer cleats at home before a big game, students cause problems for themselves every day by depending on themselves to remember. Access to technology lets students access the awesome power of automation to build habits and routines. Successful students can set reminders, build calendars, and create checklists to take some of the pressure off the brain to remember everyday tasks.
Drawbacks
Increased Distractions: One of my high school teachers once said, “I cannot compete with the entertainment that is the internet. Therefore, there will be no laptops out during my lectures.” From Fruit Ninja to Fortnite, teachers compete with technology every day to keep students on task. Already distractible students have a very difficult time paying attention in schools when technology is present. These students don’t necessarily have to be the ones using the technology to be off task. If a student who sits in front of the class is playing a game on their computer instead of taking notes, it is highly likely that at least one student behind them will be off task as well. Teachers have gotten better at controlling the distractibility of these devices, but it remains an uphill battle.
Increased Academic Dishonesty: Access to the internet during tests and quizzes or while writing papers has caused instances of cheating and plagiarism to skyrocket. With easy access to information and resources, the temptation to take shortcuts has become extremely alluring. There are even companies selling essays and online homework answers to students all over the country. One or two strikes of plagiarism or cheating on a student’s record can make high school or college applications dicey, and technological access is not helping.
Cyber Safety: Along with the dangers of plagiarism and cheating, technology has also made students susceptible to the other dangers of the internet. Cyber security is increasingly important in today’s tech-friendly environment. Students sometimes don’t understand the ramifications of their actions on the internet (or social media) and don’t see the danger in providing confidential information online.
Less Social interaction: Walking into a cafeteria or student activities center nowadays can shed light on an alarming problem: students talk to each other as often as they should. Decreased social interaction is a direct result of technology in the classroom. Because students are not socializing as much because of the internet, they are not developing the valuable social skills that they need for a successful future.
So, is technology making the classroom better or worse? The argument could made for either side, but the benefits of technology seem to outweigh the dangers. Technology in the classroom is only going to increase in the next decade, and it is extremely important that we develop strategies to make sure that this tech revolution remains productive. For tips on how to avoid the dangers of educational technology and use these tools to bolster your academic success, check out our one-on-one academic coaching services.
]]>- Quizlet- Quizlet is an all-inclusive app that allows students to download and use flashcard sets that other students have already created or to create their own from scratch. The app is a necessity for any student. From Spanish to History, Quizlet’s spaced repetition algorithm is perfect for quickly and conveniently learning vocabulary. Quizlet has both an online platform and an iPhone application, making it a wonderful tool for students on the go. For example, successful students can review for their upcoming vocabulary quiz in the car on the way to school or during downtime before a basketball game. Quizlet is also a huge timesaver because it has hundreds of thousands of pre-made flashcard sets from many of the most common textbooks. To find your vocabulary or key terms on Quizlet, simply type four or five words from a student’s word list into Google, followed by the word “Quizlet.” A helpful link should appear in seconds. Successful students should click on the learn tab. The learn function of Quizlet uses a very intelligent algorithm backed by neuroscience. Words that a student gets right on the first try will be shown less frequently, while harder words are shown more often. The learn function also gives students a helpful progress bar that shows the percentage of words that have been mastered from the overall list of terms, depending on how the learning modules can customized to challenge students with matching, multiple-choice, or fill-in-the-blank style questions.
- iStudiez Pro– Planning is one of the most important skills students can learn. Effective planning is a pillar of our curriculum and a clear indicator of a successful student. While a traditional pen-and-paper planner works just fine, some students might opt for a digital planner to keep track of their assignments. iStudiez Pro allows students to keep all their academic information in one spot across multiple devices. The system allows students to input their classes along with their teachers’ contact information in a color-coordinated dashboard. Students can then input tests, projects, quizzes, and homework assignments for their classes, along with due dates and instructions. iStudiez also allows students to prioritize their assignments as they input them, ensuring that the right things get done every day. iStudiez also syncs with Apple or Google Calendar, bolstering a student’s ability to manage his or her time.
- Snap2PDF– The ability to effectively share information is crucial in the modern-day classroom. From sending notes to a lab partner to turning in assignments, students often have to scan documents in order to quickly and clearly share information. Snap2PDF allows students to quickly turn any piece of paper into a PDF then email it wherever it needs to go. Easy access to PDF converting software makes it easy to turn things in right away, limiting zeros, late grades, and lost papers.
- Photomath- Photo math is one of the most dynamic and practical apps on this list. This nifty piece of software allows a student to snap a photo of almost any math problem and get step-by-step solutions on his/her screen. Immediate gratification can be both extremely helpful and extremely dangerous when doing math homework. On one hand, access to instantaneous feedback helps students check answers, boost confidence, and correct errors before they become habits. On the other hand, some students might be tempted to use Photomath to avoid doing the work for themselves on their homework because it creates a false illusion of saving time. Correctly and completely completing one’s math homework is the best way to study for quizzes and tests, so copying down answers to daily assignments is just another form of procrastination. Photomath, when used correctly to check answers and provide helpful feedback, is a powerful tool that can help any math student.
- Wolfram Alpha- Wolfram Alpha is like Google plus Photomath plus Wikipedia. It has an accurate answer for almost any problem. Wolfram Alpha is a great way to quickly find out which Spanish conquistador was the first to see the Grand Canyon or how to do that next Calculus problem. Wolfram Alpha is a one-stop shop for every answer a student needs, but the most helpful part of Wolfram Alpha is the depth of its answers. Once again, students should be cautious about becoming too comfortable using such a powerful tool too causally; with access to great resources comes great responsibility. Students should remember to use Wolfram Alpha as a tool, not a crutch.
Honorable mention: Conjuguemos– Have you been struggling with verb conjugations in your Spanish, French, or Latin class recently? Google Conjuguemos. Although not technically an application, this helpful website is a game changer for any language course. It generates practice problems for verb conjugations and vocabulary in six different languages, and it is completely customizable. For example, if you want to practice preterit and imperfect verbs for your Spanish test next week, you can generate a free practice test and receive graded feedback using conjuguemos.
Do you know of other helpful apps for students? Feel free to share them in the comments section below! Do you think your student needs more than an app to reach their academic potential? Check out our one-on-one coaching services here.
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