Category: Creative classroom

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Bringing the concept of the age-old radio programs back into the 21st-century, podcasts have lots to cheer for. All thanks to the use of technology in churning out audio presentations of any topic under the sun, a podcast which comes in the form of episodes is a simple and easy-to-use educational tool. Alongside offering invaluable information to listeners, podcasts have gone ahead and become instructional tools in classrooms as well.

If you are curious to know how podcasts can be a good learning tool, here they come.

  1. The Emerging Popularity of Podcasts Helps Learners and Teachers

The innovative use of technology makes podcasts an indispensable tool for education. Tagged as the latest medium of learning, podcasts have,in the recent past become popular tools promising an impactful push to both students and teachers. Simplifying the job of the teaching staff, podcasts come as a stress-free option to engage students with quality audio content. Students can learn about topics while on the go once they subscribe to a podcast feed. Another primal benefit of podcasts is that these audio presentations can be used for students of different ages; right from schools all the way to universities.

  1. Portability and Convenience of Learning

Podcasts can be downloaded in your mobiles and can become your tutors in class. Portability and convenience are the two striking advantages of podcasts as with this students can enjoy flexibility in learning. You also have a round-the-clock access to information that is at your fingertips. Given a situation when your faculty is on leave, you can simply bank on this teaching resource and make the most of your free-hour to educate yourself about any topic of interest.

  1. Auditory Learning – An Impactful Educational Tool Compared to Watching or Reading

While listening to podcasts is one way of learning, recording podcasts also helps students in more ways than one. Students can record podcasts of topic synopses and submit as a group assignment while interviewing their peers about what they understood about a particular topic. Collating all the audio-based information and editing the same will lead to the emergence of a comprehensive educational podcast. Not allowing students to get distracted, podcasts come in as blessings to auditory learners who will start assimilating information by listening attentively.

  1. Lots of “Behind the Scenes” Activities

A podcast brings out the best in students by mirroring a number of their skills. Along with researching skills, students who record a podcast will also learn how to test it. Once the content is tested, it should be edited before it is finally recorded and ready to be published or promoted. Students who stir up podcasts will be taught the tone of storytelling when they begin to follow a flow of narration. You as a student will be prompted to record a podcast with a strict pattern of an introduction, followed by the explanation, eventually leading to a conclusion. While you are recording a podcast, you are simultaneously honing your communication skills, without the anxiety caused by stage fright. Upon recording multiple podcasts, you can slowly and steadily master the art of public speaking and engage your audience through quality audio content.

  1. Subject No Bar

If you are of the opinion that podcasts have to be made only in English or any other medium of instruction, think twice. You can churn out a Math podcast by reciting equations loud and clear, so that you can help your students who got struck over a tricky problem. You can share your podcast amongst your friends who are finding it hard to understand scientific concepts and theories. Given the numerous ways in which podcasts help master subjects, teachers also encourage their wards to listen to popular podcasts under various disciplines.

  1. Student Created Content – The Star Attraction of Podcasts

It is all about having a free hand while learning. Podcasts come in as valuable and interesting learning tools for students through the concept of “Student Created Content”. Allowing you to create your own podcast, you have the luxury of posing questions along with the inclusion of discussions that will help you complete your academic projects and presentations.All in all, podcasts come in as informal educational tools that favor the idea of collective learning.

  1. Record Your Lectures and Learn At Your Own Pace

Undoubtedly, technology presents innumerable options to all those who wish to think outside the box. Prompting you to record your classroom lectures, a podcast can serve as an “anytime”, “go to” educational material. Tagged as helpful study aids, podcasts help students to prepare better for their exams alongside hand-holding them to grasp a difficult concept that was lectured in the classroom. You simply listen to the recorded podcast, pause when needed and go on to the next topic; at your own pace. Podcasts coming with the options to pause, rewind and replay will come as a blessing to students with learning disabilities.

  1. A Boon to Students with Mental and Visual Disorders

“Learning through listening” can be the tagline of podcasting. Podcasts can be the best means of education especially for students battling visual and mental disorders. Such kids who are not comfortable with reading can opt for podcasts. Students fighting mental conditions like Dyslexia and ADHD can make the most of modern podcasts as a potent option to do away with the traditional methods of learning.

  1. A Perfect Option for Absenteeism

There can be a bad day in the life of a student who is unable to attend his/her college or school. In such a case, you can make up for your missed classes by downloading the recordings of the lectures. In this manner, you will be able to plug the gaps that have emerged on account of your non-attendance to school for a day or two. Teachers can record their lectures and hand over the recorded material for the absentees to catch up with the rest of the class.

  1. Guarantees A Uniform Learning Experience Across Sections

Given the fact that a teacher delivers lectures of the same topic to different classes, podcasts come in as teacher-friendly tools. Allowing the teacher to ensure that every student lays hands on the same explanation that was given by him/her in a particular class, podcasts help deliver “lecture consistency”. Students of different sections who listen to the lectures recorded by their teacher will be on par with each other with the same information being given out.

