If you think about how classrooms used to function in the past, it’s easy to see just how far we’ve come from the early days of education. Where pupils used to scrape their daily lessons onto pieces of slate, we now have the options of typing out notes into laptops, if not standard sheets of paper, and many students in higher learning institutions even have the option of accessing their lessons online. In fact, some lecturers have even had their lessons streamed on the web, allowing viewers from all around the world to tune in and watch the lecture live from myriad locations and time zones.

Classroom technology has certainly revolutionised the way we learn. Instead of statically sitting and observing teachers, now pupils have the chance to engage far more fully with their education. Interactive whiteboards are becoming more and more popular, and these innovative pieces of technology are by far one of the best examples of how education has evolved.

Whether in a primary school classroom or a university lecture hall, interactive whiteboards allow students to ask and answer questions from afar via a remote tablet that is wirelessly connected to the main terminal, with their input appearing on the large projection screen for all to see, as well as vote in polls without the problem of getting the numbers wrong from unreliable “show of hands” style polling. All they have to do is click a button on their wireless controllers and their vote will be counted and compiled on screen into a graph or chart automatically and in seconds.

Younger pupils can enjoy the projector’s touch screen technology, which allows them to solve puzzles and problems by using their hands as well as their heads. You can even write your own programmes that will challenge your pupils in the exact way you want to, as well as download lessons and games from the web to include in your future lessons.

It’s no secret that interactivity helps to engage the mind further, thus helping students to learn more far more effectively than they may have in the past. Classroom technology has certainly helped us to evolve the way we learn – and it looks as if the future is going to hold even more exciting developments that will continue to enhance the ability of teachers. The only problem for many teachers who are already using interactive whiteboard technology is having to wait to see what innovative new tools will appear in upcoming years!

 

Janine Barclay writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.