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com/technology-in-the-classroom/
by Kimberley Tierney
1. Introduction
2. Benefits of tech in the classroom
3. How to use tech in the classroom
4. Assistive technology in the classroom
5. Classroom tech enables differentiated learning
6. The pros and cons of tech in the classroom
7. The current situation
If you’re a teacher, you’ve likely heard about all the ways technology can support
you in the classroom. Whether it’s tablets and smart boards or the internet and
social media, technology influences the modern classroom in too many ways to
count. But most teachers don’t get a manual that shows them how to effectively use
and implement this kind of technology in the classroom.
This guide will help you understand how technology can empower you and your
students. We’ll explore how digital tools can help teachers and students succeed,
and how you can use that tech in a safe, professional way. Learning how technology
is shaping the world of learning will help you see how it fits into your specific
needs and your goals as an educator.
Technology can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll show you how to
get started with the right tools for you and your students.
Benefits of technology in the
Classroom
There are a multitude of tools, devices, and apps specifically designed to
help teachers do what they do best. Most teachers who use technology in
the classroom will agree: It makes their lives easier.
It’s clear that both teachers and students are taking advantage of all that
technology has to offer. But how exactly can technology support teachers?
A number of apps are designed to help teachers take attendance so the task
doesn’t take time out of their day. Students can mark their names on a
tablet when they enter the door, even if the teacher is busy preparing for
class.
Storing and sharing lessons in the cloud lets teachers access lessons
anytime, from anywhere. Digital lesson planning also allows teachers to
quickly access and apply their own lessons from past years — no filing
cabinets required.
Fast feedback and workflows. Teachers can use Google Drive and other
cloud applications for faster editing and grading. When students submit
their work online, teachers can easily access it without having to juggle
papers. This creates a more meaningful revision workflow between teachers
and students because teachers can see exactly what students changed. The
cloud enables students to collaborate with each other on assignments and
projects too.
Teachers can also use automated email and text alerts to communicate with
a large number of parents in an instant. And information about weather
delays and school closings can be sent out quickly and efficiently with
technology.
Preparing children for the future
Another part of digital citizenship is learning how to stay safe by using tools
like password managers and multifactor authentication, plus learning to
identify scams.
Life skills. Searching for jobs, writing cover letters, and sending emails are
all crucial skills for twenty-first century success. Students who know how to
express themselves well online are much better equipped for a competitive
job market. Learning to create a basic website or implement a social media
strategy also makes students more desirable candidates in a competitive job
market.
Technology can be used for two different types of learning: active and
passive. Both are important, so let’s explore how technology plays a role in
each.
Passive learning lessons give teachers a stronger grasp of how class time is
spent and what’s learned each day. They also offer a standardized
presentation of learning material, which some students may benefit from.
Reading something on a tablet, viewing an educational video, or watching
an online lesson are all ways that technology can facilitate passive learning.
Gamification
Points and badges. There are myriad classroom apps that allow students to
earn points or badges instead of grades. In fact, points can be accumulated
throughout a unit to determine a grade once the project or lesson is
finished. Badges can symbolize different levels of mastery and can include
small rewards or titles, like “reading rockstar” or “algebra expert,” to help
students feel proud of their accomplishments.
Instant feedback
Online polls and quizzes. The use of online polls and quizzes ensures that
students gain instant feedback on their work. Teachers can also poll students
on specific aspects of a lesson to gauge how well they understood it. Digital
quizzes provide teachers with analytics so they can identify areas where
multiple students are struggling.
Choosing the right technology for your classroom can be overwhelming. But
as we mentioned before, getting clear on your learning objectives can help
you determine which tools will be best.
You may choose to use technology only in the morning, for example. Or you
may have one day a week where technology isn’t a basis for any lesson plan.
Regardless of technology’s prevalence in our daily lives, educators should
strive to strike a balance between manual and digital activities.
Many teachers also use technology to involve parents and families in the
learning process. Teachers can provide parents with access to project
reports, grades, and classroom calendars to demonstrate what students are
learning — and what they may need to work on at home.
Digital study guides and test prep quizzes can help students prepare for
standardized tests. Online databases allow students to explore history and
find primary sources for research projects. This can facilitate discussion
about how to find reputable sources online, which also ties into important
conversations about how to keep data safe and private.
Budget constraints are one of the main obstacles preventing teachers from
implementing technology in their classrooms. Whether it’s switching to a
smartboard or buying some Chromebooks, even small device adoptions can
feel unattainable without proper funding.
Fortunately, there are many grants available. Local, state, federal, and
nonprofit grants can all help teachers acquire educational devices and
pursue technology-driven projects. Here’s what you need to know about
finding and applying for grants that can improve access to technology and
promote learning equity for students of all backgrounds.
