Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in classrooms across the world, as more education institutions assign desktop computers, laptops and other devices to students. Furthermore. teachers are utilizing these classroom computers in new ways to engage students and present lessons in unique ways.
Trinity Lutheran School in Jackson, Mis. now provides classroom computers for each of the 60 students who attend classes there. The technology overhaul was made possible through a private donation which was matched dollar for dollar by parent fundraising efforts.
In addition, the school employed interactive whiteboard technology in each classroom, which students can connect to through their classroom computer.
Different devices are assigned to students based on age group, and each classroom computer remains at the school at the end of every day. Students in kindergarten through third grade utilize tablets, whereas fourth through eighth grade students are assigned notebooks.
Seventh grade student Madison Williams said that the new classroom computers allow for flexibility and mobility, as students can email items from their school devices to a home computer to continue working.
“There’s no writing stuff down and forgetting where you put it,” Williams said.
Other schools have put similar technology initiatives into action and are utilizing classroom computers in new and unique ways, including using online video games to illustrate lessons.
Eighth grade students at a private school in Houston play Angry Birds on their classroom computers while learning about Newton’s law of motion. Additionally, elementary students learning spatial reasoning play a virtual city construction game to illustrate the principles their teacher presents in class.
“These seemingly playful adventures represent a new frontier in education,” stated Wall Street Journal contributor Stephanie Banchero. “Video games as teaching tools. Though it’s still a budding movement, scores of teachers nationwide are using games such as ‘Angry Birds,’ ‘Minecraft,’ ‘Sim City’ and ‘World of Warcraft’ to teach math, science, writing, teamwork and even compassion.”
In order to utilize classroom computers efficiently and ensure the technology facilitates student learning, teachers should employ a classroom management software. This technology allows educators to help students avoid distractions by monitoring their activity.