SPECIAL SECTION: 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
will continue to work to make thoughtful technology purchases that develop a vision for
the future of education. Once technology is purchased, schools must remember a crucial
step in rollout: educating faculty and staff on how to successfully utilize the technology in
the classroom. The right technology, with the right professional development, can lead to
a valuable education. From online learning, to utilizing wearables for interactive teaching
purposes, education trends are going to continue to morph to ensure that students graduate
knowing they are ready to take on the world. n
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