Classroom Gadgets: Using

Technology to Enhance Learning

Published on: September 3, 2013 | Last Updated: September 3, 2013 11:58 AM MST

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” so the Staples commercial goes.

It’s back-to-school time, as students change gears from the lazy days of summer and
shift back to hitting the books. Today’s classrooms are equipped with the latest
technology to enhance instruction. Here are some favourite student and teacher
gadgets for use in day-to-day learning:

1. Smartphones – Smartphone use in the classroom is still somewhat controversial,

but the Calgary Board of Education actually encourages it as a learning tool. In
an interview with CTV, Queen’s University National Scholar and Associate
Professor Sidneyeve Matrix compared the situation to when calculators were first
used by students in the classroom. “We had a whole new level of computational
skill, and now we’re going to have a whole new level of mobile digital skills when
we turn to mobile learning on the handhelds.”
 2. Laptops and tablets – Technology users are moving towards being more mobile,
and teachers and students are a significant part of that trend. Last month,
Lenovo, the world’s top PC vendor reported that they sold more smartphones
and tablets than PCs for the first time ever.

3. Interactive whiteboards – Calgary-based SMART Technologies’ SMART Boards

are popular with both teachers and students. Teachers can project presentations
onto the SMART Boards and they can write, touch and interact with their
content.

4. Document cameras – Document cameras are a fun way for teachers to show

students new and interesting ways of looking at objects. Whether they are
zooming in on the smaller details of a 3D object, or observing science
experiments, students can share an equal view of the lesson – without crowding
the teacher’s desk.

5. Mp3 players – Whether a student is listening to his own music while studying, or
a teacher is playing an audio book to her students, mp3 players are an
increasingly common sight in schools. Both teachers and students can make full
use of mp3 players in their school activities.

6. While the best learning models still involve personal communication, technology
can be introduced in any number of ways to enhance student learning and make
lectures more interactive. What are some of your favourite educational tech
gadgets?

Photo credit: www.edudemic.com

Author: Heidi Gammuac

Heidi is a volunteer at Digital Alberta. Always interested in what
is new and coming up in the world of digital media, she is an
Account Executive at The Agency, a boutique PR firm that
specializes in the technology sector. Full Bio &Twitter.