We need to acknowledge that technology in education has offered astounding opportunities that help students become skilled and enthusiastic learners of the 21st century!
Hence, for teachers to embrace innovation they should expand their horizons by learning incredible tips on how can technology be used in the classroom. And, I am one of them.
Have you used tech in your class? How was it? I know some of us have encountered difficulties in using technology in the classroom. But, it’s all right. It’s part of the great challenge of technology use anyway!
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Do you aim for meaningful innovation in your classroom? We have reviewed the 13 best tech gadgets that can serve as the best tools for productive student learning and technology integration.
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However, despite these challenges, almost all educators in the world take advantage of education technology. We find it a feasible option to provide engaging lessons to our students.
In fact, more and more educators are interested in learning to use technology in the classroom. Evidently, teachers make their lessons more interesting using their laptops and other devices.
It’s interesting to note that there are already a plethora of choices available, so the application of technology in our classroom is in its grandest blow!
As we know it, technology if used properly offers amazing opportunities for us, especially for the students. However, if the technology is misused or overused, it cascades negative effects or risks.
Certainly, the integration of technology in the classroom provides teachers and students to explore content and to make teaching and learning more engaging and enjoyable.
We get to notice that our students are interested in using technology in their lessons. Seemingly, technology makes our students attentive and participative.
Is this a hint that we have been using technological education in the right way?
When it comes to view, the scenario will be about traditional instruction against the integration of some technological platforms in the classroom.
Apparently, if you have been teaching for years, I know that you have been using technology the way I do know that tech was introduced decades ago. In other words, we should acknowledge the amazing opportunities technology offers to us and to our learners.
In this post, allow me to count amazing ways of how technology can be used in the classroom. Since education is fast-evolving, we teachers, should not let ourselves be left behind. Hence, we have to consider, which of the following practical ways of using technology in the classroom best applies to us.
For this matter, I selected my inspiring experiences with using technology in my classroom very carefully for extensive teacher support.
Ways In Which Technology Be Used In Class: Get 10 Amazing Ways!
1. Technology is used to motivate students.
When we use technology in the classroom, we can easily see the amazing effects it gives to our classroom instruction than in traditional learning environments.
It is important to acknowledge the importance of our effective motivational techniques to keep students engaged in learning. And, amazingly, technology can help us on this end.
Using Powerpoint presentations where related educational videos and presentations are embedded has an incredible impact on our students’ performance.
They become more excited to attend our classes and they display more active participation in the learning process. With this, teachers won’t find it difficult to have students stay connected to the learning content and processes.
This made me recall one of my best experiences when I was still teaching in rural areas where gadgets like laptops and desktop computers were very limited. But I was still able to manage to give my students wonderful opportunities for technology in education. I downloaded educational YouTube videos and relevant exercises for my lessons and included them in my daily lesson plans.
For example, in the introductory part of my lesson, I would let them watch a YouTube video presentation or listen to a recording and begin from there. Hence, I was able to reach out and connect with my learners to keep them engaged, especially the visual learners.
I noticed that my students kept quiet while watching the video and were very participative in the different learning tasks. When they saw visuals and virtual manipulatives in front of them, they composed themselves and paid heed!
2. Technology is used to increase the depth of students’ knowledge.
When I integrate technology into my lessons, I highly notice the increase in my students’ engagement level. They participate in different class discussions, whether individual or group. They really love the idea of having easy access to fresh information.
Yes, technology provides my students with instant access to useful information and updates. However, to avoid the misuse of technology, I should be in the learning scenario to guide them although the use of tech fosters independent learning.
Ultimately, I should be given extensive guidance, especially when visiting websites by making sure that they are educational and are reliable online learning sites. Also, I make sure that my students are on the right track in the name of quality research.
Usually, during the presentation of their outputs, I would ask them how they get such information and where they get them. And so, they have to indicate specific links for me to closely monitor and supervise. At times, I would allow them to navigate my laptop to show me how they go about their research.
We’re not manipulating them intensively, it’s just teaching them with utmost precautions knowing how vast the information arena is due to tech availability.
Their adaptation of varied online learning materials, especially with my guidance, makes them confident that they have the new information they need. Also, using technology in the classroom intensifies collaborative learning as my students share information and work together in their outputs and projects.
By using online learning resources, I easily capture my students’ interest and they get more interested to know ‘the what’ ‘how’, and ‘the whys’ of things!
3. Technology is used to offer incredible learning experiences to students.
When I tried to gamify my classroom discussions, I noticed that my students were really interested in carrying out the set learning objectives. I came to the point of using gamification in my classroom because I understood the technological trend.
