Young children now, are introduced to technology very early on in their lives, and it would be unusual to find any kid, that wasn’t able to operate a smart phone without any help from an adult. They take to it like a duck to water, and are able to operate most devices with relative ease. In fact, some parents have to ask the young kids to show them how to use their smart phones. It goes without saying that the children are already very interested in technology, even before they go to school. This helps teachers a great deal, because they don’t have to encourage the children to take part, and to learn.
Technology immersion.
However, some schools are still reluctant to introduce students to technology at a young age, but if your child attends an international school in Thailand, for example, then they will be immersed in technology almost immediately. The benefits of using technology like a Blackberry or a smartphone in the class are well known, but if you are unaware, then please read on.
- Increases interest – Many teachers find it difficult to get their students to be more interested in the subject that they are trying to teach. However, when technology is introduced into the learning, then students become more engaged and they start to have more fun, as they learn. It is possible to use online games as a way to teach students, and there are numerous applications available, that will allow a geography teacher, for example, to take children all over the world through the Internet, even though they have never been there.
- Better knowledge retention – Many students, when they leave the classroom, just forget everything that they have just learned. However, when allowing them to use a computer to search for the knowledge that they need, students become more engaged and interested in what they are learning. This leads to better knowledge retention, and there are many technological devices in schools that can hold student’s interests for longer.
- Encourages group learning – Every adult knows that they will need to work in a group as part of their job. Using technology allows students to practice their collaboration skills, when the teacher assigns them with group activities. They don’t need to be together in one room, in order to talk to each other and to share documents. Technology and the Internet have opened up a whole world to students, and they can even interact with students from all across the globe.
Technology is not only good for the students, but also excellent for the teachers. It allows teachers to improve their teaching skills, and to try to move away from the more traditional ways of teaching. Technology allows them to create virtual lesson plans, grade homework and tests using software, and assigning their student’s homework by email, or on a student platform. The time saved, can then be used to spend a little bit more time with some students, who are finding school difficult.