SPECIAL SECTION: TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
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 schoollevel 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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