Teaching is a noble profession that gives you the opportunity to enrich and educate the minds of tomorrow. While being a teacher comes with challenges including problematic student behaviour and funding issues in schools, moments like witnessing a child grasp an important concept for the first time make it all worth it.
One way to be a more effective teacher and help your students learn more efficiently is to use technology in the classroom. Tools like virtual reality software and podcasts, when used properly, are much more engaging than traditional teaching methods and can be a great way to help your students retain information and have fun at the same time.
This article will take you through some practical ways to integrate technology into the classroom. Keep reading to find out how you can be a more effective teacher in the modern day.
Expose Students to a Wide Range of Software
The ability to work with a wide range of tools is best learned at an early age, and there’s no better place to do this than the classroom. That’s why teachers of today are encouraged to expose their students to a wide range of software, including file converters, video editing tools and AI platforms. Students will benefit greatly from using a PDF editor and other software that they’ll be encountering on a regular basis as they move through the educational system and eventually join the workforce.
And speaking of using these tools in hands-on capacities or even in real-world contexts, teachers are also encouraged to provide some time for students to use these tools on their own or even voluntarily in their own projects, as hands-on experience is vital to acquiring these and other digital skills.
PowerPoint Games and Quizzes
PowerPoint is a tool that’s been around for a while and can be used to create a range of interactive games and quizzes, which are a fun and engaging way for teachers to integrate tech into the classroom. Students will be much more likely to concentrate on a lesson if you add a competitive dimension, and PowerPoint games are a fantastic way to do this.
If your students are in the process of revising for an exam, you can drop in a quick PowerPoint quiz in the middle of one of your lessons. You can offer candies or other small tokens as prizes. A well-made PowerPoint game lets your students have fun while also internalising whatever topic you’re trying to teach them.
Take a Virtual Excursion
Virtual reality is becoming more common in the classroom, and one way to use VR to engage students is to take them on a virtual field trip. Exploring global landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids and other famous spots allows you to build students’ cultural knowledge without having to pay for a physical trip.
In 2024, it’s easier than ever to implement VR in the classroom. There are many VR devices out there – some of them surprisingly affordable – that create vibrant, lifelike learning experiences for your students.
Use Podcasts
Podcasts are taking the world by storm and can be an excellent way to supplement student learning. If you’re currently on a particular topic, sending your students an interesting, related podcast before class is a great way of building interest.
The great thing about podcasts is that there are so many out there, so you’re sure to find one on almost any topic. If you’re a science teacher currently teaching the laws of motion, for instance, there are loads of physics podcasts you can use as teaching material.
Expose Students to Coding Apps
While coding was once the domain of web developers, computer scientists and other related jobs, more and more professions are requiring a basic level of coding proficiency. Teaching your students how to code early on will give them an important advantage in the workplace, and coding apps are a great way to do this.
There are various age-specific coding apps out there that you can incorporate into your curriculum. A great way to use them is as part of your growing STEM curriculum. Coding apps teach students how to code in a progressive way that’s also engaging. These apps are particularly helpful if you have limited coding experience and aren’t confident in your ability to teach it on your own.
Use Technology for Student Feedback
The best litmus test for a lesson, teaching method or curriculum is how well they help students learn, and receiving feedback from the students themselves is a great way to assess all of these. Student feedback can help teachers and school management optimise curriculums, change how they teach and provide extra support to specific students.
Consider using online surveys and polls to get a handle on how students feel about their experience in your classroom. You don’t have to wait for the end of the semester to do this: a quick survey at the end of every class can give you a real-time view of how your students are doing and what you can do to improve as a teacher.
Set Up Tech Learning Stations
Online learning has its challenges – and different challenges may impact different students depending on their learning style. A way to mitigate these is by creating a hybrid learning environment that includes physical teaching sessions and digital learning stations that allow students to learn independently.
A tech-based learning station allows students to learn at their own pace. If a student finishes a task early, they can hop onto a digital learning station to learn about optional topics or get a preview of the next lesson. A learning station might include learning material like educational videos, educational games and coding apps. It might also be hooked up to the internet to allow students to do their own research and access online tools.
~ Just like everything else, the way in which students learn is constantly evolving, and teachers need to adapt to remain effective. One of the best ways to do this is by mastering how to use tech in the classroom.
In this article, we’ve gone through some key ways educators can incorporate various technological tools into their teaching. Start applying these tips to your own classroom today to create a more engaging learning environment for your students.
