Technology

 

Why Technology in the Classroom?

 

Technology has become a major addition to our curriculum and the way we shape learning for our students. According to studies conducted, by Johler and Krumsvik (2022), teachers must possess the pedagogical digital competence to enable and model modern techniques that stimulate, for example, communication, cooperation, and group problem solving among students in technology-rich classrooms. Technological tools like Prodigy, Nearpod, and Kahoot! have all been shown to enhance student learning styles in the classroom and enable differentiated instruction.

 

Prodigy:

Students create vibrant, anime-style avatars in Prodigy Math, an adaptive math practice game set in a fantasy role-playing environment, then send them off to the Wizard School to train for combat. Math difficulties are the fuel for wizard spells. Students' characters discover new spells to employ against adversaries as they advance in their mathematical abilities. Students must use their arithmetic skills and respond to questions that span a wide range of material and take into account their level of ability in order to perform these spells effectively. (VanderBorght, 2022) Prodigy Math contains free accounts and upgraded accounts. It differentiates effectively and has good in-game training, so students may work at different grade levels and at their own speed without anybody except the teacher knowing what they're doing. Prodigy is best utilized to refresh skills rather than introduce new topics because it focuses on practicing skills.

 

Nearpod

A platform called Nearpod is used to create and distribute interactive presentations, formative or summative tests, and information on social emotional learning, online behavior, vocabulary, and other topics. (Rogowski, 2021) For inspiration, teachers may explore hundreds of certified publisher- and educator-created classes and they can be edited or utilized. Not all accounts are free; others need a payment. According to Rogowski 2021, Nearpod may add interactivity and feedback to slideshow-style classes by having students draw on a map or diagram, answer to a poll question, submit a comment or picture to a collaboration board, take a multiple-choice quiz, or engage in a gamified Time to Climb challenge. The engaging way students answer questions are perfect for differentiation.

 

Kahoot!

Kahoot!, a student-response application for all platforms, enables teachers to create presentations with integrated quizzes and perform game-like quizzes. Instructors can design their own quizzes or locate, use, and/or modify publicly available quizzes. (Powers, 2021) Teachers can create multiple choice or true/false quizzes with a free account, as well as change time limits and point values for each question. Premium accounts add quiz multi-select options. Kahoot! lets teachers add slides, videos, polls, and surveys to multiple-choice quizzes to make learning more engaging. This is an important differentiation tool to create data on how much students are learning on a particular topic in an engaging way.

 

My Vote!

After doing an investigation into various technologies and their use within educational settings, I have identified Nearpod and Kahoot! as my preferred methods for fostering learning and facilitating student engagement in the classroom. These platforms effectively promote active participation and enable students to take ownership of their own learning experiences. To begin, Nearpod provides student-paced modes in which students may engage in classes at their own pace and lessons are loaded with chances to demonstrate their understanding through sketching, matching, and interactive videos. Many of the lessons are designed to accommodate students' diverse learning styles. Not only does Nearpod foster learning by presenting material in a variety of ways, but the numerous possibilities for students to express their learning in their own way encourages ownership and originality. Second Kahoot! is a fun, engaging way for students for to become engage according to Koponen and Kanaris, et. al (2020) accstudies, classes using Kahoot!, particularly those that used it frequently, saw an increase in attendance, student participation, engagement, motivation, as well as student-teacher and student-student interaction.

This is important because students learn best when they enter classrooms that they engage in positive interactions and ones that build confidence. Students who are confident in themselves are more inclined to take responsibility of their learning and are more eager to share what they know.

 

References

Johler, M., & Krumsvik, R. J. (2022). Increasing inclusion through differentiated instruction in a technology-rich primary school classroom in Norway. Education 3-13, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2022.2143721

Koponen, A., Kanaris, A., & Latham, A. (2020). Dozens of studies show learning benefits of using Kahoot!. Kahoot! https://kahoot.com/blog/2020/07/01/dozens-of-studies-show-learning-benefits-of-kahoot/

Powers, M. (2021). Kahoot! Review for Teachers. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/kahoot#privacy-rating

Rogowski, M. (2021). Nearpod review for teachers. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/nearpod

VanderBorght, M. V. (2022). Prodigy math review for teachers. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/prodigy-math