Data and Analytics
Relationships between K-12 teachers
and college educators used to be solely
focused on college transition programs.
Now, the focus is shifting to partnerships
based on formal research studies,
professional development, or joint
technology and curriculum initiatives,
as EdTech Online states. Data-driven
research is being gathered and assessed
by college educators and results are being
implemented in the form of metrics to
keep individual students on track to
graduate. If an individual student falls “off
track,” teachers utilize that information
to determine a course of academic
intervention. This form of individualized
learning is being employed across the
country with positive results.
Adaptive Learning Technology /
Resources
Addressing individual learning gaps
continues to be at the top of priority lists
for student achievement in the classroom.
Adaptive learning technologies have
already proven successful in the classroom
and are a growing piece of the education
puzzle. As the infrastructure needed
to support these types of initiatives is
more easily accessible and widespread,
teachers are finding ways to incorporate
these technologies into blended learning
programs, according to EdTech Update.
IoT in the Classroom
You may be unfamiliar with the term
IoT (Internet of Things), but you likely use
it every day. IoT is a network of devices
connected to the internet that deliver
real-time insights to connected devices,
such as cell phones, laptops, or even
your television. These “smart” devices
offer a unique benefit in the classroom
in the form of interactive whiteboards,
e-books, 3-D printers, security cameras,
and attendance tracking systems. Use
of IoT can remove barriers to learning
such as location, language, and economic
standing.
A recent TEDx article highlighted
a Fargo, North Dakota, teacher, Kayla
Delzer, and her use of technology
in the classroom. She believes it can
revolutionize education, but only if used
correctly. “Using technology simply for
the sake of using it is wasteful,” Delzer
says. “If tech doesn’t transform your
classroom, your teaching or your students’
learning, skip it.” One easy rule of thumb:
If a project can be done using paper or
pencil but you’re doing it on a computer
or device, it’s not transforming your
classroom. The possibilities for technology
in the K-12 classroom setting are endless
and, if implemented correctly, change the
course of education as we know it.
CHANGE IN EDUCATOR
PRACTICES / SCHOOL
INFRASTRUCTURE
Although technology is getting all
the hype for being a game changer in
the education industry, the real success
comes from teachers and their active role
in ensuring the proper employment of
that technology in making a difference
in learning. According to Education
Week, 90 percent of teachers agree that
technology gives them the ability to tailor
lessons and homework assignments to
the individual needs of students. Yet,
teachers and schools who rate their
system-wide technology integration
on a lower scale don’t have as much
hope. Buy-in from educators, school
leaders and board members, parents,
and the community is critical when
looking to successfully integrate new
technologies into a curriculum. The
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