Tag: school apps

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“Teachers who use technology frequently to support learning in their classrooms report greater benefits to student learning, engagement and skills from technology than teachers who spend less time using technology to support learning”- “Educators, Technology and 21st Century Skills: Dispelling Five Myths”

Technology has dramatically changed the field of education over the past few decades. Teachers have a great role to play in a child’s education. It is found that 50% of the teacher’s time is spending on managing behaviour and not on delivering instructions. Each and every second is precious to them as they have only limited time to spare.

Recommended for You: Are School Apps Vital for Modern Education?

School apps can make the job of teacher a bit easier. The following are the 10 school apps for teachers which is useful to teachers as well as students:

1. Too Noisy

Too Noisy is an app which helps us to control the student chatter existing in the classroom in real-time. This app stored with right level of noise and an alarm starts ringing when the class rises above that particular level. This is a useful app which helps the teachers to manage the classroom properly.

2. Remind101

Remind101 is a free app which is specifically designed for teachers. With the help of this app, teachers are able to send announcements and notices to students as well as parents. One of the greatest benefits of using this app is teachers do not need to show their personal details or contact number for communicating with parents and students. Teachers are not able to get access to the personal details of recipients. The real strength of this app is its emphasis on privacy.

3.ClassDojo

ClassDojo is an app which helps teachers improve their behaviour in classroom easily and quickly. It also generates and apprehends data on behavior which teachers can share with both teachers and administrators. Using this app, one can give feedback, encouragement and thus view report on the student’s behaviour. 

4.GradeBook Pro  

GradeBook Pro is an app which helps to manage the class. This app will help the teachers to check attendance and to record evolution of student’s performance throughout the course. One of the greatest disadvantages of this app is that it is not free to use.

5.Teachers Assistant Pro 2 

Teachers Assistant Pro 2 is an app better than GradeBook Pro. It offers a range of function which assists in managing the classroom. This app helps to see real transformation of students behavior. Students personal information such as address, health conditions and their details about siblings is available in this app. These features will be useful to teachers for facilitating feedback reports to parents. 

You May also Like:  6 Ways School Apps are Important for Parents

6.Educreations  

Educreation is an app which enables the teachers to draw and can thus share those creations of students in real-time. By adding audio to those creations, it becomes a teaching tool. 

7.Podcast  

Podcast is an app which allows access to thousands of podcasts or audio recordings. With the help of this app, teachers can create their own station to upload audio lessons which are suitable for students to download. The greatest advantage of using podcasts is that students can listen to this audio when they want and as many times as they want without any restrictions. This app is available only for Apple iOS but apps like podcast is available for Android as well. 

8.TED  

TED is a special kind of app which presents talks given by some of inspiring personalities all over the world from almost every field. This app offers all those conferences for free. 

9.Math Formulas  

Math Formulas give us a group of mathematical formulas from algebra, matrices, geometry, trigonometry etc. which are difficult to memorize. This app is available on Android, but similar apps are available on Apple products as well. 

10.ExamTime  

ExamTime with the help of this app, teachers can share resources, work on group projects and organize debates. It also allows to create multiple resources such as Flashcards, Quiz Maker, Interactive Notes and Mind Maps. The motive behind this app is to improve class participation, brainstorming and concentration power. 

All the above 10 school apps are beneficial as well as useful to both students and teachers. Teachers are able to do their task of teaching easier with this app. Also school apps make learning interesting for students.

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"Books will soon be obsolete in the public schools…our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years."- Thomas Edison

Technology has revolutionized education for the better. Apps are now everywhere! Introduction of school apps has greatly made the life of students and teachers easier. School apps now play an important part in managing, organizing and monitoring activities in the classroom. They are particularly useful for early year foundation stage (EYFS)

But are school apps vital for modern education? Here are some benefits of using school apps:

  • Teachers are able to Share their Ideas and Resources Online

Teachers are able to connect with people all around the world within minutes, find shortcomings, correct it and thus improve students’ quality. If they want to share learning materials, they can use school apps’ sharing features. By using parent apps, teachers can communicate with parents regarding students’ academic improvement and other activities.

