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This is my Padlet Creation for the Solar System Lesson

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Benefits and Challenges of Technology in the Classroom

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Benefits and Challenges of Technology in the Classroom

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Support #8

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Making Technology Integration Seamless

GoGuardian provides a variety of solutions to make integrating technology into the classroom as seamless as possible. With GoGuardian Admin™, administrators are equipped with the ability to establish school/network-wide web policies that restrict access to inappropriate content through comprehensive web filtering that goes beyond blocking URLs. Admin's innovative programming includes keyword filtering, school and home modes that allow administrators to set protocols that block specific processes during school hours, and smart alerts that notify teachers and administrators when students attempt to access restricted content.

In GoGuardian Teacher™, you will find functions, such as:

Screen viewer and tab control that allow teachers to see what students are working on in real time and close tabs that are unnecessary and distracting from lessons

The ability to lock student devices

A chat feature that provides a direct line of communication between teachers and students for students to discreetly ask questions and teachers to guide distracted learners back on-task.

These programs and features work together to minimize the stress of virtual classroom management and maximize learning-creating enriched learning experiences through increased support for both students and teachers.

Benefits of Technology in the Classroom

Educators might be wondering why it's important to integrate technology in the classroom. The benefits stretch far and wide for both teachers and students. Integrating computer technology into the classroom can serve as a means for teachers to support and enhance learning, create opportunities to connect with students, and encourage students to connect with information in new and exciting ways. With supportive guidance, clearly defined objectives, and attentive instruction on how to use technology effectively and responsibly, students are equipped with new skills as digital learners that have been linked to both improved academic performance and increased personal and career success. The benefits of integrating technology into the classroom include:

1. Increased student engagement

2. Encouraging teamwork and collaboration

3. Preparing students for life after graduation

4. Connecting students and teachers

5. Improved teaching outcomes

6. Supporting differentiated instruction

Increased Student Engagement

Students are already enamored with technology for personal and entertainment use. Social media sites and apps like SnapChat, Instagram, and Tik Tok have never been more popular, and MineCraft and Fortnite are engrossed in a weekly battle for the spot as the #1 game globally among children and teens. Students connect with experiences that are fun for them, and there's no reason why learning can't and shouldn't be fun. By researching pop culture trends and current events that catch the interest of students, teachers can incorporate them into lessons to make them more relatable and enjoyable. Additionally, teachers can use music, video, podcasts, and other media to build creative, interactive lessons.

Encouraging Teamwork and Collaboration

The ability to collaborate as part of a pair, group, or team is a valuable life skill for students to learn. Having students take notes together through Google Docs, complete Webquests, or build a classroom wiki page together are just some of the many ways technology can be used to help students learn and improve this skill. Introduce gamified learning activities either through edtech software or DIY lessons that require students to work with one another to do research and complete learning objectives to make learning an exciting, challenging, and supportive experience for everyone.

Preparing Students for Life After Graduation

The ability to use technology effectively is an increasingly vital skill, not only in K-12 education, but in the lives of students after graduation. College courses are more frequently being offered online or as a hybrid between classroom meetings and online lessons. Even courses taking place in traditional classrooms are starting to utilize more e-learning software (such as McGraw-Hill Connect and Pearson). Students who are able to navigate technology for e-learning and research purposes are better prepared for these college learning environments and careers that will require an understanding of Microsoft Office products, typing skills, the ability to communicate by email, managing digital calendars, and more from prospective candidates.

Connecting Students and Teachers

Introducing technology into your classroom will provide new ways to strengthen peer-to-peer and student-teacher relationships, as well as foster a supportive learning environment for students. Use classroom emails to connect students with one another for tutoring/homework help and mentorship and to give students a means to contact you for assistance with lessons/homework and feedback. Create surveys through Google Forms to allow feedback from students on lessons and review your teaching strategies. Utilize Teacher's Chat function to give real-time support and guidance to students who are off task or who seem to be struggling with a lesson.

