The Ultimate Guide to EdTech

Table of Contents

Introduction to Edtech

The purpose of this guide on EdTech is to explain what EdTech is, who uses it, what its applications are and why it is beneficial. Because EdTech presents a new way of learning and providing education, skills and interacting with others, it is expected to grow, capture more users and become integrated into nearly every educational institution and field of expertise. Those who get an early start on the use of EdTech will be at an advantage, as they will have the skills and know-how to make the most out of the opportunities that EdTech offers.

Everyone with any interest or stake in education, employment and technology should read this guide. This includes teachers, parents, students, human resources staff, non-profit organization leaders, corporate CEOs and CIOs, employees and anyone who is or might be looking for work, new skills and expertise in the future.

People who spend some time reading this in-depth guide will gain a greater understanding of how EdTech works, how it began, where it is being used and how it will grow and change in the future.
Readers will also gain knowledge about who benefits from EdTech and what it takes to get people on board with this movement. EdTech is the way of the future and has been used in many ways in the past. As we create new technology, its use for educating anyone who wants to learn will continue to expand in new, bigger and better ways.

Edtech Explained

EdTech, or “educational technology” is the use of tools for the process of learning. These tools can include the numerous types of media that are used to deliver text and written messages, audio recordings, visual recordings, images, animations, streaming videos, computer based learning, live over the internet instruction, extranet learning, satellite TV and the use of educational software. EdTech can happen inside of or outside of classrooms, at any time and in any place. The majority of today’s EdTech involves the use of a wireless internet connection and an electronic device such as a smartphone, iPad, tablet or a laptop or desktop computer.

EdTech allows for one student or one million to learn and take the same coursework as each other. On the other hand, asynchronous learning is also a part of EdTech and allows for students to pace themselves while learning new information. EdTech encompasses many domains of the educational process. Its basic principles include the creation of collaborative learning environments in which peers help to coach, tutor, explain and encourage one another. Another basic is linear learning, which allows students to progress from beginner level knowledge to intermediate and then advanced learning of subject material. All of these can be used to augment in person teaching with a teacher, professor or another type of instructor. The learning environments in EdTech can be singular or involve multiple learners at the same or different paces throughout a block of content.

EdTech also puts into practice proven teaching principles by using technology. These aspects of education include cognitivism, which uses technology to challenge the memories of students; constructivism, which allows educators to use technology in order to make sure that a student’s information, work and assignments are appropriately leveled and include problem based learning; and social constructivism, which is the use of technology that allows students to delve into real world scenarios and test their problem solving skills, team work, communication and collaborating abilities.

All of these tools come together to further the learning process. For example, a student with advanced mathematics skills who attends a rural high school without enough students to offer an in-person calculus class could attend their classes through live audio and recordings. An interactive forum would allow the student to ask the teacher questions. The course’s learning management system would allow the student to take quizzes and exams and to turn in homework. The management system would allow the outside teacher as well as the teachers at the student’s home school to see progress and to provide instant feedback and assessment of the student’s progress.

EdTech is not a new innovation. For thousands of years, teachers have been devising ways to get their students to understand concepts through other means than just words. From the first rolls of papyrus to the abacus, dice, electronic calculators, personal computers and today’s powerful handheld tablets and other electronic devices, EdTech has been with us over millennia. Only the name “EdTech” is new.

Edtech Through History

Throughout history, many different tools and technologies have been used to enhance and further the education of students. In the earliest days, simple objects were used for counting and performing mathematics. Once rolls of papyrus were created in ancient Egypt, educators and students were able to record information and preserve it for future reference, creating the first libraries and storage depots of information. The abacus was also developed as a tool for counting and performing more complex mathematical operations.

The discovery of chalk and the creation of paints that allow the markings to easily be seen, applied and removed allowed teachers to educate a group of students all at once and gave students the opportunity to practice their skills and coach one another. The electronic age brought with it the use of slides, projectors and magnifiers to show the happenings of cells under a microscope or for the attachment of graphing calculators so that students could see math happening in real time.

All of these tools have allowed for successes to take place in the education of students. People with disabilities can use technology such as text to voice software that allows them to type words as the machine reads them aloud. Large touch screens allow students with mobility difficulties to draw, point and click with a computer mouse. Adult students with families or full time employment can use EdTech to further their education and gain new skills on their own schedules. An adult who left high school to raise a family and never thought that a college education would be possible can use EdTech to achieve those dreams.

Edtech Today

Today’s EdTech makes use of new technologies as they are released. The incorporation of gamification, the use of big data and personalization of the experience are what EdTech is trending toward today. Technology continues to play a vital role in facilitating learning and teaching. From m-learning, or mobile learning, to e-learning, or electronic learning, technology is at the center of EdTech. Distance e-learning programs allow students to participate in an educational program from afar, without ever being in the same physical location as the other students or the instructor.

Blended e-learning programs offer a mixture of in-class learning and independent learning outside of the classroom, with occasional tutoring, discussions and peer to peer interactions. MOOCs, or massive open online courses, have inspired a new generation of learners who might not have otherwise reengaged with the educational system. Large universities such as Harvard, MIT and Stanford have developed popular courses that are free to the public, require no application and can be accessed at any time. Nearly any sort of electronic device and media can be used in EdTech teaching and learning.

K to 12 schools, colleges, universities and corporations may use smart boards, LCD projection screens, and smart pens for group courses while handing out iPads or smart watches for individual learning. Students, parents and teachers can keep up with their learning at home, while taking a summer road trip or on a tour of the world. So long as there is an internet connection, learning and educating can take place.

EdTech is suitable for every facet of the educational experience and system. This is true for learners and educators alike. Many communities and educational systems have gotten on board by providing free WiFi so that anyone can learn at any time.

Libraries encourage patrons to come in and use the computers for learning activities. K to 12, schools and universities are handing out iPads already outfitted with fantastic learning apps and bookmarked educational websites. Learning can continue at home and at work with all of these handy devices. Even preschools and senior citizens’ centers are making use of EdTech to keep young and older minds alike active and fresh with ideas.

Reading this entire guide about EdTech will help you to gain a greater understanding of what this educational development is all about. After reading the material, you will realize how EdTech is already a part of your life and the lives of your children, family, colleagues, employers, friends and neighbors. You will gain an insight about how your child’s educational experience is changing and how it is different compared to the schooling that you experienced.

By reading the guide as a whole, you will see how all the different facets of EdTech and its varied groups of users are growing and benefiting from its use. You will also see how the entire process fits together and covers the entire spectrum of education and learning.

EdTech is For Everyone

Education is one of the pillars of society. Well educated citizens can be productive, engaged and helpful to one another. Employees who are literate and skilled in mathematics and other essential skills can offer their employers a greater level of productivity, innovation and achievement.

Because of its central place in the economy and functioning of society, education should be available to everyone, regardless of their finances, backgrounds or family situations. Just like educational opportunities, EdTech is also something that should be available to and used by everyone who desires to do so.

The Use of Technology in Education

In today’s digital world, we use technology in nearly every facet of life. From streaming TV shows and movies on our iPads to keeping up with physical fitness using wearable trackers and connecting with each other through social media. It would be a waste not to use the same tools in education.

EdTech allows for a variety of learning styles to be met, allowing for a more inclusiveeducational atmosphere. Visual learners can benefit from the video demonstrations while instructors are using words to describe what is going on.

Those who are audio learners can listen to podcasts and the words of field experts on nearly any subject. Because technology is always “on”, employees and students who need to learn outside of usual school or business hours can tune in and watch or listen to programs created by their educators whenever it suits their schedules.

The Types of People and Organizations That Can Benefit from EdTech

Because of the interchangeability of EdTech, many different people and organizations can benefit from using it. The technology acts as a sidekick to augment the educator’s expertise. Professional learning networks benefit recent college graduates and seasoned professionals alike, with opportunities to connect with mentors and learn from one another. Educational blogs can give teachers and professors new ways to implement the foundations of the sciences and literacy. Even planning and storing lessons is made easier with the storage and organizing solutions through EdTech.

By allowing both students and teachers to learn at their own pace and develop mastery of a tool before challenging oneself with the next, EdTech offers the flexibility that people with busy schedules need. These step by step successes can help students and teachers transform their learning and have the desire to continue doing more.

The EdTech Difference

EdTech offers assistance to both learners and educators so that they can enjoy success in all of their tasks. Businesses and non-profit organizations and charitable groups can also stay ahead in their niches by employing the different components of EdTech.

