Technology in the Classroom 

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

During my internship, I faced some challenges when it came to using technology in the classroom. Technology can be a great tool for increasing student engagement. On the other hand, technology can also be a huge distraction for students. There are ways to help students avoid these distractions.

Students’ engagement increases when integrating interactive activities into a lesson such as Kahoot or PearDeck, but students get easily side tracked by games, videos, and music. One way to avoid these distractions is to use the website GoGuardian.com. This website allows teachers to view every student’s computer screen to see what websites they are on. GoGuardian also gives teachers access to their students’ laptops so they can close or block any inappropriate tabs. While some proctoring technology in college classrooms can raise concerns, as Professor Nic Helms discusses here, middle and high school students can benefit from tools that help them avoid games and other sites that are engineered to capture their attention.

Technology in classrooms has its downsides, but it also can be a fantastic resource when used correctly. Before students pull out their laptops, it is useful to inform students that the teachers can see the websites they are on and will close tabs if necessary. Announcing this monitoring to the class can encourage students to stay focused.