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4 Ways You Can Keep Your Kids Busy at Home Amidst COVID 19 16 Jun 2020 3:09 AM (4 years ago)

There’s no denying of the fact, COVID-19 has given birth to several challenges across the globe for parents who had school going kids. Young age is a time when kids are supposed to be encapsulated in academic institutions for a better future. However, this year it is tough to say if schools and colleges will reopen anytime sooner. This is the main reason, a lot of parents across the globe are worried about their kidâ€s education and are looking for creative ways to keep their munchkins busy at home.

Not to forget, there are several activities that can have a strong impact on young minds while they’re at home. Read on to know more:

1.      Have Open Conversations

The first and easiest way to engage kids at home is to allow them in open conversations. Although coronavirus has taken a big toll on everyone’s routine throughout the globe but has allowed families to sit together at once place, encourage your children to ask questions and talk to them about things you’ve never discussed. It is best if you can engage them in healthy conversations through quizzes and other techniques. For instance, when you plan their math worksheets, you can carve an interesting questionnaire for them.

2.      Work on Their Skills Development

Although there is no perfect age for someone to learn a new skill, it is still best if your kids learn several important skills during their young age. Skills development is the most important phase of a child’s life because it is what they carry for the rest of their lives. As a parent, you must consider your responsibility to teach them about reading, listening, writing, painting, and a lot more at home. The more time you spend with your children, the better it will be for their mental growth. Spending more time with their parents will allow them to build a strong emotional connection.

3.      Plan Their Routine Together

One of the leading mistakes, a lot of parents make is when they don’t allow their kids to participate in routine planning. Now that they’re at home all the time, you can’t push them out of the house to play because it’s not safe. Instead of letting them become a couch potato for the entire day, ask them to carve their routine with you. Jot down all the tasks on a piece of paper and make sticky notes. This way, they will feel more empowered and responsible at a young age. Keep in mind, engaging kids in the house chores is a good way to develop their skills.

4.      Build a Study Corner For Them

With COVID-19 being omnipresent across the globe, no one is sure about the exact date for the reopening of academic institutions. Secondly, because it is not wise enough to keep children away from their studies for a long time, you need to engage them in studies. Set aside a study corner for them so that they feel responsible for completing their monthly work assessments. Don’t forget to keep in touch with their school management. Amidst this pandemic, most schools across the globe are giving online classes and assigning monthly work.

5 Signs You’d Be A Great Teacher 2 Jul 2019 8:30 PM (5 years ago)

Are you thinking about becoming a teacher? Teachers are one of the most important parts of our workforce as they train our future leaders. Their care, compassion, and educational training make them one of the most important people in schools and colleges. As a teacher, you will interact with children and students on a daily basis – the words you tell them will be ingrained in them long after your lecture ends. Becoming a teacher means taking up a lot of responsibility, but if you have fun while youâ€re doing it- it will never feel like a burden! 

If you are thinking about the job prospects and salary, then being a teacher is one of the safest professions to get into. A good teacher is always in demand. Institutions are always looking for teachers in maths, science, special education and English. Teaching options have also expanded and you can find your own schedule and find a programme that fits your needs. 

Here are 5 signs youâ€d be a great teacher. 

1) You are passionate about your subject and want to share your knowledge 

If you constantly find yourself researching topics that you love and learning more about it; then it is a great sign that you will be a good teacher. A teacher who has good subject knowledge and isnâ€t afraid to learn more each day is at the end of the day one of the best teachers around. No one likes lectures that drone on and on and talk about the same thing every single day. 

A good teacher also loves sharing his or her knowledge with everyone. If you often find yourself explaining and talking about things that excite you a lot then it is a sign of what it takes to be a teacher. The classroom setting is an ideal one for you, as there will be students listening in on every word you are saying. 

2) You love children and young people 

As a teacher, you will be interacting with children or young students every single day. It is of paramount importance, that you love interacting with people younger to you. They will often come up to you for advice and will struggle with the subjects you are teaching. But with your patience and sense of humour, you can bridge that gap and that is the sign of a great teacher! 