Read Also: 6 Ways School Apps are Important for Parents

  • Students are able to Cultivate Research Skills at a Young Age

Apps allow students to explore freely. Their innate curiosity is thus encouraged. By exploring using school apps, students become capable of finding solutions and clear their doubts themselves. This skill can be helpful for in future.

  • Create a Good Rapport between Parents and Teachers

School apps help create a good rapport between parents and teachers as they will be provided with up-to-date information regarding school policies, extracurricular activities, school happenings etc Apps can provide extra information such as bus routes, maps etc.

School apps can also integrate student information systems such as teacher comments, grades and school attendance. They are especially useful for distance and online education as it would be easy for them to submit assignments via mobile.

  • Easy Access of Information

With the evolution of innovative apps on smartphones, people are now able to connect to the internet universe without a personal computer or laptop. Hence, information can be easily accessed on-the-go

  • More Scope for Communication

With the help of school apps, parents are able to get notification regarding school activities. They will get information regarding urgent announcements, school events and thus keep track of important dates. Alerts can also be sent via apps. Teachers are able to answer the queries of students instantly.

Read Also: How School Apps are used to Engage Parents & Students

  • Forms a Stepping Stone to Self-Education

Students are able to form a creative and productive approach towards learning with the help of school apps. This later helps them in the process of self-education in future. They will be self-motivated to improve their performance through the usage of school apps.

School apps are inexpensive, easy to use, and improve student learning capacity. They have completely revolutionized today's educational sector. In fact, in this fast paced world, school apps are vital for students to keep up the changes happening around them.

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We all have seen that over the last decade, apps have been gradually changing the way we live our lives. They have massively influenced how we perform our day to day activities. There are apps for entertainment, communication, management, business, and much more.

It is unjust to totally neglect using this when the scope of incorporating technology into education is huge and the benefits are tremendous. Many schools are already promoting a number of apps that acts as an additional supplement to the main teaching material. In future, apps can become the primary course material in imparting education in schools.

Read Also: 6 Ways School Apps are Important for Parents

Apps are found to be more engaging for parents and students alike

parents and students to engage in educational activities. Using these apps, any updates can be intimated to parents and students in real-time.

  • How school apps are engaging to parents

Parents can check student’s progress reports, read teacher’s comments, ask queries, get informed on any upcoming meetings or events, know about fee dues, track the school bus, etc.

  • How school apps are engaging to students

Students can get instant updates on notifications and announcements, exam results, course details, time schedules, etc. They will no more miss to do their assignments or homework, as an alert or reminder can be set to student’s who fail to submit their assignment before a certain time. They can also check their individual performance over the terms, ask queries, or share concerns. This is especially beneficial to students who are overly shy to talk.

Student attendance can be monitored with smart cards and smart apps so that the record is accurate and safe. With the advent of educational apps, a new trend has developed in distance education viz. online learning, where a student can attend a lecture or meeting without having the need for his/her physical presence at the venue.

Better Distribution of Information

School apps win again when it comes to the reach it has in providing information compared to any other method. Though it is possible to provide the same information via the school’s website, using mobile devices have  advantage due to its portability. Mobile devices are very popular and are owned by of parents and even most of the students. So apps are far better options with respect to a school’s website for access.

Another advantage of using apps is that additional information in the form of documents, images, video, podcasts, etc can be given as supplement study material to the students.

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Reliable and Fast Communication

In the current world scenario, most of the working parents are under a lot of pressure from managing their professional and family life. There is never enough time to do all the things. As a result, adequately monitoring their children’s academic development is very difficult.

Now, with the help of proper school apps, parents will never again need to do a compromise in this matter. They can keep themselves updated with the latest happenings in school via push notifications and get real-time student progress card reports.

Apps can be used to communicate with the teacher and get suggestions and directions. It is also possible to get reminders and alerts on due dates and school events.

Improved Social Involvement

Apps can help in making the whole process a bit more social and convenient. It will keep the communication live 24/7, and not just during the school hours. Manuscripts can be shared to all and at once. There can be discussions held for organizing activities and taking decisions.School apps are a great way to promote social interaction between students, parents and teachers.

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Mobile apps offer an array of significant ways to engage students, teachers and parents. There are a lot of possibilities with mobile phones than gaming, shopping and video watching. Now it’s possible to be connected with your child’s school via your mobile. School apps can help you with this.

