THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM OUGHT TO EPITOMIZE TECHNOLOGY

From developing multiple intelligence platforms to time efficiency, Amit Yadav, Founder, Kidstriangle and Rishi Kapal, CEO & Global Strategist, Edugild, make a case for optimizing technology in the 21st century classroom.

Technology is enabling the creation of personalized learning environments that will eventually replace the traditional classrooms. Edtech (education technology) is one needed right step in this direction. Edtech has evolved from providing online learning material, information sharing and collaboration to the next level of personalization using innovative and adaptive teaching strategies.

Today’s students have unprecedented technological literacy. They are eager to embrace the use of various edtech platforms in the classroom. Teachers are more able to understand students. They can provide them more customized instruction.

Schools should adopt edtech because it makes teaching easier and encourages students to be more engaged with lessons.

According to recent digital survey conducted by Mc Graw Hill, 75% students found technology helpful in preparing for class and nearly 80% felt adaptive technology has helped in improving their grades. Learning through technology is necessary in every facet of society because of the shift in worldwide computer usage and the need for computer skills in the workforce.

1. PERSONALIZED LEARNING

Every student is unique in terms of his/her strength, learning style, and their day to day environment. Smart assessments continuously evaluate student performance and cater teaching strategies and material as per their needs. Students have access to interactive videos, updated textbooks, on-demand classrooms, customized learning modules, access to top-quality lessons and content from some of the best universities in the world, and all of this – available and accessible via today’s smart phones. Many startups offer tuition to school-goers. They help them in cracking entrance exams. On the other hand, a number of startups help aspiring professionals and entrepreneurs with their professional certification courses.

2. HIGHER SUCCESS RATE

Students become smart learners and can track their mistakes, thus ensuring mistakes are avoided. Equipping students with the caliber to become successful and knowledgeable professionals is at the core of a teacher’s job.

Modern teachers are now familiar with technology. Classrooms are also becoming paperless and technologically equipped. Due to many benefits of edtech, teachers should welcome its usage with open arms. Schools districts and school boards need to prioritize funding for edtech and computer devices for every student. Hence it is important to epitomize technology.

3. TIME EFFICIENCY

Students get the liberty to study and understand concepts at their own pace giving them adequate time to learn. Knowledge sharing and collaboration using technology platform has further helped students to get their questions and doubts answered quickly. Teachers can easily distribute their work with others when uploading lessons is as simple as the click of a button. Edtech is also self-checking because it is paperless and gives students instant feedback on their work. There are timer and monitoring apps, organizational sources and editing services. You will better manage your time and increase both your and your trainee’s productivity. So many things can be learnt in a short time.

4. MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE PLATFORMS

Technology identifies and reaches more learners than any other kind of tool available in the classroom, and allows for a dynamic learning experience that directly benefits students. It can increase many kinds of intelligence in students like verbal-linguistic intelligence, verbal-logical intelligence, musical intelligence, visual-spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence etc. and is hence very useful.

6. ENHANCE THE LEARNING MATERIAL

Students can access the learning material virtually anytime. They can do this anywhere in their preferred format of audio/video/ games etc. This has significantly increased effectiveness of teaching strategies and learning materials. With Edtech tools instructors can now use visual models that are built in a gamelike setting to communicate information, while also constructing teamwork skills and analytical thinking. Incorporating Edtech tools will allow instructors to foster learning through complex thinking.

5. BOOST STUDENT MOTIVATION

It makes learning more engaging and students are motivated to learn more. Modern students are extremely tech savvy. They prefer internet and smart devices for their learning. The students and skill-seekers want to go beyond the limitations of classrooms and improperly trained teachers. This is an excitement for them. It motivates them to learn many things in a shorter time.

The Edtech options help in storing information. It will make organizing your brain easier. Digital space savers will not only help focus, they will also support you sharing and explaining any learning material. Designers should keep this in mind when constructing training materials. Sending and saving files digitally will boost the overall efficiency of the learning process.

There are some products which solve the issues of engineers (students, graduates, professionals) who experience difficulty in effectively visualizing and conceptualizing complex engineering subject matters, like diagrams, schematics, drawings, laboratory experiments, technical site operations etc. Poor visualization leads to poor performance during examinations, job interviews, or when applying technical knowhow in industry.