3) You have a great sense of humour 

As a teacher, one also needs to have a fun personality as you will be teaching the same thing over and over again. So, infusing some amount of humour in your lessons will add a much-needed vigour to your lessons. As a teacher, everyone loves a teacher with a good sense of humour and someone who can really light up the room. 

4) You have a teacherâ€s voice 

As a teacher, you should be loud and clear to the room you are teaching to. Some people are born with a good teachers voice and arenâ€t afraid to use it. You have to be legible, audible and really clear as a teacher. If you already have these qualities, then you can be a great teacher!

5) You are a natural leader 

A good teacher is one who is a natural leader. If you love leading people and love teaching a group of people, then you have it in you to be a good leader. Leading and captivating a room full of students isnâ€t an easy thing to do. If you often find yourself as the centre of attention because of your natural leadership instincts, then teaching is best for you! 

At the end of the day, a good teacher is one who is compassionate with others, passionate about his subject and loves teaching it to a group of people and someone who has great oratory skills. These oratory skills will allow you to lead a room full of curious students and guide them to a great education. Even if all the above traits donâ€t come to you naturally, you can always train to be a good teacher. As a teacher to future leaders, one should never stop learning as well! Donâ€t forget to also learn about the teaching qualifications needed to become a teacher. 

Top Ways to Improve Engineering Students’ Technical Drawing Skills 20 Jun 2018 3:44 AM (6 years ago)

Engineering and architecture students are honed to perfect their skills in drawings and creating architectural blueprints and plans. However, there are ordinary architectural drawings and sketches that every engineering student can create, then there is technical drawing.

While most students love drawing perspectives, sketches, and the interesting graphical part of any engineering or architectural drawings, the rational, logical and technical side is probably the most hated. Although technical drawing is not as sexy and appealing as freehand writing, it is 100% as important!

What is a Technical Drawing?

Sometimes called draughting or drafting, technical drawing is the discipline and act of composing drawings that visually communicate how something is constructed or functions. Technical drawing is important for communicating ideas in the industry and engineering. In general, technical drawing follows very specific guidelines and rules in order to make its content clear and prevent confusion.

Here are some methods and tips on how to improve the technical drawing skills of engineering students:

1. Transform your Mindset

Technical drawing is probably the black sheep of all architectural drawings. This is why most engineering students tend to avoid it at all cost and lose all motivations when required to pass a technical drawing.

The first thing you need to do in order to improve your technical drawing skills is to change your thinking. Technical drawing is hard, yes, but it is doable. Once you teach yourself to like technical drawing then you will have the willpower and motivation to get better at it.

2. Create your Technical Drawings with an HB pencil

HB pencil gives your technical drawings enough clarity and precision while keeping smudging to a minimum. Then, you can use a softer pencil to harden your construction lines.

3. Understand and Practice Descriptive Geometry

Descriptive geometry is known to be the hardest figure in all technical drawings. And if you want to improve your technical drawing skills, you need to start loving the hardest parts first. Constant practice in drawing descriptive geometry can make technical drawing a bit easier.

4. Get an A2-A1-A0 drafting board

Constructing technical drawing on small size boards can be easy. But, if you really want to challenge and improve your technical skills, you need to ditch the A4-A3 drawing boards and get yourself a proper drafting board.

Remember those stereotypical images of architects working in front of a large drafting board? That is what you need. So, go get the right drawing tools and start to draw large technical drawing on a properly sized drafting board.

5. Watching tutorials or read a book

Sometimes, all you need is an example to give you an idea. Watching video tutorials on the internet or looking at samples of technical drawings in an engineering book can help you get a clear picture on how and where to improve.

6. A lot!

Technical drawing is not something you can master overnight. Yes, it is hard, but perfect always come to those who take time to practice. If you keep on applying what you learn and do it all over again, you will find that difficult will become a little bit easier every time you try it again.

7. Do the 30-day technical drawing challenge

In order to ensure that you really are taking time to practice your technical drawing skills, try to do the 30-day technical drawing challenge where you should draw at least one technical drawing every day for 30 days a row.