Being connected to your school via your mobile means you never miss out any important information.  School apps provide variety of themes, all beautifully presented and executed.

Relying on school apps is a choice you won’t regret. Wondering how, check out 6 ways school apps helps

  1. Always Updated

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke

Apps can dispense news and events concerning schools. School apps reduce the trouble of announcing updates individually. School apps even have the capability of informing announcements regarding the course, class timings, school policies and schedule. The app provides information which helps the parents to remain updated.

  1. Just a Click Away

“Lost time is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin

Don’t be worried if you can’t spend time on the online website of the school. Here is the solution, School Apps. Mobile phones are handy so is School apps. On the go you can manage everything.  School apps can help students with no internet connection at home. Information is just a click away with the latest technology. Pick school apps for smarter management.

Read also: 8 Things you need to know about School App Today

  1. Communication

“Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

Normally guardians must visit their child’s school to track their improvement but mostly due to lack of time they cannot manage to make a visit.  Professional pressure and work stress restrict them to fully concentrate on their responsibilities.  But now that School apps are available, parents can constantly be in touch with the school of their children. With the school app, teachers can answer the queries of parents directly.

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  1. No More Sorry

“It’s impossible to protect your kids against disappointment in life.” –Nicholas Sparks

Parents find it difficult to locate the right location and the right time of their child’s school event. Parents might miss the schedule of parent-teacher interviews or summer camp. Connecting to school apps enables a reminder of what’s coming up.

  1. Save Money

“The art is not in making money, but in keeping it” -Proverb

Apps save time and money. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Schools can save a lot of money with apps. Timely information saves the time of parents as well. As a whole, the package is so much beneficial. School apps are handy hence comfortable.

Read also: Smart Apps for Preschoolers to Learn Phonics and Letters

  1. Absent Note

“Organising is a journey, not a destination” – Unknown

Don’t worry if you child forgets his/her absent note. School apps can rescue. Direct communication with the teacher provides you with all the facilities. No more worries and tension. Students can concentrate more on their studies.

Think Twice Before You Refuse

School Apps escorts education beyond the stereotype boundaries. It has the potential to list a number of things. From the school location in digital map to lunch menu, everything gets organised for better.  School apps are the perfect solution for busy parents and organized schools to increase student’s interest and involvement.

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The concept of make-over is getting much attention these days. “Flipped classroom” is a buzz word related to classrooms and learning methods. It’s a classroom closely knitted to technology.

Integrating technology in classroom needs special care. You can’t just introduce schools apps to the children and say, “Now we have got technology”. How technology is used is the relevant question.

Smart apps for preschoolers and schools apps are creating revolution in education with its charm. All you need is a smart phone or tab to download the most breathtaking school apps.

Levels of technology integration

The usage of technology and tools are classified into different variations.

  1. Sparse: Technology rarely used by students
  2. Basic: Technology is available for students occasionally
  3. Comfortable: Students are comfortable with technology and is used often in classroom
  4. Seamless: Through various technologies, students employ technology in classroom

Recap: How can school apps promote creativity in students?

Tips to consider before introducing technology in classrooms:

  1. Better Plan

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

– Alan Lakein

Alan Lakein said it right. You cannot ignore the importance of a proper plan in anything you do. Without a clear strategy, introducing anything to students won’t work. A good teacher never fails to plan better.

Be involved in the planning session. Before integrating technology into classrooms, be sure about the goals.

Find answers to three relevant questions:

  1. How can teaching be improved with technology?
  2. What technology will be used?
  3. How much time will be invested in technology?

These questions have relevance once you have decided to mix education and technology. You cannot blindly go without plan when it’s about the future of your students. A steady plan from the initial stage is important.

  1. Participate

“It is better to participate and fail than fail to participate.”

– Debasish Mridha

Teachers should involve with the students when they are exploring devices. Don’t be a passive observer, be an active participator. Be organized. Never leave children with devices and allow them to manage alone. Creating a web page for the class is a good idea. You can exhibit the activities of your children in the page. Divide children into groups and allot a device per group. Students with limited knowledge on technology can mingle with students with better knowledge.

  1. Schedule

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities”.

– Stephen Covey

Assign special schedule for the usage of devices. Students should not get addicted to technology; this can have adverse effects. Pre-plan the tasks and arrange them. Never give extra time for completing any task. Extra time is equal to extra distractions. The use of technology must be strictly limited.