What do you need an educational technology grant for?
Clarify your project. It’s important to have a clear focus when applying for
a grant. This makes the impact of technology access more measurable over
time. When you know what goal the technology is meant to help achieve,
you can better quantify the impacts of those devices.
Getting clear on your goal early can also make the application process
easier. Most grant applications will ask for details about how you’ll use the
technology. The more specific you can be, the more likely a grant will be
awarded.
Many donors, especially those in the private sector, will also want to see how
their funding made an impact. Keep tabs on student growth before, during,
and after the grant money was applied. When you can clearly articulate how
the grant advanced student learning, you boost the chances of your
classroom or school receiving a grant again in the future.
When writing a grant proposal, it’s best to keep your options open to
numerous funding sources. Your list of potential resources should span both
public and private donors. Each of the entities you apply to will have
different requirements, notes Gregory Firn, Ed.D. , a former school
administrator and current executive at RoboKind.
“The way grants are structured, the amounts available, the specific deadlines,
the time it takes to be notified of an award after application, and the
number of people on grant application review committees vary widely,
which is why it’s important to explore many different sources and to apply to
multiple agencies.”
Grants tend to have specific requirements about who is granted funds and
why. Not every available grant is going to work for your classroom, your
students, and/or your school. Diversifying your grant applications can
increase the chances that you’ll find the right funding fit for your project.
You’re talking to people who care about advancing education equity. Use
data and details to illustrate how your students can benefit from technology,
but don’t be afraid to use emotion and storytelling to explain why your
students deserve the grant. Strike this balance, and your grant application
will be both well-rounded and relatable.
What technology do you need to meet your goals? How long will it take to
execute these projects? What will success look like for your classroom? The
reviewers will likely be looking at hundreds of applications, and keeping
things direct will help your application stand out.
Ask for help. Your district likely offers many resources for helping write
your grant application. There may be other teachers in your school who have
successfully applied for a grant in the past. Similarly, administrators at your
school may have insight into funding sources or proposal writing tips. You
may also have a district grants coordinator, whose sole job it is to help
teachers like you secure essential grant funding.
You can find state funding sources by looking at your state’s education
website too. For example, The New York State Department of
Education offers a list of funding resources for schools and districts across
the state. The Office of Educational Technology also has information and
resources to support the advancement of technology in the classroom.
The U.S. Department of Energy provides grants to classrooms pursuing
STEM initiatives as well.
Foundations, associations, and unions. In addition to looking at state and
federal grants, it’s a good idea to explore national and private foundations,
associations, and unions. For example, the Corning Foundation provides
technology grants to teachers with a specific plan for learning advancement
in STEAM. The Captain Planet Foundation provides technology grants to
projects with a sustainability focus.
Assistive technology in the classroom takes into account the fact that
students learn in different ways. It allows all students in a classroom to work
at their own pace using tools that support their specific needs. This is
especially beneficial in schools with larger class sizes, where it can be harder
to cater to each student in a personalized and meaningful way.
Some teachers may think that adding technology will complicate lesson
planning and increase their workloads. However, integrating technology into
the classroom doesn’t have to involve any extra planning. Special education
teacher Morgan Tigert explains that she doesn’t offer an alternative
curriculum for special-needs students in her class. Instead, she creates one
curriculum and provides students many different options for learning the
same information.
Using this model, teachers can create one lesson plan designed to be taught
across a variety of assistive technologies and mediums. Tigert’s approach
allows students to work at their own pace and demonstrate aptitude in their
own way. Special-needs students in this classroom model may feel more
included when using assistive technology, as everyone is using individual
tools. This may reduce the stigma on students who use assistive technology
in a classroom where others don’t. It can also provide all students with more
agency over the learning process, which can boost motivation, reliability,
and self-advocacy.
Since students in the classroom are all learning the same material, albeit in
different ways, they can collaborate during meaningful discussions. This
ensures that special-needs students of all levels have the opportunity to
learn real-world communication and teamwork skills.
In this way, assistive technology can promote learning equity, unlike
traditional special-needs teaching. Different students in those more
traditional special-needs classrooms are presented with varying levels of
material, which can actually widen the achievement gap.
From simple timers to complex voice recognition tools, there are a variety of
assistive technologies available to the modern classroom. Different tools,
apps, and devices can support nearly all learning challenges and abilities.
Here’s an overview of the most common assistive technology in the
classroom.
Large-display and talking calculators can help students who have visual or
auditory impairments with their math assignments. Students with dyscalculia
may also benefit from talking calculators, which help them perform
equations and read numbers correctly.
Digital assignments can also be helpful for students with challenges like
dyslexia. Electronic worksheets can guide students through the proper
alignment of words, equations, and numbers. Similarly, audiobooks can help
students follow along with written textbooks both in class and after school.