If you compare your past drawings with the most recent ones, you will find that your progress is immense! Then as you progress try to draw more difficult technical drawings every day. As you can try kitchen cupboard designs, it might get frustrating, but never lose your wits and keep on drawing.

8. Take Online Courses

If you are having difficulties in improving your technical skills, why not ask for an extra help to guide you? An online course will keep you accountable and a teacher will correct your weaknesses and wrongs. There are numerous websites that offer online technical drawing or draughting courses which gives you helpful tips and tutorials in order to improve your drawing skills as well as providing Certifications when you finish and pass their online course.

Conclusion:

Technical Drawing takes time to master. However, once you become proficient enough, you can easily provide effective and functional technical drawings and everything else will become too easy.

How Teaching Technology is the wave of the future? 19 Feb 2018 10:41 PM (7 years ago)

Education is definitely the most vital function in our general public today, yet it is still not properly understood, in spite of staggering investment levels from financial bodies and governments. For what reason do students keep on attending a classroom or embarking on an online course? How would we direct students to the correct information and help them understand it?

We may have an exact notion and some hunches, yet despite everything, we do not have any central knowledge. That is really frustrating. With the ascent of the web, it appeared as though education was on the cusp of an entire insurrection. Today, however, you would be pardoned for not seeing quite a bit of a distinction between the way we learn and how we did as such twenty years prior.

There’s no denying the fact that Teaching Technology is the wave of the future. It’s already the wave of the present. It is obvious that each instructor in school today has heard that the need to utilize technology in the classroom is necessary. If we will connect with our students in the class lectures, we should carry out these lectures with the innovations they know about.

Technology has improved the effect and intricacy of schools, the twenty-first century requests that an educated individual have an extensive variety of capacities and skills, numerous proficiencies. These literacies—from perusing daily papers to taking an interest in virtual classrooms—are numerous, dynamic, and flexible. As before, they are inseparably connected with specific histories, social trajectories and life outcomes of people and gatherings. Twenty-first-century educators need to:

1. Improve literacy with the technological devices
2. Improve relationships with others to take care of issues cooperatively and diversely
3. Outline and offer data for worldwide groups to meet various purposes
4. Oversee, dissect and incorporate numerous floods of concurrent data
5. Create, scrutinize, examine, and assess multi-media texts
6. Take care of the moral obligations required by these conditions

The sorts of advanced devices utilized as a part of mixed or completely online education fluctuate altogether between secondary schools, middle schools, and grade school levels. In grade school, advanced gadgets are utilized just in a classroom, with full educator control (or parental control, in case of home-teaching), and mostly in math and ELA. The middle school utilizes more advanced gadgets to set the phase for a secondary school that uses the most extensive scope of computerized choices including web courses, credit recuperation courses, autonomous online programs and supplementary online content to augment physical classes.

Web-based education isn’t new as an idea as it falls inside the domain of distance learning that has been around for a long time now; it is viewed as the fifth era of distance learning. In any case, online education is altogether different from prior ages in various sectors, for example, correspondence courses, video conferencing and broadcast such that it can offer both synchronous teachings where teachers and students communicate in real time and asynchronous teaching where students learn at their own particular pace and with their own timetables. A sensible blend of these two sorts of learning empowers both intellectual and individual participation.

Later on it’s possible that we’ll begin seeing classrooms receive a balanced proportion amongst children and gadgets. Here are the technology programs that are right now making waves in the field of learning:

 

•         Tablets like Google’s Chromebook are a perfect classroom gadget since they’re moderately inexpensive, tradable, simple to use, and give access to a scope of Google’s instructive programming.
•         For math, DreamBox, Zearn, and ST Math are programming programs that adjust to students demand as they learn.
•         In the language area, programs like No Red Ink, Newsela and Achieve 3000 furnish students with approaches to effortlessly comprehend writing and reading.
•         Programs that enable instructors to oversee and test their classrooms like Quizlet are broadly utilized.

