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This article is about how important technology truly is in education. It points out the challenges (such as how it is harder to restrict what students search for) and the benefits (such as more accessible learning).

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Many of today's high-demand jobs were created in the last decade, according to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). As advances in technology drive globalization and digital transformation, teachers can help students acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the careers of the future.

How important is technology in education? The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly demonstrating why online education should be a vital part of teaching and learning. By integrating technology into existing curricula, as opposed to using it solely as a crisis-management tool, teachers can harness online learning as a powerful educational tool.

The effective use of digital learning tools in classrooms can increase student engagement, help teachers improve their lesson plans, and facilitate personalized learning. It also helps students build essential 21st-century skills.

Virtual classrooms, video, augmented reality (AR), robots, and other technology tools can not only make class more lively, they can also create more inclusive learning environments that foster collaboration and inquisitiveness and enable teachers to collect data on student performance.

Still, it's important to note that technology is a tool used in education and not an end in itself. The promise of educational technology lies in what educators do with it and how it is used to best support their students' needs.

Educational Technology Challenges

BuiltIn reports that 92 percent of teachers understand the impact of technology in education. According to Project Tomorrow, 59 percent of middle school students say digital educational tools have helped them with their grades and test scores. These tools have become so popular that the educational technology market is projected to expand to $342 billion by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum.

However, educational technology has its challenges, particularly when it comes to implementation and use. For example, despite growing interest in the use of AR, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technology, less than 10 percent of schools report having these tools in their classrooms, according to Project Tomorrow. Additional concerns include excessive screen time, the effectiveness of teachers using the technology, and worries about technology equity.

Prominently rising from the COVID-19 crisis is the issue of content. Educators need to be able to develop and weigh in on online educational content, especially to encourage students to consider a topic from different perspectives. The urgent actions taken during this crisis did not provide sufficient time for this. Access is an added concern - for example, not every school district has resources to provide students with a laptop, and internet connectivity can be unreliable in homes.

Additionally, while some students thrive in online education settings, others lag for various factors, including support resources. For example, a student who already struggled in face-to-face environments may struggle even more in the current situation. These students may have relied on resources that they no longer have in their homes.

Still, most students typically demonstrate confidence in using online education when they have the resources, as studies have suggested. However, online education may pose challenges for teachers, especially in places where it has not been the norm.

Despite the challenges and concerns, it's important to note the benefits of technology in education, including increased collaboration and communication, improved quality of education, and engaging lessons that help spark imagination and a search for knowledge in students.

The Benefits of Technology in Education

Teachers want to improve student performance, and technology can help them accomplish this aim. To mitigate the challenges, administrators should help teachers gain the competencies needed to enhance learning for students through technology. Additionally, technology in the classroom should make teachers' jobs easier without adding extra time to their day.

Technology provides students with easy-to-access information, accelerated learning, and fun opportunities to practice what they learn. It enables students to explore new subjects and deepen their understanding of difficult concepts, particularly in STEM. Through the use of technology inside and outside the classroom, students can gain 21st-century technical skills necessary for future occupations.

Still, children learn more effectively with direction. The World Economic Forum reports that while technology can help young students learn and acquire knowledge through play, for example, evidence suggests that learning is more effective through guidance from an adult, such as a teacher.

Leaders and administrators should take stock of where their faculty are in terms of their understanding of online spaces. From lessons learned during this disruptive time, they can implement solutions now for the future. For example, administrators could give teachers a week or two to think carefully about how to teach courses not previously online. In addition to an exploration of solutions, flexibility during these trying times is of paramount importance.

Below are examples of how important technology is in education and the benefits it offers to students and teachers.

Increased Collaboration and Communication

Educational technology can foster collaboration. Not only can teachers engage with students during lessons, but students can also communicate with each other. Through online lessons and learning games, students get to work together to solve problems. In collaborative activities, students can share their thoughts and ideas and support each other. At the same time, technology enables one-on-one interaction with teachers. Students can ask classroom-related questions and seek additional help on difficult-to-understand subject matter. At home, students can upload their homework, and teachers can access and view completed assignments using their laptops.

Personalized Learning Opportunities

Technology allows 24/7 access to educational resources. Classes can take place entirely online via the use of a laptop or mobile device. Hybrid versions of learning combine the use of technology from anywhere with regular in-person classroom sessions. In both scenarios, the use of technology to tailor learning plans for each student is possible. Teachers can create lessons based on student interests and strengths. An added benefit is that students can learn at their own pace. When they need to review class material to get a better understanding of essential concepts, students can review videos in the lesson plan. The data generated through these online activities enable teachers to see which students struggled with certain subjects and offer additional assistance and support.

Curiosity Driven by Engaging Content

Through engaging and educational content, teachers can spark inquisitiveness in children and boost their curiosity, which research says has ties to academic success. Curiosity helps students get a better understanding of math and reading concepts. Creating engaging content can involve the use of AR, videos, or podcasts. For example, when submitting assignments, students can include videos or interact with students from across the globe.

Improved Teacher Productivity and Efficiency

Teachers can leverage technology to achieve new levels of productivity, implement useful digital tools to expand learning opportunities for students, and increase student support and engagement. It also enables teachers to improve their instruction methods and personalize learning. Schools can benefit from technology by reducing the costs of physical instructional materials, enhancing educational program efficiency, and making the best use of teacher time.

Become a Leader in Enriching Classrooms through Technology

Educators unfamiliar with some of the technology used in education may not have been exposed to the tools as they prepared for their careers or as part of their professional development. Teachers looking to make the transition and acquire the skills to incorporate technology in education can take advantage of learning opportunities to advance their competencies. For individuals looking to help transform the education system through technology, American University's School of Education online offers a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Master of Arts in Education Policy and Leadership to prepare educators with essential tools to become leaders. Courses such as Education Program and Policy Implementation and Teaching Science in Elementary School equip graduate students with critical competencies to incorporate technology into educational settings effectively.