An example of this gaming trend in the classroom and even at home is allowing my students to enjoy ABCya Learning Games and Apps for kids. My young learners exhibit extreme interests. When they tried to go on an adventure with ABCya games with their parents and siblings at home, they became unstoppable in sharing their amazing ideas and experiences as they virtually explored the world!
Most of our students are playing video games and they do it regularly. So, I take a snatch of their interests. Through the use of free platforms for digital games like online quizzes and other interactive learning sites in the classroom, my students are provided with incredible learning experiences. As a result, they are interested in learning more and more.
My students are being interactive with their classmates and pairs, and with education technology itself. However, the utilization of games, online learning sites, and videos can become complicated if students are not fully guided and controlled. And, we teachers, should not forget to enhance our facilitating skills so that our students will not lose proper track for effective learning.
4. Technology is used to make learning fun and engaging.
The application of online-based interactive learning in our classroom will make learning really fun and engaging. What interactive learning sites do you know?
When I introduced my young learners to Quizizz, they had an exceptional time answering free online quizzes suited to their level. Indeed, the classroom became exciting and fun. This platform is used by over 20 million students in the world whether at home or in school.
All you have to do is sign up and enjoy the site’s free tools to teach and learn. Gamified quizzes and worksheets offer avenues for distance learning. Hence, this app is worth trying!
Another amazing App on Google Play is Kahoot, another game-based learning platform that students love. This app makes it easy to share exciting learning games and quizzes with our students. It is absolutely family-friendly and educational.
Amazingly, it boosts our students’ learning superpowers! We teachers can create our quizzes there and make our students answer them anytime and anywhere. Surely, using different gaming sites will catch our students’ attention and interest.
5. Technology is used to make lessons more engaging.
Some of our young learners feel bored in class. They seem very inactive and passive. This is one of the challenges we teachers face in the learning environment.
If we stick to our traditional monotonous teaching practices we are stealing our students the best opportunity for productive learning. Therefore, it is a must to upgrade our teaching strategies, styles, and tools.
When I accommodate technology in my classroom, my students display amazement and enthusiasm. With the dozens of interactive and engaging activities and exercises online, I take the privilege to use them so my students will become more engaged in the learning situation.
I just can’t let the day pass without ensuring that my students are able to achieve the learning objectives. Being a manager and facilitator in the classroom, I take the wonderful step of integrating technology in my teaching. The online learning sites make my lessons top-grade and transform my teaching strategies sterling.
Adopting several free educational learning technology e-learning sites has made me deliver a technological punch in my classroom. It was difficult at first since what I studied for my bachelor’s degree didn’t include technological advancements yet.
But, through my persistence and determination, I was able to hit the mark by attending ICT seminars and webinars.
6. Technology promotes collaborative learning.
Over the past few years, technology has offered great teaching and learning opportunities that encourage collaborative initiatives among our students. Everyday learning has been made more engaging and more productive.
In my class, as I accelerate technology to enhance students’ learning, I make use of a project-based collaborative approach.
I also observed this with my co-teachers when they initiated problem-solving strategies when they used tech in their classes. Noticeably, students enjoyed working in groups while navigating the realms of technology in education.
Of course, it is expected that we teachers should also empower ourselves with the proper use of tech in our classroom. We should equip ourselves with useful and appropriate online learning resources so we perform our roles with ease and efficiency.
7. For Reading and Storytelling
My storytelling sessions with my students are made digital and so, it is not a soporific trend anymore. I take advantage of the many free digital storytelling tools for teachers. And, indeed, they helped me and my storytelling sessions make sense! This made my learners appreciate their reading books!
When I applied Animoto, one of the free educational tools for teachers, my students were more engaged and were provided with enriched classroom experiences as a whole.
By that, I realized that when we use video in teaching we capture the attention of our learners. Just create a free account and you will be given free unlimited opportunities to make and create videos for your students.
One of my amazing experiences using this online educational tool was when I asked my students to create their self-introduction videos.
It was indeed fun and exciting. My students enjoyed the trendy environment and included fun facts about themselves. When they produced their videos, they were all excited to share them with their classmates whether online or in the classroom. Hence, introducing oneself before the class is enjoyable and fun!
8. For Writing
I teach English to my students and I am using different online teaching tools to enrich my lessons. Another example is using ‘Make Beliefs Comix’ which helps my students enhance their self-expression by making stories by creating ‘comix’.
By using this educational tool, my students are motivated to develop their writing skills hence making it a lot easier for them than the usual way. It is an innovative way of helping our students develop their writing abilities.
9. For Speech/Speaking Skills
My speech drills are also aided by free online speech tools for teachers. Hence, speech exercises and activities to develop speaking skills are not stressful anymore. Instead, my students get excited to speak and are always motivated to get started.
