With the current young generation being dubbed as “digital natives,” school students increasingly expect education to be rich in digital technologies; the non-schooling aspect of their lives is technology-laden, and they expect schools to be comparable (Howell, 2012, pp. 55-57). As outlined by Howell (2012, p.57), students now carry the internet in their pockets via mobile devices, and have had life-long use of mobile phones, tablets, the World Wide Web, computers in general, and advanced gaming consoles. Classroom technological integration is an effective method to connect with students of varying learning styles (Mareco, 2017).
During my schooling era, Microsoft PowerPoint was the default program for devising visual presentations, but now the likes of Powtoon, Prezi, Wakelet, Sway and NearPod provide students with the opportunity to create more high-tech, visually striking presentations than ever, with relative ease. Engaging with Powtoon enhanced my understanding of the possibilities of digital tools for educational purposes. This software allow students to devise visual presentations, on top of providing teachers with the tools to produce lessons and lectures to potentially appeal to “digital natives.” Furthermore, rather than simply delivering a presentation and directing students to take notes, a presentation can be published on Google Docs and shared with students to allow them to navigate at their own pace, either at home or in the classroom (Knowles, 2018).
Although unfamiliar with SoundCloud prior to this assignment, recording and editing the speech, as well as adding music, drew upon skills from my prior degree and filmmaking background. Recording and uploading lessons is a staple of online learning. Furthermore, lecture recordings allow students to listen more than once, permitting them the opportunity to better comprehend the material or take more comprehensive notes (Crook, 2015).
It is crucial for modern teachers to discover and master new digital tools to keep pace with current trends, effectively integrating technology into the classroom to aid teaching and learning (Rooheart, 2017).
Reference List
Banmiller, B. (2016, September 14). Digital Natives [Image file]. Retrieved from http://www.banmilleronbusiness.com/cbs-radio-reports/digital-natives/
Crook, C. (2015, April 8). Should all university lectures be automatically recorded?. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/should-all-university-lectures-be-automatically-recorded-39158
Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.
Knowles, J. (2018, February 13). How to Help Your Students Build Digital Fluency. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/how-to-help-your-students-build-digital-fluency
Mareco, D. (2017, July 28). 10 Reasons Today’s Students NEED Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/10-reasons-today-s-students-need-technology-in-the-classroom
Menon, A. The Ultimate Guide to Google Docs [Image file]. Retrieved from https://hiverhq.com/blog/ultimate-guide-google-docs/
Rooheart, J. (2017, April 27). 7 Tools For Your Digital Classroom. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/7-tools-for-your-digital-classroom