Wrapping It Up

All in an attempt to help you make the most of your learning experiences, you as a knowledge-seeker are at an advantage to master various subjects through listening. And if you are a teacher ordained to shape the lives of your students, you can bank on podcasts as the best tools that can help them learn effectively, without missing out a thing. To sum it all, podcasts come in as invaluable modern educational tools that can help the teacher and student fraternity in a number of creative ways.

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You will agree with the fact that education should provide you with skills that will help you prepare for and face the challenges life throws at us. Gone are the days of traditional educational systems where students learnt lessons by rote. Not allowing them to think out-of-the-box, it was the age when teachers too were not equipped with skills that they could ignite the creativity in students.

With modernization, this drawback paved the way to include classroom activities aimed at improving the creativity of students. Teaching creativity as one of the subjects of study was made possible through a model of giving instructions to students with an intention to hone their creativity; a natural ability to thrive in a fast-paced and highly-competitive environment.

Here are such creativities that fosters education:

  1. Teachers to come up with awards and rewards for creativity

Motivation is the first trick that can be followed by teachers. The onus is on the faculty to create a learning environment that not only recognizes creativity but also appreciates it. The school administration can declare awards to showcase the creative talents of students.

Every classroom which has students who provide creative solutions to real-world situations can be recognized and praised. This recognition will fuel the creative side of other students to follow suit. Here, you can create notice boards with the names and abilities of students who have come up with great school work and sing words of praise.

  1. A Blend of Cognitive and Emotional Programs

What are the effective ways to teach creativity so that teachers can impart quality education to students? All in an attempt to provide holistic education to knowledge-seekers, it is through an amalgamation of emotional and cognitive functions that teachers can handhold students to tread the path of a creative lifestyle. Other abilities of students like mastering a musical instrument, developing a spatial awareness and bodily kinesthetic development can lay the foundation of a creative means to a comprehensive educational program.

  1. Introduce a Host of Programs that can Develop the Creative Skills of a Class

Thinkquest and Odyssey of the Mind are some of the classroom programs that can be conducted by teachers who are inclined towards honing the creative talents of students. Becoming a platform to compete with the global fraternity of creative learners, it is through these well-designed programs that students from different parts of the globe can learn from the experiences of creative thinkers and learners.

  1. Encouragement to Hands-On Learning

Quote unquote the famous maxim from Benjamin Franklin says: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” The underlying concept behind this thought is that students who are encouraged to tread the path of experimental learning can connect better with the subject when compared to simply lecturing from a text book.

If you are an English teacher, you can involve a group reading session. And every time you want to conduct such a session, you can pick one  different reader who will read out the contents of the text to the entire class.

Media and Designing students are at an advantage when they can skip theory and involve themselves with hands-on learning. If you are teaching a class about fundamentals of web designing, you can encourage your wards to use  websites like Wix and Squarespace. These are free website building tools that students can use  to develop their own websites revolving around a topic of their choice.

Math can be taught the innovative way by implementing practical ideas teamed with working models.. Infusing a sense of excitement to learning will make students  learn to solve problems related to speed and distance. This way, you as a teacher will be able to provide an innovative way to solve math problems through real-life examples.

  1. The Use of Unconventional Learning Materials

Textbooks teamed with writing boards come in as traditional teaching tools. However, with technology impacting into every sphere of human life, you can promote the out-of-the-box thinking of your students by introducing them to innovative educational tools. Empowering students with TED Talks, Podcasts and Design Software, you can teach your kids to learn through audio-visual presentations.

When students listen to the TED talks delivered by role models and global leaders, they will connect with them better. Getting inspired by their life-stories, students who have TED talks as part of their educational curriculum will begin to enjoy the benefits of creative development.

Educational podcasts are handy tools that can be played in classrooms. You name a subject and you will find a matching podcast. Visual communication comes as another educational tool which makes use of design software to churn out innovative lesson plans for students. Through software-enabled visual communications, students can strengthen their fundamentals about a particular topic.

  1. Class Discussions – A Practice With Many Benefits

Unnecessary chatter can be distracting not only to the teacher but also to a group of focused students who are all eyes and ears with the subject under study. Encouraging the entire class to become part of a meaningful discussion is definitely a challenge to every teacher. If your teaching strategy relies on such meaningful subject-oriented discussions, then it will be a favor to your students in the following ways:

  • A discussion initiated by you will get your students to apply their reasoning skills and enables the entire class to think about the topic
  • Effective listening skills are encouraged when the rest of the class is made to pay attention to a group of students who are coming up with ideas and suggestions about the topic
  • Paving the way for a healthy competition, students will go extra mile in challenging their peers by outsmarting them with an innovative presentation of creative ideas
  1. Multi-Format Assignments – A Proven Means to Keep Monotony at Bay

Sticking to hard and fast rules can be very stressful to students who wish to demonstrate their innovative minds to the rest of the class. Teachers who encourage multi-format assignments fuel the creative steak in kids, alongside allowing them to come up with creative ideas to showcase their knowledge. It need not be a monotonous essay writing assignment that can become the yardstick of their intelligence. You can encourage your class to submit their assignments in the form of presentations, speeches and documentaries.