Improved Teaching Outcomes

Educational technology can be used to design lessons that allow for more thorough absorption of knowledge and improved learning outcomes. Engage students in Webquests and other inquiry-based learning that empowers students to research independently, construct questions, find answers and problem-solve to gain an understanding of a subject or concept. Use the Screen View function of Teacher to ensure students remain on task and have students send a message through the chat function at the end of class explaining what they learned today to ensure they are comprehending and retaining lessons.

Supporting Differentiated Instruction

The Scenes function in Teacher is incredibly useful in supporting differentiated instruction. Teachers can use Scenes to design a template of websites and pages that students are granted access to during a given lesson. This can be useful for test taking, in that you can guarantee students remain on task and prevent cheating by only allowing access to the testing page. However, it can also be useful in allowing students to work on a lesson at their own pace and in their own way, by providing them with an assortment of pre-selected articles, websites, videos, and activities to utilize to complete an assignment.

Challenges of Integrating Technology in the Classroom

While technology is being utilized more and more frequently in K-12 education, many teachers are still struggling with integrating it in their classrooms and questioning if doing so is the right move for them. There are a number of factors we must each consider (cost, ease of use, ongoing support for proper understanding and usage) that will impact our decision of how, when, and if we should introduce new technology. Common challenges and concerns teachers experience when integrating technology and digital media in the classroom include:

1. Students misusing technology

2. Teacher knowledge and professional development

3. Keeping students safe online

4. Cost of new technology

5. Keeping up with changes

GoGuardian's Admin and Teacher provide versatile solutions for these issues with technology in the classroom, keeping students focused, challenged and safe while eliminating the need for teachers to stand over students as they work and allowing you to focus instead on what matters most...teaching!

Students Misusing Technology

With the introduction of technology in your classroom, you are sure to encounter students attempting to misuse it, largely for entertainment purposes instead of educational ones. Admin is designed with some of the most intuitive and comprehensive tools to protect against students misusing their devices, including the ability to block VPNs and students attempting to access incognito browser modes via USB, both of which are popular ways in which students attempt to bypass web filters to access gaming sites or social media, search for inappropriate content, or use their devices at inappropriate times. Additionally, with Teacher, teachers are able to lock student devices at times they aren't needed to avoid students using them during videos, presentations, or when guest speakers are visiting.

Teacher Knowledge and Professional Development

Another common struggle of teachers attempting to integrate technology into their classrooms is a lack of knowledge and understanding of how to use technology, or discomfort with using it. Teachers who have these concerns also struggle with being provided with professional development resources to help them gain the knowledge and familiarity to introduce technology reliably and effectively. GoGuardian's Teacher program comes with thorough training on how teachers can best use the program to support digital learning in their classrooms. Teachers can connect with members of the GoGuardian team for ongoing support and assistance with using Teacher, as well as access a large selection of teacher resources containing ideas on how to integrate technology into the classroom and how to get the most from Teacher.

Keeping Students Safe Online

The increasing popularity of education technology in schools is also leading to increased concern regarding how to keep students safe while using it. Increased access to technology can leave students vulnerable to either intentionally or otherwise being exposed to graphic content (including violent media and pornography), online predators, scammers and hackers, and cyberbullying. Features of GoGuardian Admin and Teacher software, like keyword blocking and smart alerts, have been shown to be very effective in mitigating these risks and helping teach students to be responsible digital citizens.

Cost of New Technology

Another problem with technology in the classroom is the cost of bringing new technology into your classroom. Not all classroom budgets are able to sustain this addition. Fortunately, many strategies for incorporating technology into your curriculum can be implemented without breaking the bank. Some impactful ways to integrate technology at no additional cost to you include:

Creating a classroom blog through a free wiki site

Providing students with a selection of technology-based projects to showcase learning (a podcast, essay, video, slide show, etc.)

