The mandatory transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic affected more than just businesses. Schools suddenly found themselves having to switch from in-person to remote learning virtually overnight. While the majority of schools have resumed in-person learning, that long-distance learning experiment was eye-opening for many educators regarding the impact technology can have in the modern classroom.
The classrooms of the future will seamlessly integrate modern technology to facilitate better flexibility and accommodate different learning styles. These changes are happening in every facet of academia, from K-12 schools all the way up through higher education. Let’s take a closer look at the top seven technology tools that educators should consider integrating into their classrooms to improve the academic experience for a diverse set of learners and make the modern classroom more inclusive for everyone.
Top seven classroom technology tools
- Video conferencing platforms
- Video conferencing cameras
- Asynchronous learning tools
- Synchronous learning tools
- Project management tools
Teachers today have a challenging job managing both in-room and remote learners. Choosing a video conferencing platform that is familiar and intuitive to use can help minimize the time spent focused on managing technology, and keep the students engaged throughout their academic experiences. That makes choosing a video conferencing platform the crux of any successful modern classroom. Luckily, with the rise of hybrid and remote work, there is no shortage of video conferencing platforms to choose from. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are all great choices for hybrid learning that can easily integrate into any classroom–many of these platforms even offer discounts for educators
You can have the best video conferencing platform in the world, but it won’t matter much if you don’t have a high-quality camera to integrate with the platform. Just like in the corporate world, meeting equity is important for effective hybrid learning in classrooms. To achieve true meeting equity it’s essential that everyone can be clearly seen and heard, even if they aren’t physically in the room. That’s why simple laptop cameras and basic webcams just aren’t good enough for a modern classroom.
Innovative video conferencing tools like the Meeting Owl 3 + Owl Bar are the perfect solution. These products work together to capture every angle of a room, ensuring that everyone can not only be seen and heard but can look each other in the eye, even if one person is physically in the classroom and one is not. The result is a natural learning experience that is truly the next best thing to being in person.
Many of us remember the frustration of sitting in the back of a classroom and not being able to clearly read the board. Modern tools like the Whiteboard Owl ensure that that frustration is a problem of the past.
The Whiteboard Owl is a dedicated whiteboard camera that enhances the text on the board and makes the presenter transparent so remote attendees never miss a single word or doodle. It seamlessly integrates with the rest of the Owl Labs ecosystem, which means it wirelessly connects to a Meeting Owl 3 and broadcasts through whichever video conferencing platform you’re using.
Tools like the Whiteboard Owl help students stay engaged with their classmates no matter where they are choosing to learn from.
Asynchronous learning refers to education that doesn’t take place in real-time. That does not mean that teachers and other students are omitted from the process, but rather that students that participate in asynchronous learning are able to complete classwork at their own pace and on their own schedule. This is a particularly effective teaching style for students who may reside in different time zones, or have a work schedule that means they are unable to attend classes at a predetermined time.
Common examples of asynchronous learning include online class modules, pre-recorded video lectures, and digital discussion boards. Some students thrive when allowed to learn at their own pace, which is why asynchronous learning tools can be so powerful in the right environment.
On the other end of the spectrum are (you guessed it) synchronous learning tools. Synchronous learning happens in real-time and is likely the style of school that you are the most familiar with. Aside from traditional in-classroom learning, examples of synchronous learning include live webinars, virtual classrooms, and live-audio meetings.
Google Classroom is a great example of a synchronous learning tool and is already in use in classrooms around the world. Google Classroom provides educators and students with a single digital space for all their online learning needs. This allows you to manage multiple classes from one location, and all the requisite homework and projects for each.
What makes Google Classroom a truly synchronous tool is the ability for multiple users to collaborate on the same document simultaneously, all while being on a video call together through Google Meet. Since most people are already familiar with Google tools like Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Slides, effectively utilizing Google Classroom is a quick and natural transition for most students and teachers.
Other examples of synchronous learning tools include Slack, Microsoft Teams, and BlueJeans by Verizon. These tools were all built with real-time collaboration in mind and are incredibly effective in any hybrid learning environment.
Gone are the days of carrying around a backpack filled with textbooks that weigh nearly as much as you do. Now students can save their backs, and their money, by purchasing digital textbooks. Digital textbooks are cheaper than their physical counterparts, and can even be rented to further decrease the cost. Not only are they more cost-effective, but many digital textbooks also include hybrid collaboration functions like shared note-taking and the ability to screenshot sections directly into a digital notebook.
When you can’t meet with your team in the local library, using project management tools like Notion and Basecamp make collaborating with your classmates a breeze. Digital project management tools give students everything they need to make group projects a natural experience, even if the members of your group never meet in person.
Innovative technology is transforming the learning experience for students around the world. When schools invest in the right education technology, they give their students the best chance of succeeding both in the classroom and outside of it.