 

Technology’s advantage in teaching courses is all in the way it’s utilized. At the point when combined with relational connections, insightful teachers, and think programs, technology can be an extraordinary resource in teaching courses. In spite of the fact that it is anything but difficult to condemn the digital school with convincing reasons, we ought to be careful about exceeding the interests of technology over other cultural, social, and political concerns. Given that normal schools has existed over hundreds of years and withstood the travails of time, there is no reason to trust that “online schools” would topple the customary tutoring framework sooner rather than later, yet will without a doubt serve to complement it.

 

 

4 Digital Safeguards For Modern Teachers 6 Aug 2017 1:03 PM (7 years ago)

I started my teaching career in 2002. Our world and the digital landscape have changed dramatically since then. Navigating this new landscape can be challenging for teachers who want to engage students with the latest technology, but also protect themselves from some of the pitfalls that this always-connected world brings with it. Here are four digital safeguards you can easily get started on this week that could help your teaching life.

1. Create a free “school-only” Google account

“But my school provides me with an email address, why would I do that?”

That’s a great question. Why should we even bother doing this? Once upon a time, this was a non-issue. Now, the idea of opening a browser window on a projector in class is not unheard of. Have you ever visited a website and been confronted with an advertisement related to something you searched for last weekend? Tracking is based on what your account has searched for, and I know for sure that I would rather have an advertisement for a sale on Kindle books pop up than one for an engagement ring, or mousetraps, or airfare to Tahiti, or something else. YouTube likes to do the same thing, and once again, it is related to your Google history. Similarly, a suggested video about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is more appropriate than a TMZ article about Caitlyn Jenner.

Something as simple as having a school-only Google account can help ensure that all of your suggested content is related to your professional life.

Action step
Set it up here and stay logged in on your school computer and any “school-only” tablet or computers you may have. If you must use social media for school, it is a great idea to create new “school-only” accounts for those networks as well.

2. Have dedicated “school-only” devices

Kindle Fire Tablets are dirt cheap these days. It’s not an iPad, but if you need a tablet, it is definitely worth checking out. Laptop computers are highly affordable as well. You can find a Chromebook or Windows 10 laptop for under $200. I don’t recommend doing so, but if you must bring personal computer equipment to school, be sure that it is dedicated for school-use-only. This once again ties in with what was mentioned above. You don’t need Trivia Pop or Candy Crush notifications popping up during a lesson. If you must transfer files from home to school, be certain you have a school-only flash drive to use.

An added benefit is that these purchases can legitimately be written off as business expenses if you itemize taxes.

Action step
If you must use your own devices for school, be sure you have devices that are dedicated for school use.

3. Seek professional help

If I were beginning now, I would stay in contact with a mentor from the first day I signed my contract through the end of the first school year. Ask a boatload of questions.

Years ago, I wrote about seven Questions That Will Save Your Career. This is a good place to start, but it’s important to remember that each situation is unique and requires unique solutions. This is why a real-life high-quality mentor is far superior to reading self-help books or looking online for answers. But, looking for self-help books and online answers is better than sitting back and doing nothing.

Action step
Reach out to one or two high-quality teachers who might help you in a mentoring capacity, and continue reaching out to them over the course of the school year

4. Join a professional organization

Whether your state has unions or not, all states have teacher organizations. Join one. Many teacher organizations have regular meetings and some even have state-wide conferences. Some provide travel and insurance discounts, and most provide the vital liability insurance. Even if you don’t go to meetings or conferences or use the car rental discount or whatever, at least be sure you get liability insurance.

Action step
Join a professional organization and be certain you are covered by liability insurance. This is something many teachers don’t think about until after they need it.

 

 

Reading aloud – enriching your young child’s reading experience 15 Jun 2017 9:54 PM (7 years ago)

There are many benefits to reading aloud to your kids. To begin with, reading helps parents bond with their children, and thus they might grow up eager to open a book, learn and put their creativity to good use. Studies have shown that if you donâ€t read to them by the age of 5, your kidâ€s interest in reading may drop to 40%. Why should you strive to instill a passion for reading in your child? Read on to find out the reasons.

