Sergio Villa Education technology in the classroom uses computers, iPads, and other technological tools to advance teaching, learning, and educational outcomes. Essentially, it’s how educators across the country use technology in a classroom to help students become more fluent in reading and writing but also help them better engage with concepts and tasks outside of the school.
So, what exactly is education technology?
“The word itself is vaguer than it seems. Everyone from the mall teacher to parents think that an educator using an app in the classroom is pedagogically equivalent to a brick and mortar classroom,” says Brooke Baxter, an instructional designer for one of the most popular websites for high school teachers: Ed Tutor360.
While ed tech’s most obvious applications are in the classroom, a few other applications make it a worthwhile and successful tool for educators. One of the most prominent applications of education technology is in teachers’ professional development and coaching.
While many teachers have basic needs like professional development, there is also a need for specific, more profound professional development with targeted themes related to specific content areas taught in class. To accomplish this, ed tech tools can be used to build digital content, including textbooks and other learning materials, that can be shared with teachers.
Teacher coaching apps can also assist teachers with specific techniques and skills,” Baxter explains. How are ed tech tools and apps being used in the classroom? A few famous examples of ed tech tools in the school include Socratic – This app lets you host a live Q&A with your students. You can pose questions and get their response in real-time.
CreateSpace – CreateSpace is an app for teachers that helps them create textbooks. The app includes writing up a work order and ordering the necessary supplies.
Quickbooks Pro – As a teacher, you have a mountain of paperwork. While many of these forms can be placed on a Word document or sent via email, you still have to manually collect and enter a lot of information.
AquaCloud – This tool, available for personal use, allows teachers to send an unlimited number of emails to students’ emails. This eliminates a significant pain point in the classroom.
Additionally, EdTutor360 has also created other apps that have been made for teachers and students.
Ed Tutor – Ed Tutor360 has a reading app that you can download onto your phone. The app requires you to have a subscription, but having your students spend more time in the book than on social media or texting is worth it.
Geoscope – Geoscope allows teachers to monitor a student’s performance on tests and homework in the classroom. It allows teachers to access tests right in the classroom.
Even though some education technology programs and tools can seem overwhelming initially, they can be well worth the investment. All these programs and more are available to schools at low or no cost.
Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Katie Fink.
