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We’re 16 years into the new millennium, yet the standard classroom seems to be stuck into a long-gone past. Even though most teachers do their best in delivering 21st century instruction, the traditional classroom doesn’t seem to be an ally. On the contrary, the stiff rows of desks, and the teacher area vs. students area hinder the learning process rather than support it.
From being a distracting gadget to becoming a valuable learning tool: that’s the short story of the use of smartphones in the classroom. Instead of making students switch off their phones, teachers should embrace the available technology and think of new ways to use these instruments to gain their students’ attention, keep them interested, stir their desire to learn, and support their learning actions.
ISTE 2016 was this year’s biggest conference on education technology, and the NEO team was proud to be part of it. With more than 19,000 people roaming the floors of the Colorado Convention Center, the NEO booth attracted a considerable number of visitors.
MOOCs have been considered for a very long time a great way of learning, because they are useful, diverse, surrounded by communities and mostly free. However, lately MOOCs have faced several challenges and criticisms such as its heavy reliance on user-generated content which creates a rather chaotic learning environment, and the mere fact that digital literacy is almost always a prerequisite if someone is going to take an open online course. But are they really dead? Let’s discuss the yes and the no.
Edtech isn’t a magic bullet, but an instrument. It depends on how and why it is used. While there is a gap between teaching methods and students’ real needs, there’s always a chance to meet halfway if aspects such as school culture and upgrading learning materials are taken into consideration.
We’re in the digital age where practically almost all students are digital natives and almost every student owns a device that they usually bring to class. So why not encourage students to use their devices as tools for learning? BYOD classroom setups are very common nowadays, but there are a few aspects to consider before implementing them.
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