Language development

Research says that reading aloud to kids is a healthy way to promote language development, as well as additional literacy skills. Both shared book reading and reading aloud has proven to increase a childâ€s literacy ability from a very young age. Shared book reading helps them recognize letters and even understand that print words represent words that are spoken. Print concepts are also learned through shared book reading, and by exposing the child to the written text might help him develop a genuine passion for reading on his own later in life.

Phonological awareness

Another fundamental prerequisite when reading aloud to children is phonological awareness. For a child to be able to read words, he has to learn the rules for print translation and be able to put them into meaningful sounds. A lot of parents promote sound pattern awareness by emphasizing words that rhyme. When kids do well at manipulating and detecting rhymes, phonemes and syllables, they have a tendency to learn a lot faster to read.

Children have a specific sensitivity to sounds in a very particular order, even though the stages may overlap. They learn about sound or phonemes informally by learning name letters. Many of todayâ€s alphabet books feature letter names and pictures with objects whose name starts with the critical sound. When reading aloud to their children parents should focus on those critical sounds in the words. There are kids that may develop reading difficulties, which can only be prevented by exposing the child to lots of literacy materials. This way they become more aware of the connection between sounds and letters.

Reading books aloud to kids – a shared experience

One of the greatest advantages of reading aloud to kids is that it involves both parents and kids. It is an opportunity for them to interact and strengthen the child-parent bond while at the same time learn useful things. Mothers with kids that are more securely attached to them can interact a lot easier. When reading aloud to your children, you should know that youâ€re not just helping them expand their knowledge. Through reading they will also learn about valuing their self-esteem, know more about peer relationships, and general world knowledge. Reading aloud promotes joint attention, and this has a lot of potential benefits linked to reading, including boosting receptive and expressive language.

Shared book reading

Itâ€s very important for parents to make sure that their kids†interests are maintained during a shared book reading session. Compelling your child to like reading is fine, but itâ€s not the same thing as forcing them to like a certain genre. When kids stumble upon a book thatâ€s pleasant to read and interesting, there are high chances for them to develop a positive attitude towards reading in general, and little by little theyâ€ll grow up to be more open-minded.

Meaningful reading

Reading to your child or with your child is perfect; however, itâ€s equally important to focus on the emotional quality of the reading session. Itâ€s up to you to make reading fun by impersonating voices, or explaining environments and circumstances in a fun and pleasant manner. This will help the child become more creative; he will be able to imagine a certain environment, and little by little he might even become a bookworm child.

Bottom line is reading aloud to kids features lots of benefits. Reading helps diversify oneâ€s vocabulary, and it also prepares the child to deal with matters of real life from a very early age. However, for your child to make the most of a reading session, the parent must be very careful when choosing the genre. Furthermore, he is in charge for making the whole process seem fun and engaging, while at the same time educational and interactive.

Homework and study – key practices that will make it easier for both parents and kids 13 Mar 2017 10:20 PM (8 years ago)

When it comes to doing homework, both parents and kids are stressed out. As you may have already noticed, itâ€s a lot more difficult than you think to persuade kids to study, especially after a long weekend or tiring spring vacation filled with fun activities. The good news is there are practices you can try out to make both your life and the life of you kid a lot easier.

Make better house rules

First thingâ€s first. You might want to limit TV time, and make that a house rule. When itâ€s time for homework, you should close the TV and compel your child to stay focused on the assignment they have to complete. After theyâ€re done, you can allow them to watch TV, but no more than 1 hour. As for additional audio devices or radio, some studies have shown that there are kids that function a lot better when thereâ€s music on the background.

Set up a homework perimeter

When trying to help your child with homework you might want to set up a clear perimeter for studying. Whether that place is their room, the kitchen, or the terrace, the key goal here is to make them feel comfortable. Try to eliminate distractions, and make sure your child has all the elements that he needs to do his homework, including pens, pencils, books, notebooks, and additional materials that they might use. Another great idea is to place a bulletin board in your kidâ€s room. These can be easily bought from a local hardware store. Encourage your child to use a pad or small book to write down assignments. This way there wonâ€t be any confusion when assignments need to be handed to the teacher.