Designing an online classroom calendar with due dates, testing dates, and events that students can sync to their phones/school devices to remain aware of important dates

Bundling services together through one vendor and platform to save money

Keeping Up with Changes

Technology is a constantly evolving industry, and education technology can quickly become obsolete as new technology is introduced. A major barrier many teachers struggle with when introducing technology into their classrooms is keeping up with these many changes and trends. The team at GoGuardian is dedicated to staying on top of these trends and improving products with the most up-to-date solutions for schools, as they understand the importance of integrating technology in the classroom.

Take a peek at the GoGuardian Teacher for a classroom management solution that helps teachers be comfortable teaching in a classroom full of devices. The program allows teachers to walk the room and engage with students, while still receiving the info they need to keep students focused and on task.

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Technology in the Classroom | Importance & Challenges | GoGuardian

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GoGuardian provides a variety of solutions to make integrating technology into the classroom as seamless as possible. With GoGuardian Admin™, administrators are equipped with the ability to establish school/network-wide web policies that restrict access to inappropriate content through comprehensive web filtering that goes beyond blocking URLs.

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How Technology in the Classroom Can Impact Students Learning

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How Technology in the Classroom Can Impact Students Learning

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Support #5

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How does technology impact student learning? In the physical classroom, some postsecondary educators view technology as a distraction. Even if they don't ban the use of mobile phones or social media during lectures, they may begrudgingly view technology as a little more than a necessary evil.

But after a year of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, perspectives are changing. Rather than simply 'tolerate' it, instructors are realizing that technology and the power of digital devices, apps and tools can increase engagement, encourage collaboration, spark innovation and enhance student learning.

In and of itself, educational technology doesn't result in effective teaching and learning. It still requires a guide (the educator) and a purpose (related to the curriculum). And there is effort and strategy required to integrate it effectively into your course material. But, if used with intention, technology can be transformed from a distraction to an effective teaching tool with positive effects on student achievement.

Here are a few answers to the question of how technology has changed education, and reasons why educators should make the most of technology inside-and outside-the classroom.

Technology affords better access to resources

With an Internet connection, we have access to information at our fingertips 24 hours a day. We can find almost anything online, in its most up-to-date version. For students, this means access to everything from research materials and educational apps to interactive edutainment and open resources from prestigious universities around the world. (Students may, however, need instruction on how to find credible resources and direction on providing proper attribution when they use them.)

Students can also supplement their learning by connecting with online groups and virtual communities in real time, or by collaborating on group projects using tools such as wikis and cloud-based apps. And instructors can provide access to course material (and additional resources) by setting up portals through learning management systems or providing access to course-specific software for each learner. For budget-conscious educators, open educational resources may provide useful course materials their students can access throughout a course.

What are open educational resources?

Open educational resources (OER) are teaching, research and learning resources that explicitly allow others to use, keep and distribute them. OER are teaching resources that have an open copyright license (such as Creative Commons), or they are part of the public domain and have no copyright. Depending on the license, OER can be freely accessed, used, re-mixed, improved, and shared. OER is one way of engaging students more deeply in the learning process, moving beyond lectures and static textbook chapters. By blending technology and education, open educational resources also give instructors the tools to involve students in the creation of learning materials.

Technology can improve student engagement

Technology can help students by making learning more engaging and collaborative. Rather than memorizing facts, students learn by doing and through critical thinking. This could be as simple as taking an interactive quiz in class or participating in tech-enabled group discussions. Or it could be as involved as playing educational games, practicing in science experiments in a virtual lab or taking a virtual field trip.

To make learning truly engaging, it must be truly interactive. Doing math on a computer isn't any different than doing math with a pencil and pad of paper. But using augmented reality to animate math challenges is a whole different ball game. Ultimately, interactivity and technology enhance learning.

