TAMARA BALUJA
Published Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 2:06PM EST
From low-tech to truly innovative, here’s a round-up of digital tools teachers are using in their classrooms.
1. Interactive Whiteboards
Yoko Furukawa/The Associated Press
Interactive whiteboards are replacing traditional chalk and blackboards in many Canadian classrooms. With the flick of a switch, this technology connects a computer to a projector - allowing teachers to show students graphics and charts, live Internet searches and streaming videos. The drawback? Price - interactive whiteboards cost from $3,000 to $6,000.
2. Laptops
Juli Leonard/The Associated Press
Many teachers complain that laptops distract students - letting them check e-mails or browse Facebook instead of paying attention in class. But a 2010 University of Calgary study found that elementary students with access to laptops for educational activities understood concepts better.
3. Graphing Calculators
Tony Gutierrez/The Associated Press
Graphing calculators have made their way into many a high school math class, with some teachers making the tools (on-average $100) mandatory. The calculators allow students to focus on mathematical concepts instead of worrying about number crunching, argue many teachers.
4. Moodle
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Moodle is a content management system that allows students and teachers to interact online. For example, it lets students submit their assignments online and instant message their teachers, and lets teachers create online quizzes with automatic grading.
5. E-Reader
Sheila Boardman/The Canadian Press
Heavy backpacks will soon become a thing of the past in South Korea with the digitization of all textbooks in state schools by 2015.
The move will allow students to download digital textbooks on a variety of platforms, including computers, smart phones, and tablets. It’s considered a cheaper model for updating textbooks.
6. Wi-Fi
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While some Ontario parents and teachers argue that Wi-Fi should be banned from schools for health reasons, Health Canada has said the low-level radiofrequency energy emitted by Wi-Fi systems is not dangerous to the public. For now, Wi-Fi is commonplace in most Canadian schools.
It’s also helped close the education gap in Canada’s northern and rural communities, where distance and weather can prove challenging, by allowing teachers to easily and more efficiently connect with students in virtual classrooms.
7. YouTube
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Why listen to your teacher lecture in class when you can watch a YouTube video of him doing it at home?
Teachers at the Okanagan Mission Secondary School in B.C. are trying the “flipped classroom” model where teachers lecture through pre-recorded YouTube videos, which students watch in the evening, and use class time to work with students individually on assignments.
8. Clicker
David Zalubowski/The Associated Press
Clickers are becoming more and more common in universities, especially in large classes. These wireless handheld devices transmit student responses to classroom polls and quizzes straight to the professors' computers, which allows them to see if students have understood the concept.
9. Wikipedia
iStockPhoto
Although many academics and teachers preach about the unreliability of Wikipedia as a source for essay writing, the tide is slowly turning.
The Wikipedia Education program is asking university professors to toss out the traditional research paper in favour of writing Wiki articles. This, some Canadian professors say, is a neat way for students to learn research and analytical skills, which is then held up to public scrutiny.
An added bonus? The research paper remains live online instead of collecting dust in the attic.
10. Powerpoint
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The highly dependable PowerPoint presentation has been around for ages. But when combined with good pedagogy, PowerPoint can be a powerful learning tool, says Alyssa Wise, an assistant professor of education at Simon Fraser University.
For example, instead of writing a linear report, students studying Shakespeare can create slides that use font, colour and other design elements to express characters' points of view.