Evolution of Technology in Schools

Today’s students experience school in a very different way than their parents did. Moms and dads might remember using word processors to type assignments, but now their own children are coming home talking about how cool the math game was that they played on their tablet at school.

According to a PBS Learning Media survey, three-quarters of teachers use digital resources, such as tablets and laptops, to reinforce and expand on content in their classrooms. In the same study, 69 percent of the teachers surveyed said education technology allows them to do “much more than ever before” for their students.

Bringing mobile technology into classrooms benefits teachers, students and parents in several ways. It gives educators additional tools to deliver instruction in an engaging way. And it makes it easier for parents to collaborate with teachers and stay on top of their kids’ homework.

Not only do teachers have a wide variety of educational apps for mobile devices — including more than 20,000 educational and learning apps for iOS devices alone— there are also apps that help them develop presentations and collaborate with students. Teachers can create visual lessons and presentations with apps like ShowMe, while other apps such as Edmodo connect teachers and students, letting them share content and access homework and grades.

Last year, the Verizon Foundation launched Verizon Innovative Learning Schools, an innovative professional-development program for teachers in underserved areas to incorporate mobile technology in their classrooms to support teaching in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The program is designed to make learning more appealing to students and to set them up for success in the digital world.

The evolution of technology in the classroom is creating amazing opportunities for both the teacher and student. Seeing how much it has advanced in just the past decade gives us a good sense of where technology and education is headed.