Examples of Technology in the Classroom
July 10, 2022
Technology has made its way into classrooms for decades, but that slow movement has accelerated in recent years. Today’s teachers must prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet. To do that, they need the children in their classrooms to be well ahead of the technology curve.
Create A Highly Effective Learning Environment
New tech also offers ways to teach more effectively and use broader techniques that resonate with more students. Here are 11 technology in the classroom examples that are changing the face of education.
1. Video Conferencing
In 2020, schools across the country went virtual. While learning has returned to the physical classroom, teachers also realized the value of many virtual techniques they’d implemented during remote and hybrid classes. Programs that allow video calls have several benefits. You can have a conference with a guest speaker from anywhere around the world. Plus, using classroom technology, students can learn firsthand about jobs like zookeeping, publishing or scientific research by video conferencing with someone who works in the field.
2. Tablets
It’s hard to believe that tablets have been around for less than two decades. These devices are part of our daily lives, and they’re one of the most-used types of technology in the classroom. Tablets allow students to work at their own pace, complete independent activities and learn self-reliance.
Products for Tablets and iPads
3. Smartboards
Chalkboards gave way to dry-erase boards, which were replaced with smartboards. These devices allow teachers to project slides, textbook examples, webpages and more, offering kids a more engaging visual than words on a page. Smartboards can even play video, taking the place of a TV or film projector. Children live in a multimedia world, and they respond well to multimedia presentations.
4. Augmented Reality
With the breadth of video games available to students outside the classroom, educational visuals inside have a high standard to meet. Augmented reality (AR) offers a way to draw students’ attention. Such methods may be especially effective for more sophisticated educational purposes. Imagine, for instance, using augmented reality in medical school to project a three-dimensional model of the heart or digestive system. Implementing AR in the classroom allows students to examine the subject from all angles and receive a better learning experience.
5. Digital Field Trips
Another one of the great examples of technology in the classroom is a digital field trip. These are becoming increasingly popular in the classroom and are effective ways to broaden students’ minds and teach them more about a specific subject.
The internet allows classes to travel far beyond the usual bounds of the nearby town and surrounding areas. Now, students can see the geologic layers of the Grand Canyon for themselves as they walk along its rim or marvel at towering mountains in a state park.
This can add so much value to a lesson, as it gives students a personalized experience that connects them to the subject matter. With the introduction of VR headsets, these field trips can become even more realistic and valuable in the classroom.
6. Multimedia Lessons
Gone are the days of the singular chalkboard lesson — today, students employ various strategies to learn about a topic. All these types of technology in the classroom can help a student understand a topic deeper. Everyone learns differently, after all, and while one student may excel watching a teacher lecture at the front of the classroom, another student may learn more effectively on their own time, researching on a tablet.
Teachers can utilize many different types of technology in the classroom and craft it into a comprehensive lesson that applies to many different learning styles. Here are some ways teachers have crafted multimedia lessons:
- Podcasts: Podcasts have exploded in recent years, spanning all different genres. They’ve also entered the classroom, as teachers have discovered the long-form setup of the podcast is often a great way to help students learn about a subject in a fun, innovative way. There are plenty of educational podcasts out there covering history, science and more.
- Recorded lectures: With recorded lectures, students can work at their own pace and listen to the lecture, rewinding and going slowly through parts they don’t understand. Some students may not want to ask the teacher to go over another topic again in class, so having another way to access the material can be just the thing they need to excel.
- Digital take-home lessons: Similar to recorded lectures, digital take-home lessons are great ways for students to work their way through a lesson with their own strategies.
As you can see, there are so many different ways students can benefit from multimedia lessons.
7. Digital Classroom Calendar
More and more teachers find that digital calendars offer endless advantages in the classroom. There are so many out there to choose from — Google Calendar is one of the most popular. Digital calendars provide a convenient, effective place where teachers can store important information that the entire class can access.
Include important dates regarding guest speakers, field trips and presentation days. That way, you can cut down on questions about what projects are due and when. You can also easily share the calendar with whoever you need — students, parents and administrators alike.
Digital calendars help keep everyone engaged and a part of the larger picture of the school year. Students will feel more included and confident knowing when all their due dates are.
8. Build Digital Content
Many jobs involve digital content, and they increase every year. Teaching students how to build their own websites and work with multimedia presentations can help them understand a topic and prepare them for the workforce. Some students may even find a passion for building digital content. At minimum, this will let students exercise creativity in the classroom in a fun and productive way.
It’s one of the best examples of using technology in the classroom to further education and students’ future.
9. 3D Printing
3D printing has introduced a whole new way for students to learn about engineering in the classroom. Teachers can assign projects where students can build and engineer, using the 3D printer to easily make prototypes. It’s a fantastic technology that students can learn about and take with them into the future.
