Teaching and Technology
- lab118
- Sep 4, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 4, 2022
As teachers teach, they want engagement from their students. After all, it is as dull for teachers as it is for students when there is a lack of student engagement. Engagement is the productive involvement behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively with an activity (Morgan-Thomas & Dudau, 2019). Engagement takes place through the interaction of students and teachers with each other and the content. Interaction can take place between student and teacher through questioning, giving directions, asking questions, and delivering content. Interaction can lead to engagement as the students are given opportunities to work together in groups, collaborate on activities, and by asking and answer questions (McClean & Crowe, 2017). There are many ways to engage students, with technology being the most widely used.
There are many challenges to using technology in education, and teacher anxiety is high on the list (Henderson & Corry, 2021). There are a plethora of games, activities, websites, and apps for teachers to use. There are so many choices that many teachers are not sure which to use. Many teachers started teaching with film strips and overhead projectors. Some teachers began teaching as the technology changed to projectors and other technology in the classrooms. And many teachers who have started teaching within the last few years. The commonality among the teachers is a level of anxiety trying to figure out what technology to use in their classrooms. Getting students to engage in the assigned online activities can be challenging (Morgan-Thomas & Dudau, 2019). And, there is no forgetting when technology stops working when it is most needed. Integrating educational technology into lessons can also be difficult because of time constraints due to class schedules. It is also easy for teachers to become more focused on creating appealing content and forget about the lesson (Shatri, 2020).
While there are challenges in using technology in education, there are many benefits to students and teachers. Some benefits include an increase in overall motivation, individualization of lessons and activities, the formation of skills and abilities, mastering skills of decision making, more interactive experiences, unlimited resources, and the students building necessary skills for the future (Shatri, 2020).
With the vast amount of information on the internet, it is easier and quicker for students to find information to be used in their classes. In addition, students must learn new technology in their classrooms, which often takes time. Once the students learn the technology, they learn it quickly and can apply it to other technology tools. Lastly, student interaction with online resources generates highly rewarding and enjoyable experiences (Morgan-Thomas & Dudau, 2019).
One way to know the different educational technology tools is to research them. In this blog I will share three of my favorite tools: Nearpod, Kahoot!, and Google Forms. Nearpod is a web-based program that leads to engaging lessons for students. Nearpod is compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android and can be downloaded as an app or used online. Many school districts or schools have purchased teacher licenses; check with them first. If there are no purchased licenses, there are three plans from which to choose. The first is the silver plan which is a free version of Nearpod and is limited on the amount of available storage, many of the advanced features are not available, and up to 40 students can join per lesson. The next plan is the gold plan which has an increase in available storage, up to 75 students can join per lesson, and a few advanced features are available. Finally, the platinum plan increases storage availability, all advanced features are available, and up to 90 students can join per lesson. There are many Nearpod lessons to teach how to use Nearpod, create lessons, and share lessons. For students to join a lesson, they are given a code. The lessons can be designed for students to work through on their own or be teacher-directed, and all lessons come with real-time reports. There are thousands of lessons made by other teachers in the Nearpod library. Many of them are free to use and others need to be bought. You can make Nearpod lessons and choose whom you will share them with or if you want to sell them. Nearpod lessons include videos, multiple choice quizzes, short answers, connected web content, audio, slides, virtual tours, and more.
Kahoot! is also a web-based program with an app that can be downloaded and is supported by Windows, iOS, and Android. Kahoot! is another educational tool many schools or districts have purchased teacher licenses; check with them first. Kahoot! has a free basic plan. There is a limit of 50 players per game, and each game can be shared with a few other teachers. The next plan is Kahoot! Pro and limits 100 players per game. The questions are limited to multiple select, puzzles, and poll questions, but the is access to the entire imagery library. The next plan is Kahoot! Premium includes:
A limit of 200 players per game.
An addition of written answer questions.
The ability to add sound to the questions.
The final plan is the Kahoot! Premium +. This plan gives access to all features, has a 2,000-player limit per game, and has a game mode. The plans are not expensive and can be paid monthly or annually. According to the Kahoot!.com site, more than 50% of teachers use Kahoot! and 95 % of Fortune 500 companies use Kahoot! making it a very versatile technological tool. Kahoot! also has interactive lessons with templates as guides, or there is a library of lessons you can choose from, some of which need to be purchased. While students enjoy taking quizzes, reports are being made in real-time for the teacher.
kahoot.com
The last technology tool is Google Forms. Google Forms is very easy to use. A google account is needed to access it, and there is no cost. Google Forms is made for surveys and quizzes. It is effortless and quick to learn how to create each of the surveys and quizzes. Real-time data is collected with each quiz and survey. Google Forms can also be connected to Google Sheets to organize collected data.
With excellent educational technology tools that can be used, some have wondered if teachers are needed in education. The answer is a resounding yes! Student satisfaction comes when students feel they have been successful in a lesson. One of the most critical factors for this is the teacher (Oluwajana et al., 2019). Teachers can help students feel safe, liked, loved, inspired, and confident. For this to happen, teachers need to be present. When teachers take the time to connect with students in person and online by having welcome activities, videos, giving prompt feedback, and facilitating constructive discussions, “students are assured that their (teacher) is ‘present’, interested in and supportive of their learning” (Stone & Springer, 2019). Teachers need to use technology and teach their students how to use technology. However, teachers, not technology tools, teach social cues and skills, how to handle stress and anxiety, and how to treat others. C.S. Lewis said, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts” (Lewis, n.d.). As a modern educator, technology is a tool to help irrigate deserts, but you are the irrigator.
References
C. S. Lewis Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://brainyquote.com/quotes/c_s_lewis_165437
Henderson, J., & Corry, M. (2021). Teacher anxiety and technology change: A review of the literature. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 30(4), 573–587. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939x.2021.1931426
McClean, S., & Crowe, W. (2017). Making room for interactivity: Using the cloud-based audience response system Nearpod to enhance engagement in lectures. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnx052
Morgan-Thomas, A., & Dudau, A. (2019). Of possums, hogs, and horses: Capturing the duality of student engagement in Elearning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 18(4), 564–580. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2018.0029
Oluwajana, D., Nat, M., & Fadiya, S. (2019). An investigation of student’s interactivity in the classroom and interactivity within learning management system to improve learning outcomes. Croatian Journal of Education - Hrvatski Časopis Za Odgoj i Obrazovanje, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v21i1.3085
Shatri, Z. G. (2020). Advantages and disadvantages of using information technology in learning process of students. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 17(3), 420–428.
Stone, C., & Springer, M. (2019). Interactivity, connectedness and 'teacher-presence': Engaging and retaining students online. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 59(2), 146–169.
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