  1. Nothing Personal

“You affect the world by what you browse.”

– Tim Berners-Lee

Use of devices must be public. Don’t permit personal usage of the device to students. The sole purpose of introducing technology in the classrooms is to award an overall learning experience. To use it personally is no less than misusing it. Fixing a password that can only be accessed by teacher helps to secure the device. No child must be allowed to use any device without the supervision of a teacher.

  1. Online Learning

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”

– Stephen Hawking

Traditional teaching methods have lost their charm.  To engage children in studies, it’s vital to introduce new and fresh ideas. Technology can help teachers achieve this goal. Fascinating facts excite children towards studies. Teachers can consider taking a short online course for better management of the software. Recording lectures is possible with technology. Students absent in the class can gain out of them.

Recap: Smart Apps for Preschoolers to Learn Phonics and Letters

6 Reasons to Embrace Technology in Classrooms:

“The whole intention of Digital Learning Day is to really celebrate teachers and good instructional learning practices,”

Says Sarah Hall

  1. Technology used correctly enables students for their future careers.
  2. Children mix up more with their classmates
  3. Prepares children for the real world
  4. Students become more excited to learn
  5. Teachers and students become more active and responsible
  6. Children take control over their learning

Change Is The Need:

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”

– Albert Einstein

Never hesitate to adopt new techniques in classrooms. From smart apps for preschoolers to internet, everything serves a purpose. All you need to take care is to maintain technology properly.

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Like wet cement which reflects anything that falls on it, children cannot always be blamed for the behaviour they showcase. School apps help students to learn better and parent portal helps parents to evaluate their children, but is that enough for our children? For that, execution has to be impeccable. Gifting our children the best environment for healthy mental and physical development is equally important.

Even inside the school, children are not as safe as we think. Bullying is one such problem that can affect children in the school. Under any circumstances, bullying cannot be justified. Approximately 32% of reported student bullying complaints are from schools.

It is of no doubt that bullying can affect the emotional stability of the victim. When it happens at school, it can negatively impact a child’s learning ability. More than one in five children is bullied regularly at school.

Stop before it starts, that’s the best way to deal with bullying. The possibilities of school staffs are numerous to stop the bullies. Teachers have the authority to mould the children for better.

Teachers can help prevent the bullies:

“Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops”- Henry Brooks Adams

Teachers can create a bully-free school zone. The authority of teachers is not limited to school syllabus, they can do a lot more for the school and the students.

What works?

Implement the best that works. Practice what you preach.

  • When in doubt take action

According to research when teachers or adults ignore bullying it is a clear indication for the students that it’s OK to behave in that manner. Always take immediate precautions against bullying. Students must be aware that, no practice of bullying shall be tolerated.

  • Treat them right

Always treat students with warmth and affection. Students should feel that teachers are always available to listen and help them. Most of the students might be in fear to expose their experience with the bullies, but giving them adequate courage can solve the problem.

  • Peer Volunteers

Appointing special volunteers for anti-bullying squad can be helpful. The volunteers can report to the teachers about any bullying incident. The victim also attains courage with volunteers between them.

  • Approaching the bullies

While the victim must be treated with extra care and support, bullies must not always be treated harshly. They should realize the intensity of the crime they have committed. Feeling guilty fetches better results.

  • Spread goodness

Activities that encourage social conduct can be helpful. The prevention taken before bullying is far more effective than the punishment granted to the victims after the incident. A school wide focus to the problem can resolve it better.

  • Monitoring the bullies

Bullies must be monitored and necessary action must be taken to prevent it as soon as possible. Contacting the parents of the bullies can be considered. The entire school must be warned that bullies are carefully monitored. No bullies will be ignored.

What doesn’t work?

It’s also essential to point out, what does not work in the prevention of bullying. Many preventive factors might sound effective but they are not.

  • Enforcing Zero Tolerance Policy

Zero tolerance policies might result in less reporting of bullying incident. The policy regardless of accidental mistakes or any other circumstances, believes in punishing the guilty. The policy might not fetch the expected result. Punishment cannot eliminate the chance of future bullying.