10. Gamified Learning
Although in the past online games have been a way to use up time when students finish up tasks, they can actually be one of the most effective ways that students can learn in the classroom. After all, many kids grew up playing online games, whether through apps or on the computer. They’re used to this type of setup and can easily jump into it without having to struggle to figure out how it works.
You can even bring this gamified learning into the lesson plan, using incentives and simple games that let students have fun while tackling a certain topic.
11. Student Feedback
One of the best and most useful ways modern classroom technology has been integrated into the classroom is with student feedback. It’s easier than ever to obtain actionable feedback about the learning process. Teachers can utilize technology for student feedback in the form of online surveys, where instructors can create a list of relevant questions. From here, you can pull data that can be very valuable in crafting an innovative and educated lesson plan that will cater to the students’ needs.
If possible, teachers could even involve other channels for feedback. They could create an ongoing place where students could leave notes and help improve the lesson plan. An open discussion on a social media app, for example, could help students collaborate to see what would work.
Why Should Schools Use Charging Stations in Their Classrooms?
Mobile charging stations have many benefits for classroom use. Some of the capabilities your teachers can take advantage of include:
- Ensure devices are ready to use: Utilizing these mobile charging stations allows students easy access to a place to plug in their classroom technology, keeping their tablets and laptops charged for when they need them.
- Increase classroom security: Classroom technology is often a hefty investment. With mobile charging stations, schools can protect these devices against theft and damage. Students can leave them inside overnight to charge, giving teachers peace of mind that each device will remain safe and sound.
- Improve classroom organization: Mobile charging stations are a hub for all devices, keeping them in order and their cords out of sight. Having a central location, or two, will also make for easy, student-led distribution, decreasing traffic jams and giving your teachers more time to focus on the lesson plans.
- Customize your layout: Each classroom is different, from its students to its design and rules. Movable charging stations allow your teachers to configure them for the environment, placing them in various locations to find what works best for the characteristics of the classroom.
PowerGistics Towers Are a Teacher’s Aide
A PowerGistics Tower can be a huge ally in the classroom. With an innovative open-door concept, teachers can see all Chromebooks, tablets and laptops at a glance, ruling out the need for manual checking. As each student will have control of their own device management, there is no need for the teacher to distribute, collect or store them.
The color-coded design not only brightens up a classroom, it also makes organization a lot easier. Teachers can match these colors to other areas, helping them be more efficient when it comes to categorizing learning materials. The colored trays can also be used to have students to retrieve or return devices in small groups by their color.
The Towers also save space in a classroom with their small footprint, freeing teachers up to facilitate more areas for creative initiatives, such as group activities. The small footprint also aides in providing more room to space desks and social distance in the classroom.
All of these benefits will be invaluable to education providers, saving them hours of time when they need it most. This means they can channel their productivity into other areas, empowering them to teach in a vastly different landscape.
Students Benefit From PowerGistics Towers
In terms of student safety, PowerGistics charging Towers offer single-touch device deployment, reducing contact. A shelf for each individual means they only need to touch the power cable to retrieve and return their device, without touching the Tower itself. An optional antimicrobial coating can also help to lower the risk of viral spread.
Using the split deployment model, two PowerGistics Towers can be placed at opposite ends of a classroom. This can reduce congestion and unnecessary queueing, making it easier for students to adhere to social distancing.
Finally, a student-proof cable design ensures wires don’t get tangled easily, eliminating any delays in future use. This also reduces how much time it takes to retrieve or return devices, providing more time for other classroom activities.
Put Technology in Your Classroom With PowerGistics
If you’d like to try out these classroom technology examples, you need the right devices and the tools to take care of them. PowerGistics offers charging solutions for your classroom laptops and tablets.
With a variety of choices spanning various functions and sizes, our charging carts are tailored specifically to your unique needs. Whether you want a cart you can move around the school or one that sits stationary in the classroom, you can find what you need at PowerGistics. Our products offer many advantages, including convenience, quality and safety:
- Convenience: With typical charging carts, you’d have to spend time untwisting cords and putting devices back in their proper spots. With PowerGistics charging carts, you can save all of that time. Our innovative designs make sure that students can easily plug in their devices without having to navigate webs of cords.
- Quality: We make sure our products are crafted with quality materials so that they will last for years without breaking down. Our charging towers also look elegant and modern and make a great fixture in any classroom.
- Safety: Our open-door design lets you see how many devices are being used at one time. For added security, keyed locking doors make sure your devices are secure even after you leave. Additionally, carts come with an antimicrobial coating that protects students and teachers from the spread of germs.
Contact us today to set up a demo or request pricing information.
Further Reading
A Guide to Classroom Design: Maximize Space and Limit Traffic
15 School Renovation and Construction Tips
A Guide to Transitioning Your School to 1:1
How to Create a Highly Effective Learning Environment
33 Best Teacher Quotes of All-Time