Different Ways of Looking at How to Use Edtech

 

As many schools return to personal study after more than a year away or mixed up, many teachers feel conflicted about their use of technology going forward:

Either way, technology is there to stay in education. When teachers give themselves time to reflect on where they stand on technology and how to better integrate it into their work, they are better prepared to be taught after the epidemic.

This is where technology integration tools come in — they can help teachers explore how technology supports learning and prevent them from getting caught up in certain tools. I recommend that you explore the various aspects of integrating educational technology that can help teachers know what works best for them, and why.

What skills, ideas, or ideas do I want my students to learn, What teaching techniques can I bring to this lesson, Are these teaching strategies appropriate for my group of students, What technical tools can I bring to this study, What tools do my students know, and are those tools available to them, Use Digital Classrooms for Organization & Accessibility, Create Student-Centered Personalized Instruction, Increase Engagement, “Ditch” Textbooks & “Flip” Classrooms, Differentiate How Students Show Knowledge, Teach 21st Century Skills.

TRACK

The Framework for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) addresses the different foundations of teachers’ knowledge (technology, teaching, and content) and how these three interact; those methods help teachers incorporate digital tools into their practice.

In the Classroom

TPACK works well as an inventory in lesson planning. For example, imagine a primary school science teacher arranging a lesson on the water cycle. Vocabulary and scientific ideas build up his / her content knowledge, as well as effective teaching strategies with his / her students in the past and best grade-level techniques build up his / her teaching skills. Those two sets of experts lead him on a collaborative approach: Students will explore the water cycle in groups.

That leaves his last thought: technology. You ask yourself the following questions:

• What skills, ideas, or ideas do I want my students to learn?
• What teaching techniques can I bring to this lesson?
• Are these teaching strategies appropriate for my group of students?
• What technical tools can I bring to this study?

As her students have the technical expertise to do research and design a presentation, she gets the opportunity to independently research the topic and collaborate to create a multimedia presentation to share what they have learned.

I like to make a three-column chart when planning with TPACK, where I list the skill, the teaching techniques that will be used to teach the skill, and the technologies that I can incorporate into that task.

SAMR

The framework of Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) helps teachers to think about how they are using technology now in their classrooms; it is often thought of as classification, with each word within the abbreviation indicating degree. It is a reflective and advanced testing framework in lieu of inventory.

Imagine a student writing a story with a pen and paper. By replacement, a technical tool is used without changing the function, such as writing a story in Google Docs. Addition provides minimal improvements to the task — the student uses Google voice typing to write his or her essay. With editing, the work is redesigned with a digital tool — the reader shares his or her story online and receives feedback from readers. By redefining, the subject is completely rethought; the student may build a multimedia project rather than a traditional essay.

In the classroom:

Teachers use the SAMR framework to determine whether the resources they are currently using in their classrooms improve or transform their education. They can switch between SAMR levels from one subject to another — and they do not have to struggle to change or redefine every subject.

When I teach, SAMR forms the framework I do at the end of each week: I think about courses, listing resources, software, or computer software that I associate with instructions and how I use each tool. I ask myself the below questions:

• Has technology been used instead, or has it improved reading skills?
• Has technology improved student performance?
• Have students been able to achieve their learning objectives successfully through technology?
• Has technology provided students with additional learning opportunities that were previously unimaginable?
• Have I used the tools in the most beneficial way for my students?

The answers to these questions help me to see where lessons that have changed or redefined the use of technology have not helped my students become the master of the learning purpose, and if there are additional ways I can have integrated technology so I can read better. Since then I have made informed decisions about future planning that focus on self-reflection and quality assessment.

PICRAT

Another framework, the PICRAT matrix, is very similar to SAMR, but encourages teachers to consider how students interact with technology tools. RAT stands for replacement, enlargement, and transformation, depicting the stages of transformation, transformation, and redefining of SAMR, while the PIC defines whether students use technology efficiently, collaboratively, or intelligently. The practical lesson can be students watching teachers playing a video on a whiteboard, a conversational lesson will be students answering questions embedded while watching a video, and an art lesson will involve students producing their own video. For teachers who want to get into the aspects of student interaction and technology, PICRAT is an alternative to SAMR.

Conclusion:

In view of the rapid changes in our digital age, teachers need to use a holistic approach to technology. Used in conjunction with structured and competent instruction, educational technology has the potential to improve learning outcomes and transform the educational experience of students, parents, and teachers for the better.

There are many technical tools to address this need. The teacher created YouTube channels teaching new skills and techniques with biting-sized lumps. Teacher blogs provide teachers with new ideas that they can use in the classroom. AI tools like TeachFX provide teachers and instructors with detailed data on student engagement. And private video-sharing platforms like Edthena support teacher development by allowing teachers to visit and analyze each other’s lessons.

Also read: Online Classes vs. Traditional Classroom Learning

FAQs:

1. How do you use EdTech?

Ans: Orderliness and accessibility are just the beginning. Digital Classes serve as a central point for additional resources, links to other EdTech applications, student conversations, and more.

2. What are the EdTech tools?

Ans:

• Go Noodle
• Flip Grid
• NearPod
• Kahoot!
• Book Creator
• RealWorldMath.

3. What is the best way to use technology in the classroom?

Ans:

• Gamified learning.
• Digital field trips.
• Integrate social media.
• Gather student feedback.
• Creating digital content.
• Using a shared, online classroom calendar.
• Review and critique web pages.
• Include video and multimedia lessons and presentations.