Technology in the Classroom

Being a student in the 21st century means that technology in the classroom is, for the most part, a given. Not everyone thinks this is a good thing, but there are a great many wonderful ways to use technology as a benefit to learning. According to students, it makes learning more fun, and it certainly prepares them for a future in which technology will play an increasingly important part. Additionally, using technology in the classroom improves students’ retention rates, helps students learn at their own pace, and can even provide a firmer and more innovative connection to the classroom.

There are many fun and easy ways to introduce technology into the classroom, even for teachers who feel they haven’t yet mastered technology themselves. Here are some ideas for how to get started. 

1. WebQuests—A WebQuest is an innovative online lesson format that many students love. They are based inside the classroom and emphasize methods of higher-order thinking like analysis, creativity, and criticism as students search the Internet for specific information. They also encourage group work, as most Quests split tasks between different student roles. As an example, students could be asked to serve as curators of a museum, and then search the web to determine what artifacts belong in their museum, and also explain their choices. Since there are already many pre-constructed WebQuests out there, this is a great technological tool to start using right away! 
2. Email Exchanges—For the most part, pen pal exchanges are a thing of the past. As a freshman in high school only seven years ago, I was unable to find a foreign pen pal to correspond with by snail mail, and I even utilized the Internet in my attempts to locate one. However, there are many ways to connect your classroom with students in other schools, cities, states, and even countries via email. Additionally, for students who struggle to understand the “real world applications” of math or science, it would be great to put them in touch with a video game designer, an astronaut, or an engineer through email so students can see how people use those skills every day. 
3. Multimedia Presentations—Try livening up a more traditional lecture and incorporate elements like photographs, diagrams, sound effects, music, and video clips into your PowerPoint presentations. Or, better yet, encourage your students to do the same in their own projects! PowerPoint is also a great tool for creating fun classroom activities like Game Show Test Reviews. 
4. Podcasts—There are thousands of podcasts available on the Internet, just waiting for you to search for ones that meet your students’ needs. For example, you could listen to an interview with the author of the book your students are reading, a lecture on dwarf stars to supplement your lesson on space, or any number of TED Talks on a wide variety of inspiring topics. For more advanced students, college professors’ lectures are sometimes available as podcasts, and students can even create their own podcasts to document their progress through the school year or discuss their ideas on issues pertaining to the course. 
5. Online Publishing—So many tools exist today for students to create professional-looking work on the computer, so why not show it off? Teachers can always publish student work on class websites, but there are many opportunities to take it further than that. Students could create a short film and publish it online, or run an ongoing website that features student work, message boards, and a place for everyone in the classroom to express their opinions. If there is a really ambitious student, they could even try to raise the money to have their work professionally published by a self-publishing company like Bookwright, iUniverse, Lulu.

So go explore technology in the classroom! The possibilities are endless.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services