8 EdTech Trends You Should Know

By: Justin Ferriman • September 29, 2014
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edtechimageEducation technology (EdTech) is evolving at an incredible pace. There are constantly new apps and programs being developed – all of which with their own unique benefit.

For those of you who are new to the concept of EdTech, it is a pretty broad concept, covering the use of technology like tablets, apps, web tools, social media, and more to improve learning.

EdTech is being leveraged in classrooms all over the world, here are the current trends that you are likely to see today:

  • Text messages in the classroom. Apps like “Remind” are making it easy for parents, teachers, and students to all communicate.
  • Social media networks in the classroom. Teachers can communicate with their students via twitter, and even have assignments through social media interaction.
  • Free online courses as a result of massive open online courses (or “MOOCs”) provide additional learning opportunities that supplement regular coursework.
  • 3D printing is now being used in high schools as another way for students to have a hands-on learning experience through the use of new technologies.

This is just a small sample of the way technology is being used specifically in education. As you can expect, as technology evolves and new trends take hold, so does its use. Below are some of the upcoming trends in EdTech:

  • Physical textbooks are now taking a backseat to digital text, accessed via a tablet or some other ebook reader (such as a Kindle).
  • Bring Your Own Device programs (BYOD) opens up more opportunities for students to leverage new apps within the classroom. It also helps school districts with tight budgets.
  • Google Classroom brings a mix of free tools to be leveraged by teachers and students alike. Have a look at this article for more information on what Google Classroom can do.
  • Open textbooks increase accessibility, and are constantly evolving due to their “wiki” nature. That is, content can be added and modified in the same way as sites like Wikipedia so that they are always current.

If you haven’t started leveraging EdTech in your educational experience, now is a perfect time as it is certainly here to stay – constantly evolving and influencing the way we learn.

Reference:
dailygenius.com

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter