Technology Trends for Teachers to Try in 2014
December 23, 2013 RSS Feed Print
New 3-D printers are just one tech tool teachers should try in the new year.
Students learn best when they're invested in the material, but getting teens to that point isn't easy.
"The student comes in, puts their head down and goes to sleep or just ignores what's going on in the class. How do we stop that?" says Rich Lamb, an assistant professor in the College of Education at Washington State University.
One way: technology.
Tools such as tablets, videos and 3-D printing can make otherwise flat lessons come to life, says Lamb, who previously taught science at high schools in Virginia and North Carolina.
Essentially, technology hooks students, he says.
"Once you can get the student hooked, then they're open to being taught," Lamb says.
There is no shortage of tools to help teachers engage students. Here are three tech trends teachers can try in 2014.
1. 3-D printing: Once considered a far-fetched technology, 3-D printers are about to go mainstream.
"I've seen them used in elementary schools all the way up to high schools," says Lamb, who researches educational technology.
Students can work in groups to develop and test a solution to a given problem, with an actual product coming out at the end. Using the high-tech printers, teens can build complex gear mechanisms, conduits for water and even water filtration systems, Lamb says.
[Read more about technology in the classroom.]
Lessons built around 3-D printers hone 21st century skills such as collaboration and problem-solving. Prices for the printers can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, but Lamb points out that this is relatively affordable when compared to other teaching materials.
2. Personalized lessons: Students learn in different ways. Some soak up text like a sponge, while others best grasp a concept when they see it