There are many different EdTech trends that are engineered to help teachers and their students thrive while working smarter not harder. The three trends that resonated with me as an educator most were Tech-Enabled Immersive Learning, ELearning, and Gamification.

    Tech-Enabled Immersive Learning is anything that falls under the extended reality category whether it be all virtual or a mix of hands on and augmented reality. I teach Computer Art, Intro to Coding, and Family and Consumer Management at a private special education high school. All the students at my school have an IEP and lessons are differentiated based on each student’s learning challenges. Two of the subjects I teach are very tech centered and all are very hands on. I love the idea of using virtual reality with my students so they can practice their vegetable cutting skills for my Family & Consumer Management not only with supervision in the actual kitchen, but also by using VR so they can continue to practice and gain confidence in their skills. I also love the creative possibilities that a VR headset would give to my students if we wanted to take a field trip somewhere unique without leaving the classroom. Before I heard the term Makerspace, I had already been incorporating that into my Computer Art classroom by not only teaching my students how to create art on Photoshop and Illustrator, but also by showing them how to turn their art into stickers that they could put on their water bottles or by turning their designs into .SVG files that they could work with on the Cricut machine to create their own t-shirts or merchandise. Creativity has to be cultivated and that has to be done both on and off the computer.

    Elearning is a theme in EdTech I utilize greatly as an educator and forever student, always looking to learn more and to supplement the lessons I teach for my students. Elearning is any information obtained through an online platform designed to promote learning. Today you can get a college degree and never step foot in a physical classroom. You can watch tutorials online and learn how to do just about anything on YouTube. I am currently teaching my Family & Consumer Management students how to knit, and plan on filming a tutorial to upload onto our school’s YouTube page so that they can practice when they are at home. I am personally subscribed to Masterclass and have taken many Udemy courses to keep up on new Computer Art advancements and techniques. Elearning is not only valuable for acquiring more information on a particular scholarly topic, but there is also a plethora of content available to help keep you motivated and improve your physical and mental well-being.

    Lastly, I think that Gamification is an excellent EdTech theme that appeals to students of all ages. Gamification is incorporating learning into a game-like atmosphere. It promotes student participation and sometimes a competitive aspect. When I was in elementary school, I looked forward to the unit reviews where my teacher would create a Jeopardy game to review information in the classroom. At the time, this was all done the “old-school” way with index cards and post-it notes, but those reviews were ALWAYS my favorite. In my Intro to Coding class, my students work on Code.org which starts with block-based code called Blockly to teach students the fundamentals of coding. The platform uses popular “sprites” or characters from Angry Birds that appeal to teenagers as they learn how to code while navigating different mazes and games. One drawback is that it is important to link the games back to the content it stems from. Every lesson, I review the terms linked to those games such as functions and conditionals. If I didn’t do that, I don’t think students would realize what they are actually learning about or how that block corresponds to the HTML code when they play the games.

    Overall, EdTech is valuable to both teachers and students because it gives educators a way to deliver content in a variety of ways that appeals to different types of learners. I think what is most important to keep in mind is that EdTech solutions enrich traditional learning. No technology can every replace human connection and the relationships that teachers form with their students, but it is important that all teachers embrace the technology of this ever-evolving world. I think it keeps us as educators on our toes, while also providing the most enriched learning environment for our students.

Sources:

Dean, Brian. (2024, April 3). The 8 Most Interesting EdTech Trends of 2024.

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/edtech-trends