Written by: Cassie Pfeifer
Technology in our classrooms is a beneficial tool for the learning of all ages. One of the primary benefits of technology in the classroom is the increase of student engagement. Digital tools like smartboards, simulations, and other learning platforms help provide an interactive learning experience that help capture the students attention and interest. Online resources allow students to get involved and explore different interactive tools. These interactive tools are effective and are enjoyable for students while learning.
Teachers often rely on technology to help them in their classrooms. They use it to benefit them in many ways. For example, this includes teaching lessons, gaining extra practice, watching educational videos, and using online simulations. These tools help get the students more engaged and interact in the classroom. By integrating the use of technology, teachers create a more interactive and effective learning environment that helps students understand and retain information more efficiently.
To learn more information, we interviewed our science teacher, Mrs. Nicole Trautman “How have you implemented technology in your classroom?” Mrs. Trautman stated, “ I feel like today's students need to feel more connected with the world around them. Using technology to connect the students with the outside world is very important to me. Students in my classroom always use their chromebooks as a tool for online simulations and science experiments in the digital world, as it can be unsafe or unfeasible to do in a real laboratory setting. As a teacher, I provide technology as a tool to share with the world what my students are learning and to see what real-world phenomena is happening around us”
Next we interviewed one of our Lindsay Academy juniors “How have you benefited from the use of technology in the classroom?” Chance Lindhorst stated, “I have benefited from technology in my classes because it is an easy and simple tool to use. I can easily keep track of any of my upcoming homework assignments, notes, or any work that I may have missed. Technology is a great tool for us to have at school because it is a good resource for us in our classes. Also our science teacher has provided technology through simulations in our Anatomy and Physiology classes. Lastly, it saves paper, and other resources by putting them on google classroom, and canvas. You never have to worry about forgetting your papers at school because you can access them digitally on your computer.”
There are multiple different uses of technology besides computers or smartboards. For instance, the senior girls are currently enrolled in a child development class, where they continuously integrate technology into their learning. Recently, the class participated in an assignment involving a RealCare Baby, a realistic, hands-on experience designed to teach the challenges and responsibilities of caring for an infant. These lifelike infants require feeding, burping, rocking, and diaper changes. They also cry and coo, mimicking the behavior of real babies. Understanding the time, effort, and patience required to care for an infant was essential. The experience also helped students gain important life skills such as time management and problem-solving. Common challenges students faced included stress, sleep disruption, managing time, and difficulty determining when the baby needed feeding or a diaper change. Overall, this was a valuable learning experience for the students in child development that provided insight into the challenges and rewards of parenting.
As highlighted in the interviews, technology has greatly enhanced all of our classroom experiences. It is a great tool to keep us connected with those around us in our community about what is happening in our school. A few ways our school stays connected are through online platforms like Facebook and our school website, where the school can post information about recent and past events. Staying engaged and active with our local community is essential to us, and technology plays a vital role in achieving this. Moving forward, it will remain a key asset as our school will continue to integrate it into our daily learning.