  1. Stress Busting Techniques Become Light-Hearted Learning Mechanisms

Topping the chart of options to create a positive learning environment, teachers who encourage  good sense of humor in classrooms are doing the right thing. that They can tackle stressful situations better only when students are encouraged to laugh and share relevant jokes in class

  1. A Video Diary Allows Students to Peep Into Their Inner Selves

It’s all about the “three things” concept. Teachers, by the end of every term can encourage students to introspect the three things that went well, the three major challenges that they faced and the three things that call for attention and hard work. And these inferences can be presented in the form of an interesting video presentation for the entire class to watch, learn and enjoy. This simple yet effective exercise will permit students to take their learning journey seriously so that they can make the most of the education imparted in classrooms.

  1. Education through Goal-Setting

Achievable and measureable goals are the biggest motivators in the learning curve of students. Teachers can encourage their wards to come up with a set of project or term based goals and write them down for everyone to see. A classroom notice board which displays the goals of every student will in turn serve as an empowering tool for others to tighten their belts. Once students are made to extend their efforts in the direction of reaching their goals, they will scout for creative means to finally arrive at the finish line.

  1. Motivation Through Posters

A picture is worth a thousand words. In line with this famous adage, teachers who pin up motivational quotes on the soft boards of classrooms will be dealing with a bunch of students who constantly look up to such quotes. Inspiring them to perform better by the day, these motivational quotes will go a long way in shaping their creative instincts.

  1. Team Building Strategies

Two brains are better than one. So true to this phrase, a class which thrives on the principle of team building can pave the way for creative thinking teamed with a strong sense of collaboration and communication. Allowing students to constantly interact with each other in pursuit of a common assignment or project work, they will experience a multitude of feelings. Alongside enjoying the thrill of success, they will also try to deal with failure in a better way. All these help them master the subject with a belief that they can bank on the combined efforts of their classmates.

Conclusion

A classroom which ranks high on creativity can make all the educational dreams of students a reality. All the above classroom activities can ensure that your students can hone their creative skills in the best possible manner. However, the onus is on the faculty to go the extra mile to encourage students to stretch their imagination through the above mentioned creative classroom strategies.

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A good classroom environment always has some elements of creativity which makes the lessons more interesting and interactive. The right mix of creativity along with curriculum helps students to be innovative and also encourages them to learn new things. Students can grow up as good communicators in addition to improving their emotional and social skills. Creative classrooms can really transform the way students acquire education and how they apply it in their real life. In fact, creative expression plays a key role in a student’s emotional development.

Free Classroom Activity Apps (Check it Now)

Let us have a look at how important is the role of creativity in today’s classroom and its benefits.

1. Learn with fun

Creative classrooms give an opportunity for students to learn with fun. The teaching activities such as storytelling and skits help them to learn without the pressure of learning.

Students are always fun loving and including creative activities along with curriculum gains their interest for learning.

Teachers should encourage this quality in students from the lower classes itself and inspire them to believe in one’s own creativity.

Fun team building activities can be organized so as to promote creative thinking in groups and helping them to learn about accepting others’ ideas.

2. Freedom of Expression

Unlike the conventional teaching methods, the creative classrooms give them the opportunity to express themselves.

Whether it is debate or classroom discussions or field trips, students have the chance to come out of their shelves and become a part of it. This freedom of expression gives them a sense of goodness and happiness.

Making some contributions in the learning sessions gives them a sense of satisfaction too.

A creative approach to learning makes them more open with the puzzles that come their way and gives them a feeling of accomplishment and pride.

3. Emotional Development

Creative expression is important for a kid to trigger up their emotional development. Importantly, this has to happen at their lower classes itself so that they grow up by responding well to the happenings around them.

Creativity gives them that freedom to explore the surroundings and learn new things from them.

Students would always love a classroom setting that helps them to explore freely without setting them any boundaries.

When they can show off their true emotions in a creative manner in their classrooms, they can build up good confidence level.

4. Enhances Thinking Capability

Creativity can stimulate imaginative thinking capability in students. That is why teachers promote activities such as open-ended questions, creative team building activities, brainstorming sessions and debates amidst busy curriculum schedules.

Some teachers tactfully use these techniques to teach tough lessons to make children learn with fun and ease.

Activities such as puppet shows will keep the students feel interested in the learning sessions and the flow of images in their mind gives them the pleasure of creativity.

The open-ended questions will open them a world of imaginative thinking and they can come up with creative responses.

5. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

When some time is set aside for creativity in between all the strenuous study times, it takes a lot of stress away from students.

This sense of joy keeps them relaxed and reduces their anxiety which in turn helps them to prepare well for exams and excel in it.

Integrating more hands-on learning and making room for visual reflection is really going to make a positive impact.

Encouraging productive discussions as well as making the classroom layout more flexible all matters a lot in gearing up a creative classroom atmosphere.

6. Boosts Problem Solving Skills

The brainstorming activities involving puzzles can stimulate the skills of problem-solving in children.

