Can technology transform the classrooms of the future?

The truth is, yes it can. There are many ways that technology can be used today to improve the effectiveness of education in the classroom for students as well as teachers. Ipads, for example, are beneficial to educating children at a very young age or even non-verbal children. Children are able to use Ipads easily because of the intuitive touch technology. Other technology such as Youtube, cloud computing, STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) software and more are advancing education as we as a society change as well.

Sal Khan, the founder of the Khan Academy has begun the idea of the “flipped classroom”. This means simply that the classroom of today has to keep up with changing needs of people in order to keep students engaged and interested in learning. The mission of the Khan Academy is, “to provide a free, world‑class education for anyone, anywhere.” by use of practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. In our experience using Khan Academy can help students learn in new ways.

Khan also notes that technology is very important when it comes to teaching STEM at the elementary level. Teachers can utilize specific technology in order to recognize which kids need more help and exactly at which point they need it. This way, teachers can help students before they begin to lose interest in STEM.

Scott Collins, a biology teacher at Lemont High School, said this about technology; “Technology has revolutionized the way teachers and students collaborate. Professional learning communities within schools use technology to share best practices and to develop lessons that promote student growth. Technology also makes information more accessible to students in educational environments.” Collins has also made use of Google Hangouts in his classroom. In order to conference call a friend and cancer research professional, Collins made use of Google Hangouts video calling technology, to teach his biology students about the advancements in medicine his friend is making at Oregon Health & Science University.

Another technology that is interesting is the SMART board. This technology uses a touch screen to help teachers deliver lessons to students in a fun and interactive way. Other simple technology such as Google Drive, allows teachers and students to communicate more effectively. No more, “I forgot my homework” in this instance when cloud storage holds on to homework and even lessons from the teachers. This cloud storage can be very useful to teachers.

There are many different technologies that can help teachers and students communicate better and learn more as our society continues to change and develop.

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