Technology has had an enormous impact on how teachers and students interact these days. Below are five Ed tech trends for the school administration to build a strong foundation for their tech strategies.
- Use of Chrome Books:
The affordability of chrome books has given every student, especially in the public schools, the opportunity to experience technology as compared to the high price tag of Apple products. Chrome books provide interactive learning to students at cheaper costs as they suit the economic cloud-based model.
- Blended learning:
Blended learning is still a growing trend in K-12 classrooms. It includes a mix of the regular classroom procedures, online activities, readings, and assessments. Students also get the chance to learn without speed or pressure. Blended learning offers a combination of two worlds and pooling of different ideas. In the quest of getting abreast with technology, there’s still a need for human contact and interaction.
- Single sign-on and Interoperability:
This trend is also gaining ground in K-12 education. Setting up a new user in the system becomes a much quicker process. Using a one-login system helps ensure that students have access to what they need. Additional steps toward interoperability include Common Cartridge and LTI, which enable web-based applications and content to maintain and display to various platforms. The goal is to get that common ground where teachers can get access to everything, no matter what type of device they’re using.”
- Wireless and cloud-based multimedia.
Most teachers use wireless solutions such as Apple TV to project media to the class. They use it to go over lesson plans with students and play instructional videos, and students can connect and give presentations from their own devices. Wireless interactive systems such as Cisco’s Spark, which creates a virtual space for messaging, video conferencing and interactive drawing, are also gradually gaining grounds in some of the school districts.
- Internet devices.
These are a growing trend in the K-12 space, especially those related to security and energy efficiency. Sensors can collect information and automatically control energy usage, lighting, and HVAC systems, resulting in saving cost for many school districts. It’s also an essential tool to ensure campus and school bus security.