The key factor to academic success is regularity

If you want your child to develop a fondness for studying, you should emphasize on a key factor – regularity. Set up a standard time for supper, make it clear that once theyâ€ve had their 15 minutes of rest following dinner time, itâ€s time to hit the books and do their homework. However, keep in mind that high-school students can study for up to 3 hours. Pre-schoolers on the other hand, canâ€t last for more than 20 minutes on a single task. Itâ€s very important to allow your child to take a break every now and then.

Keep homework projects and study organized. Buy them a calendar and write down daily assignments in boxes. Let your child use colored pens to mark projects that have been completed or assignments that need to be done. This will remind them that they need to be responsible and not be late with finishing them. Encourage your child to:

• Take notes
• Learn to study and understand charts and tables
• Learn to skim and summarize material
• Learn to use his own words when summarizing a text
• Learn to make flashcards
• Learn to take notes

Rewriting and summarizing

Parents should encourage the kids to rewrite their notes over and over again. This helps them review what theyâ€ve written. Colored markers can be extremely helpful as they can be used to underline essential information. Studies have shown that underlining essential information when skimming a text can help kids remember details a lot easier. Having a dictionary in the house is vital. However, you shouldnâ€t keep it on the shelf because your kids will completely forget to use it. Place it somewhere in plain sight, on the table in the living room or on their nightstand.

Help boost your kids†confidence before a test

All students hate exams. For some, the mere idea of a test can be traumatic. However, if you teach them to study during the day, with at least 5 days before the day of the exam, they will feel a lot more confident. Explain to them that all-nighters are not at all productive, and that itâ€s very important to sleep at night.

Helping your child study can be extremely demanding. But then again, the best thing that you can do is to have patience with them. Donâ€t pressure them, or worse, punish them for not studying. Be understanding, and at the same time explain that learning for a text and exceling in school is very important for their academic success later in life.

 

Six major barriers to teachers using technology 8 Jan 2017 7:03 PM (8 years ago)

The use of advanced technology in education has been severely affected by frail digital literacy skills. However, experts agree that despite being spiteful and prevalent, it is a concern that can be solved. Sadly, some issues caused by technology canâ€t be addressed; at least, not yet. Six main impediments are harming the system, and theyâ€re categorized in 3 main groups:

• Impediments that cause trouble, but to some degree, can be fixed
• Impediments that tough to handle and demand substantial resources to be fixed
• Impediments that can be fixed by teachers and educational institutions

Digital literacy

Both the young and the old are affected by digital literacy. And no matter how hard we try, this concern wonâ€t get fixed by itself. Thatâ€s because technology is omnipresent, and since we canâ€t stop it we can at least contain it. The younger generation is bewitched by smart devices. Some consider iPads and smartphones mundane, but donâ€t necessarily use them to learn. Even though todayâ€s teacher and student is more digitally literate, research shows that technology is distracting them in class. Professors are too tolerant these days. They allow pupils and students to use these devices, without checking to see what theyâ€re doing with it when attending a class.

The perfect fix might be to adopt more innovative approaches when training students. Many universities have online courses a student can take to improve learning. However, itâ€s up to the teacher to compel a student to use it.

Seamless learning model

It is becoming incredibly difficult for teachers to convince a student to give up a smart device, whether itâ€s a smartphone or tablet. Rather than forbid students to use them in class, teachers should consider a seamless learning model. This means blending tech with non-tech learning. Technology is intriguing, and the more a student can see that it does have benefits in class, the higher the chances to close social media tabs on a tablet and stick to the curriculum.

Apps – pros and cons

Using apps in class has both pros and cons. Some teachers allow them, others donâ€t. Certain apps are fundamental because they speed up the learning process. In specific domains, such as marketing, using social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook can foster original marketing ideas. It is a way of teaching students how people react to a product in real life, as well as how they can improve a campaign to appeal to a broad audience.

