SPECIAL SECTION: TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
instruction. “In a personalized learning
classroom, technology frees up time for
teachers to do what they do best: teach
students in small groups and customize
instruction,” Facebook founder Mark
Zuckerberg says. Zuckerberg along with the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and many
others are seeing the positive outcomes of
personalized learning. Reinventing learning
spaces is a subtle approach that will make sure
the student population is served adequately,
allowing teachers to spend more personalized
time with each student in a group. Through
technology, students are provided access to
24/7 learning, allowing them to take learning
outside of their typical classroom setting and
work on their own time. This means a cultural
shift in the use of mobile technology in the
classroom.
STEM Integration
The United States is pushing for young
people to become scientists, engineers,
and innovators to shape tomorrow and to
continue to be global leaders. As a common
buzzword in recent years, STEM – science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics
– continues to play a crucial role in early
learning. In a report by U.S. News, early
development of STEM skills supports
reading, language, and STEM skills later
in life. Typically, STEM learning is a focus
of high school-level students. Inadequate
attention is being paid to STEM in early
childhood education since other key
competencies, such as basic skills in literacy
and numeracy, are topics of focus. Educators
are working toward proper preparation for
teaching early childhood STEM classes
to create an even more valuable learning
experience for elementary students.
Professional Development for Educators
The ever-changing landscape of education
is hard to stay privy to as an educator. Putting
hundreds of hours into lesson plans each
school year makes the thought of adopting
changes a daunting one. Personalized
professional development is changing the
way teachers are learning to teach their
students. Administration-required seminars
are being replaced with real-time alternative
credentialing. Teachers are learning new
ways for classroom learning, combining
online learning, service-based learning, and
hands-on learning to provide students with a
valuable educational experience.
As technology continues to change and
education tirelessly tries to keep up, students
and teachers can look forward to the exciting
opportunities in learning. School districts
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