In modern society, technology has its claws deeply imbedded in every aspect of our lives, TV is interactive. Facebook, Twitter and the internet are instantly accessible via smartphones, fridges order your groceries via broadband and your mp3 collection is streamed wirelessly to all the media devices in your house. It is unsurprising that the use of technology is integral to the day to day lives of modern teachers, from record keeping, to the planning and delivery of lessons.
Over the last ten years, there have been various government schemes to encourage teaches to access technology such as the “laptops for teachers” program which provided funding for new tech, while private schools have been leading the way when it comes to adopting new technology. There are few teachers now who do not have access to a computer of some description. Depending on the school this could be a desktop PC in the classroom or a laptop, or both. Some schools favour a policy of hot-desking, whereby teachers take their laptops with them as they move from classroom to classroom and plug into a network socket or connect wirelessly.
Schools are expected to keep track of a colossal amount of information on their students such as personal details and attendance data. Formally the preserve of a dusty room full of filing cabinets, powerful database software such as SIMS (Schools Information Management System) now fulfils this role, allowing teachers instant access to timetables, student data and even special educational needs information. SIMS is also used to take registers, log behavioural incidents and write school reports.
While database tech has an essential purpose, it is not something most people can get excited by. Fortunately there is a vast quantity of cool toys designed to help make lessons more involving. First and foremost is the increasingly common interactive whiteboard. A combination of data projector and touch sensitive board, teachers can write on it directly in the traditional manner, or enhance notes using software such as Boardworks, ActiveExpression and even PowerPoint. Other additions to the whiteboard include a vast number of Flash based interactive examples and games on the internet that students can interact with through the touch screen.
Another cool gadget is Activote, a set of wireless handsets that allow students to individually send answers directly to the teacher’s computer. Clever software then allows this to be analysed to see who was correct, who has the fastest finger and allows teachers to easily spot common misconceptions.
A brief trawl through YouTube will quickly show that teachers have embraced podcasting and video casting, with many educators producing downloadable lessons that students can view at their leisure at home, or through their mobile phones. The massive reduction in price of dedicated digital cameras and the integration of cameras into mobiles allow teachers to get students to produce their own educational films and many schools have programs to video lessons for staff training and professional development.
There is an educational application for every new piece of technology on the market, and it is down to the creativity of teachers to exploit the opportunity that new tech presents. In the near future, the coming wave of tablets such as the iPad are likely to make increasing appearances, small tailored apps and the robust interactive features mean the practical uses for tablets in the classroom are virtually limitless. The future for tech in the classroom is very exciting!
