SPECIAL SECTION : TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
Students No student is the same . Each has a different family life , upbringing , ability to communicate and learn , and yet these students are all being taught the same way . Schools across the country are shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a personalized learning approach . A current buzzword in education , personalized learning allows students to become part of their learning experience . Students will be in control of creating content for learning using smartphone apps . This approach intends to put students at the forefront of molding their learning experience , resulting in stronger student engagement and therefore better outcomes . The Nellie Mae Education Foundation notes that a student-centered approach can “ only be successful if [ it occurs ] within a cultural context that demands continuous improvement and engages collective processes that foster understanding and broad ownership of decisions . This should be driven by vigilant consideration of assessment results that help illuminate the extent to which particular interventions are working , and who is benefiting from the changes in what ways .”
THE HOW
Mobile and Digital Learning
Digital learning made a slow entrance into mainstream education , but with the use of tablets and mobile devices , the number of teachers using game-based learning in the classroom has doubled in the past six years . “ The explosion in teacher interest and usage of videos and game-based learning could be a harbinger of a new awakening for digital learning ,” Julie Evans , the CEO of Project Tomorrow , says . In a 2015 survey conducted by Project Tomorrow , 48 percent of K-12
teachers and nearly two-thirds of K-5 teachers reported adopting the use of games in their weekly lessons . According to Education Week , 23 million devices were purchased in 2013 and 2014 alone . More recently , tablets are taking over as an affordable option for bringing technology to each individual student . One-to-one computing hopes to provide teachers with the time to give each student more personalized attention and time to work at his / her own pace .
New Learning Spaces
Gone are the days of sitting head-behindhead , avoiding eye contact with your teacher , hoping she won ’ t call on you for the answer to her question . Student-centered environments in colleges and schools breed creativity and innovation through small-group learning and 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 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
Upper St . Clair | Fall 2016 | icmags . com 35