Technology is shaping different sectors, including business, finance, infrastructure, and now education. A few decades back, the teaching and learning concepts were achievable through the use of blackboards, chalks, dusters, books, and notebooks. Ideally, traditional learning was a bit slow and tiresome to some extent.
However, these technological advancements are now shaping classrooms and the whole concept of teaching and learning. The traditional class setting is now turning into digitalized spaces equipped with tech ideas to enhance the learning experience. The learning experience is now completely different from what used to be the norm in the past. Students can now collaborate and interact during the learning process, while teachers now have an easy time streamlining the whole idea of teaching. With the tech trends in classrooms moving at a rapid speed, the future of education is heading in the right direction. Let’s explore more valuable insights and a detailed overview of smart classrooms in this guide.
Tools that make up a smart classroom
A smart classroom cannot be a smart classroom without some digital tools and smart gadgets promoting the norm. Some of the key tools that enhance the whole learning experience include the following:
Interactive Display Panels (IDPs)
These are smart panels with big display screens used when teaching through 2D/3D animations, showing educative videos, and teaching through pictures. These display screens are ideal for visual learning, and they encourage a high interactive rate among students.
Digital Podium
This is an integrated system that has varied digital tools, including a document visualizer, speakers, a recorder, and a mic that makes learning simplified.
Student Response System
This is a sophisticated system that records and processes student’s responses within minutes. It is accurate, and helps save the teacher’s time, and removes the need for paperwork.
Graphics Tablet
Graphics tablets, also known as digitizer, eReader, graphics tablet, drawing tablet, or pen, is a simplified tool that helps students with drawing diagrams, taking notes, and reading effectively. With such a tool, you don’t need a stack of books on each subject. Besides, students can https://en.ibuyessay.com/accounting.html and keep using graphics tablets to explore new ideas and concepts of a specific subject.
Educational Software
This is simply a class application representing all matters concerning education. Through such an app, teachers can supervise and track student’s progress regarding attendance and academic matters. Teachers can use the app as well to create exam timetables.
Interactive Whiteboard
The interactive whiteboards, also referred to as smartboards and simplified learning boards, are meant to replace the traditional backboards. These smartboards have an in-built touch feature class app, among many other features, making learning easy.
Speakers
Speakers are crucial in transmitting spoken details. Through speakers, students can hear the teachers audibly and accurately to avoid misinterpreting information or missing key points when earning is in progress.
Wireless Microphone
Speakers and microphones work together. With a wireless microphone, the teacher can teach effectively while enhancing movement, especially when the classroom is large.
OMR - Optical Mark Reader Scanner
This is a simplified approach used during the tests and main exams. Through this technique, students are required to answer questionnaires and multiple-choice exam papers by using a mark or bubble.
Document Camera/Visualizer
A document camera helps teachers showcase documents on large screen displays to help students understand a complex concept with ease.
How Do Smart Classrooms Help Re-define Learning Environments?
Having highlighted some of the powerful tools that make a smart classroom, what are their impacts on teaching and learning? Do students and teachers benefit from these tools? Do they promote education at large? Let’s find out below:
Enhancing Collaboration
Think of a traditional class setting. Learning is all about students sitting and listening to the teacher. However, in a smart classroom setting, digital tools such as smartboards encourage students to interact freely when learning is in progress. In some instances, students will always need some help from teachers or fellow students., thus reaching out to their fellow peers to get the desired help.
Interactive Learning Experience
You may read some articles explaining how technology distracts students. However true it may sound, technology plays a big role in creating an interactive earning environment. Students can participate actively in a smart classroom setting, as they are eager to capture every single detail throughout the learning process. Smart classroom tools such as speakers, tablets, and even computers make a dull learning environment active and fun for all students.
Increased Productivity
A smart classroom setting showcases animated pictures, videos, audio, and other technologies, which helps students understand a concept even better. While these tools help teachers achieve an admirable academic performance, they also help students grasp and understand concepts easily and faster. What’s more, these tools and technologies expose students to useful learning and revising materials, thus increasing productivity for both teachers and students.
Flexibility in Teaching & Learning
Ideally, students are different. One learning method may be good for a specific student but fails to help other students. Besides, some students master ideas and concepts faster than others. As a result, it can be challenging for teachers to optimize a teaching method that will meet the preferences of all students. However, with a smart classroom setting, teachers can use different approaches to teaching while students can concentrate on the teaching approach that works best for them.
What’s more, teachers can tailor and plan earning schedules according to student’s capabilities and encourage students to learn things at their own pace.
Easy Access to Online Resources
In a smart classroom setting, the tools, especially digital display screens, are integrated with useful learning resources and the internet, allowing students to navigate easily, do research, and learn different ideas and concepts.
Teachers, too, can easily access recorded videos & audio, and many other useful learning resources to teach even complex concepts until students understand and grasp the whole idea.
Eco-friendly
Finally, a smart classroom setting is equipped with environmentally friendly learning materials such as tablets and laptops. Most of these tools eliminate the need to have physical books since students can access most information from the internet.
Conclusion
A smart classroom setting is something to admire. The advantages that come with the whole idea of creating a smart classroom space are unmatched, and this means that smart classrooms are the future of education.