Both software and hardware companies have a common goal: to improve the use of educational technologies.
It’s not easy to keep students interested in a world full of distractions. Teachers are often faced with the distraction of students by competing devices like smartphones and tablets.
When used correctly, smartboards, AI-powered devices, and other presentation tools can reshape the learning process and create a positive learning environment for students.
You need to engage them and hold their attention. Many companies have dedicated themselves to developing and selling solutions which accomplish these tasks.
Maryam Hassani (Acting Head of Trends and Innovation at Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority) says that reports indicate the global EdTech Market will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 12.9% until 2032. North America is expected to lead the charge in 2022. It will have a 36% share of revenue.
This EdTech surge is reshaping the learning journeys and offering innovative solutions for challenges such as sparking curiosity among STEM students [science, technology, engineering, and math] “She told TechNewsWorld, she is a specialist in teaching children with disabilities and individualized lessons.”
Innovations in teaching technologies do not just benefit early childhood and special education. Technology is rapidly transforming our lives on every level. This includes education. AI-enabled tech ed tools are helping educators to make complex concepts more accessible and relatable for all levels of instruction.
EdTech driving latest learning trends
EdTech is always evolving. JQ Sirls, CEO and co-founder at StorytailorThe product of, which personalizes the content according to each student’s unique experience.
“Personalized learning is more tailored for individual needs through AI,” he said to TechNewsWorld. One example is the AI math solver – Mathful, which assists students in solving math problems step-by-step.
Gamification Turns learning into a fun experience. Inclusion and accessibility are increasingly important, ensuring that modern learning tools are accessible to all students.
Sirls continued, “These trends are changing the way in which we view education. They make it more dynamic and inclusive.”
Smart Technologies It is a great example of the effectiveness of ed tech when computer-based methods are used. This company provides innovative learning solutions for educators around the world to create meaningful connections with a range of products.
To be more successful, schools need to adopt new technology in a more thoughtful way. The process is two-fold. First, the software tools are identified. Jeff Lowe is the executive vice president at Smart Technologies and chief commercial officer.
“The formula is very simple. Start with the teaching and a learning practices and then move onto software. Find out what software is aligned with the desired result and how it can enable these teaching andlearning practices,” he told TechNewsWorld.
This is only possible if three factors are in place, he said. He added that his product developers work with schools to help them choose the best edtech tool for the students. They also identify the needs of the school and pick tools that fit with the curriculum.
“EdTech isn’t as efficient, or ripe for results, due to the fact that this formula is often ignored. It’s viewed in the other direction. Lowe warned that as a hardware and software company, we were also part of the equation.
It takes practice and training to make EdTech more effective.
Lowe claims that schools sometimes adopt the newest and best tech without having a clear understanding of what it will be used for by teachers and their students or how it will fit into teaching and learning. This is often an impulsive hardware-first choice. The school administrator must decide on how the system will be used and which software it will run.
Training and professional development is the last step of the tech onboarding. The training should be focused on how technology can support teaching and learning, rather than just how to use it.
“I think everyone understands the importance and value of training. But often, the training revolves around tech,” he said. “Instead, the training should be focused on the desired outcome of the student and teacher, and how the technology improves that. That is a totally different kind of training.”
Lowe said that Smart Technologies’s products are mostly trained by educators for teachers. The company’s large staff includes both current and former teachers, which gives them a diverse range of technology adoption skills that can help their customers.
The challenge is to scale that insight. The training cannot be as effective if it is only a professional day-long event. Lowe warns that this can be a barrier to your success.
He said that “most of the time it’s more of a train-the-teacher method, where real advocates are trained in a department or school, perhaps by us. They then make it their mission to teach other teachers at the school.”
Lowe says that scaling up the training is key to success. Lowe says that school officials should roll out this training to the principals and tech directors in the schools.
All of this needs to be coordinated. If you don’t think about it, you won’t get the full benefits. Lowe suggests that if it becomes too crowded, teachers will be under more pressure to use new technology and manage their time.
Making EdTech Adoption and Success a Priority
This is the biggest problem that schools face. Smart Technologies’ ambassador program helps to achieve this goal. As the company’s products can be used worldwide, thousands of teachers are members of a community that is sponsored by Smart Technologies to share information.
Teachers can post their questions, and anyone using different software programs or hardware tools forms a mutual assistance society. Lowe claims that the community level experts in different countries who provide support to each other have been extremely effective. Not only with training, but also best practices in using technology and creating websites with self-paced education.
It is important to not gloss over the usefulness. The usefulness of the information is crucial for success.
Lowe stated that “once an educator sees that it is no different than what he/she is already doing, then using edtech does not become yet another addition to the list of things they are expected to be doing,” Lowe added.
