Here are some reasons why technology is really helpful in classrooms:
1) If used correctly, mobile devices and the applications they support, will help prepare students for their future careers.
2) Integrating technology into the classroom is an effective way to connect with students of all learning styles.
3) It gives students the opportunity to enhance the interaction with their classmates and instructors by encouraging collaboration.
4) Using technology in the classroom gives teachers and other faculty members the opportunity to develop their student's digital citizenship skills. It's one thing to use mobile devices, it's a completely other thing to know how to use them correctly and responsibly.
5) Integrating technology in education helps students stay engaged. Most students today have been using mobile devices like tablets and smartphones to play and learn since they could crawl. So it only seems logical to align today's classrooms with the way that your students want and are used to learning.
6) Combining new tech like VR (virtual reality) with traditional classroom instruction is one example of how the introduction of new technology can enhance the learning experience and create new opportunities.
7) When mobile technology is readily available and performing correctly in the classroom, students are able to access the most up-to-date information quicker and easier than ever before.
8) The traditional passive learning model is broken. With technology in the classroom the teacher becomes the encourager, adviser, and coach.
9) Technology helps students be more responsible. Owning your own device or borrowing the school's devices gives students the opportunity to improve their decision making skills as well as taking ownership of a valuable (and often times expensive) device. Again, this needs to be complemented by proper digital citizenship training to see the best results.
10) Technology transforms the learning experience. Students have access to an incredible amount of new opportunities. From learning how to code to learning how to better collaborate across teams and with their instructors--technology empowers students to be more creative and be more connected. New tech has super-charged how we learn today.