An audio version of the day’s lesson allows students to replay the lecture so
that they don’t lose or forget information.
More advanced technologies can also support students with visual, auditory,
and motor skill challenges. The benefit of advanced technology tools is that
many of them can be incorporated with laptops and tablets, meaning all
students can learn from the same devices, yet in different ways.
Text-to-speech (TTS) tools support students with blindness, dyslexia, ADHD,
autism, and other issues that cause visual or concentration impairment.
These can be integrated with a Braille translator. Text-to-speech tools scan
textbooks, assignments, and other materials, then read the text aloud to the
student.
This shows students not only what material is presented, but also how to
properly pace their words and how to pronounce them correctly. This can be
especially helpful in subjects where new vocabulary and concepts are
presented.
Screen readers are another TTS tool that teachers can incorporate into
lessons that use e-readers, tablets, and laptops. A screen reader can be
hooked up to headphones for a student in a large class so that it doesn’t
disrupt or distract other students.
Students with attention issues like ADHD and ADD may also benefit from
speech-to-text tools, as they can help them record their thoughts more
efficiently. Students can use these tools to write, edit, and revise their work
using just their voice. These tools can also be used to record the teacher so
that lessons can be transcribed into notes for the student to review later.
Students with dyslexia might also benefit from a keyboard that reads from A
to Z, rather than the standard QWERTY keyboard. These keyboards can be
connected to the laptops or tablets that other students are using so that
everyone can view and complete the same work at once.
Onscreen keyboards can also help students with limited physical ability
because they can be used with alternative microphones and switches, as well
as eye gazes.
Teachers can also join students in virtual reality scenarios to walk students
through specific instructions or lessons. Mixed reality headsets can provide
students with a more personalized learning experience, even in a large class
where other students are progressing at a different pace.
Students enter the school system with a wide range of learning styles, skills,
and knowledge levels. Usually, as students advance through each grade,
these differences deepen due to minimal differentiation in instruction.
Imagine two students who are equally capable of mastering a lesson, but
only one of them receives instruction in their preferred learning style
throughout the year. The other student will likely fall behind because they
don’t have an opportunity to learn according to their skill set. This widening
achievement gap is perhaps the biggest reason why differentiated
instruction is a growing trend.
Casting a wide net when teaching to different learning styles helps meet
each student’s needs more effectively. For teachers, this means greater
flexibility around how students learn and how they demonstrate knowledge.
It also ensures that students aren’t left behind just because they have a
different learning style.
There are many ways to differentiate learning in the classroom. When you’re
first getting started with differentiated instruction, it can be helpful to learn
the basic strategies that other teachers follow for success. These include
creating student groups, curating content, and leveraging student
performance data.
Regardless of how you create groups, be sure to rotate them often. This
ensures students have continual opportunities to learn and grow alongside
students with different learning styles. You can also switch back and forth
between larger groups and pairs to ensure no two students get too
accustomed to working together.
Curate content, tools, and resources. When getting started with
differentiated instruction in the classroom, you’ll want to give students a
variety of learning options. Gathering a list of content, tools, and resources
ensures you always have a reliable library of content available.
Another tool for finding and curating content resources is Edcite. Their
online library contains assignments crafted by other English language arts
teachers. This free teaching tool also makes it easy to change or pivot lesson
plans based on where students are at the moment.
There are a number of tools that can evaluate learning aptitudes across
different projects. Edji, for example, is a reading tool that tracks student
progress within a given text and provides them with prompts based on their
skill level. Since all student interactions with the app are monitored, teachers
can glean insights, such as how long students read, when they were
engaged in a text, and what passage was most engaging.
Instead of assigning everyone a unit test, for example, you can give students
options. Technology can help facilitate each one of these assessments.
Students who feel more comfortable using a keyboard to type out their
thoughts can stick with an essay. Other students may prefer to give a
presentation and use video to record it. Whether students make a video,
create an art project, or record an audio presentation, technology allows
teachers to assess student comprehension.
Surveys are great because they let you solicit student opinions anonymously,
which helps many students open up and share opinions they otherwise
might not.
Two of the most common teacher tools for flipped classroom models are
Many parents are also concerned that technology use may contribute to
additional screen time in a world where students are already bombarded by
cell phones, televisions, and tablets.
While tech does have the ability to boost equality among students, it can
also widen equality gaps between students of different socioeconomic
levels. Another common complaint against technology in the classroom is
that it can lead to hyperactivity and attention disorders, which is one of the
leading learning challenges students face today.
To help you make more informed choices when using technology in the
classroom, here’s a breakdown of how digital tools benefit students and how
they can be a detriment.