  • Conflict Resolution Methods

There is a great difference between the bully and the victim, mediation between the two is not an alternative. It can upset the victim more. Never encourage bullies by not resolving the issue.

  • Dealing each bullying incident in isolation

Compared to a school wide approach dealing the incident in isolation has little effect. Each incident should be resolved without any delay as well. Enquiring the family background of the bullies can help but counselling them is much better.

Always remember:

“If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important” – Barbara Colorose

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Attendance is an important everyday school activity. A decade ago, attendance was taken at schools by calling out everyone’s name. Now, technology has made the process easier and faster. You might be familiar with biometric systems.

RFID technology is currently the most popular and feasible technology used for School Attendance Systems, student tracking systems and parent portals.

What is an RFID Attendance System?

An RFID Attendance System makes use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to log the attendance of individual students to database. A database would have unique profiles for individual students with details such as their address, date of birth, class, etc which can be viewed through school apps or parent portals.

Types of RFID Attendance Systems

There are two main types of RFID Attendance systems- Passive and Active according to the types of tags used.

  1. Passive RFID

In this type, RFID readers would send radio waves to tags. The microchip in the tags power on using this signal and reflect back the signal to the reader. Thus the time of entry/exit gets registered in the database. It is due to this very reason that these are known as “Passive RFID”

These can operate in three different radio frequencies:

125 – 134 kHz – LF (Low Frequency)

13.56 MHz – HF (High Frequency)

856 MHz to 960 MHz – UHF (Ultra High Frequency)

The range of Passive RFIDs is limited as it simply reflects signals back to the reader rather than emitting signals on its own. Therefore, the range of these tags usually comes under 10 meters. However, this gives it several advantages.

Advantages

  • It doesn’t require a power source
  • Smaller in size
  • Easy to manufacture
  • Far more cheaper than Active RFID
  • Minimal health hazards

Being extremely affordable, it is no surprise that these are the most widely used RFID tags. Because of their simple nature, Passive RFIDs have numerous applications. Attendance at schools and offices commonly use these.

Battery Operated Passive Tags: These are similar to normal passive RFID tags. The only difference is the addition of a battery to power on the microchip. This helps to use the entire signal received from readers to be reflected back instead of using it to power on the microchip. Thus, it effectively improves the range.

  1. Active RFID

Unlike Passive RFID systems, these use RFID tags that have their own power source and a transmitter. Active RFIDs have superior range and data capacity. Some of these tags are known to have range over 100 meters. But these increased abilities come with an increased demand for power.

These are usually powered by powerful batteries which can last for a few years. Never the less, they have to be replaced once the batteries expire. There are two types of Active tags – Transponders and Beacons

a)      Transponders wake up by receiving radio signals from their readers. Once awake, they communicate with the readers as required. As they do not use their battery power to wake up, transponders have better longevity compared to Beacons.

b)      Beacons are used for real-time location monitoring systems. They are powered by their own batteries and emit signals at pre-determined intervals.

Advantages

  • Long range
  • Ideal for real-time location systems
  • Larger memory

However, there are numerous aspects that make Active RFID tags less feasible for large scale usage. The improved technology in Active RFID tags make them costlier and the associated radiation could be hazardous to health. Also, they are usually bulky when compared to passive tags. Hence schools and offices usually prefer passive tags for attendance while active tags are used in throughout supply chains and shipping yards.

Wi-Fi: The Future of Attendance Systems

Technology is developing rapidly, and Wi-Fi seems to be a faster, more user-friendly option as far as attendance systems is concerned. With BYOD in schools and workplaces becoming a popular trend, concerned authorities would not have to invest in hardware. However, the technology is still in evolving stage.

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A modern classroom is defined by technology these days. There is constant pressure on teachers and administrators to implement technology in classes. Though there are several advantages of making use of technology in teaching, the question remains – can technology replace teachers in Future Classrooms? Well, the answer is clearly no. Though beneficial, technologies can never replace a teacher.

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Must Read:  4 Innovative Teaching Methods to “WOW” Your Students

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Here’s the Reason Why

No matter how advanced or smart a computer program or a product is, it can never come close to the knowledge and life experience a teacher brings. Several researches have been conducted and it has been proven time and again that teachers bring about a change which no technology can. A teacher simply does not impart knowledge or information. And teaching is definitely not about facts and figures. A teacher leads, guides, facilitates and mentors a student. They are role models who set an example to students and drive them towards a brighter future. A good teacher encourages independent thoughts and independent learning. He/she can be a positive influence, can be an inspiration to set and achieve goals. The trust and bond between a teacher and student creates the perfect learning environment; which can never be achieved through virtual learning.

