Whether you watched a live demo at a conference, heard praises from other teachers in your school or witnessed students doing a test run, it’s easy to become transfixed with the latest gadget in the EdTech industry. As you begin hunting for the latest EdTech products to add to your program this year, here are three things to look for to ensure you’re choosing well.
1. Products that adjust to students’ learning pace.
When researching the latest product releases in EdTech, look for products that offer multiple learning functions within one piece of hardware or software app. For example, apps that can focus lessons solely on working with vowels, or only counting up to five. Tech should be able to increase in difficulty as a child’s knowledge base grows. Products that allow students to progress from lesson to lesson, or allow students at different educational levels to interact with the tool will provide greater value to your classroom than something with just a singular function.
Products that your students can continue to use as they evolve and progress throughout the year will be more engaging for them, and a better use of resources for you.
2. Systems that don’t interfere with the learning environment.
EdTech tools with overt background noise, lights and colors can be distracting to both students and teachers. Look for EdTech products that integrate seamlessly with your existing classroom, so that it feels like a natural part of your students’ learning environment. The best EdTech products will have appealing aesthetic design so students feel encouraged to interact with them, but will also be tasteful and sensitive when it comes to audio-visual display.
Adjustable audio-visual settings are also something to look for in your products. This will allow you to customize the display and sound settings for different learning scenarios, environments and students.
3. Tools that encourage interactive manipulations.
Students are more apt to learn fundamental concepts and strategies when they have the opportunity to manipulate physical objects. There’s quite a few EdTech products on the market today that incorporate interactive learning through technology, without sacrificing the proven benefits of physical manipulation. Find EdTech tools that encourage some sort of physical movement to help your students visualize and better understand their lessons. Products that incorporate both technology and interactive manipulation are especially helpful when teaching elementary math concepts.
As EdTech quickly advances, it’s important to remember why these tools were invented in the first place—to help our teachers teach and to help our students learn. Ensure that you’re investing in the best EdTech possible by thoroughly researching all products and using the above tips as a guide.
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