In essence, EdTech becomes like a personalized educational assistant that is always on hand and ready to go. As soon as one tool is mastered by a student or educator, then the next one can be deployed, creating a building block for educational achievement. In this way, EdTech can make a real difference to both students and teachers.

Edtech is For Educators

These days, it is not easy to be a teacher. No matter whether you maintain a classroom of preschool students or graduate students, it can be an ungrateful, stressful and time consuming job. Educators today face a multitude of issues which have not always been present in the educational system.

Bureaucracy and red tape means that funding, supplies and equipment can take a long time to get into place. Insufficient school funding can also impede educators in reaching their full potential and helping their students to succeed. In addition to building their own curricula and constantly brainstorming about different teaching ideas, many teachers use their own paychecks to supplement their teaching. Some teachers even buy school supplies themselves so that their students do not have to do without. One way to ameliorate the costs of creating a fun, engaging and productive classroom is to invest in technology.

The Importance of Technology in Society

Technology has become an integral part of modern society. While technology has been utilized by educators as long as it has existed, it is even more prevalent in today’s highest achieving classrooms. From the original chalk and blackboards to smart boards and laptops, today’s technology can be the perfect sidekick or assistant to a busy teacher.

Technology has reached a point that enables students and educators to surpass the boundaries of both physical distance and time. For example, teachers can record a video or audio lesson and post it onto the school’s website or onto the Internet. The lesson then becomes available for students to use regardless of where they are at or when the lesson occurred.

The uploaded files can be viewed at any time, making them into flexible tools that can be accessed whenever needed. The lessons also become permanent, as they do not suddenly vanish after the student watches them one time.

For students, having access to this kind of technology allows them to continue with their studies under all sorts of circumstances. From a personal illness requiring them to stay out of the classroom for a few days to doing a tour of duty for the National Reserves, students will not have to deal with any disruptions to their education.

Different online tools and devices allow educators to reach and even advance their goals. A student who was confused or missed a lesson could go back and review the segment countless times until it begins to make sense. Many of these technologies allow for real time interactions through video and audio streams

Better Time Management

One of the main concerns brought up by teachers through a survey of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was the issue of time management. Currently, teachers use antiquated systems that involve spending hours of time grading homework and entering scores and test results into spreadsheets. Even after all of this effort, the time does not provide a good insight into a student’s learning process or the progress that they have made.

EdTech allows teachers to have better time management by allowing for direct interactions with every student. This provides educators a clear overview of each person’s progress at any point in time and over the course of a semester. Teachers will not even have to spend so much time grading tests, homework and essays, because there are highly developed EdTech tools that will do it for them.

Performance Measurement

Digital systems can also provide clearer and more in-depth reports about a student’s activities. Grading diagnostics can look at a student’s progress in one subject as well as over many subjects so that educators can get a better idea of overall performance. A student’s progress is measured in real time so that teachers can see which students are falling behind and provide them with extra tutoring or feedback to improve their performances. At the same time, teachers can see which students are coming out ahead and get information from them about which tools and technologies have contributed to their success in the physical or virtual classroom.

More Resources

Traditionally, teachers were limited in their networking opportunities to perhaps a few of their colleagues within the school or at other schools of the same level in their same city or region. Today, teachers can save time and gain more resources because EdTech allows for easy sharing of ideas and curricula between teachers anywhere.

It no longer matters whether a teacher is across the building or across the world, because ideas, lesson plans and curricula can be shared at any time, nearly instantaneously. Teachers can have access to more lesson plans and teaching resources to help them go more in-depth about a subject that students are showing a great level of interest in learning.

By posting their lesson plans and recordings of their visual and audio teaching techniques, teachers can get feedback from other educators. This can help a teacher to improve their style and communication skills for even greater levels of student success. By enabling teachers to collaborate with others in their branch and receive personalized coaching and constructive criticism, EdTech is a great tool for an educator’s personal development. that make it seem as if the educator and student were in the same classroom learning together at the same time.

Enhanced Collaboration with Students and the Community

Today’s online tools allow teachers to achieve greater levels of collaboration with their students and the community. Hands-on experience and learning about how things really work is of increasing importance to a student’s education. For example, rather than trying to find a local physician who can lecture to high school students about the importance of regular physical activity and its benefits on the body, teachers can conduct a digital collaboration and use interactive tools so that a doctor from anywhere in the world can show students real time electrocardiograms, images of blood flow through the body and increased athletic performance.

