How to Improve Student Engagement Through Technology

When used effectively, technology can assist teachers in designing learning experiences that immerse students to the point where they forget to leave when the bell rings.

FREMONT, CA: Using technology in education drastically improved student academic performance. While traditional classroom teaching may still prevail, many educational institutions have embraced technologies. They use digital whiteboards, flipped classrooms, etc. Below are some great ways to engage students better and ease them through technology into hard-to-grasp concepts.

Connecting students to the world outside the classroom through technology

The students are related to real people, places, and issues outside the classroom walls. For instance, students could access the Internet to:

• undertake WebQuests in which they are tasked with resolving a real-world problem (e.g., develop a plan to save an endangered animal)
• communicate with students from a different school (even one on the other side of the world)
• connect with native speakers of the language being studied
• publish completed assignments for a real audience on a website or blog.

Engaging with social media

The students and teachers are mesmerized by the authentic relationships, communities, connections, and identities formed on social media. They are brimming with educational opportunities.

Here are some examples of social media usage for educational purposes.

• Crowdsourcing opinions from students via a survey or public post on social media
• Allowing students to share their work to receive feedback from individuals outside of class.
• As the final product of a project, students may create a post, an advertisement, or a group.
• Students may plan an event (e.g., a fundraiser).
• Students can form groups or communities to bring attention to particular issues or ideas.
• Students in upper school could experiment with what it takes to 'go viral,' learning about their peers and the general public in the process.

Utilizing storytelling in classroom assignments.

Storytelling is resurfacing as an effective educational tool. Numerous teachers harness the power of storytelling to establish rapport with their students. Additionally, stories are an excellent way to foster a collaborative culture among students. Collaborating with students to create stories using digital media such as images, pictures, and music is a perfect way to foster empathy, learning, and cooperation in the classroom.

Making Podcasts

Students can interview any person who works in a particular job. While working from home, they can question their parents or family members or schedule an online connection to interview with a neighbor. They can also conduct real-world interviews, publish them as podcasts, and engage the entire classroom in discussing career options.

Promoting Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Technology allows educators to engage all students in interactive learning to "stretch" their critical thinking and problem-solving muscles. Each student can increase performance regardless of their current mastery level. And, better, this can work in a cross-curricular setting across all subjects. This is a critical way to make learning more engaging, especially in the distance learning environment where rotary activities can be an easy go-to and leave students feeling disinterested.

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