For educators, the role of technology in education is endless: from using simulation tools to demonstrate how a hurricane develops, to using virtual reality to practice medical procedures. "As a growing number of medical schools bring virtual reality into the classroom, students are finding it an effective way to learn complex subject matter, such as anatomy, that's often easier to understand with hands-on practice," writes Chris Hayhurst for EdTech Magazine. Blended learning is a great way to ensure you're using technology to engage your students both in and out of your class.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is an educational approach in which students learn online as well as through traditional face-to-face teaching. Sometimes referred to as hybrid learning, blended learning is a combination of traditional in-classroom and online education with multimedia components, such as interactive discussions and polls, embedded videos and live chats. Individually, both have their advantages. Together, blended learning can offer a more engaging learning experience for students by providing them with opportunities to work both independently and with their peers and instructor to reinforce learning and achieve subject mastery.

Blended learning is more than just using technology to supplement the classroom experience. Rather, blended learning requires that a significant portion of course material is delivered through online instruction using digital technology, combined with some face-to-face components. For example, students may complete lectures and homework assignments online but have in-person lab meetings. This way, students complete certain parts of the course according to their own schedule and can revisit the material as needed. The rest of student time is then spent in a classroom, lecture hall or lab, with supervised instruction.

Technology can expand classroom boundaries

Thanks to technology, the classroom no longer has walls. The learning environment no longer has boundaries. And instruction can be provided by any number of subject matter experts in the real world-in addition to the person teaching the course through the use of technology.

"Students in a classroom in the rural U.S., for example, can learn about the Arctic by following the expedition of a team of scientists in the region, read scientists' blog posting, view photos, e-mail questions to the scientists, and even talk live with the scientists via a videoconference. Students can share what they are learning with students in other classrooms in other states who are tracking the same expedition," according to an article on technology in education by Purdue University. Ultimately, technology allows students to expand their horizons by extending learning beyond textbooks and lectures and connecting it to the real world.

Technology can encourage self-paced learning

In a traditional classroom, students who were struggling to learn new concepts would quickly fall behind their peers. With self-paced learning components, however, students can advance at their own pace as part of the learning process. Those who need more time or extra help can practice outside of class with guided exercises or additional coursework. So, too, can learners who want more of a challenge.

Thanks to the always-on nature of technology, students can access online learning resources whenever they need to. These resources also have the ability to provide instructors with a sense of which students might need extra help.

The exercise of self-paced learning with these new technologies allows students to learn digital literacy and 21st-century skills, which will have a positive impact when they enter the workforce. One such way to accomplish this goal is 1:1 computing, which provides students with the technology they need to engage in coursework.

What is 1:1 computing?

One-to-one computing (often abbreviated as "1:1") is an educational practice where academic institutions provide every student with a laptop or tablet, allowing students to access the Internet, as well as preloaded course materials and textbooks. One-to-one computing uses the impact of technology to create an equitable classroom environment in which students have easy and equal access to information. It also boosts career readiness, since the skills 1:1 computing imparts are increasingly expected both on campus and in the office.

Technology can promote innovative teaching techniques

Technology changes the way we access information, and also how we're taught that information. The instructor becomes less of a 'sage on a stage' and more of a 'guide on the side.' From accessing real-world case studies online to watching video-recorded lectures to listening to podcasts, technology opens up the possibility for teaching innovation (including collaborative group work and flipped and hybrid classrooms). Instructors can also use classroom response systems to assess students' understanding of course material, adjust the paces needed in real time and build on students' problem-solving skills. Moreover, digital materials can enhance the learning experience by making it more flexible, more engaging and better able to accommodate student needs.

How are digital materials used in the classroom?

Digital materials in the higher education classroom provoke student curiosity. These interactive textbooks or readings can also boost student engagement and lead to better learning and comprehension by offering multimedia components, discussion threads and embedded assessments. In order to foster deeper and more collaborative learning, many educators share their digital materials through chat forums, discussion threads and comprehension-testing questions to assess student learning. There are also a number of online learning materials, tools and platforms that educators can use to conduct tests, quizzes and exams.

