Make A Smarter Classroom

AV in the classroom, interactive learning

In many ways when we enter the classroom of today it still has the look and feel of the classroom of the past. With many rooms still sporting chalkboards, often a projector or Smartboard is the only thing setting us apart from the classroom of yesteryear. That and of course the fact that just about every one of our students is walking around with a smart phone, laptop or tablet to go along with their textbooks.

Over the past few years, with technology becoming such a day in and day out part of the student life, there has been a lot of discussion on how to make their technology use more beneficial. One emerging trend has been Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). The main premise behind BYOD in the classroom is connecting the student with learning opportunities on their own technology.

The connection between the teacher, student and the device leads to better learning in and out of the classroom as the technology extends the learning environment to anywhere they are connected.

Have you considered how BYOD can make for a smarter classroom? Here are 5 ways:

Sharing Content: In just the past 2 years we have created more content than in all of history. What this means is there are a tremendous number of resources at the disposal of educators that can benefit learners. With BYOD, it is easy to provide access to content as well as quickly share content between teachers and students. The use of familiar technology allows for the student to quickly find relevant information and make it available to others who can benefit.
Control of Room Technology: Time may be the most precious commodity in many classrooms so wouldn’t it be great if passing the content around could be done quick and easy? Many room control systems and presentation devices now can be controlled from your device. Projectors, Flat Panels and Video Solutions all have applications that can be set up simply and securely for easier control and access to the technology in the room.
Simple Collaboration: The ability to share content is great, but what may be better is the way that BYOD can allow groups to collaborate. By instantly putting the information in front of a selected group they can work together to solve problems, create presentations or drive new ideas. What is better is that BYOD allows multiple groups to collaborate on various topics at the same time. With many classrooms having only a single screen to share, this couldn’t be done easily before BYOD.
Capture and Review: One of the big challenges with learning is when teachers are presenting; students often are head down trying to write down every note. This isn’t a new problem and for some time educators have been able to file share, but the challenge is that sharing your Powerpoint and notes doesn’t necessarily equate to the student fully comprehending the lesson. With BYOD, the students can record video and voice for snippets where they believe the content is relevant or perhaps challenging.
Remote View and Participation: Another tremendous upside to BYOD is that content can be shared in real time with students anywhere. This means even if the student is away or out sick they can stay involved in the class. This provides a great way for educators and students to stay connected from anywhere, anytime using the technology we are familiar with.

There are many ways that BYOD can build smarter, more collaborative environments. To learn how your school or business can benefit from BYOD from CTI, get in contact with us!