Real Talk: Using Technology in the Classroom Amidst Covid-19

During the pre-pandemic period, educators taught inside the four corners of a classroom. It’s been already challenging to ensure transfer of knowledge to young learners. Most of the students have a short span of attention. That’s why discussing concepts, terminologies, and theories for the whole period of your class makes the students uninterested, unmotivated, and tend to attend the class only for the sake of attendance.

All educators are encouraged to use technology as a platform to articulate the target learning outcomes. Unfortunately, the progressive use of technology in education is slowly implemented due to some challenges in physical and human infrastructure.

However, during and post pandemic, everyone is forced to learn the technology in teaching young learners using the appropriate technology. The pandemic has greatly affected education like all the other institutions. Given the situation, educators need to keep themselves one step ahead of the curve.

Teachers impart knowledge and skills to their students through virtual rooms using different Platforms. They are expected to immediately adapt with the technology trends to deliver lessons that are more engaging; however, this is very crucial on the part of teachers. They carry the burden to ensure that lessons are delivered meaningfully and purposefully to the students. The use of technology should not be just fad but purposive.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we do almost everything globally. It is imperative that both educators and learners equip themselves in order to meet the challenges brought about by learning amidst the pandemic. Here are some tips and strategies that may help you out during this era of online learning:

Stay up-to-date. Communication and technology have definitely improved by leaps and bounds over the last few decades. The more recent ones with the biggest leaps. As such, we owe it to our learners and ourselves to be consistently updated. I’m sure you’ve all had webinars and workshops on quite a number of teaching applications such as Quizizz, Nearpod, and Mentimeter. But more than these, there are up-and-coming apps and software that we should be aware of and be ready to take advantage of. Just last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launching of their rebranding to be Meta and the virtual technology that it will allow people to make use of. This alone has limitless potential in terms of online education.
Properly Arm Yourselves. While a wide array of tools is readily available, it is also a challenge to know which one to use for specific situations. Some tools serve the same purpose yet one would be a better “fit” for online classes. The trick is to find the teaching and learning app that best suits your learners’ needs and their capacity.
Have an open mind. Through the vast information and innovations available today, it is really difficult to choose just one among those teaching and learning apps that are available sometimes for free. Do not be afraid of trying out something new. Just because you’ve grown comfortable with Google Classroom doesn’t mean you have to rely solely on it. Remember, in this day and age, more knowledge is always more power.
Remain passionate. While being in the teaching profession has always been known as a labor of love, we cannot let ourselves burn out and lose our passion for teaching. Yes, we may have had to do a lot of things due to the shift to online learning. The fire in the hearts and minds of educators should still be kept burning. Our classrooms may have shifted, the medium may have changed, but the goal of educating young minds for their future and our country has never changed.

Furthermore, the discussion method of teaching is not advisable in the digital age and encourages all teachers to use the available educational applications that will trigger the curiosity, attentiveness, and engagement of the students.