Inadequate skills and knowledge

Even though most schools and colleges are pro technology, some teachers donâ€t understand it. They either donâ€t have the skills to use, or they donâ€t believe that it can improve a studentâ€s learning abilities. This applies to older professors who didnâ€t grow up holding an iPad since the age of 2. To them technology can be frightening, but this doesnâ€t mean they canâ€t learn more about potential in education.

Institutional impediments

Aspects happening outside the class, such as leadership and school planning, might obstruct the proper use of technology too. They can be quite tough to handle because theyâ€re out of a teacherâ€s control. One of the main institutional barriers that prevent advanced technology from being properly integrated in class is leadership. Principles are uninformed or unsupported about using technology in class. This means students wonâ€t be able to reap the benefits because theyâ€re no allowed to use it. Students might find this barrier extremely frustrating, and this can affect their overall learning mode.

Personalized learning

New educational models are competing with traditional models. Even though some institutions are willing to accept and integrate technology into the class, some donâ€t believe in customized learning. Rather than attempt to explain a process the old-fashioned way, teachers can easily play a video on a video projector to help a student learn and understand faster. But some donâ€t do it because they believe this attempt is distracting the student.

Technology used right can have a lot of benefits to teachers and students. While some institutions are willing to use systems such as educational assessment tracker to monitor progress, othersstill adhere to outdated models because change is scary, and getting out of your comfort zone is even scarier.

How students are taking advantage of education tools available in technology 5 Dec 2016 12:46 AM (8 years ago)

Technology fosters fundamental structural changes, and can be used by students to attain significant productivity improvements. Used to support learning and teaching, the tools available mend experiences, expand course offerings, and keep students†perceptions wide and diversified while at the same time boosting motivation and engagement. Technology accelerates learning, and has the power to alter teaching methods by ushering a brand-new way of connected teaching. The model helps professors and teaches gain more access to resources, professionally-written content, and systems that help them perfect and personalize their learning.

Online learning tools and the use of open-source educational resources increase productivity and accelerate learning rates; they also reduce costs linked to program delivery and instructional material. Here are some of the best ways students can use technology to their advantage.

Advanced technology unlocks educational barriers

One of the key benefits of technology is the ability to support online or virtual learning. As opposed to traditional classrooms, online learning is a lot more flexible. This permits pupils and students from different locations to attend classes remotely (no more traveling). Advances in virtual technology supports face-to-face participation and communication between teachers and students. Questions can be asked remotely using tools such as Skype. The educational system has been completely changed thanks to technology, and many courses are made easier and more accessible to those that canâ€t be in the classroom. Many universities and colleges offer seamless experiences to students; meaning both physical and online classes.

Simplified access to educational resources

Thanks to advanced technology students have access to open-source educational tools. These are available for free to anyone with access to the internet. Whether weâ€re talking about e-books, guide, video tutorials, or free courses, thereâ€s no doubt that the internet can be put to good use and employed to benefit all students. Furthermore, the use of smartphones in the class make learning more fun. Both teaches and students can access apps such as Edtech. Online clips and videos are uploaded and students can either download them on their computers or read them straight from their phones. Websites such as 02Learn, TeacherTube and YouTube provide free online videos and lessons to students that canâ€t attend physical classes.

Technology is motivating

Students are more motivated to learn with advanced technology. Using computers is a lot easier because itâ€s fun; and thus following instructions becomes less strenuous. When you study using a laptop or tablet, the process make you feel in control. Thatâ€s probably because computers are patient as opposed to people. You can always pause and rewind, and learn at your own pace. Professors and teachers can use technology too. They can create blogs and vlogs, thus helping student accumulate useful information in a more laid-back and relaxed way.

Improved learning and writing skills

Many schools and universities have computers in the classroom. Their benefit is endless. First, computers can help a student write better. Programs such as Microsoft Office have become indispensable. Also, computers have lots of other applications that make taking notes easier. Built-in dictionaries, encyclopedias, and auto-correct apps are vital. Mobile apps can also have great benefits. BUSUU for example, is a mobile app that helps students learn more languages. Furthermore, students are encouraged by professors to make their own blogs and websites on free platforms such as WordPress and Blogger. Writing improves style and compels students to put their creative spirit to good use.

