Meeting with tech in the classroom
How do we meet technology in the classroom? Phil Gregory, curriculum consultant for hi-impact consultancy, writes:
The digital world has never been bigger and more vast than it is at this moment.
Technology is all around us and the children today are the generation with more technology than any before them. With that in mind, it is very clear that digital workshops and exposing the children to as many ‘digital’ lessons as possible is crucial.
At hi-impact, we specialise in helping teachers with their subject knowledge and use of digital devices in the classroom. Through our knowledge of equipment, we aim to enable them to improve their subject knowledge and feel more comfortable in delivering digital workshops themselves.
The impact this has on the pupils is the most important part of any workshop. The children love using any technology you can give them because of the amount they have already experienced outside of the classroom. The engagement factor you get from using iPads, computers and robots as a tool to improve learning cannot be understated.
The long term effect it will have on the children is something to remember too. The vast majority of jobs that today’s primary school children will take will involve technology in some way. Not giving them the knowledge and experience to be comfortable with technology is doing them a great disservice.
We have delivered a number of workshops to help teachers with the cross-curricular approach to teaching using digital tools. This approach helps teachers to really embed the technology into their core subjects which in turn helps them to deal with the pressures of having to teach a multitude of subjects (at primary level especially). By enabling them to teach English, Maths, History and more whilst still using technology is a key part of teaching today. An example of this would be using Google Earth to explore and compare areas around the world as a part of History and Geography topics or visiting some of these places using VR. Although this is great for the teachers, it is equally as great for the pupils involved. It not only allows them a ‘wow’ factor but also immerses them in the subject, giving them experiences that are impossible with just textbooks and videos.
Technology in our classroom and our world is not going anywhere, and the best thing we can do for the children in schools is to embrace it fully and give them the best experiences possible.
With thanks to hi-impact Curriculum Consultant Phil Gregory. Get in touch with hi-impact for training and workshops on using digital skills in your school.
