As time passes, we all grow and so do our intelligence and aspirations and with it, evolves technology and our educational capabilities. We have a vast electronic library of information which we know by the name of Internet. It has made research possible only with a few clicks of the mouse. Just because we’re used to it doesn’t make it any less amazing. Technological advancement helps educators and schools grow in their abilities. A school is as good as its administration, facilities and most important teachers.
Now, we’re not pretending that technology is going to be the solution to the learning crisis. Never has one thing been a single solution to any problem since things are not black and white. But technology can be the solution to specific problems within the education system. You can explore ways to use technology for learning in schools. If you’re going to invest in technology, invest in training, support, monitoring and maintenance. Test it out. Make sure it works out before you go all in. Without further ado, let’s get into how you can grow your school with technology.
COACH AND MENTOR TEACHERS WITH TECHNOLOGY
Imagine putting a new and complicated tool in front of your kid and expecting them to use it effectively without making them learn first. Yes, a teacher’s job is to know how to teach effectively but that doesn’t mean their learning stops. They also need consistent coaching and mentoring for them to be up-to-date with the students. The best education technologies enable teachers to do more with fewer resources. Teacher-empowering technologies include mobile apps that grade student work and provide lesson plan databases. School systems need to aggressively track what works for their teachers and put all other technologies aside.
Many mistakenly believe that education technologies are expensive and complicated. On the contrary, open-source technologies are stable, secure and compatible with other platforms. Educators should also be familiar with the benefits of paper-based portfolios. They allow students to express creativity for difficult-to-assess subjects.
SIMPLIFY ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
They are exposed to all kinds of information. Traditionally, investing in extra education resources for students outside of schools, such as books and private tutors, was very expensive. This limits who has access to extra resources. Today, online educational resources are easily accessible by anyone with an internet connection and many of these resources are available free of charge.
Educational technology makes learning accessible in more ways than just financially, it makes it easier to overcome some of the barriers faced when studying with a disability. Students already rely on technology in their normal lives so why not integrate it into the classroom? Children are on their smartphones or tablets outside of school hours anyway.
ALLOWS FOR INSTANT FEEDBACK
Learning, memorizing and retaining is one part of the overall learning journey. But it is incomplete without the crucial part which is getting feedback. It helps both teachers and students understand the progress and capabilities of a student and how well they have understood aspects of the curriculum.
Normally, it takes weeks before the student receives feedback on their work, at which point they might not remember the questions they answered on the test and are therefore less likely to act on the feedback they’re given.
