When deciding on whether your school wireless network should implement technology like iPads in the classroom, the challenge lies in how these new tools can take learning to the next level. The most positive impacts implementation of these mobile devices brings lies in a deeper depth of learning and individualized learning, which can transform education into something more effective and engaging than ever before.
Deeper Depth of Learning
Classroom technology can reinvent the old lecture model of a classroom. It can allow lesson plans to come to life as student’s no longer get a one dimensional teaching style. With technology the lesson plan can be integrated more fully to allow the student’s to go a step farther. Examples of this new found depth include:
- Imagine students learning about NASA and Skyping with a real astronaut from their Chrome Books they hold in their hands or from their Apple TV located in the front of the classroom.
- Students conducting science experiments can photograph and record experimental changes throughout the process (Apps such as Field Notes LT can help by attaching the date, time, GPS location and photos of what is being observed.)
- Math classrooms can come to life by using a map app that could calculate distance and speeds of actual train routes helping students with understanding of mileage and route guide problem solving which are popular topics on standardized tests.
Individualized Learning
Individualized apps help students continue current lesson plans at their own pace and as many times as they need to as these programs can adjust content to different skill levels. Now a classroom of 30 students with different levels of knowledge do not have to follow an antiquated specified timed lecture.
- Apps such as Achieve 3000, an online reading program is a good example as is “Write to Learn” an online essay platform. Students with these applications can work on drills at different reading levels and can get instant feedback on their progress.
- If a 5th grade classroom has students at all different achievement levels from previous years and previous educators, they can really benefit from using wireless classroom technology. With an adaptive teaching tool that allows students to learn at their own pace, the teacher can find where the missing links are in the students’ understanding of the material. Iowa State’s University professors wrote, “Devices such as the iPad now promote anytime, anywhere learning in schools.”
- Instructors can differentiate instruction and engagement of each student so content can be significantly relevant to each individual.
