“As technology plays a major role inside and outside the classroom, we want to make sure education innovation is accessible.” – Sal Khan.
Every child is different from others. As a result, they learn and grasp things differently. In other words, every child has a unique and different approach towards learning. A big thanks to the rapidly emerging technologies, like a smart classroom, which are transforming the traditional education system. The technological changes in our traditional classrooms are helping them emerge as smart classrooms of the new age, enabling several advantages for the students.
Smart Classrooms – The New-age Tool for Interactive Learning
In the new-fangled world, it’s hard to imagine learning in a traditional classroom environment with pencils, pens and notebooks. For this reason, introducing smart classrooms in schools plays a vital role in transforming the education system.
With the introduction of smart classrooms, schools are witnessing a massive shift from traditional learning to online or digital learning. As a result, almost all schools are now adopting advanced classroom management systems equipped with smart classrooms.
A smart classroom is a digitally equipped classroom with several modern tools and technologies to enhance teaching and learning. With the help of this tool, teachers can prepare and deliver dynamic multimedia lessons to their students while students can become more effective learners. Some technologies and tools used to transform the teaching and learning experience in schools include:
- Audio/Visual or Document Camera Visualiser
- Digital Podium
- Visual Presenter
- Video Conferencing Solutions
- Response Technology
- Interactive Whiteboards
- Specialised Softwares
- Assistive Listening Devices
Apart from these tools, several other tools or equipment in smart classrooms enable teachers to deliver an outstanding learning experience to students. In addition, these tools allow students to interact with peers and participate actively in learning. Thus, a smart classroom is an innovative and meaningful use of various tools and technologies to transform teaching and learning at schools.
How Smart Classrooms Can Help Transform Schools
A digital classroom is a new approach towards learning, so many schools are embracing it to impart education effectively and innovatively. Wondering why and how smart classrooms are helping transform the traditional education systems at schools? Here are a few benefits of smart classrooms for schools:
Interactive Learning Experience
We usually feel technology distracts children, but the reality is different. A smart classroom encourages students to participate actively in classroom activities.
Using digital technologies, equipment, or devices in smart classrooms, such as computers, specialised software, audio/visual capabilities, audience response technology, and assistive listening devices, turn even the most boring courses and subjects into interesting learning activities for children.
Thus, a digital classroom not only encourages student-to-student interaction but improves the interaction between students and teachers.
Easy Access to Resources Online
All children have the right to education. Everyone deserves the best learning experience, and a digitally equipped classroom helps schools make education accessible to all. As a result, students get equal opportunities to learn and interact in classroom activities with an equally accessible eLearning environment.
Moreover, smart classrooms are equipped with projectors and digital display boards connected to the Internet. This gives students access to a variety of online resources without any cost, which helps amp up their creativity and knowledge. Also, teachers can access pre-recorded educational content online to explain topics practically to students.
Course planning is one of the most time-consuming tasks for teachers. Gathering resources, printing out worksheets or textbooks, and planning and preparing lessons consume a lot of teachers’ time.
An EdTech-powered classroom helps educators spend less time preparing lessons and utilise this time in teaching. With an advanced classroom management system, teachers can find countless resources and study materials hosted in the cloud over the Internet.
When using a smart classroom facility, they are just a few clicks away from a variety of eLearning possibilities, such as online textbooks, pre-recorded videos, etc.
Modern and smart learning tools and technologies in schools help develop interest and involvement among children by exposing them to audio-visual, animated pictures or clips, multimedia, etc., for better and more effective learning of concepts.
For better learning outcomes, students and teachers are given the opportunities to learn, study and practice through the available eLearning resources. This helps students to learn things easily in minimal time while helping teachers stay organised. Thus, a smart classroom helps teachers and students achieve incredible academic performance and productivity.
Flexible Teaching and Learning
As mentioned earlier, every child is different and learns things at a different pace than others. For example, some children grab lessons quickly while others take much time and require repetition of lessons. This makes it quite difficult for teachers to make their teaching plans with each student’s needs and preferences in mind.
To tackle this, teachers can use smart classroom technologies like interactive whiteboards, audio-visual learning media, etc., to deliver tailored learning experiences according to each student’s capabilities. Both teachers and students benefit from the technology-enhanced classroom as they have the flexibility to teach and learn things at their own pace.
The education industry got affected due to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, due to which the traditional learning system experienced a significant shift. As a result, schools have now started adopting smart classrooms and other modern classroom management tools and techniques to stop the demise of education. Today, the imagination of education without these developed technologies is impossible, and the need has been ever-increasing.
Read more on KulFiy