Creativity can really alter the way students approach a problem and it can be impressively optimistic once they go through creative teaching sessions.

Creative problem solving can be encouraged in classrooms that help students to think out of the box and be more imaginative and innovative.

With this way, the problems or opportunities are redefined by the students and the solutions or responses would be more innovative.

7. Improves Focus and Attention

The average attention or concentration span of a lower class kid is just a few minutes.

The conventional teaching methods would be boring for them and they may lose their focus in the midway.

Including creative teaching strategies such as storytelling and skits are sure to improve their focus and attention and the study time would be more productive.

Playing memory games, taking regular breaks and intervals to bring in some creativity and setting a flexible classroom environment can make a lot of improvement in their attention span.

8. Better Communicators

A classroom environment that promotes creativity opens them a world of communication. Students can make better conversation and stimulate innovative thinking and talking sessions in their free time.

This also triggers group problem solving and shared learning that gives them a feeling of togetherness.

Classroom debates not only help them to think creatively but also understand and welcome others’ views. This kind of shared creative experience helps them to open up to one another and grow up as better communicators.

Also Read: List of Presidents and Vice Presidents of India

9. Follow Passions

Working out the passions in addition to excelling in academics is important for a student to come up successful in life.

A good classroom environment should give space for students to follow their passions whether it is music, dance, poetry, drawing or other art forms.

This gives students a sense of happiness which in turn helps them to approach academics with a free mind.

Setting aside time for such activities is really going to help them develop their creative talents in addition to academic brilliance. Students who rightly use these opportunities can come out of the school with flying colors.

10. Future Opportunities

A stimulating classroom can have charts that visualize the goals with timelines that help students to have a look on the go.

The classrooms are the place where students get the basement for how successful they can be when they grow up.

The skills and the confidence they gain throughout their school days are really going to make an impact in the way they prosper the career.

In fact, creative persons have an upper hand in triggering future opportunities than those with a mere academic skill set.

They can express freely during knock out rounds and the way they present themselves really matters in this competitive phase.

11. Innovative Mindset

Open-ended questions and classroom discussions are two popular creative teaching strategies that help students to develop an innovative mindset.

Students get opportunity to think more critically about the question or subject and come up with innovative ideas.

The friendly classroom discussions also aid them to think decisively about others’ ideas and contributions while thinking critically to produce something innovative.

A stimulating classroom setting which is colorful rather than black and white can do the trick to lower class students and teachers can make some effort to bring in some humor between the lessons.

12. Drive Lifelong Learning

A person with a creative mindset always has that craving to learn new things every time and this helps them to have that amazing feeling of lifelong learning.

This would really keep them engaged and active throughout which in turn helps them to stay young always.

A curious mind always loves to learn more and the creative classrooms can build up a curious mindset in children through unconventional ways.

The education apps are on the rise with the growing mobile market and there are some awesome apps such as Doodle Buddy, 123D Sculpt, Audacity and GarageBand that gear up creativity.

However, it is the role of a good teacher to bring in the right mix of creativity in classrooms and bring out the best in the students.

The pleasure of creativity also contributes a lot to improved health and this helps them to have a continued growth in academics as well as world of creativity.

Also Read: 15 Best math Apps For Kids

During a TED talk, Sir Ken Robinson raised the utmost significance of creativity in today’s education when he told “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”

Class Room Activity Apps

Every child has some inbuilt creativity in them and proper guidance from the teacher coaxes and cultivates it to help them grow up as creative individuals.

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A Flipped Classroom! 

You might wonder what it is all about.

As a student, you can vouch for the number of instances when your classmates or teachers caught you gazing into the space while the lecture was in progress. Stemming from the usual pattern of tutoring which mainly focused on class lectures and completing projects as part of homework, exam time left you to study the printed and written material all on your own. Amidst all this, you merely became an audience to the lectures without actually participating in the learning process.

Setting the standards for an active learning, now is the age of a flipped classroom that has revolutionized the concept of learning.

The name says it all! 

Identified as a fast-growing trend in the sphere of education, a flipped classroom is an educational model that brings with it a number of advantages. It is a modern tutoring model that brings in a great deal of “student engagement” and participation coupled with interactions between students. Promising a great deal of student-lecturer interaction, it is through the practice of a pre-class activity that is a highlight of this teaching format.

The Concept of Pre-Session Activities 

Apart from the basic paradigm shift in the way knowledge should be imparted, a flipped classroom makes the most of state-of-the-art technology. Operating with a primary goal to increase the learning capabilities of a student, this form of education is one of its kind. Moving away from the conventional classroom model, a flipped classroom session gives a lot of importance to the way in which students spend their time in the class. And this is facilitated through a series of short online lectures which are posted by instructors. These online video posts ultimately serve as study material for students to learn from, as part of their homework.

This pre-session activity is the major determinant for the uniqueness of a flipped classroom. The next day in class is spent discussing the contents of the video. Student interactions are the norm of this pattern of learning when they begin to help each other in their quest for knowledge through different practice exercises, supported by discussions and project work. Simply put, this is a novel format of education when the homework is flipped with classwork. Hence the name. Students get to listen to the lectures at home and work on their study material through collaborative project works and assignments, while in class.