How does technology impact student learning? A summary

While technology is sometimes seen as a threat-and it does have its limits-integrating it into your teaching practice offers a new way for students to interact and engage with course material. And this is especially essential after students have become used to learning with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to technology tools, education is no longer confined to the walls of your classroom. YouTube videos and social media don't have to be a distraction; they can be part of your lesson plans. The math is easy: it adds up to better learning outcomes.

References

1. Hayhurst, C. (2017, February 15). Medical Students Practice Critical Skills on Digital Cadavers. Retrieved from https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/02/medical-students-practice-critical-skills-digital-cadavers

2. How Has Technology Changed Education? (2017, April 25). Retrieved from https://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/how-has-technology-changed-education

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How Technology In The Classroom Can Impact Student Learning

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How does technology impact student learning? In the physical classroom, some postsecondary educators view technology as a distraction. Even if they don't ban the use of mobile phones or social media during lectures, they may begrudgingly view technology as a little more than a necessary evil.

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What does it mean to integrate technology?

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What does it mean to integrate technology?

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Integrating technology is the use of technology (computers, tables, cameras, social media, networks, softwares, etc.) in daily classroom practices. Integrating technology is successful when using it becomes second nature to both students and teachers. Technology can be a great resource to assist learning as long as it does not distract or take away from learning. The use of technology is growing and we have to grow with it. This means that teachers and schools need to be proactive and allow for integrating technologies in all classroom settings. This is how the next generation is going to learn, we need to keep up.

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As technology has revolutionized society in the 20th and 21st century, it naturally has found its way into schools, education and learning. The way that technology is integrated with classrooms and into lesson planning needs to be reflected upon so that students learning can benefit most from the new technological tools that are available now and continuing to evolve in these new times.

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What Technology Integration Is and Why It Matters

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What Technology Integration Is and Why It Matters

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Support #2

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In recent years a shift away from the concept of teaching technology to that of integrating technology has begun. In essence, what this distinction boils down to is a move away from treating technology primarily as a skills-based, disciplinary subject that students do (e.g., "We have IT next period") to seeing it as something that they use to enhance how they learn something else. With an integrated approach to technology education we treat technology as a tool that we can apply in all subjects and to various tasks, for the purpose of enhancing the learning process.

This does not mean that technology is not still also a subject in its own right: there will always be technology-specific skills and understandings our students need to have to be able to use it effec tively, particularly as they move through school. What it means is that as the nature and application of technology beyond school have evolved, so too must our approach to how we use and teach with it. This will help students learn to make informed, discerning choices about when, why, and how to use technology in and beyond the classroom.

This is why an integrated approach to technology is so valuable for learning: it puts student learning at the center as its purpose. Technology integration doesn't mean using technology all the time or, necessarily, more than you already do; it means using it purposefully, in ways and at times that make sense. When technology is integrated effectively it supports student learning in all its forms, allowing teachers to break down learning barriers and enhance wider teaching and learning.

What Is Effective Technology Integration?

Efficacy can be a tricky and subjective concept in education, since whether you consider something to have been effective or not really depends on what you hoped to achieve by doing it. We believe that the measure of truly effective technology integration is whether it enhances student learning.

When we think about technology's purpose in the classroom, and how we can leverage its strengths to help students develop the ability to learn successfully, we frame it around what we call the 3 Cs of learning: communicating, collaborating, and constructing under-standing.

Communication is vital to classroom learning, and we think about it in two ways: our communication as teachers and the communication we ask of our students. We ask students to communicate constantly: with themselves, each other, us, and the wider world.

Collaboration is the ability to work with others to create, solve problems, and learn. Whether within students' own class or school, or with other students, experts, and adults outside the school, working collaboratively is an extremely valuable skill for learning and one that is highly valued in adult life and work.

