High Schools Go High-Tech

While some may consider the use of technological devices during a classroom lecture to be distracting, students see it as just another way to communicate. Tweeting, blogging, and chatting online with other students during a lecture or class as a means to enrich and expand the modern learning experience. The days of a professor or teacher standing in a classroom or lecture hall teaching a group of students may soon be a thing of the past.

Technology a Part of the Learning Process for Students Today

Gary Rudman, owner of GTR Consulting, a company that studies teens and young adults, recently released a report on teens and technology. Rudman says, "Technology is such an inherent part of their lives. They have come to expect it every step of the way." Apparently, that goes for school as well. When a college student enters a college or university today, it's expected that technology will already be incorporated into the learning process. Most schools today issue laptop computers to students as a mandatory part of their coursework. Schools are finally catching on.

Schools today are actually encouraging the use of technology as a back-channel, or online secondary conversation to allow students to ask more questions, share information, and chat about concepts while they are being taught. It's sort of like whispering to a friend sitting next to you in class, only you can communicate with anyone, anywhere. Twitter appears to be a popular back-channel for students to communicate about what they are learning. Those not used to technology may see this as a distraction, but today's students are already used to multi-tasking. Teachers know the kids are already going to use it anyway, so they might as well include it as a part of the learning experience.

Podcasts May Actually Replace In-Person Lectures

The professor who stands before hundreds of students, lecturing live in a hall while the students there take notes may actually be a thing of the past. Classes and courses are changing as a result of the rapidly changing technology. Students know that if a lecture is on podcast, viewable anytime, then there is just no reason for them to attend class and hear the lecture. As a result, teachers and professors are making their classrooms more interactive.

One such example is a professor of interactive media studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Glenn Platt. Platt makes his lectures available as podcasts and live, streaming video. He also maintains discussion boards so his students can ask him questions.Through blogging, tweeting, and online chats, students are encouraged to ask questions of the teacher, and also other students in order to find answers. It's really a whole new way of learning.

There are many other high-tech methods being used in today's modern education system. The SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that connects a computer with a digital projector allowing teachers to use their finger as a mouse, write on the whiteboard with digital ink, and access computer programs to aid in their teaching presentation. There is also a smartpen that captures handwritten notes while it records and links audio from a lecture. Online, customizable books are also starting to become more and more popular in the world of education. The old ways of traditional education are changing very quickly and most students seem to welcome the change.

Sources:

U.S.News.com; "Classrooms Go High-Tech to Engage Students"

SeattleTimes.com, "Shoreline and Kent Schools go High-Tech"