Interactive technologies in the classroom have the power to engage students in meaningful and authentic ways. According to many teachers, technology can accelerate learning rates and — when the school system takes responsibility for technological resource investment — help address issues of educational and digital inequity. Schools and districts often task curriculum and instruction leaders with researching and guiding technology selection, acquisition, program design and implementation. This is no small task and takes a high degree of digital literacy.
Educators who want to take the digital helm and advance technology-enriched teaching and learning at their schools can acquire the knowledge needed with specialized studies in the online Master of Science in Education (MSEd.) in Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching Technology program at Northwest Missouri State University. The degree program includes numerous advanced courses focused on helping educators develop expertise in data literacy, educational technology and technology program implementation to lead digital integration in the classroom and school community.
There are many kinds of teaching technology tools that curriculum and instruction professionals employ when integrating educational technologies. The following are a few tools that stand out for their popularity and usefulness.
Interactive In-classroom Tools
Gone are the days of clunky document projectors and piles of paper. Today’s teachers have technology that enables them to share computer screens, presentations, mobile applications and interactive documents.
Smart technology allows teachers to use interactive whiteboards to project images, draw on those images and store lessons for later review. Further, these collaborative smart technologies and components of modern learning management systems (LMS) allow students to do the same when presenting digital projects and working with teams — even teams of students from other schools, districts, states or countries!
While this technology is fun, exciting and enriching, teachers are unlikely to use it if they do not have adequate training and support. Educators equipped to use teaching technology are crucial for offering the advice, support and training needed for other faculty members to understand and take advantage of it.
Individual Devices
Many schools invested in 1:1 technology in the classroom prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing students with their own devices and empowering them to participate in lessons in real time. Teachers can assign research projects and interact with students through digital gaming platforms like Kahoot! Individual devices in the classroom can also address the digital divide of technological inequalities faced by students who lack access to devices at home.
In addition to serving as the digital tools needed to keep pace with peers, these devices are particularly helpful for students with different abilities, supporting more impactful inclusive education. For example, students can use personal devices to help themselves take notes, dictate ideas, translate text or access materials they would not otherwise be able to see or hear.
Digital Resources
Digital resources now abound to aid both teaching and learning. Using teaching technology like an LMS, instructors can save time and energy by electronically tracking attendance and grades, giving and accepting digital assignments and finding digital materials to aid in lesson planning.
Artificial intelligence tools enable teachers to personalize their students’ learning experiences. These new technologies track student progress and mastery, provide important data regarding student engagement and comprehension, check for learning gaps, and support adaptive learning opportunities. Teachers with advanced training in teaching technology are capable of using new resources and have the data literacy necessary to put such information to good use.
Virtual, Online and Hybrid Learning Platforms
Online and hybrid or blended learning models existed before the pandemic but gained more widespread acceptance and adoption during and after COVID-19’s peak. Blended learning models can open doors to accessible educational resources, opportunities for gamification and potential for real-world educational applications. Yet, implementing blended learning models requires a high level of data literacy on the part of educational leaders.
Teachers with an MSEd. in Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching Technology online from Northwest receive the training necessary to navigate the landscape of teaching technology. Courses like Data Literacy and Assessment for Schools, Leading in the Digital Age, Integrating the Technology Curriculum, and Building a Virtual Learning Environment provide educators with the expertise to implement and teach technology effectively. Innovations are coming out every day, and teachers with this advanced degree can lead the way in employing, evaluating and training others in new tools and skills.
Learn more about Northwest’s online MSEd. in Curriculum & Instruction – Teaching Technology program.
