Technology has always been a broad term. However, it does not take much to establish what the term captures. As a matter of fact, in the present day, technology is almost entirely synonymous with our digital advancements. As we know it, tech is incrementally changing nearly all elements of our lives, from essential to complex tasks.
Education, a sector that traditionally lagged when it came to change, is finally catching up with the rest of the cohort. The digital revolution has presented education an opportunity to meet its core objectives optimally. As such, new technologies such as interactive whiteboards are gradually being introduced to the education system. In such a way that students, now more than ever, have a great chance to accomplish their optimal potential.
What roles in technology going to play in the classrooms? This article seeks to highlight how tech will redefine our classrooms. First and foremost, it would be essential to look at what educators think about these disruptive changes. The general consensus agrees that the classroom of the future:
- Will consider interactive videos essential in the learning process.
- Curriculums will be tailored to the individual students, making them self-paced.
- Virtual reality in the classrooms.
Benefits of Tech in the Classroom
There are several advantages to integrating technology into the learning process. It is not only for educators but also for the learners. One of the most significant benefits of tech is undoubtedly the broad reach. Out of three professionals in the education sector, at least one of them looks at video as an effective way to impart education to regions where classroom learning is inaccessible. This, hence, would solve the geographical dilemma. It also presents an opportunity for learners who would have otherwise not earned education to gain knowledge.
Integrating tech in the classroom, furthermore, is imparting the learners with relevant skills for the future. The adoption and use of technology have been rising exponentially. In fact, every decade since the commercial use of the internet has had its own mini-revolution of sorts. AI revolution seems highly promising going into the future. Tech essay writers will concur that learning these skills in the classroom equips more individuals with the skills needed to be useful in the future.
Technology, at its core, is all about opportunity. In this case, tech offers learners the chance to look at diverse careers in the market. Studies show that a third of the teenagers are still looking to pursue mainstream careers. Tech, on the other hand, is a clear demonstration to most learners of the immense possibilities that exist out of the traditional molds.
Just as important, tech is the embodiment of learning being a lifetime venture. In the digital space, technologies change as quickly as they come. Therefore, it becomes immensely beneficial for the students when they are continually acquiring new knowledge to keep up with the rapid changes. It follows then that students equally learn important life skills.
Flipping the Focus
As learning institutions gradually integrate tech into their system, it would be prudent to address both sides of changing the focus. This flipped focus has three key elements.
- Students acquire knowledge through video and tech out of class.
- Students discuss and explore different concepts and applications in class.
- Instruction in class is centered 80% around the learner, and the rest on the teacher.
From this, we can unequivocally expect student engagement in the classroom to increase drastically. Subsequently, it boosts the outcomes of the learning process. Moreover, we are bound to see more learners cooperating and collaborating on projects. In which case, the students acquire pertinent soft skills on top of their formal education. Just as important, instructors can now guide their students to explore their ideas as well as discover themselves as they progress through the system.
Nevertheless, it is essential to point out some of the drawbacks that are likely to occur.
- As the classroom set up becomes more engaging to the learners, it is bound to be similarly noisy. Furthermore, students may be prone to more distractions, which may affect their abilities to focus or impair their concentration spans.
- Poor focusing abilities are likely to affect the students’ abilities to achieve their learning objectives. In a way, the tech may hinder the learning outcomes.
- Changing the center of instruction from the teacher to the students requires the proper implementation to achieve all the intended benefits.
Technology will undoubtedly change the education system for the better. But only time will tell how well we execute the changes to reap the benefits.
