Out with the chalkboards, in with the apps.
The edtech industry has radically transformed the educational sector as we know it. Traditional norms have now given way to more modern and accessible methods of teaching, making the learning process smoother for teachers and students alike.
The rise of Brighterly.com and other online learning platforms has made it even easier for students to access education from the comfort of their homes. With useful edtech tools at their disposal, educators can now maximize their efforts to give each student a wholesome learning experience.
So, how can you as a parent or online math tutor for kids take advantage of this industry to boost learning accessibility? Here’s how:
Design online lessons for kids with special needs
Kids with special needs often find it difficult to cope in traditional classrooms. With sensory issues such as noise or infringement of their physical space, they’re bound to feel overstimulated and this could affect their learning experience. In some cases, many kids with special needs have had to ditch traditional classes and forgo learning for this sole reason.
To make learning more accessible to them, teachers can design online lessons for them. Thankfully, the rise of Canvas as well as video conferencing tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams makes it easier to create an online classroom environment where students with disabilities can thrive.
Differentiated instruction/ student-paced lessons
Contrary to what most tutors think, students all learn at a different pace. In a class of twenty students, each one achieves comprehension at different times. Unfortunately, since traditional classrooms often take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to learning, this means that slower students get left behind and don’t learn anything at all.
To navigate this, tutors can use edtech tools to individualize instructions and create a student-paced learning environment. For instance, with virtual classroom tools like Canvas or Google Classroom, you can post resources for a particular module or subject. Students can then go through these resources at their own pace and revise them (if there’s any need for that).
The bottom line? With more resources being accessible to them, struggling students will learn faster and no student would be left behind.
Access to data and information
Believe it or not, the internet has made learning much more accessible and seamless for students. So, as a tutor, you must use this tool to expose your students to all the resources they need.
With educational websites, students can get access to all the data and information they need for assessments. In the same vein, citation tools can also help them seamlessly give credit to their information sources.
With Apple School Manager, schools can manage and deploy iPads, Macs, and Apple TV devices to students and teachers. This makes it easy for students to access the technology they need to learn and complete assignments.
Increase engagement with edtech tools
Student engagement is one of the things any tutor would love to see in their classrooms. The more engaged your students are, the more likely it is that they’d learn and grasp the information you’re trying to pass across. Unfortunately, student engagement can be quite hard to achieve, even for the most experienced teachers.
But not for long. Thanks to the existence of edtech tools such as educational games and Google Slides, you can make each lesson a fun, interactive one for everyone involved. Use multimedia-rich slides to teach your kids about a topic and then let them use educational apps and games to test their knowledge.
Not only is this a revolutionary step away from the traditional classroom, but it also allows them to learn through games and media.
Expand the classroom walls
The classroom doesn’t have to be confined to a physical space. Rather, it can be expanded to give students a rich experience and increased access to information.
Typically, teachers and educators may take students on field trips to expand their knowledge and give them the opportunity to connect with other students. However, getting funding for these trips can be hard and next to impossible if the school is working with a tight budget.
Fortunately, teachers can use edtech tools to expand the classroom walls and still give students the classic field trip experience without them having to leave their seats. For instance, with tools like Skype or Google Hangouts, students can go on virtual field trips and soak in new sights. They could also use AI-powered virtual reality to get a simulated experience.
Promote social sharing
In today’s world, students love to share anything and everything online. Thus, as a tutor, you can utilize this love for social sharing to make learning more accessible to your students.
Encourage them to share their work (such as essays) with their fellow students and get feedback on each piece. They could also use educational digital apps to post educational content that other students may find useful.
Final Thoughts
The rise of the edtech industry has drastically changed the way we teach and learn. Fortunately, teachers can take advantage of this positive change to increase learning opportunities for students and make let more accessible to everyone.