Improved individual learning

Weâ€ve mentioned technology is an excellent tool for group learning. But it can also be used for individual learning and studying. Many students can understand and assimilate information when theyâ€re alone. Rather than solve a task given in class, they can do it more productively at home, using technology. For instance, design and art students can use software programs such as Photoshop of CorelDraw to prefect and improve their style. Additional tools that students can use are pupil mail, Adobe Acrobat, and even play educational games (e.g. quizzes, puzzles).

Give technology a chance and it will help you study better. It will change your perceptions completely, and you will no longer see studying as a chore. Used right, its potential is limitless so why ignore technology when you can embrace its powers over the way you learn in school?

How technology can help create and foster an individualized learning environment 13 Nov 2016 6:51 PM (8 years ago)

Hereâ€s an interesting irony: we live in a society that values creativity and encourages individualism, yet the education system is rigid, generalized, and treats everybody the same. In its defense, neither the necessity nor the means for an individualized learning environment were present until recently, so its current state of the education system is not exactly surprising. However, with the technology revolution here, thereâ€s no reason not to embrace what technology has to offer. Hereâ€s how technology can help create and foster and individualized learning environment and polish the bright minds of tomorrow.

BYOD

BYOD is an acronym mostly used in IT-related jobs, but which is slowly making its way into education as well. It stands for “Bring Your Own Device”, and itâ€s pretty self-explanatory. The main advantage of allowing students to bring and use their own gadgets is that they will feel more unique and in control. Due to the high level of customizability, tech gadgets are regarded by some teenagers as part of their personality, so allowing them to have said devices around in-class will provide the students with another mean of expressing themselves and standing out.

Information Streams

One of the biggest advantages of modern technology is that it allows the transfer of tremendous amounts of information with ease. This does not necessarily mean that teachers should attempt to overcrowd the students with information just because they can, but rather that they should use multiple ways of delivering the necessary information to see which one works best for each student. Some will react better to written information, while others might find it easier to learn from presentations and graphs. By using multiple information streams, teachers can adapt to each studentâ€s preferences on the fly, and allow each student to pick the one that works best for them.

Interactive Teaching

Passive teaching methods are iconic for old teaching systems, but a system where a teacher reads and students write does not cut it nowadays. Students tend to get bored or distracted easily, so teachers need to spice things up a bit. Active teaching is where the magic happens – teachers can now use interactive content to deliver information and keep students focused and engaged. The content can come in multiple shapes (video, audio, text), so the teacher can easily plan the interactions to fit each studentâ€s profile, and thus keep everyone interested and involved.

Innovative Testing Methods

The flexibility that allows teachers to deliver information via different channels should not be used as a one-way channel, but instead it should be used both ways – teachers can take advantage of modern technologies when it comes to testing students. Paper quizzes are an outdated and boring way of testing a studentâ€s knowledge, but give each student the option of choosing his own medium for testing and you might be surprised with the result. By giving students the power of choice when it comes to their preferred testing method, his grasp of the curriculum can be easily observed and his abilities can be evaluated better.

Extended Analytics

Testing a studentâ€s knowledge shouldnâ€t come down only to the amount of information said student manage to store, but how well he or she can use that information. Technology allows for a more detailed and accurate tracking of a studentâ€s performance during a test, so at the end of the test the teacher will not only know the overall score of the student, but how he got there, identifying partsthat need to be worked upon with each student.

Centralized Information

One of the biggest challenges of opting for an individualized learning environment is keeping track of the overall performance of each student. Monitoring each studentâ€s performance in every class and keeping track of their strengths and weaknesses in order to adapt the learning environment to their needs is absolutely crucial. Luckily, there are software programs that do just that. Complex school management software usually allows the creation of detailed profiles for each student, while also summarizing all the important data on a one page profile, so the teacher always has quick access to the summary when they need to have an overview of the entire class, but also has access to a complete profile on each student when they need to create individualized lessons or tasks.