Having Said that,

In today’s age the old school method of books and notes will not work. Teachers have to stay updated with today’s trends and equip themselves with the latest in technology. They have to implement these technological innovations in their curriculum, without losing their control over the classroom. For example, there are several school apps and smart apps for preschoolers available that make the process of learning and teaching really simple. The future of education is clearly going to be personalized-tech infused learning.

The generation today loves technology.  To connect with students and help them understand better, a teacher will have to come out of the comfort zone and explore new ways to engage them. And, technology will certainly play an important role in achieving just that. Technology has immense potential to upgrade today’s educational system. There are several students’ apps and smart apps for preschoolers that help teachers improvise and enrich the overall teaching experience. New educational technologies will not only energize the students, but teachers as well. Which means, even in a technology-infused learning environment, the role of the teacher will remain ever-important.  Yes, it will become less traditional, but important nonetheless!

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So, where do we stand in this debate of teachers versus technology? Well, the answer will have to be the middle ground of the two. While classrooms cannot function without a teacher, the fact the remains that in the near future it will be the other way around too. Facilitating learning through technology presents tremendous opportunity for both the student and the teacher to deepen their knowledge and empower themselves. The teacher will have to become a facilitator of parting trustworthy information from electronic sources to the students. Teachers versus technology is an ongoing battle.

Technology plays a supporting role, but it’s the teacher who brings it all together. Technology is certainly changing the way students learn, but it cannot be termed as a replacement for teachers. High-quality teachers create a classroom culture that motivates students and leads them on the path of success. Technology cannot inspire, help them through their struggles, help them fight back and stand up. Yes! Technology can only be a helping factor to learn, but it cannot replace the knowledge and experience that come with a teacher. So, the future of education as believed by several institutes, including Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) will not be teachers versus technology, but it will be teachers plus technology. And as long as the balance is maintained we can expect an education system that not only promotes learning, but also opens doors to creative freedom and expression.

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“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune” -Jim Rohn

As a student, you were never trained to speak up in school nor at home. If you sat silently without daring to give a single opinion on anything, you may be staying the same even today. There might have been a moment when you wished to speak up, but didn’t have the courage to do so. You might have cursed the school you studied in for not grooming you to talk. You might have wished that you got an opportunity to express yourself and for those who did, you hailed them as heroes…the failure of traditional learning…

That is exactly why educators are leaving behind traditional teaching techniques and are adopting technology involved learning. In traditional learning, knowledge is limited to books but technology involved teaching provides greater opportunities for the students to learn and explore. Apart from that, it allows students to connect on a global level and earn deeper knowledge about a certain subject. To support technology involved learning there are many mobile and web applications, such as smartapps for preschoolers, available. The school apps, which are in the form of games or activities instill interest in students and make learning an easy affair. Apart from apps for learning, there are many applications that also ensure safety of students such as ParentApp and also allow effective interaction between teachers and parents.

Must Read:

     10 Cool School Apps for Teachers

The field of education has just begun adopting technology to classrooms and therefore, the students are yet to be acquainted with the changes. As a teacher, it is your responsibility to ensure that students are comfortable in the new classroom environment where Internet is the star.

If you are thinking about ways you can prepare the students for a connected world, here they are:

1. Encourage Students to Speak Up

Every student may differ in terms of character and behaviour. Some may be smart and extra active while others may be shy to even speak a word out. The reserved behaviour won’t help them in future especially while attending an interview. Therefore, it is necessary to motivate the students to speak up. In the Internet connected world, students may find it much easier to speak up since they don’t meet anyone in person but just have to give an opinion. This adds to the confidence of students and hence, the teachers should ensure a positive environment for students to come forward and speak their mind out.

2. Student Blogs

Blogging is being practised in many schools across the globe. It provides students an opportunity to think creatively and write anything related to the currently relevant topics. Blogs are one of the best tools for students to raise their voice and give opinions.  Ask students to update their blogs on a regular basis and share the links to the blogs so that other students can go through the blog posts and comment.