Having understood the basic premise of a flipped classroom format, let us now move on to the advantages and disadvantages of such creative classrooms ideas.

Benefits 

1. Study at your own pace 

Control over your learning process is the top most advantage of a flipped classroom session. Going by the primary understanding that it takes all types of students to make up a class, there can be slow learners who will be struggling to keep pace with those that can understand a concept at the first go. The short video lectures allow you to learn at your own pace. Choosing to pause, rewind and replay a lecture is a welcome move to active learning. Allowing you the time to jot down your inferences about the subject matter, you can also make a list of your queries that can be answered by your instructor during your classroom session.

2. Focuses on student engagement  

Signing up for a flipped classroom session can become a wise move when you can effortlessly master your skills through mutual interactions between your classmates. And for any support, the instructor is always ready to offer assistance. This way, you will gain confidence in the subject when the one-to-one interactions can help you face your mistakes in thinking or applying a concept that was earlier discussed.

3. Online content – A boon to worried parents 

It is not only you as a student who can make the most of the online content. Your parents who will also have the round-the-clock access to your study material can pitch in for your help. The online content works wonders during testing times when you are unable to attend a class due to sickness. This makes it the most efficient and student-friendly mode of learning.

Drawbacks

1. Economic status will have the last laugh 

Not everyone is lucky to avail the benefits of the internet. Students coming from low-income families and those who reside in villages are far away from technological innovations. Hence, this form of tutoring cannot work for rural setups dampening their hope of realizing big dreams of active learning.

2. Increases the workload of faculty 

Collating pertinent information from the internet and condensing it in the form of an online lecture can be a daunting task for teachers. Demanding a lot of their time and efforts, there can be instances when the teachers have to be taught about the nuances of uploading online videos as part of the pre-activity sessions.

3. Resistance from students 

As quoted earlier, a class is made up of different types of students with varied abilities of grasping subject matter. In that context, a student who is an introvert chooses to stay mum and would resist the in-class interactions. Another disadvantage in the same line is that this form of learning does not guarantee that the student has completed his pre-activity session at home.

4. Lack of a universal platform can create problems 

Commonly, most of the instructors use free online tools to record and upload their videos. This can cause integration problems when students who use different systems will find it difficult to access such videos.

Sample Activities That Will Help You Watch, Think, Go Deeper and Finally Master the Subject

1. Problem Solving Activities

 These are activities that help students address their in-class problems. Encouraging discussions with peers, the lecturer does is provide valuable feedback about concepts that were misunderstood.

2. A large class has the opportunity to engage in what is called as a “Think-Pair-Share” activity. 

The “Think” part of the activity is all about brain-storming. Students begin to work on their own to enlist their understandings and arguments in writing. The “Pair” phase, as the name specifies helps one student team with his/her partner. Finally, the “Share” part brings into the picture the instructor who will collate all the information from different teams of the class. Followed by a series of prolonged discussions between the various teams, students ultimately get a hang of various approaches to understand the concept as a consensus coming from the entire class.

3. Word Webs / Concept Maps 

This can be an individual or a group activity making use of what are called as Concept Maps. Essentially meant to strengthen the understanding about “out of class” topics, this activity also helps you establish a relation between different topics. Mapping theories and concepts, the use of visual aids help you to arrange them as per various themes. This exercise helps you bridge any gaps in understanding as part of active learning.

Calling for a great deal of effort and dedication on part of both the teachers and students, it is through a flipped classroom that students can retain their knowledge. A picture is worth a thousand words! In line with this maxim, students who have access to the audio-visual tools of learning will enjoy every minute of their learning process. They can also make the best use of student-teacher interaction completing their study as part of their homework and discussing the concepts in class so as to extract the best out of their faculty; while in class.

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Technology aided teaching is a must in the new educational scenario. Interactive white boards have taken the place of traditional blackboards. Companies like SMART, Numonics, Promethean etc. have come up with different models of interactive whiteboards.

An Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) encompasses a large touch-sensitive screen that can be connected to a computer and a projector. The easy-to-use software enables teachers and students to operate IWBs with ease.

Why IWB?

Recent studies proved that visual cues can stay in our memory for a long period of time. Words give us only abstract ideas while visuals are concrete, which is easy to retain in the brain. The concept of IWB was emulated from this idea.

Here are a few advantages of Interactive Whiteboard

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1. Grabs the Attention of Students

Smart boards or IWBs can catch the attention of students easily because it shows a variety of videos on screen. IWBs are undoubtedly a relief from dry lectures. IWBs are helpful to generate curiosity of learning among students. Curiosity will definitely make learning an enjoyable and productive process.

2. Ensures Participation of Students

IWBs ensure participation of students through different kinds of education related-activities. Language teachers can use different online games to teach grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

3. Preserves Data

Graphs, concept maps, diagrams etc. drawn on the interactive whiteboard can be saved for future references. This is indeed an amazing feature of IWB. Anything that is written on an Interactive Whiteboard can be saved and edited later. You can even share those data with students who were absent in class.

