Recently NAACE met with policy makers from the DfE to consider The Future of Technology in Education.

 

At the event, pupils from the Westfield School presented on their own learning experiences with technology, and articulated how they considered themselves “Digital Natives”, whilst many of their teachers felt that they were “Digital Immigrants”.

 

Research has confirmed that technology is great at engaging learners. Not only can it inspire, engage and initiate different styles of learning but it can also be a catalyst to developing teaching practice. Experience also demonstrates that pupils are truly “digital natives” – avidly adopting, mastering and discarding the latest social media, iPhone app or device.

  

In order to maintain levels of engagement and therefore attainment, it is important to ensure that teaching practice keeps pace with technology so that lessons are relevant, pupils are engaged and the skills acquired build on the “native” skills they have already learnt independently.

 

The rapid development of internet enabled, personal touchscreen devices and their integrated apps has already flowed through to whole class teaching technology.

 

The latest SMART Board interactive whiteboard applies this same technology to the classroom environment by using multi-touch and gesture recognition that is integrated with software apps designed specifically for teaching. For example, teaching Physics at KS3 requires teaching pupils’ about the complex properties of substances both through theoretical and practical work. Both these teaching and learning styles can now be delivered via technology using the SMART 885ix Board combined with Algadoo.

 

 

Pupils have been quick to adopt the proliferation of social media applications to explore the world around them, form friendships, create their own view of society and communicate their opinions. As they are already using these media for independent learning outside school, it is worthwhile building on pupils’ existing skills and using these tools to deliver learning in school.

 

Teachers can feel daunted teaching a subject where the pupil is more proficient in the mode of delivery than they are. However, the pupil does not know the subject they are being taught, just the mechanism for learning. This means that teachers can take advantage of the tools which are second nature to pupils and use them to remove barriers to communication. 

 

Twitter can provide a useful exercise in how to use just one hundred and forty characters to communicate concepts to a connected community. A fully active learning experience can be achieved by utilising free-to-use cloud services such as Twitter, direct from the desktop in school. At the University of Texas, Twitter is used to teach history and provides a vehicle for a humanities discussion, with progress displayed on the interactive whiteboard. This approach enables the whole class to contribute at once without clashing or feeling intimidated. This can be followed by a plenary session in the classroom using response systems to vote on the outcomes of the discussion and the record of the discussion is also available for analysis by students and staff after the event.

 

 

Whilst these services are low cost or free, changing the style of teaching or the content of lessons can take time and, in some cases, new skills are required to get the most out of your SMART technology. Based all over the UK, SMART has a team of trainers ready and available to deliver sessions in schools or at the SMART Certified Training Centre in Bagshot, Surrey. 

 

There are a range of training courses designed to help teachers make the most of SMART’s technology, including:

 

•    Notebook Training Level 1 and 2

•    Subject Specific Notebook Training

•    SMART Train the Trainer Training

 

Click here to find out more about any of the above.  For more information or to enquire about personalised training sessions, contact 08450 747 200.

 

To read the latest SMART eTeacher for Secondary newsletter, featuring information about becoming an academy, the teaching impact of document cameras and a range of other SMART resources, click here.

 

For more information about SMART Technologies, click here.