Advancing Technology Use as Part of Your Teaching Strategy

When the parents of today’s school-aged kids were in school, technology in education didn’t go much beyond a couple of shared desktops in the classroom or an hour in the school’s computer lab each week. Now, just a few decades later, technology is prevalent in nearly every aspect of education. It has transformed how educators teach, how students learn, and how schools communicate with students and families.

Today’s educators can use a variety of digital tools and strategies to support their teaching and motivate learners at all grade levels—from interactive learning tools and online classrooms, to collaboration software and social networking sites, to a Chromebook or iPad for each student. While some traditional teaching strategies will continue to stand the test of time, the role of the teacher is changing as rapidly as the technology itself.

To prepare to teach in this changing education landscape, master’s students explore the evolving role of teachers in a digital age as part of their graduate work in the MS in Education (MSEd) degree program at Walden University. Through the online course EDUC 6710: Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, students examine the history of technology in schools and its influence on education. They also learn practical strategies for integrating digital tools into their teaching.

Using technology as a significant part of a teaching strategy creates many exciting possibilities for access, learning, and discovery. But it can also present new challenges. MSEd students in the online course learn these helpful tips for advancing technology use in their classrooms:

Mindset
Be forward-thinking: Your students may know more, and that's okay.
Be humble: Let go of past beliefs. Embrace new practices.
Be bold: Try new things. If they fail, try again.
Be flexible: Things will rarely go exactly as planned. Adapt.

Approach
Aim high: Set clear, achievable, but ambitious goals.
Choose wisely: Use tools that promote deeper learning.
Start small: If a tool is daunting, use it first for a minor job.
Rise above: Create tasks that exceed analog experiences.

Support
Stress respect: Make your students stellar digital citizens.
Encourage exploration: With technology, students learn by doing.
Check in, check out: Touch base regularly; allow breaks as needed.
Join forces: Encourage collaboration and peer coaching.

Learn more about technology in teaching and gain new strategies for improving your effectiveness in the classroom by earning an MS in Education degree online. The MSEd degree can help you elevate your teaching and impact on student achievement as a K–12 teacher. The online graduate program is also a great choice for administrators, directors, counselors, specialists, or other professional educators who want to take learning—and their careers—to the next level with an advanced college education.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering online bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral education degree programs. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.