Personalized education vs unequal learning
Students who are already further along can use technology to access higher-
level instruction, while students who need extra support can get it when and
how they need it. Best of all, teachers can use technology to see where
students are in the learning process and how they’re progressing. This offers
more insight into each student’s learning journey, which allows for
individualized instruction that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
It’s true that technology prepares students for the future in an increasingly
digital world. Students who learn how to type, research, and use social
media will be much more equipped to succeed both personally and
professionally than those who don’t learn these skills.
And students who are comfortable using technology are more likely to excel
in high school, which can help them be more prepared for a university
setting. Teachers who make technology an everyday aspect of the classroom
ensure that their students are ready and equipped to succeed in the world.
While access to technology helps certain students advance, lack of access
can make students fall behind. Students in low-income schools may not
have the same opportunities as students in high-income schools.
Teachers often appreciate the many ways technology can expand students’
worldviews. From Google Maps to virtual museum exhibits to primary source
films, technology connects students to other places and times in ways that
wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Students can access any information they want — which may not always be
a good thing. Many parents worry that increased technology use in schools
will enable students to cheat. If students use technology to cheat now (and
get away with it), it could cause them to create unethical habits for the
future. This can become a serious problem in college, where getting caught
cheating can be grounds for expulsion.
The truth is, today’s students are accustomed to using screens in every
aspect of their lives, so using technology in the classroom is often easy for
both teachers and students. Since most children already know how to use
tablets and computers, there isn’t a steep learning curve.
It makes sense for students to learn these tools in the classroom, as they’ll
likely use them in the future. Students need to be exposed to technology
early on in order to succeed at work and life.
On the other hand, the technology used in schools can be distracting. The
downside of technology literate students is that they know how to use
digital tools for fun and games. When your classroom is full of students on
devices, it can be challenging to keep tabs on everyone. This can exacerbate
distractions and, in turn, widen achievement gaps among students.
Today’s children already have more attention deficit disorders than in the
past. This could be linked to overstimulation caused by screens. Setting
boundaries for technology can limit screen time to a certain number of
minutes or hours per day. Teachers can also take time to instill these
boundaries, helping students create healthy relationships with technology
for the rest of their lives.
Teachers can also do their part to limit screen time in the classroom. Many
people oppose classroom technology because it can lead to behavioral
disruptions, sleep disorders, and social challenges. It’s too early to determine
the long-term effects of this kind of technology on young children, but
many people would rather take the safe route and impose healthy limits on
these tools.
Here’s a look back at how technology has changed education over the years.
1800s: By the 1800s, pencils and paper were more popular in classrooms, as
were textbooks and printed works of literature and poetry. The chalkboard
was invented in Scotland during this century. Originally made from natural
black or grey slate, it gave teachers a way of sharing information with a
larger range of students. The slide rule was also invented during this century,
enabling students to perform basic and complex math problems in a more
organized format. The end of the century saw the invention of magic
lanterns, which used lanterns and oil lamps to give presentations.
“Audio cues let teachers know when to advance to the next image; later
models performed this function automatically,” says educator Laura Gray.
Filmstrip projectors were used until the 1980s, when videocassettes became
more popular and eliminated the need for projectors. Ballpoint pens also
became an important tool during this time, and students began recording
their own homework on paper and in notebooks.
Educational videos also became more popular during the ’70s and ’80s,
helping to present material in a more dynamic and compelling way that
captured students’ attention. Scantrons were another major invention of this
period. They enabled more efficient and accurate test-taking and better
evaluation of results. The computer began to find its way into classrooms,
but it was still emerging as a personal technology and not universally
accessible by teachers, students, and schools due to the high price.
Tools like Moodle allowed teachers to create and share lessons with
students. The open-source nature of this tool also introduced the idea of
teachers being able to share lesson plans with other teachers from around
the world. This expanded teacher knowledge and promoted the sharing of
lessons across states and countries. Clickers also became popular during this
time, allowing students a more interactive way to answer questions.
2010–present: So far, this has been the most explosive decade of classroom
technology transformation. The tablet is, in itself, a major transformation,
with the development of apps bringing personalized education and
gamification to everyday classroom learning. Digital whiteboards also
created a more interactive experience that allowed students to immerse
more deeply in subjects like math, English, and science. Mobile phones are
also important pieces of classroom technology.
Technology has come far from the days of Scantrons and projectors. But
how exactly has technology changed? What relationship do today’s students
have with technology? Classroom technology statistics offer insight into
what technology means for today’s students.
What is the state of technology access and disparity in the United States?
The main reason teachers don’t have more technology in the classroom is a
lack of funding.
How do teachers feel about technology?
Technology also holds the power to transform not only what we learn but
how. Teachers can bring immersive, global experiences to their students.
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or an administrator, it’s crucial to
understand how technology is used in the classroom today.
This article is originally published on Nov 19, 2019, and updated on Jan 14, 2020