4. Can Easily Change Data into Graphs and Diagrams

Improvised versions of interactive whiteboards can change statistical data into graphs and diagrams. It is very difficult to communicate complex ideas to students without any teaching aids. Interactive graphs on IWB can teach abstract concepts clearly.

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5. Frees Teachers from Chalk Dust

IWBs uses only marker pen or digital pen to write on the screen. This feature relieves teachers as well as students from chalk dust. Some people are allergic to chalk powder. For such persons, IWB is definitely a boon.

6. Internet Accessibility 

An IWB can be connected to the internet. Students can watch educational videos, audios and images from internet as per demand. Smart options allow teachers to pause or restart the video while watching. This is an added advantage of IWB over tape recorder and CD/DVD player.

7. Organized and Structured Class

IWB will certainly help you to organize your class effectively.  Dynamic visualization will help your students to be focused and more attentive throughout the lecture. IWB saves time and helps you to finish your topic on time.

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Education isn’t all about mugging up what is given in the text books. It is also about learning to respect all living beings and to coexist with the nature. As a class teacher, you can initiate your students to celebrate the wonderful planet we live in, through an eco friendly classroom.

Wondering how to do that?

Here are few tips:

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Smart Eco Friendly Classroom Tips for Teachers

  • Open those windows

If the classes are during day time, you have ample light coming from outside. The first step towards an eco-friendly classroom is to let the fresh air and natural light pour in through the windows.  This will help to rejuvenate you and your students. Also, you can save electricity by not using the lights in your class room.

  • Switch off lights and electronics

In case lights are used in the classroom, assign the last student to exit to switch them off before leaving. During day time, put the class computers in sleep mode than using screen savers, when not in use. This can help to reduce 60-70% of energy use. Also, switch off and unplug any electronics used in the classroom at the end of the day to reduce energy use by 40%. You can assign students to ensure that all lights, fans and electronics have been turned off at the end of the day.

  • Encourage reusing and recycling

Once students are done using chart and construction papers for a project, collect and keep the leftover pieces that are worth reusing. The pieces that cannot be used again can be recycled. Also, encourage students to use reusable lunch boxes and water bottles.

  • Minimize paper wastage

Paper is an inevitable part of every classroom. But, it is a common scene in almost every classroom, where the students grab a sheet of paper and use just a part of it, before grabbing another. Encourage your students to use both sides of a sheet of paper. Enlighten them about how paper comes from trees, the role trees play in our lives and why it is important to protect trees. Also, collect used papers from students and recycle them to use in the classroom.

  • Use eco-friendly school supplies

Denmark based company called Sprout World produces pencils of different varieties that can be planted after they wear down to stub. The capsules in the pencils contain seeds that grow into plants. If you look online, you will find similar school supplies that are made of eco-friendly materials that you may have never thought of. Encourage your students to choose these over regular pens and pencils, and other school requirements that add to the nonbiodegradable waste.

  • Go digital

Many schools have already introduced the concept of smart classrooms. Encourage your students to use technology for learning purposes. Instead of printing the study material for each student, make it available online so that the students can download them. Also, allow students to submit assignments and projects digitally.

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  • Place plants in the class room

What’s an eco-friendly classroom without plants? Plants help to purify air. Also, bringing plants to the class room help students learn to take care of living beings. Let the students take turns to water the plants.

  • Use separate waste bins

Place separate waste bins in your class room to collect food, paper and non-biodegradable wastes. The food waste collected can be used to prepare compost for plants in the school. The paper waste can be recycled and used again, thus minimizing wastage.

  • Get out of the classroom

Although, this isn’t actually an ‘eco-friendly classroom’ tip, this will benefit you for sure. Students will find it refreshing to get out of the classrooms once in a while. Find a nice place in the school campus, where you can assemble your students and teach. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the regular lessons. You can talk to them about the different eco-friendly measures you can adopt and how they can make a huge impact in the nature.

  • Assign environmental projects

Let the students choose a topic each that they can work on, research and hold a session. This gives the students a better understanding of how being eco-friendly benefits and its importance. This will encourage the students to act and also, make the people around them aware of the importance of protecting the environment.

  • Use leftover water for the plants

You obviously have to water the plants you have placed in your classroom regularly. For this, you can use the water left from an experiment or a workshop for the plants instead of going for fresh water from the pipe.

  • Conduct a room check at the end of the day

Ensure that the lights and fans in the classrooms are switched off at the end of the day. Also, ensure that there are no insulation leaks in the windows or water leakage in the faucets, in case you have one in your classroom. In case you find any kind of leakage, notify the school maintenance department as soon as possible.

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As a teacher, your duty doesn’t end by imparting what is mentioned in the assigned books to your students. It is also your duty to mould them to be better citizens. If you had not given it much thought till now, why not take the first step today itself by going green?

Are you still confused about where to start?  Then, try these smart eco friendly classroom tips:

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Reduce Paper Wastage

Paper is a necessity in any classroom. But, what usually happens is that students simply grab a sheet of paper, but use may be one page of it and then, grab another. Avoid such situations by advising the students to use both sides of the paper. Teach them about how papers come from trees and how trees play an important role in our survival on Earth. Opting for recycled paper is also a great idea that can make a huge difference.

