Technology Proves an Effective Learning Tool

Classrooms can be quite packed these days, especially in city schools. My oldest son, who has high functioning autism, is supposed to be in a 4th grade classroom that has a whopping 42 students. Lucky for us he is able to attend a private school where his IEP puts him in a class with only 3 other students. This is perfect for him and his issues. Another HUGE benefit is that the school uses computers quite heavily and computers are his language so this works out well for us. We are increasingly becoming a fan of digital learning. Heck I have loved this form of learning for years… via the computer I taught myself web and graphic design, all the ins and outs of blogging and WordPress, as well as how to run a successful online business. If I have learned so well and so much from technology then I know that kids can benefit as well.. and they are.

In this fast paced world in which we live, it can prove difficult to reach out to the younger generation. For educators, finding new and exciting ways to engage students may seem all but impossible when the competition is the likes of Facebook, video games and dozens of interesting television shows. But with Dell technology in education, teachers have a host of options available to them in order to make their lesson plans really come alive.

According to the Department of Education website, the teacher role has drastically shifted as he or she now “plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources.” In this way, technology is beneficial as the educator can put students in groups and have more time to spend going from group to group and answering pertinent questions about the lesson. The teacher then begins to build from the tools they already have and can add the ever-present element of technology.

As Dell’s website mentions, “our students are growing up in the digital age.” Thus they are processing information in a different way than we might be accustomed to. Since they have never lived in a world that didn’t include computers or other similar electronic devices, having them focus on the traditional textbook model would be moot. As the average attention span of our students these days seems to be, oh, about sixty seconds, educators must latch onto their brains fast to impart knowledge. This definitely seems like a job for Dell education technology.

Since students seem to like immediacy when it comes to finding the answers to their questions, what better way to do this than to incorporate technology-based curricula into everyday learning? However, it’s not always just the kids that like these kinds of results. Administrators are clamoring to find quicker ways to process data and monitor individual classroom progress. If everyone is connected technologically, there will be quicker interventions implemented to ensure student performance. (Teachers, this could mean fewer classroom visits from the principal!)

The bottom line with more computerized and digital tools in classrooms can be broken down into three things: better time management for teachers, more participation from the students and efficient data processing for administrators. If everyone is on board, the learning process will be smooth and not such an uphill battle for educators to garner interest from their classrooms.

If your kids aren’t coming home with textbooks you may feel out of the loop but you can stay up to date by talking with your kids, identifying the programs they are using and researching them, and staying in close contact with their teacher. There is no reason you cannot still be an active, involved parent in the education process, even if technology becomes a bigger part of it. Who knows, maybe you will learn something to!