18 Oct 2023
A digital classroom is a learning environment that relies on using digital devices and software to help to facilitate and deliver lessons. They don’t have the same constraints as a physical classroom, so students could potentially learn from anywhere and anytime. The majority of children recognized the importance of the teacher, in all focus groups it was stated that, first of all you need a good teacher, then you consider using technology, but the teacher is more important." In a virtual classroom, the teacher will take lessons using a variety of tools that might be available to them. They can share their screen, have interactive polls, and even link to further reading for homework purposes.
Digital tools in the classroom can bring many benefits for both learners and teachers, but there are some things to be mindful of too. Here’s a quick overview of some of the benefits digital learning can offer:
1. Personalized learning
Digital technologies in the classroom enable learning providers to personalise teaching to meet the needs of individual learners. Lessons can be tailored for individual students easily using technology.
2. Abundant information
Information can be shared instantaneously, and fact checked quickly in a digital classroom. Students can access the internet and the vast libraries of information held there to get the information they need quickly.
3. Greater engagement
The digital classroom does away with the old-school dusty blackboards, whiteboards and handouts, replacing them with interactive tools to help students engage together. Students can interact with the lesson far easier than before, using features available in the virtual classroom such as live chatting, and reaction buttons.
4. Flexible learning
A key advantage of digital teaching methods is the flexibility it offers to teachers and students. Teaching can be adapted to the needs of individual students and the pace of teaching and learning can be adapted to suit the needs of each student.
5. Lessons are recorded
Digital classrooms enable lessons to be recorded - and then replayed whenever needed which can be really helpful for students to revisit their classes exactly as they occurred - without needing to rely on their notes. It’s helpful for the teacher too, they can use past lessons to help them plan for future lessons too, knowing what worked well, and what can be improved.
6. Progress tracking and reporting
We know that student progress can be monitored using digital classrooms, things like attendance, test results and coursework can all be tracked easily. Of course, there are many advantages to using digital tools and virtual classrooms, but there are a few things to be mindful of: minimal face to face interaction and social isolation, technical issues disrupt learning, equipping a digital classroom can be costly, successful online learning requires motivation. Beyond these disadvantages, it is important to focus on the positive aspects of using technologies in our educational approach.
The educational act carried out in the virtual environment offers us, the teachers, the opportunity to carry out, together with our students, interactive, dynamic, challenging activities. The integration of technology in the lessons produces the activation of students, the increase of their motivation for learning and the development of integrative didactic sequences.
For us, as teachers, using technology in the virtual environment means looking at the modern educational endeavor with confidence, joy, motivation and dedication.
By Colegiul Economic Gheorghe Chitu
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