7 Latest Tools for the Classroom
Technology has touched all spheres of life, including education. The advent of technology in the classroom has opened new avenues for teachers to teach and students to learn. Now, teachers have varied technological resources at their disposal to make the classroom environment interesting and lively.
a. Tablets are the 21st Century Books
Children need different books as they move from one grade to the next. Hence, buying a tablet is more economical in the long run. Besides, tablets bring to life theoretical concepts, thereby enriching a child’s learning experience. Textbooks, if supplemented with audiovisual content stimulates more than one sense, and thus makes learning more permanent. An abstract science concept, digestion for instance, can be better explained with the help of a virtual reality video.
b. Flipped Classroom Possible with Dropbox
Cloud-based storage applications such as Dropbox and Google Drive allow both students and teachers alike to store and access teaching materials and assignments anytime, anywhere. Therefore, learning is extended beyond the classroom in the true sense.
c. No Loss of Notes with Annotation Tools
Acrobat is a popular annotation tool, which lets students make notes in PDFs. Without retyping URLs every time, you can take online quizzes and also save the links to additional resources.
d. Skype Breaks Geographical Boundaries
Renowned people who have made their mark in various fields can deliver live lectures to students via Skype. This provides an excellent opportunity to the students to interact with academicians from different fields, and thereby, broaden their horizon.
e. Pinterest is the new Green Board
Often, old bulletins and craft work of students have to be removed from display boards in schools to make space for new ones. But, with the launch of Pinterest this problem has also been resolved. Different online bulletin boards can be created for different subjects and different purposes on Pinterest without having to lose valuable work created by students. So, this new digital platform makes learning fun.
f. Get Social with Facebook and Twitter
Social media platforms open windows to the outside world. Debates and discussions on current affairs inculcate critical thinking skills in children, besides improving their knowledge of technology. Teachers can coordinate with parents via Facebook group page, and also assign homework on the platform.
g. Blogs Improve Communication
Improving communication skills is pivotal for one’s all-round development. Writing can be an excellent way of thinking aloud and being articulate. Students can write on topics of interest on WordPress and Blogspot to hone their writing and reading skills. The practice of sharing and discussing blogs with one’s peers can help garner ideas for one’s own blogs.