Communication and collaboration are twin pillars supporting the ultimate goal of learning: constructing understanding. Being able to transfer learning and construct deep understanding relies on students having the opportunity and support to attach content to concepts and make connections between classroom learning and real life. This is what allows our students to take the facts, knowledge, and skills they have learned out of theory and into reality; it changes their learning from abstract to concrete. We can use technology in ways that allow our students to communicate and collaborate more effectively and more seamlessly.

How Can We Integrate Technology Effectively?

Effective technology integration isn't about what you have; it's about how you use it. And how you use it depends on so much more than just curriculum, or just devices, or just pedagogy. It depends on having a purpose-based, holistic, and student-centered approach to integrating all aspects of technology in learning.

The process of developing that vision for technology integration and realizing it in a sustainable way can be long and challenging, but we believe it is worthwhile. As educators and as writers, our aim in our practice and in this book is to share what we have learned in our teaching and our work with others about how and why technology integration can make a positive impact on learning and to present an effective framework for schools and teachers.
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This blog has been adapted from Integrating Technology by Sarah Gilmore and Katierose Deos. Learn more at Heinemann.com

Follow us on Instagram @heinemannpub to stay up to date on the latest books, your favorite authors, and upcoming events!

Sarah Gilmoreis an EdTech Integration Specialist at Berlin International School in Berlin, Germany. She has taught internationally for many years as an Elementary classroom teacher, before specializing in the use of technology to enhance learning across the curriculum. In addition to her teaching and coaching work, Sarah presents at conferences and workshops internationally.

She is a co-founder of Intechgrate.euwithKatierose Deos, where she consults with schools and their teachers on integrating technology into wider teaching and learning. You can connect with her on Twitter at@S_J_Gilmore.

Katierose Deosstarted her teaching career teaching in K-8 classrooms in the United States. She is currently the Primary Years Curriculum Coordinator at Berlin International School in Berlin, Germany, where she works to implement, develop, and enhance curriculum at both the primary and whole school level. Katierose presents at conferences and workshops internationally.

She is a co-founder of Intechgrate.eu withSarah Gilmore, where she consults with schools and their teachers on integrating technology into wider teaching and learning. You can connect with her on Twitter at @DeosKatierose.

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What Technology Integration Is and Why It Matters

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Technology integration doesn't mean using technology all the time or, necessarily, more than you already do; it means using it purposefully, in ways and at times that make sense.

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Classroom Technology: A Simple Model for Using it Effectively

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Classroom Technology: A Simple Model for Using it Effectively

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Support #1

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Classroom Technology: A Simple Model for Using it Effectively

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Listen to this episode from The Classroom Commute on Spotify. WE OFTEN THINK THAT ALL TECH IS CREATED EQUAL...It's not. I love using tech in the classroom as a way to engage and motivate student learning. Tech provides opportunities to support our students in ways that other learning methods can not.

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9 Unique Ways to use Technology in the Classroom

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9 Unique Ways to use Technology in the Classroom

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Finding creative ways to use technology in the classroom can both make your life easier as a teacher and boost student excitement levels and engagement with lessons. From helping with communication among teachers and students (as well as peer-to-peer), to organizing curriculum calendars and enhancing presentations and lessons with media and visuals, there is no limit to the ways to use technology in the classroom to create an enriched learning environment. Here are just a few examples:

1. Gamified learning

To this day, I give all credit for my skill in typing to time spent playing typing games in the computer lab of my elementary school. Not only were the games incredible, and incredibly engaging programs for teaching students typing skills, they made using a computer fun and exciting for me and set the foundation for all other computer knowledge I've gained since. Learning can and should be fun and using technology for gamified learning in your classroom can be advantageous to achieving that goal. One example of a gamified learning experience is Giant Steps, a digital learning experience designed to help K-12 teachers boost student collaboration and independent practice, from the makers of GoGuardian Teacher and Pear Deck, two of the world's most popular learning platforms.

While learning software can be a great teaching tool, gamified learning can also be as simple as creating a virtual scavenger hunt by coming up with a list of questions for students to search and find the correct answers for and adding students to pairs or groups to encourage collaboration and teamwork.

