In this day and age, the odds of finding a classroom without technology is highly unlikely. From laptops issued to every student, to multifuction printers, to a Sharp copy machine, teachers and students are reaping the benefits of electronic innovation and using them to maximize productivity in the educational field. One such innovation that many teachers long for is the interactive display board, one of the most popular of which is manufactured by Sharp, which can greatly alter how teachers are students interact in the classroom. Here is a quick breakdown of some of the most common technologies used in the classroom, and their pros and cons.
Laptop computers have been issued to middle and high school students in the vast majority of United States public schools. Allowing students access to this kind of technology has many benefits to reap: you can quickly correspond with students via email, cut down on paper costs with electronic assignments, and open up a world of photographic, audio, and video learning to students who don’t thrive on traditional reading.
However, computers in the hands of teenage children have definitely proved to have their own drawbacks. While teachers can expect most of their students to remain productive and on task on their laptops, there is bound to be a handful of children who push the boundaries of appropriate internet behavior and could possibly end up revoking the computer privileges for themselves. Your school IT expert can block certain websites at school, such as social media sites and other inappropriate places, but it is difficult to monitor what the student will do on the laptop at home. Additionally, it can be argued that a laptop provides too much potential for a distraction in the classroom, from articles to videos and more, and students would remain more focused in a traditional environment.
The Sharp touch screen whiteboard is an interactive piece of technology that can act as a chalkboard, television, and projector all in one. The Sharp Smart Board allows the teacher to play video and display text on the board, and stop the video or change the text at the push of a button or with a brief physical touch. The Sharp touch screen whiteboard has many functions, in fact: through the use of accompanying smart markers, you can write, circle, underline, and draw on the display, and it can all be wiped away at the push of the button. The Sharp touch screen whiteboard can wirelessly interact with students’ computers, allowing them to send answers to the board and respond to prompts as a group. The colorful images, communication speed, and interactive features give the Sharp touch screen whiteboard a significant advantage over traditional chalkboards, whiteboards, and projectors.
Some schools have gone as far to allow their students use cell phones in class. This is a bit more of a minefield than school issued computers; since cell phones are personal devices, whether or not their usage can be monitored or their contents searched is up for date. Teachers can’t even force students to connect their cell phones to the school’s internet, since most cells are capable of using cellular data. However, if the risk is taken, educational applications on cell phones can be very advantageous to educators.
Technology is a wonderful and complex thing, that is always developing new features, which is why it often proves to be a distraction for children and adults alike. If you are confident in your students’ maturity and believe that your teachers are capable of monitoring new technology in the classroom, your classrooms may flourish by taking technological innovations in stride.
