Education Technology

The modern trend for digitizing education is getting really overwhelming. Modern classes look nothing like they did a half-century ago. Smart apps and VR technologies have completely transformed the education process in schools last couple years.

Do you have students in your classroom that want to build personal computers or PCs? Are they more interested in playing computer games all day long in the classroom? Understandably, you may have some reservations at first. You won’t find a decent teacher that wants their students playing video games all day. And yet, the process of building a personal computer will teach your students important life skills that they may use in their career years into the future. After all, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 37 percent rise in hiring for computer systems design positions from 2012 to 2022.

Technology is integral to the modern learning experience. Indeed, with tablets replacing textbooks and students being so partial to their smartphones, it seems that digital tools are no longer optional for a modern teacher.

A few years ago when I was a language student, I came across dozens of my notebooks full of new words and translations. Sadly, I realized all my efforts had been in vain, as the majority of the words seemed unknown to me. Obviously, I should have tried harder by flipping through the pages once in a while. But then I wondered if there was a better way to learn new words.

As teachers in the modern classroom, we have the most advanced means of instruction through technology the world has ever seen. The options available to us are constantly evolving, which makes them both increasingly useful and difficult to master. Luckily, with a strong community of adventurous teachers willing to put in the effort, the ESL classroom is benefitting from the incorporation of new technologies and insightful course design. Students report increased engagement through classes that incorporate technology in holistic ways. Technology prepares students to be successful and independent learners outside the classroom.

Teachers probably all agree that students need to be taught to think critically. The increasing use of technology in classrooms makes it difficult to be sure that students are actually thinking for themselves, rather than using Google to find answers and to simply copy/paste information. Whether or not all answers can be found on the internet is a moot point.