Students in interactive environments are more likely to graduate
If this article were published in a screenplay format, it might look something like this (with all due respect to the teachers).
INT. 20th Century Classroom – Day
A teacher slowly paces in front of the class, talking in a monotonous voice about the life of rare animals. On the board behind her are some poster pictures of rare animals.
teacher
…and once a red-toed deer smells people, you may never see them again.
A student sits motionless, head in hands, eyes barely open, as the teacher continues to teach. The student’s head falls from his hands and hits the desk with a thud!
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And now the same lecture in a 21st-century interactive classroom equipped with touchscreen technology.
INT. 21st Century Classroom – Day
A teacher programs an interactive lesson into a flat panel display placed near the front of the class. On the screen are visualizations of the animals that she and the students will be discussing and interacting with that day.
teacher
Okay class… today we have a rare opportunity to find out some really cool stuff about the endangered pink-toed deer.
A murmur of anticipatory energy flows through the crowded room. Students focus their attention at the front of the class while the teacher touches the interactive screen and begins the lesson. The class falls silent and pays close attention to the presentation of the rare animals. They know that they will not only see the deer and other creatures that day, but also touch them.
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Education, like most things, has evolved. With the advent of the interactive environments of the 21st century, classrooms equipped with flat panel technology are opening the doors to learning wider than ever. Students in interactive classrooms become more engaged, more interested in the subject matter, and more likely to graduate.
If there’s one magic key to learning, it’s engagement. “Student engagement is the product of motivation and active learning. It’s a product rather than a sum because it doesn’t happen if either element is missing.” – Elizabeth F. Barkley, author, scholar, and educator.
Without interactivity and the increased ability to engage students as a result of today’s educational technology, progress in reducing early school leaving would certainly be limited.
As we strive as a nation to provide a quality education to all of our future scholars, particularly in underserved communities, our primary commitment is to provide them with the tools and opportunities to learn. Interactive technology can help motivate learning and unlock the limitless potential of our students that is just waiting to be unleashed.
We can only imagine how previous generations of students might have benefited from true interactive education. Learning is the gateway to the future and the highway on which we travel to knowledge.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, participate and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin, author, scientist, diplomat. With knowledge comes the power to choose and positively change our way of life.
Thanks to Gary G Sweet | #21StCentury #Interactive #Learning #Classroom #Parents