Use eco-friendly school supplies

If you look online, you may find pens and pencils made from denim, recycled plastics, newspapers and other such materials you might have never thought of. Add them to your eco friendly classroom for your students to use. Also, make them understand why the pencils and pens they  use are eco-friendly.

Maximise the use of Technology

The idea of smart classrooms has been spreading slowly. It’s time for you to opt  the same. Use of technology in classrooms can help limit the use of papers and hence, help in saving trees. You can make your syllabi available online so that your students can easily download and use. Also allow students to submit assignments and attend exams online. While using technology, consider the following tips to a make your classroom more eco-friendly:

  • Instead of using screen savers, put classroom computers in sleep mode, when they are not in use. This can help you reduce energy use by 60 to 70 percent.
  • Plug all classroom electronics into a power strip and switch it off at the end of each day thereby reducing energy use up to 40 percent.

Get a Recycling Bin 

Add a recycling bin to your classroom and encourage your students to use it to dispose recyclable waste such as paper and plastic in them. You can get them recycled and use it again in your classroom. What more do you need for an eco friendly classroom?

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Turn off the lights when not needed

Ask your students to switch off the lights if they are the last one to leave the class. Also use minimum number of lights or no lights at all if you have enough natural light coming into your class while opening the windows. This is a simple way to save energy.

Bring plants into the Classroom

They will help purify the air in the classroom. Also, this will help students to learn about taking care of living beings. Also, assign the responsibility to each student to water the plants every day.

Turn the lunch time green

Ask your students to use re-usable lunch boxes and water bottles to the class to turn it to an eco friendly classroom. Also, place a bin in your classroom for your students to dispose food waste. This food waste can then be turned into fertilizers for the plans placed in the classroom.

Have a lesson outside

This is not exactly an eco-friendly “classroom” tip. Take your students outside the classroom once in a while. Let them mingle with the nature while you teach them about weather, flora and fauna and local geography. Also, plan some eco activities for schools to make learning time fun for your students.

Did we miss any eco-friendly classroom tips? Teachers, feel free to add the steps you take to turn your classrooms eco-friendly in the comment section below. Also, do not forget to adopt the above mentioned tips for an eco-friendly classroom if you are not using them already.

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“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery” – Mark Van Doren

The transformation from traditional teaching methods such as blackboard, textbooks, etc to computer-aided presentations has been innovative. Such Innovative teaching methods have improved the learning process and strengthened governance.

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With the rapid rise in digital technology, there are further advanced teaching techniques available. And so, it is time to change the traditional method of teaching that has ruled classrooms for many decades. New methods are designed to improve the quality of education along with student’s involvement in the educational process.

(Don’t miss: 29 Essential Smart Classroom Tools/Websites for Every Teacher)

Technology plays a key role in effective teaching

Skilled teachers

  •  used to implement new and easy methods before they appeal to mainstream educators
  •  integrate new teaching strategies and methods into a classroo
  •  use much advanced technology to enhance or expand upon the student experience

One of the basic motives behind advanced teaching is to motivate students to actively take part in the learning process. When the level of interaction with teachers and peers increase, students gain knowledge that is practical and also, retain more information effectively from a class.

Impress Your Students With These 4 Most Innovative Teaching Methods

1. Use Educational Videos

It has been found that the use of educational videos during class has improved the engagement levels of students and thus has created a greatly enhanced learning experience. Relevant videos keep students more alert, motivated and focused on the specific topic in hand. Visual content can enhance memory knowledge and students’ ability to retain new information. This facilitates active learning. Several studies have linked the use of video during lectures with attendance, participation and retention of knowledge and information.

Must Read: 8 Innovative Ideas to Make Your Teaching Methods More Effective

2. Improved Classroom Technology

Classroom technologies that are available today range from computers, to tablets, digital cameras, video conferencing facility and GPS devices to enhance a student’s learning experience. More advanced technology may include using video games to teach math and foreign languages, Skype to communicate with other classrooms or guest speakers from anywhere around the world, or even multimedia.

However, while using these devices, make the students aware that the use of these tech tools in class is a privilege and if misused, it can be discontinued. Also during class, you should move around the classroom or use monitoring software to ensure that the students are using their devices in a useful manner. Be sure that they are focusing on their assignment.

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3. Interactive Learning

Let them collaborate. The greater the student interaction is encouraged; the faster the boundaries of authority will be broken. You can provide a short overview of the day’s topic and give students a challenge to meet by the end of the class. The task may include answering a question or solving a problem. Let you students break into small groups to do research online, chart out ideas and discuss ways to meet the challenge. You can reviews their work uploaded on a Blackboard site. By the end of class, let each group share what they’ve learned with their peers.

