Through the years, teaching methods have evolved as classrooms continue to become a dynamic environment. Classrooms of today are now a venue where students with varying personalities, abilities and backgrounds can come together. With this, teachers have to change their teaching methods to effectively communicate with each student and meet their individual needs. Additionally, technology has made things easier for teachers in some ways, but much harder in others.
When it comes to teaching, there is no one size fits all method, and it is often difficult to identify which teaching methods can be best for all students. Here are some of the most effective teaching methods that incorporate technology.
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Cooperative Learning and Technology
Some students learn best when they work in groups. As a teacher, you can encourage your students with different abilities to work as a team through small group activities wherein each student can contribute to the task depending on their skills. Teachers can infuse technology by asking students to work on math problems using coding technology.
Visualization with Tech Tools
Some students quickly grasp concepts through visual learning experiences. You can adapt to this by using advanced technological and interactive visual tools such as interactive whiteboards, audio and video clips, and field trips. Visual learners can best learn if you let them apply their learning in the real world.
Technology and Inquiry-Based Teaching Style
You can encourage your students to become critical thinkers by posing thought-provoking questions and letting them analyze and investigate their own ideas. Your inquiry-based instruction can be objective such as incorporating scientific or mathematical queries, but it can also be subjective, which will allow them to express their own thoughts and opinions. Students can research a topic of their choice using their laptops or tablets, and present new information using a technology tool that is new to them at the end of each session.
Technology-Based Instruction
In this modern world, almost all organizations use technology in their operations. By integrating technology into your instruction, you can prepare your students to become tech-savvy. Technology is much more appealing for young students as they feel more connected with it. You can use mobile devices, tablets, interactive whiteboards, and other gadgets to introduce concepts. It will also allow your class to be more interactive during lessons.
It would also be best to incorporate educational quizzes into your lesson plan as an excellent gauge of their learning.
Tech-Based Behavioral Instruction
It is imperative for students to not only learn about educational concepts but also to develop behavioral practices that will help them become productive adults. Introducing behavioral concepts is an excellent way of preparing them for the real world as they reach their potential. Some of the tech-based behavioral ideas you can use include interactive behavioral reward charts, with students with the best behavior getting a reward such as exemptions from homework or quizzes.
Progressive-Based Techniques
Teachers know that each student is unique. Some students excel in math and science, while others perform better in arts and music. With this kind of class, you can allocate tasks depending on their abilities, so you ensure that each student can excel. It would also be best to mix up groupings so that each cluster can have higher-performing students to assist the struggling ones. You can hand out different worksheets for each student. There are tons of software tools that teachers can use to help them in behavioral management. This includes Class Craft and Class Dojo. They can also incorporate open-source learning management tools like Schoology and Moodle for homework submissions, course design, and digital grade books.
As the educational landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for teachers to keep up with these changes by employing different teaching methods in each class they have. Being an effective teacher is knowing the importance of combining different strategies to address differences in learning styles and capabilities. It is also one way of making the classroom an excellent venue where students can stay motivated and be encouraged to become better individuals.
