Advancements in School Technology
Every year, educators are discovering new uses for technology in the classroom. Over the past five years, more and more schools have been adding various forms of technology to classrooms. Whether it be tablets, laptops, or other tech, these additions to the educational world means educators have to figure out one thing-how to possibly include these devices into daily lessons and work.
Technology for Collaboration
Technology can be a wonderful tool to increase collaboration amongst classrooms, and many educators have realized this. With all of the apps and websites that can be found on the internet, it is no surprise that the brilliant minds of educators found endless ways to use those apps to their advantage.
Video Collaborations
The internet has allowed for people (who would otherwise seem worlds away from each other) to be able to communicate and connect with others from all over the world. One such app that can be used to promote connection is Skype, a platform from 2003, that is still usable today. Teachers have been able to use this platform to have their students interact with other students from different countries. Stacey Ryan, a teacher from Kansas, USA is just one example. After her students connected over Skype with students from Kenya and seeing how their lack of resources affected their lives, her students were able to collaborate and raise money to have a new water system implemented into the area those students in Kenya were from! All of that work would never have happened the way it did were it not for the wonderful collaboration and connection made possible by technology!
The Use of Popular Kid’s Media in Classrooms
Often times, there is a disconnection between students and teachers K-12. Part of this disconnect comes from a lack of interest in material that younger students have a hard time relating to. The solution – incorporating popular media into your lesson plans. Now, this does not necessarily mean that the way to a student’s heart is through memes and playing songs in the classroom during independent work times, but using known and pre-existing platforms to encourage students to interact with each other. One such platform is actually the 2009 videogame Minecraft. This beloved game is known as a “sandbox” game, which means that the player can do whatever they want, how they want, and when they want. The world created within the game can be manipulated in any way, and most importantly, can be accessed by multiple people. In 2016, Minecraft got an update to be used in classrooms, “Minecraft: Education Edition”. This specific part of the platform allows for the game to be used by educators to help students create, learn, and collaborate with other students. The best part is, this platform can be used for any subject: math, science, literature, history, and more! Use the game to recreate a story from a book your students read, allow them to help each other discover ways to best convey a scientific comparison between the game and the real world. You can even have students play “survival mode”, which forces the player to hunt and gather materials to mimic how life had been like in the past.
The Whole Picture
Though there is hesitance from all parties (parents, teachers, students) it is important to note that with the constant evolving of technology in the world, knowing how to use technology in the classroom is key to helping students prepare for the world ahead of them. By using modern technology, students have access to new learning platforms, collaborations with other students, and even more power to change the world through communication and collaboration!
Keene, Becky, and Kathi Kersznowski. “Collaborators .” Sail the 7 Cs with Microsoft Education: Stories from around the World to Transform and Inspire Your Classroom, Dave Burgess Consulting, Incorporated, San Diego, 2020.