4. Spaced Learning Works

Amazing results were reported when it came to spaced learning. This is a unique learning method, where highly concentrated summary of lessons or content is repeated thrice by students. There are 2 ten minute breaks in between. During these breaks, distractor activities which might include physical or other entertaining activities are performed by the students. This way of teaching encourages students to quickly switch through activities, just like ten minutes of knowledge on the English literature with a PowerPoint presentation and then having 15 minutes of football. This may lead to get better grades. It is said that the method is more effective than traditional teaching.​

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By incorporating digital media elements into the study materials and project, the students can learn better.(Is Smart Education the Future?) It also makes them more motivated in paying more thoughtfulness to the information presented and retain the information better.

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Creative classroom can help students to attain higher levels of learning. Teachers should also be highly talented to make their students smart enough.

At creative classrooms, students are more likely to bring out their varied ideas and innovative solutions and thus learn much faster. However, there is a misconception that creativity is something related to arts. A teacher can do a lot in generating creativity among students. But the fact is that creativity is innovation and thinking outside the box.

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Here are certain Ideas to develop a Creative Classroom –

1. Start a Story

Start telling or writing an interesting story. The story should include characters that the students are familiar with, just like a Chota Bheem or Mickey Mouse. Stop the story at half. Let your students complete the story using their imagination. Make sure to appreciate their imaginative power. You can also make them draw images of the characters involved in the story.

2. Arrange Conferences

Arrange mini conferences, if possible at least every quarter. This will provide an opportunity for teacher to praise each student and assist them finding the areas they are weak in. For instance, if a student participates in very less activities point out the number of activities he participated in the last quarter and offer him gifts if the count increases by next quarter. Make sure to talk individually to each student.

3. Conference Reminder

This activity is the continuation of the previous one. In the next day or few days after the conference, choose a time when kids are free. Provide them a sheet of paper and ask to write about the things that were discussed in the conference. Kids will try to remember the incident.

4. Make a List of Bonus Reward Privileges

Make a list of reward privileges just as few extra minutes in the playground or a chance to become a class leader. These privileges should be written in cards and place them in a treasure box. Students who earn any sort of rewards can choose a card from this list. This will encourage all students to earn certain rewards so that they can get a bonus reward.

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5. Provide Certificates Too

Other than regular report cards, you can provide few standard certificates. While report cards look only for higher marks in the exam, these certificates can help to reward students who reached their reading goals, who did their class job regularly or even who keeps their desk most clean.

6. Vacation Activities with the Letter

Send a list of interesting activities along with the letter for the students before the start of the new school year. However mention that the activities are optional and it is not mandatory for them to get that done. However those students who attempted to do those activities should be appreciated on the first day of school. An appreciation letter or even a small surprise gift will make the kid happy and will be encouraged to do such activities further.

7. Arrange a Field Trip

Arrange a trip somewhere nearby so that the students can be free from the classrooms, heavy text books and endless lessons for a while. Make sure each one enjoys the place you visit and participate in the game activities you arrange. Later, you can ask them to write a review of the trip. They can also include their opinion about the games played and suggestion on how to improve them in the next trip.

A creative classroom ideas can stimulate the student’s minds and make them better learners as well as thinkers. More visual materials and activities can make your students more active. More creative classroom ideas can improve child’s interest in learning new things and they will respond positively to the environment.

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Black board and white chalks that ruled classrooms have opted for retirement in this increasingly complex, information-rich world. Modern day schools have scaled up the use of digitised pedagogical tools to meet the rising demands of Gen Z. New age gadgets like iPhones, tablets and laptops have become everyday teaching tools that aid in explaining complex theories to simple poems. Technology-aided demonstrations of subjects, earlier covered only through text and images, have increased students’ curiosity and learning capacity.

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Dawn of Technology-Based Learning Environments

Smart Learning or adaptive learning is changing classrooms by taking a different route from blind memorization and by creating more dynamic learning environments. Classrooms powered by adaptive learning technology encourage students to get up from their benches and explore the world and the wealth of knowledge it has to offer through interactive learning.

These technology-backed intelligent learning environments empower instructors to facilitate real-time dynamic mapping of an individual learners’ needs and also facilitate sequencing of personalized instruction to suit each learner’s abilities and characteristics. This also further aids in successfully providing remedial instructions.

Thousands of online smart learning websites offer innovative methods of imparting knowledge to students irrespective of their age by addressing the root cause of disinterest– Boredom.

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Boredom – Root Cause of Disinterest?

It has been proven time and again that learning is more effective when the instruction is personalised. Studies show that children get bored of classes as the subjects being taught are often found to be repetitive or uninteresting. Minimal interaction or one-sided communication often make the subjects being taught to be less interesting. The adaptation of smart learning connects instructors and students/peers in a whole new way as the sessions are interactive/participatory in nature. Smart learning makes it easy to identify individual talents and needs of each students making it much easier to help them realise their full potential.

The adaptive learning technology encompasses educational aspects derived from various fields of study including computer science, education, psychology, and brain science. These smart classroom tools help revive the interest of students by using multimedia tools like videos, interactive quizzes, games and more. These tools are non-linear in nature and are often designed in a visually attractive and fun way to capture the attention of students of all age groups and to deliver better learning outcomes.