3. Ask for Feedback

Just like you have an opinion on the performance of every student you teach, students too have something to say about your teaching. But, they rarely get a chance to voice their opinions. You can ask your students to give their feedback on your teaching via Internet. This can help you to improvise your teaching skills. It is also a way to show that their opinions do matter.

4. Tell them that you don’t have all the Answers

Usually, teachers are considered to be equal to an encyclopedia. They are expected to know about anything and everything on Earth and are expected to answer every question a student asks.  Prove them wrong this time and encourage your students to explore and find the answers themselves. This gives the students a better understanding of the subjects themselves and to make use of the connected world to the fullest.

Recommended Read:

Top 12 Classroom Management Tips

5. Let them Understand the difference between Progress and Performance

Without putting efforts, nobody can achieve anything. Also, in education, performance of students is evaluated on a regular basis. Hence, it is not sufficient for the students to perform well just once. They should make regular progress in their academic performance in terms of grades and understanding of the subject. Technology involved learning provides a better platform for students to explore every subject in depth and for the regular analysis of their performance.

6. Offer Engaging Topics

In traditional learning, teachers don’t usually discuss about a topic further with students once it is taught from the text book. Be different and starts discussing about topics relevant to the subjects students learn. Let them use all kind of technology and Internet to find out more about the subject and have a better understanding of the same.

7. Digital Story Telling

Give this activity a try. It is the modern version of already existing story telling in schools. Ask students to narrate a story based on a particular theme, a historical event or about life on the other corner of the Earth. This helps students to think more and develop their creativity. They also get to learn about different culture and how they are different.

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“Creativity is sharpening your imaginative powers in a more appealing way”

 

School apps nowadays enhance school to parent communication by providing timely and clear information to both the parties. In addition to enhancing the communication between schools and parents, school apps facilitate the use of parent portal and school workforce management. However, a lot of school apps are designed to enhance the creativity of students. Let’s see how school apps foster creativity in students.

A Handful of Ideas

You may have heard about the brainstorming technique which is used to generate ideas freely without any constraints. A brainstorming session allows people to suggest ideas without any restriction. It paves way for nurturing creativity and producing more fruitful results. More recently, ‘Electronic brainstorming’ lets users to collaborate with others through a safe backchannel. So, if students really want to develop and prepare themselves before entering a real brainstorming session, they can use school mobile apps to generate ideas in a creative manner.

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Drawing Creatively

Painting a castle in the background, creating photos with smileys, hearts and comments or doodling your way for generating amusing ideas needs to remain flexible, fluent and fast. A drawing app can help students save their time in creating the most beautiful art of their imagination. It not only helps them to resize, crop, reassemble, layer or combine various images into a collaboration of visual concepts but allow them to talk over their designs and ideas with other people thereby enhancing their creativity.

Ask Questions

Creativity, according to Paul Torrance is detecting gaps or problems in information. Ideas are formed, tested or modified before communicating the results. So while creating something, problems occur and they should be addressed in a flexible manner. Students can use Mind-mapping apps that encourage them to unlock the underlying problems while working with a particular image. These apps help students to write an inquiry question thereby getting closer to the central issue. Framing questions and redefining problems is the key to innovation!

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Recording Thoughts!

Walking, driving , playing or day-dreaming… We may be doing diverse things in a day but one thing that keep us from getting engaged all the time is our ‘Thoughts’ and nothing else! Thoughts which are capable of directly or indirectly allowing our minds to wander through trivial things, subtly shape our ideas in a novel way.

But can our thoughts be recorded?

There are apps that can record our thought flow and combine text with features such as photography, voice recording, sketching etc. Students can use these apps to document their thought process in order to explore trends between ideas.

Telling a Story

Original myths, stories or word problem books! Students can now use apps to create and publish stories and share it with others. They can even export it to other apps and stay professional. These apps actually encourage students to develop their creative skills and allow them to create multimedia publications using audio and other media.

Creating Movies

Let students create their own movies adding lenses and effects! Video creation apps allow students to create media projects in an interesting way.
With a good project idea, students can make a 60 second movie of an experience or event. The creation of educational movies actually helps students to engage in learning activities with fun and frolic!