Technology has changed everything about our lives, we are more connected than ever. Our working style has changed, our communication channels have changed, all in all, everything has changed. How could have the education sector not affected? The modern classrooms have replaced many supplies with technology and here is our list of those.
Modern Graphic Calculators
Remember those Texas Instruments’ graphing calculators that you passed down to your siblings because of their high cost. Well, their successor has come with even more features. The latest TI-Nspire is much sleeker, and sexier than its ancestor. Now, it also has a rechargeable battery and you can also save your work. The graphical interface has also got colours.
Translation with Duolingo
Going back 10 to 15 years ago, the CD or cassette recordings of a foreign language speaker was the only tech indulgence in technology. Today most of the teachers recommend Duolingo to gamify the translation experience and aid learning. Right now, more students learn new languages through Duolingo than in the US public school system.
SimCityEDU replaced Oregon Trail
We learnt invaluable lessons about the life of the frontier from Oregon Trail. We all still fear dysentery. Here comes SimCityEDU, every player is an autocratic mayor of the city and has to make decisions based on consequences and impact.
RealCare Infant Simulator in place of the flour sack baby
We all hated the flour sack baby project in which we had to consider a flour sack as our baby and take its care. The project helped us understand how challenging childcare is. The sack was later on found either in the trash or left in school. RealCare Infant Simulator is like the Terminator version of a baby. It has a computer to track its care and makes it cry all hours of the day and night. The tech is so advanced that it can track if it’s left unattended.
SMART Boards to replace Chalkboards
Gone are the days when chalkboards were the symbol of a classroom. Nowadays, SMART Technologies has developed SMART boards, which at the core are just large screen computers with the touch screen. Over 2.5 million K-12 classrooms now use SMART boards and more than a million are present in the US alone. They improve collaboration and interaction.
External Hard Drives over Floppy Disks
The era of floppy disks was long over. The education sector has also adapted to the change and got external hard drives which are much faster, and has more capacity than any pen drives.
iPads Taking Over Notebooks
We all have got spinal problems owing to the weight of our notebooks but the modern student does not have to worry about that. Schools are adopting iPads to download textbooks and note-taking. These devices are lighter and much more capable with additional educational apps.
YouTube Videos take over TV Carts
From the terrible picture quality to squeaking noise, none of it mattered when we had the TV Room lessons. For us, it was a no-stress class. YouTube along with Digital Projectors have become the norm in school nowadays because it offers better picture and sound quality.
