Educational technology has evolved dramatically since the early days of the Internet. Today touchscreen technology is used in most classrooms, wireless laptops and smartphones are used instead of workbooks, and wikis, apps and educational websites are key to student learning.
Improving Students’ Educational Experiences
One of the biggest lessons teachers have learned is that technology can dramatically improve many students’ experiences of education.
A lot of evidence shows that students respond well to teaching that incorporates IT. Digital resources such as PowerPoint presentations, apps, images and videos can capture students’ attention and show them new ways to actively take part in class.
To take full advantage of this, schools need a high bandwidth wireless network that can cope with their digital needs. This means having the ability to stream live video on hundreds of devices at once, anywhere on site, to host live updates of attendance and progress, to save thousands of documents securely in the Cloud.
It’s a big challenge, but an increasingly important one – and high speed WiFi from KBR is a great solution if your network needs updating to cope with the latest advancements.
Improving Students’ Attainment
Research shows that having the ability to access Wi-Fi in the classroom boosts students’ progress, with studies from across the world revealing that digital technology can positively impact literacy development and language acquisition.
As well as boosting results, O’Hara and Pritchard (2014) showed that wireless technology makes it easier to support and motivate students using adapted software. It even helps enhance students’ self-esteem.
Helping Students Develop New Skills
Digital technology can also help some students to behave better in class, making it easier for students with special needs to take part in mainstream lessons.
Tablets, voice recognition software and text-to-speech apps have made a big difference to dyslexic and dyspraxic students. Now that students can use touchscreen technology in class it is much easier and more enjoyable to participate in lessons.
Wireless technology helps to bring discoveries from the real world into the classroom. Students can now play interactive games developed by NASA and SmartBrain Technologies on their own devices, or on school laptops and tablets.
These games have been shown to improve neurological skills in students with ADHD, helping them to make progress in their planning, attention to detail, concentration and memory.
But you don’t have to have special educational needs to benefit from access to online technology. Apps and games are developed every day to help students apply their learning to real life situations.
Improving Pupil Tracking
It’s not only the students who benefit from wireless technology. Today new software programs are making it easier for teachers and senior leaders to monitor attendance in real time, track pupil attainment daily and provide an individualised curriculum for students at the touch of a button.
The further integration of these technologies with smartphones and tablets has made it possible for teachers and support staff to respond instantly to students’ needs or emergency incidents.
All of this innovation is possible by a reliable, fast WiFi system that can support hundreds of users at once, anywhere on a large school site, which we at KBR are experts in providing.
Is your school making the most of digital technology?
KBR has 30 years of experience successfully planning, installing and supporting bespoke WiFi for schools across the North East of England. To speak to one of our team about upgrading your WiFi or how WiFi can help your school, contact us on 0191 492 1492, or email info@kbr.co.uk
