Improve classroom performance with modern tools

1. Improve classroom
performance with
modern tools

2. INTRODUCTION
For many schools there is a lot of pressure to improve
classroom performance. Competition is high among schools,
boards demand results and everything seems to be
measured. The proliferation of technology has posed many
challenges for the education sector, yet if harnessed and
utilised correctly it also provides many opportunities. Here
we look at some modern tools that can help rather than
hinder classroom performance.

3. Digital whiteboards
Although they have been around for a while now, digital whiteboards (or
interactive whiteboards) continue to develop in terms of accessibility and
functionality. Much more engaging, practical and interactive than the old
school blackboards, these education tools should be the top of the shopping
list for any discerning teacher looking to improve classroom performance.
You can share lessons, show videos and other multimedia, draw, write, pdf
and so much more with these wonderful tools. The functionality of course
varies from model to model and depending on how much you want to pay.
But even some of the basic models offer a vast improvement on the
functionality of the old blackboards of days gone by.

4. Tablets
They were mocked and maligned when they were first presented, neither a
phone nor a laptop. However, once launched tablets quickly took and became
ubiquitous. They have now proliferated to classrooms throughout the U.K.
Some schools provide them to students for learning while other schools allow
students to use them in classrooms. The benefits of learning with tablets is
obvious and when they integrate with a digital whiteboard (above) these
benefits are multiplied. You can quickly source and display a video or a
diagram or an example of a lesson that students are not quite grasping. You
can share this with them to their tablet allowing them to go deeper into it
there and then and also return to it at a later stage. Homework, assignments
and answers can all be submitted via tablet.

5. Active sitting chairs
Active sitting has been proven to increase the oxygenation of the body
which in turn increases alertness and productivity. So basically by
keeping students active when sitting you increase their ability to focus
and learn. The ubiquitous school chair is "stack em high, sell em low"
model in one colour with no functionality. This is not the only option
however. There are chairs on the market designed with schools in
mind, which promote active sitting, allowing for a more focused
student base. These chairs will offer great ergonomics and evoke a
better response from students than traditional school chairs lacking
functionality.

6. EEG Monitors
It might sound like something from the digital future, but actually it’s
just around the corner. Companies like Neurosky have made portable
EEG technology very affordable and developers have latched onto the
hardware, creating numerous apps to measure student learning, focus,
attention and a whole host of other metrics. Basically EEG monitors
measure the brainwave activity of the wearers and smart algorithms
convert this raw data into meaningful interpretations useful for
teachers. Forget end of year assessments, these monitors allow instant
measurement and feedback on live teaching.

7. Evernote
Probably more popular in the states than in UK classrooms, Evernote
is a great tool to help teachers improve classroom performance. It’s a
"notebook" software that allows you to record and sync notes across
multiple devices. So a teacher can create a homework note and sync it
to all the students’ devices. Students can also use it to present
coursework or react/comment on classmate’s coursework and
presentations. Team projects can also be coordinated in Evernote with
to do lists and task lists. They can also mark items "done" so teachers
can keep live progress of the project and make sure students stay on
track. Creating and sharing audio notes is another useful tool teachers
can make use of.