Our whole generation is becoming internet-based and screen-based in one way or another. Amidst this huge technological wave of devices, there is a new type of education that calls itself education technology, or in short, ed-tech. Educational technology is the facilitation of learning by using some sort of technological advancements.
The company Ed-Tech: Focus on Higher Education deals with the problems faced by teachers and professionals when dealing with solutions.
7 ways to adopt ed-tech effectively to a higher degree
In this fast-updating world, we need to keep pace with the newest trends, and this applies to education too. Gone are the days of simple blackboard-chalk-duster teaching. Now it is the time to learn easy and learn smart. Some ways to ensure you are not falling behind in using this ed-tech are:
- Use interactive smart boards– Many students and even teachers will find the noticeable ease of using an interactive board instead of a plain old school board to teach and learn lessons taught. This is a way to grab the attention of the students and keep the class entertained. It is a good way to break the monotony of lectures. The access to the internet and pre-planned lesson plans ensure you follow your schedules and be on time with the syllabus. A smart board even helps when the teacher is not available to teach or take a class. Even though it surely cannot replace a teacher, it is the best possible way to use today’s technology as a tool.
- Using applications and tools– There are many apps nowadays that help increase both a student’s and a teacher’s productivity. Making use of apps like Google Docs to submit class notes, student presentations to evaluate the understanding of the student and even creating videos as a reference for students. You can even make a Google Group of your class where you can share information, class notes and any ideas that form in your association. This will keep the whole class connected and the teaching in one frequency.
- Online computing– Allowing the kids to have internet access and by blocking any outside content can be a powerful tool to make the students feel like they have wireless access to the whole internet and will be a strong push for them to work harder in class and even during submitting assignments or projects. When the students look for information on their own, they become active, and their brain cells are accelerated. This will ensure the student’s memory power increases and genuinely makes them interested in the class lectures.
- Playing videos and audios in class– Visual effects or effects that stimulate our senses have a guarantee of being stored in our memory for a longer period of time. It is always good to watch educational videos, in class or outside, where you can understand, interpret and comprehend the concepts virtually. This will help the students not to feel distracted or bored in the middle of class and keep their attention fully on the concepts being taught. When a good video is playing, everyone involuntarily looks up and takes notice. Likewise, even class work can be made interesting by just putting it in a visual format.
- Analysing results– When your grading system evaluates the student on just his writing matter, the skills that he/she has is often lost on a piece of paper. It is wise to have an online powerful tool to give you statistics, draw graphs or pie charts of the class progress, an individual student’s progress and to pay more attention to the ones that need it. This grading system can be personalised per individual as well so that students’ grades are not published out into the open, which can be quite demotivating sometimes.
- Teaching through video call– There are many online courses available for you on the internet to study subjects that are not there in your educational institution. Also, the the courses have become so advanced that they are able to help students prepare for competitive exams like UPSC, GATE, IES etc. So why can’t your institution adopt such easy and adaptive methods of teaching? Video conferencing students and teachers is an effective way to concentrate on each particular student and have the full attention span throughout the lectures.
- BYOD– Every student should bring their own device, be it a laptop or a smartphone through which he can access the web and be content with the information he comprehends.
With the above-mentioned ideas listed, it may so happen that a student or a teacher may come up with a better idea. Changes aren’t necessarily bad, especially when they help others to grow!