It has been established across many countries that Digital Learning is replacing the conventional form of blackboard and textbook usage by the teacher. With access to the world wide web, there is no need to carry around heavy books that require heavy investments. With the advent of the Digital Learning Era, comes not only improved results and successful students who can develop a genuine interest in their subjects, but also the well-equipped and ever learning teacher. With a digital learning software in place, teachers can use games and audiovisual to enhance the learning experience. The only issue with this is that some teachers stick to the same routine, even when it comes to digital. The point is to keep exploring, updating and constantly enhancing the student’s learning experience every single day.
Here are some inspiring creative approaches to get the most out of interactive boards in the classroom:
Install Google Earth and make Geography a rich visual learning experience. Children can discover new cities and cultures, plants, animals, architecture, oceans and mountain tops by just sitting at their desks. You can also use Google Earth for other subjects as well. Use the app GeoGuessr which uses Street View Technology which is a fun way to let children learn about important monuments and other landmarks around the world.
Team building activities are so much fun when they are competing in a healthy way. There are many devices that can be connected to the interactive boards in the classroom to help make things easier for this task. Teachers can divide the children into groups, assign them with competitive tasks where they can use their full potential to learn more effectively. Not only are they allowed to learn to research but to also present themselves in a timely and powerful manner.
Children can be taught the basics of Sound, Image and Video Editing with software like Google+’s Photo Editor which allows children to easily edit, resize and enhance images. Children who have an inert liking for graphic designing and editing can truly find themselves enjoying such projects. It is so important to give children the basics of audio visual editing in a fun way instead of focusing on complex instructions which may cause them to lose interest in something that they might otherwise love to do.
Today, with technology like Auto Correct and browser extensions like Grammarly, nobody needs to be perfect when it comes to spelling. But this is a downfall for many who need to present themselves without the aid of a digital device. Many children and adults today are very poor in spelling, even if they live in an English speaking country. The importance of accurate spellings has been overlooked. This can all be changed with simple digital games for spelling bees that can help improve a child’s memory of spellings, syllables and even phonetics.
When children are learning about culture, it is important for them to be able to visualize what the teacher is talking about. Not everyone has a vivid imagination. For instance, showing the kids the insides of the White House while talking about Washington D.C will keep the students engaged and interested. These days, virtual tours are interactive as well. Take your students all over the world and improve their knowledge on cultural heritage across borders.
Apart from all these methods, there is much more a creative teacher can do to enhance the learning experience by using interactive boards in the classroom - pictures of the children through the year at competitions or on field trips can be revisited, online information can be stored offline for use during down time through flash videos and applications and so much more can be done! It all depends on the level of creativity of the staff who is using the interactive board in the classroom.
Get creative, increase interaction and improve results by using interactive boards in the classroom to improve the modern student’s interest, engagement and results.