Education and Technology of the Modern Days

 Technology is a tool almost everyone in the modern day and age is using. We use it to complete assignments for classes, write emails asking questions, finding ways to connect with others, play games and more, but how can technology be beneficial to education and collaboration? 

Ways of Connecting

Technology can connect many people together in many different forms, via. texting, video chats, etc. For students in Tanzania, Taifa Technovation Hub is providing ways of hands-on technology and electronic sessions to students of all ages using Smart Class, a system which provides live streaming, connecting multiple classes at once to provide a collaboration of student learning. here. KISD Secondary Tech provided a tool for collaboration through games, group workshops, digital handouts and assessments through a system called Lumio. here. These are just two of the many examples of ways that students, teachers, and others can connect for collaborative assignments using newfound technology.

Why is Technological Collaboration Important for Education?

With times changing, technology has become a part of everyday life. Although it can be frustrating in a school setting, there are many ways technology can benefit the classroom setting- collaboration. Collaboration in education is very important for a number of reasons, according to the NEA, National Education Association, collaboration is important for brainstorming/critical thinking, teaches you about who you are (values, ideas, etc.), helps students understand how to work together, and boost confidence. (Click here to view) TECH4ALL is working on ways to improve technology to give every child a means to learn, work together, and learn together. This their post (here) they hold a video explaining this goal in a teacher-training video about how to implement it. Education with collaboration is important overall for students to have access to aid from others as well as ideas or answers to any questions they have.

Easy Ways to Include Technological Collaboration into Class

According to Dr. Brandon Johnson, there are ten easy ways to incorporate technology in a collaborative way within a classroom setting. Virtual field trips, use videos for mini lessons, use digital exit tickets, online maps for brainstorming, etc. (here) These among many other ideas such as digital wipe boards for students to type what they want to say about a lesson, voting systems, as well as online groups talk sessions through websites like Zoom or Google Meet. These websites are simplistic and easy for most ages to use, if younger, assist them or have parents assist as leaving young children alone to figure this out can lead to a failure in lesson planning/execution. 

Overall

Technology is an easy way to connect many students, teachers, and others for many different reasons. When it comes to education, technology is best used for collaborative work, allowing students to connect with other classes, schools, and educators to learn new methods or information. Using technology such as Zoom, Google Meets, Lumio, and more, students of all ages can express their thoughts, feelings, and critical thinking to help aid them for future assignments or talks. Collaboration gives students new ways of thinking, increases confidence, and allows for better means of communication opportunities. technology should and cannot be avoided, but instead of disregarding it, use it to your strengths towards collaborative means.