Spotlight on Technology in the Classroom

The traditional learning model is no longer the most effective method for educating this tech-savvy generation. All this fabulous technology like tablets, notebooks, and smartphones that students are already obsessed with can have a tremendous impact on education.

Technology in the classroom is changing the face of education as we speak. The tremendous impact it is having on school and college classrooms all over the country is re-shaping education. Technology in the classroom is changing the way educators teach and enhancing the way students learn and communicate.

Here’s a great example of a school that’s experienced success with technology in the classroom:

Schools like Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville North Carolina have already taken the step forward into this new world of digital learning which integrates technology into the learning process. Every student is provided a MacBook Air to use at school and home. Classroom technology like laptops and interactive whiteboards are used regularly.

Now most importantly, what are the effects they have seen since using this classroom technology?

Mooresville school district, which is now known nationally for its digital learning, has seen the following results of their digital learning initiative:

• Now the third highest graduation rate in the state.
• Top three when it comes to state test scores.
• Attendance is up, dropouts are down.

They are even getting national recognition…

 “Other districts are doing things, but what we see in Mooresville is the whole package: using the budget, innovating, using data, involvement with the community and leadership,” said Karen Cator, a former Apple executive who is director of educational technology for the United States Department of Education. “There are lessons to be learned.”

President Obama is even visiting Mooresville Middle School today, June 6th to see what the White House calls "the school's cutting edge curriculum that maximizes the benefits of technology and digital learning."

Other schools integrating technology in the classroom:

Although Mooresville Schools are getting a lot of recognition for their effective integration of technology in the classroom, they aren’t the only ones who have experienced success with new classroom technology initiatives. The following schools have experienced success using iPads in the classroom.

• At Northdale Middle School in Coon Rapids, MN, iPads in the classroom have led to increased engagement among disabled students and have accelerated and improved their learning and comprehension.
• University of California Irvine medical school reported iPad equipped medical students scored 23 percent higher on national exams than previous unequipped classes.
• A research study, conducted in Auburn, Maine showed that Kindergartner students using iPads scored much higher on literacy tests than students that didn’t use the device.
• A study from KIPP Academy in Houston, TX showed the percentage of students who rated either proficient or advanced (the 'passing' rate) was 49% percent higher in the 'flipped classrooms' using the iPads than in the traditional classrooms with no iPads.

As you can see, the use of technology in the classroom has become quite a hot topic. It really is essential for schools to understand the world is becoming more tech-savvy and tech-reliant every day. Since we have integrated technology into just about every aspect of our lives, shouldn’t it be integrated in education as well? The times are changing and education must change with it.