Recording their videos as they speak through Loom creates fun and excitement. This video recording software is a big help when I am not present in the classroom for inevitable circumstances. I record the learning instructions so my students won’t stay idle.
On the side of the students, they also find it interesting to record their speaking performance and share it with me online. This is such a marvel of technology and I embrace it to the fullest extent!
10. For Listening
At times, reading a long text before our students as the listening activity is tedious on our part. Even though we are using a lapel for that matter, some of our students would request a 2nd and a 3rd reading of the text for full comprehension. Recording our voice can be of help, too, but I like to introduce the use of another technological scheme.
Reading an informative text in front of my learners is also technologically intensified. Though listening is best understood by doing it in front of the speaker for non-verbal cues, it can also be made fun of and easy through the naturalreaders.com listening tool! It is an effective text-to-speech tool that can be brought anywhere.
Here’s a sample scenario where I best apply this powerful tool. I usually give reinforcement activities to my students as their homework.
Also, to best combine reading, listening, and writing, I sent them a document in either a Word or PDF file as our eLearning material for our Group chat. What they will do is to convert the file to mp3 so they can listen to it anytime and anywhere! They can enjoy listening to it using their headsets or if they want to share it with classmates, they can use a powerful Bluetooth speaker.
Another amazing listening online listening tool is Announcify. It is an incredible Goggle extension that allows us to listen to the web. As our students listen to any interesting articles or related online stories on any website, we can take time to breathe and relax for a moment.
This Google Chrome Extension is a big help for me too as a teacher. It aids me a lot when I do my online research. When I get tired of reading long articles, this amazing tool reads the whole web page for me! Yes, this is how powerful this tool is. Also, it is easier to use so you can use it with the utmost convenience! It can read aloud for you!
This time, let’s watch this video and listen from a student’s point of view on how technology contributes to making education dynamic and engaging.
Major Drawbacks
Limited Access to Technological Resources
When we give online reinforcements, we have to consider the internet access of our learners and their access to technological resources. Not everyone has a reliable internet connection, especially those who are living in far-flung areas.
Aside from this, we have to accept the fact that not all schools in the world have technological resources, and some teachers in those schools still need to be deeply oriented about digital learning environments. Hence, the new technology-based teaching is still not in full blast.
I do have a fine narrative on this one. Since not all of my students can afford to buy laptops, Androids, or iPads, I think of a strategy that will enable everyone in my class to experience the automation technology offers.
I create activities either online or offline. I always have backups because the internet connection no matter how fast is still not reliable at times.
During discussions, I let them gather around my laptop and I will let them navigate. I observe that some of my students still don’t know the basics of using gadgets. Thus, I am introducing them to the world of technology slowly and not abruptly.
Means of Cheating
Technology gives our students access to information with just a click of the mouse. Hence, when they are assigned to write an essay, for example, they tend to research what they need on the internet and copy and paste. And this isn’t good.
So what do I do? I will require them to make a draft first while they are in the classroom and I will check their work. It’s complicated and tedious, but that’s the way it should be, or else we will be grading fantastic works from the internet.
Anyway, if we are really efficient and great teachers, we know the capabilities of each of our students. If this happens, I will use Copyscape to make sure my students don’t cheat and don’t fall prey to plagiarism. And, again, that’s technology!
Means of Wandering About
Yes, it’s good that they learn at their own pace and get more independent, but we should not forget the very reason why we are labeled as great teachers. In a sense, we should not allow our students to wander about in the techy world unsupervised. Parents and teachers should work hard for this to end.
We are there to supervise and to guide and not to hide! On a personal note, I would not let technology manipulate my class because my existence in the classroom is more valuable.
By identifying the right learning resources online, we are making our students responsible tech consumers. I hope you are with me in this line of thought
Bringing up rear…
Undeniably, technology offers a significant change in the classroom. Utilizing technological teaching tools offers incredible opportunities for us teachers to reach out to our students. And, we have to remember that as teachers, we are still in control of the use of technology in the classroom.
With the best applications of time-tested educational technology schemes, you will notice that your learners become more passionate about learning. Through our amazing inspiration as teachers, we can help our students with productive learning experiences.
Whatever it is, technology gives us innovative ways to make our lessons highly engaging and makes a big difference in education as a whole.
Technology in education brings enriching experiences to our students through educational games, answering online quizzes and exercises, and having access to fun learning anytime and anywhere.
With the continued support of parents and teachers, students will become more equipped with 21st-century learners with amazing 21st-century life skills. It’s a tandem that highly impacts every student’s performance.
How do you incorporate the digital world into your classroom? Let’s collaborate online. Feel free to comment below and express your ideas on how technology becomes a blessing to your students.
This is very good, I like it very much
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