Learn more about American University's School of Education online and its master's degree programs.

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How Important Is Technology in Education? | American University

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How important is technology in education? Learn how American University's School of Education can prepare you to serve as a leader in educational technology.

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This article is a summary of how to properly manage your classroom. It includes tips on setting boundaries, behavior management, interacting with students, and knowing how to resolve challenges that may arise such as disruptive students or those who come unprepared to class.

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Take a moment to think back to your time as a student and recall some of your favorite courses. Very likely, those courses were well organized, assignments were clear, lectures and classroom discussions were focused and interesting, and the professor conveyed a passion for teaching and compassion for the students. How can you create such an environment in your own courses?

Effective classroom management entails meticulous planning but also a readiness to switch gears and move away from the script when necessary; it requires firm control but also a willingness to relinquish that control to take advantage of a teachable moment; it requires leadership but also a sense of compassion and understanding of your students.

Behavior Management ≠ Classroom Management, Education Week

Effective classroom management begins with strong organizational skills-preparing your materials carefully, practicing with the technology, and getting a sense of how to best organize and move around in the room, but that's not where the planning ends. Consider these techniques as you develop your classroom management style:

Introduce yourself. Explicitly state the way you would like to be addressed.

Consider offering an ice breaker to relax students and encourage interaction.

Teach something; immediately begin to engage students in the course.

Take class time to review the syllabus and emphasize important aspects. In fact, use the syllabus to begin building student engagement even before you meet with students by ensuring that it articulates learning outcomes, class format, and expected behavior. During those first few hectic add/drop weeks, students appreciate an instructor who clearly and concisely presents a course overview.

Expect some students to come in late. They're getting lost, too!

Consider setting community rules (e.g., regarding phones, laptops, talking, sleeping, eating, late arrivals, and early departures) with the students; they will appreciate the democratic approach.

Start learning names right away; anonymity discourages student engagement. Using props (name cards, photos, index cards), taking attendance (but remember that UConn policy prohibits grading attendance), and handing back papers and homework can help you to connect a name with a face.

Refer to First Day of Class for more information on first class activities and learning students' names.

Greet students as they enter the classroom

Chat with them for a few moments-Consider opening class with a brief casual conversation about a current event or something interesting from the homework

Intersperse lecture with discussion, group work, or video segments to encourage involvement and help students connect the content with real-world events and issues

Ask questions (giving plenty of wait time) and respond to student comments

Make eye contact with as many students as possible during class

Feldman (2001) characterized four general types of classroom incivility:

Annoyances;

Classroom terrorism;

Intimidation of the instructor; and

Threats or attacks on a person or person's psyche.

These four types of incivility range from arriving to class late (annoyances), to monopolizing classroom time with personal agendas (labeled as classroom terrorism by Feldman), to threatening to go to the department chair with complaints or give negative course evaluations (intimidation), to threats of physical violence or even physical attacks. The impact of each of these types of incivility on learning varies greatly but all of these types of incivility can disrupt the learning process.

Be proactive. When it comes to promoting classroom civility, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Expectations for behavior should be included in your syllabus, presented on the first day of class, and revisited as necessary. Along with elaborating on your expectations, the consequences for violating these expectations should be specific and consistently explained and enforced. UConn's standards should also be included so all students are aware of university policies and what is expected from them as citizens of the university community.

Be specific. Contrary to what you may think and hope some college students have not learned how to behave appropriately in the classroom. Therefore, it is necessary to provide very specific expectations. Rather than telling students to "be respectful," provide them with examples. Can students disagree with the opinions of others? Can they ask questions while you are lecturing? Can they record your lecture? Alternatively, must they express their dissenting viewpoint or ask questions in accordance to certain expectations? If so, explain what those expectations are expectations.

Be in control. By studying university policies and thinking through possible problems you can develop a plan of action. Although you cannot anticipate all occurrences, you can develop plans that will help in many different instances. Whether the incivility was something you addressed in your syllabus or some type of unexpected incivility, typically, immediate action is necessary to demonstrate that you have control of the classroom. The specific action taken will depend upon the infraction. UConn provides information on student conduct on the website for Community Standards. Incivility should be carefully documented along with how you handled the situation and the student's response.

Be a model. Your own behavior serves as a powerful representation of how you want students to behavior in the classroom and treat you and their classmates. You cannot demand respectful behavior from students if you are not respectful of them.

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Classroom Management | Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

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Take a moment to think back to your time as a student and recall some of your favorite courses. Very likely, those courses were well organized, assignments ...

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This website is an overview of what differentiated instruction really is. It goes into detail on the six categories that are useful for differentiated instruction.

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Differentiated instruction involves teaching in a way that meets the different needs and interests of students using varied course content, activities, and assessments.

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This website is a combination of math and science videos for students and teachers. There are countless videos about all kinds of science and math topics for students of all grades K-8.

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NEW K-8 Math Lessons Now Available

Get instant access to hours of fun, standards-based videos, reading material, quiz games, simple DIY activities & more.

Get instant access to hours of fun, standards-based videos, reading material, quiz games, simple DIY activities & more.

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Our science videos for kids cover all major topics in grades K-8 and come with lesson plans, activities, quizzes, vocabulary & more. Try it free.

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This curriculum website includes lessons from Kindergarten all the way through high school and college. It has all subjects and lesson plans that are accessible online.

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IXL's skill plans make it even more convenient to find content to support what you're teaching today. Check out fully integrated alignments to popular textbooks, test prep plans, and state standards.