Useful Gadgets for the Classroom

 

Gadgets in the Classroom

Pen and paper still seems to be the preferred way for students to record notes from class, but electronic gadgets are becoming more and more ubiquitous. Here are a few portable devices you may encounter in the classroom:

• Laptops & Tablet PCsMany students use laptops to take notes nowadays, and Tablet PCs are becoming popular as well. A Tablet PC is essentially a notebook computer with the keyboard, mouse, and monitor replaced by a touch screen for writing and computing with a stylus. Tablet PCs allow students to easily incorporate notes and files from several classes onto one portable device.
• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)PDAs offer a variety of organizational tools, such as a clock, a date book, an address book, a task list, a memo pad, and a calculator, in a small hand-held device. PDAs also allow the user to synchronize data with other computers and usually include versions of popular word processing, spreadsheet, and web brower software. Many accessories, such as full keyboards, can be used to enhance their functionality.
• Smart PhonesA new generation of phones combines standard cell-phone fare with the basic tools and connectivity offered by PDAs. By integrating a full keyboard into a phone, these devices allow a user to record notes, keep a schedule, write emails and surf the Web.

• Digital Audio Players & RecordersDigital recorders are available both as stand-alone devices and as accessories for digital audio players, such as Apple's hot-selling iPod. Duke University pioneered this application by giving a new iPod (along with a recorder) to all of their incoming students and encouraging them to bring them to class and record lectures.
• Digital Video a groundbreaking system that allows lectures to be recorded and saved to the Internet, where they are available for high quality stream or download. The system also incorporates images of what is on the professor's computer screen.

Advantages of Using Electronic Gadgets in the Classroom

Quality of Information

• With technology and the availability of Internet in the classroom, an entire world of information opens up to students. No longer restricted to outdated textbooks or the knowledge of the teacher, the students have access to the world's most up-to-date and relevant information from diverse global sources. They also have access to sources with a more exciting or interactive approach to the subject. With experience, students learn to quickly distinguish between reputable and non-reputable sources, enabling them to glean large amounts of information in a short time.

Peer Collaboration

• The constantly evolving nature of technology encourages students to work collaboratively to find information and complete projects. It also facilitates peer tutoring, with the quicker and more adept students taking over a teaching role to help the weaker students. The vast amount of information and possibilities that technology brings also invites discussion among students, who are quick to comment on others' work and ask for feedback on their own. Technology in the classroom encourages (and perhaps necessitates) the sharing of knowledge and skills among students with disparate backgrounds and abilities, and thus has a unifying effect on classmates.

Behavior and Attitudes

• A U.S. Department of Education study on technology and eduction reform found that mastery of technology is a significant source of increased self-esteem and self-confidence, particularly when students use their knowledge to help other students. Students realize how important technology is to future success; thus, technical aptitude can become a crucial motivator. The George Lucas Educational Foundation has also noted among students a stronger tendency to stay on task and reduced behavioral problems when students are engaged in an activity that utilizes technology.

Learning Options

• Technology has none of the barriers of traditional teaching methods, such as lecturing, which is typically structured toward a specific learning style. It caters to virtually every learning style. With technology, students have the option of learning visually, textually, through auditory means or even with a hands-on approach, manipulating physical objects instead of simply watching or reading about them. One student may extract understanding from a well-written article online, while another may get the same information from a YouTube video. Teachers now have far more flexibility in their lesson plans along with resources for reaching and engaging every student. With so many technological options available to accommodate different learning styles, the chances for student success increases significantly.