2. Digital field trips

An increasingly popular, useful, and cost-effective tool for teachers searching for new ways to use technology in the classroom is taking digital field trips. Google Streetview and other similar apps allow you to virtually explore parks, forests, and even national and international landmarks from the comfort of your classroom. Virtually experience the view from the Statue of Liberty or hike through the Grand Canyon to get students excited to learn about a location or subject and extend learning beyond the page.

3. Integrate social media

Because students already spend so much of their time on social media, integrating its use into your classroom is among the most innovative ways to use technology in the classroom by connecting students to curriculum, classroom resources, and one another. Create a Facebook group specifically for your class where you post discussion topics or develop unique classroom Twitter hashtags students can use to discuss lessons or ask questions.

4. Gather student feedback

The true test of any classroom structure and/or curriculum is how well it helps students learn, and getting feedback from students is vital to assessing this, determining what is and isn't working, and addressing problems and confusion as they arise. Use online surveys and polls to perform daily or weekly check-ins with students to get their opinions on lessons and address lingering questions or concerns. Expand on the usage of Twitter hashtags by having students tweet their feedback and questions with a classroom hashtag.

#QTNA (questions that need answers!)

5. Creating digital content

Creating digital content related to the things they are learning is a great way for students to display their individual creative talents as well as showcase learning. As with any other project, the process of creating content is most effective when students are able to express themselves in ways that highlight and accommodate their personal strengths and learning/communication styles. Provide options for students to express themselves through blogs, videos, podcasts, eBooks, flyers, other digital art, or any other means they feel most comfortable. Respecting each student's individuality and needs for creative expression helps them flourish as learners.

6. Using a classroom calendar

Develop a shared online calendar for your classroom through Google Calendar or a similar program for posting important updates. Post assignment due dates and classroom events (such as field trips and guest speakers) in one easily-accessible location for both teachers and students. Go a step further and share the calendar with caregivers to keep them connected and engaged with their child's learning.

7. Review and critique webpages

While we know you can find almost anything on the internet, we also know much of what you may find is not reliable information from reliable sources. I remember being told frequently by teachers and professors, "Wikipedia is not a reliable source" when doing research papers, but can't recall a single instructor who explained why. Empower your students with digital literacy to analyze and discern reliable web pages and sources from unreliable ones by reviewing them together and developing and communicating standards for what makes a good source.

8. Video/multimedia lessons and presentations

Bring presentations to life for students by incorporating visual effects, photos, videos, and music into them. Developing slideshows and digital presentations, playing music or a video for background and context while presenting, or inviting virtual guest speakers to engage with your class via programs designed for conference calls (such as Skype, Google Hangouts, and Facetime) are all fun and creative ways to boost engagement with lessons while teaching the benefits of technology and multimedia use.

9. Online activities for students who finish work early

Set up learning stations to encourage and support students working at their own pace. If a student finishes an assignment early, rather than being stuck waiting for other students to catch up or class to end, students can extend and enhance their learning by visiting a learning station and watching videos, playing learning-based games, or exploring other online activities related to their studies.

Why students benefit from using technology in the classroom

Integrating technology into classrooms allows for more (and more effective) communication between students and teachers, as well as students, peers, and caregivers, all of which are vital to students' academic success. Using technology in your classrooms also creates space for students to have a voice in their learning. Students are empowered to take responsibility of their learning through giving feedback on lessons, participating in projects and learning activities that respect their individuality, and having opportunities and support to learn and understand how to use technology creatively, effectively, and safely.

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Note: This article was originally posted March 11, 2019 and has been updated as of July 10, 2023.

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9 Unique Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom

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Looking for creative, different ways to use technology in the classroom? Explore our list of ideas to keep your students entertained and engaged.

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How Integrating Technology Transformed My Classroom

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How Integrating Technology Transformed My Classroom

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Support #6

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How Integrating Technology Transformed My Classroom