Education Special Section
students on track to graduate. If an
individual student falls “off track,”
teachers utilize that information
to determine a course of academic
intervention. This form of individualized
learning is being employed across the
country with positive results.
Adaptive Learning Technology /
Resources
Addressing individual learning gaps
continues to be at the top of priority lists
for student achievement in the classroom.
Adaptive learning technologies have
already proven successful in the
classroom and are a growing piece of the
education puzzle. As the infrastructure
needed to support these types of
initiatives is more easily accessible and
widespread, teachers are finding ways
to incorporate these technologies into
blended learning programs, according to
EdTech Update.
IoT in the Classroom
You may be unfamiliar with the term
IoT (Internet of Things), but you likely
use it every day. IoT is a network of
devices connected to the internet that
deliver real-time insights to connected
devices, such as cell phones, laptops,
or even your television. These “smart”
devices offer a unique benefit in the
classroom in the form of interactive
whiteboards, e-books, 3-D printers,
security cameras, and attendance tracking
systems. Use of IoT can remove barriers
to learning such as location, language, and
economic standing.
A recent TEDx article highlighted
a Fargo, North Dakota, teacher, Kayla
Delzer, and her use of technology
in the classroom. She believes it can
revolutionize education, but only if used
correctly. “Using technology simply
for the sake of using it is wasteful,”
Delzer says. “If tech doesn’t transform
your classroom, your teaching or your
students’ learning, skip it.” One easy rule
of thumb: If a project can be done using
paper or pencil but you’re doing it on a
computer or device, it’s not transforming
your classroom. The possibilities for
technology in the K-12 classroom setting
are endless and, if implemented correctly,
change the course of education as we
know it.
Change in Educator
Practices / School
Infrastructure
Although technology is getting all
the hype for being a game changer in
the education industry, the real success
comes from teachers and their active role
in ensuring the proper employment of
that technology in making a difference
in learning. According to Education
Week, 90 percent of teachers agree that
technology gives them the ability to tailor
lessons and homework assignments to
the individual needs of students. Yet,
teachers and schools who rate their
system-wide technology integration on
a lower scale don’t have as much hope.
Buy-in from educators, school leaders
and board members, parents, and the
community is critical when looking to
successfully integrate new technologies
into a curriculum. The change in how
teachers are teaching and how students
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