Using Digital Technologies in the Classroom

What is a Digital Classroom?

It sounds very futuristic, doesn’t it: the digital classroom? Well, in reality, a digital classroom is simply a classroom that utilises different types of technology – whether that be using cooperative apps, educational websites, or equipment that helps to enhance the learning experience for students, leading to positive feedback.

Although it can sound like making a lot of changes, the tools for a digital classroom often involve everyday tech that can be easily integrated into ways of learning.

The Benefits of Digital Technology in the Classroom.

There are many benefits of using digital technology in the classroom. Whether you’re looking to try something new or want to enhance your lessons, here are a few pros to getting more hands-on with tech in the classroom:

Improved Engagement.

Technology can help boost students’ interest in everyday learning. With virtual tools and media making for a more stimulating learning environment, lessons can be made more interactive to engage young minds.

Access to More Resources.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to integrating online and technological know-how into your lessons. The digital classroom allows students to obtain specialist knowledge, insights, and enjoy new ways of learning they may not have had access to before.

Greater Collaboration.

Certain tools can enhance digital collaboration in the classroom and improve interactions between you and your students. From sharing feedback, grades, and assessments, to collaborating with other teachers.

Beneficial for Knowledge Retention.

We were all children once – we know that we didn’t always pay attention, especially when we started to lose interest. Using digital tools for the classroom and utilising enhanced ways of teaching can help them stay focused and interested, meaning they’re more likely to remember what you’ve taught them.

A Flexible Working Environment.

As with the use of tech in any environment, it can help you create a flexible and accessible learning environment for both you and your students. From delivering lessons and assessments online to keeping all your paperwork in one place, a digital classroom can be personalised to suit every individual.

Top Digital Tools for the Classroom.

There are a variety of digital learning tools that you can use in the classroom. These include apps to engage students, systems to help you plan your workload, and software to encourage creativity.

Take a look at some of the best digital teaching tools below.

Adobe Creative Tools.

Adobe has a host of digital tools for the classroom that can help students get more out of their lessons.

For example, Adobe Creative Cloud offers a catalogue of programmes that you can utilise in your lessons to help them learn new skills and unleash their creativity. These include:

• Photoshop. Encourage students to find their creative voice, from designing their first novel cover to editing their next portfolio. Photoshop skills are also becoming a popular requirement for many CVs – so learning how to use the platform can help prepare them for the future.
• Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator helps you take art and design to the next level. The future of creative classrooms, this easy-to-learn platform can help your students get to grips with design basics and add flair to their next project.
• Premiere Pro. Video is everywhere. From the media we consume to the marketing campaigns we soak up, it’s likely that many of your students may venture into fields that require video editing skills. Even if they don’t, Premiere Pro provides an easy way into editing – whether it be for their next presentation or final video essay.

Besides these packages, there are also a variety of free Adobe tools to help you teach online and in the classroom. These can allow teachers and students to easily edit PDFs for classroom work, as well as convert between file types as needed. This can all be done completely free, too.

Student Response Systems.

Student response systems (SRS) are types of digital tools for the classroom that can help students engage better with teaching and make learning more interactive. The aim of these tools is to create more effective ways of gauging student responses and feedback and streamline ways of collecting student data.

Some benefits of SRS include:

• Being able to evaluate student data to see their responses, so you can tailor lessons more effectively.
• Quizzing students on what they’ve just learned so you can identify any knowledge gaps.
• Monitoring student process, so everyone is looked after regarding their learning habits.

There are many SRS tools you can use to integrate these processes into your digital classroom, including:

• Socrative. Create quizzes and assessments that consider the different ways students learn. Socrative helps you stay on top of progress, gain instant student feedback, and create fun and interactive ways to share knowledge.
• Poll Everywhere. A hybrid classroom workspace that keeps students engaged, wherever they are. Keep an eye on productivity levels, while gaining valuable insights that can help you refresh your approach to teaching.

Interactive Presentations.

Interactive presentation tools help you make your lessons and classroom presentations more engaging. They allow you to combine multiple media types, including video, graphics, and interactive elements.

They have a range of benefits:

• Making Classroom Learning More Engaging. By keeping students interested in your lessons, they’re more likely to remember what’s being taught.
• Learning Becomes More Interactive. Some presentation tools allow you to incorporate quizzes and elements that you can send out to students as part of a lesson.
• Bringing a Subject to Life. By using exciting ways to present new knowledge, interactive presentations not only make subjects more fun for students to learn, but also more fulfilling for you to teach.

Quiz Applications.

Digital quiz tools allow you to personalise learning and lessons for your students. Gain feedback, aid their studies, and identify knowledge gaps to make sure no one is left behind. These platforms really are the future of digital classroom learning.

Let’s take a look at a few of the best quiz tools out there:

• Quizlet. An ideal tool for learning progression and knowledge boosting. Create quizzes powered by AI learning, utilise their tutor feature to identify student study gaps, and create flash notes and tests to help students ace their next exam.
• Kahoot!. Kahoot! is all about making digital learning fun and interactive. Create lively classroom quizzes and integrated presentations. The platform is passionate about making things more straightforward for teachers, allowing you to make bite-size learning easy and effective, whether in the classroom or remote.

Online Classroom Communities.

An online classroom community is pretty much what it says on the tin – a virtual learning space that allows you to teach and connect to students. These platforms let you effortlessly bring your teaching online and ensure that no student is overlooked. They often encourage interaction between students, and provide a single space to create, learn, and share.

Class Dojo is a popular online classroom community. It provides a simple, friendly space for teachers, students, and parents to interact. From staying on top of the day-to-day with lesson plans and calendars, to providing progress updates and chatting to parents, it facilitates that interconnectivity only digital classroom tools can provide.