Teachers can collaborate with nature experts to give students an interactive tour of a protected wildlife area or a bird’s eye view of nature at work. Most of these experiences are impossible to fund or organize under traditional means, but they can be done with great speed and minimal cost when using the tools provided by EdTech.

Diagnosing the Learning Needs of Each Student

One of the greatest benefits of EdTech for today’s educators is its ability to diagnose the learning needs of each student. Rather than making a one-size-fits-all lesson plan and hoping that all the audio and hands-on learners can figure out what is going on through a visual demonstration or drawing of a concept, teachers can incorporate all of these needs into the same lesson plan.
The analytic tools of EdTech allow teachers to quickly determine a student’s preferred and most successful learning style by using actual impartial data rather than trying to guess or make assumptions about what looks like it works.

Keeping the Lessons Interesting

No matter what the age of the student is, being exposed to the same type of instructional method class after class and day after day can quickly lead to boredom and disinterest. This is where the benefits of EdTech for educators and students intersect. EdTech allows teachers to vary their methods of instruction. In a chemistry class, students can be shown what happens when potassium and water are mixed, without the teacher actually having to put anyone in harm’s way.

Then, a digital simulation of the movement of electrons between the elements can be shown as a visual display, while the teacher’s words in the background break down in audio terms what is going on during the chemical reaction.

This sort of learning not only keeps students awake after the lunch hour, but it also helps educators to spark their students’ interest in concepts that were traditionally difficult to explain using only diagrams, printed books or words.

Fostering Interactive Learning Experiences

Interactive learning allows a student to fully participate in their education. Rather than justsitting in a chair and listening to their teacher talk or lecture about the day’s lessons, interactive learning brings the abstract into real life.

For example, EdTech allows for an interactive collaboration so that music students can see how striking a certain key on a piano or strumming a string on an acoustic guitar results in the production of waves of energy, and how those waves dissipate.

A music student might not have had any idea of how feedback differs under different humidity or air pressure levels, while a physics student might not have realized that melodies have mathematical and physical properties.

EdTech can bring together these seemingly unrelated subjects and increase a student’s understanding and interest in both of them. This interactivity helps educators to create multidisciplinary lessons that make the world really come together for their students.

Meeting Student Needs

With EdTech, teachers can offer students a dynamic learning environment and challenge them to a greater level. Educators can deliver content and lessons directly to their students not only in the classroom, but anywhere and at any time. Online tools are having an even greater impact in higher education in order to meet the schedule needs of modern students who also hold other responsibilities, such as part-time or full-time jobs. The increased use of technology in higher education also helps student attain familiarity with the tools they will need to use on a daily basis in their future careers.

In using the appropriate tools, teachers can diagnose a student’s learning needs and spot gaps in a student’s understanding of the material. Instead of only discovering this at the end of a term, the real-time application of EdTech allows a teacher to act accordingly so that the student can get back on track. Teachers can adapt their instructional methods by incorporating more visual aids or audio tools to help with the learning process. EdTech can also help teachers adjust the pace and content of their courses in order to further maximize every student’s needs in real time. Instead of lingering on a topic or breezing past a confusing issues, teachers will be able to speed ahead or slam on the brakes as needed. This entire process is a significant improvement over the past one-size-fits-all approach utilized in traditional classrooms.

Aligning Student Needs

With many schools using different curricula, testing standards and learning goals, meeting a city’s, state’s or federal educational objective or goal can be a challenge in a traditional classroom based upon pencils, paper and books.

EdTech offers educators the opportunity to work together at aligning educational objectives so that students are prepared for the next level and more advanced lessons. One of the greatest gaps in alignment of educational objectives comes in the language arts.

Elementary school level educators have reported significant gaps when it comes to a student’s ability to attain goals from year to year. High school math educators have reported the same problems. With EdTech, educators can work together to align their instructional objectives based upon each grade level and the school district’s or state’s standards for understanding of the subject material.

EdTech can be especially helpful to teachers and students who are transferring from one school to another so that the learning process is not derailed due to different learning expectations.

When it comes to the bottom line, teachers using EdTech get more time, information and options for doing their essential jobs. Teachers are always on the lookout for tools that are more functional and that assist with the learning process, rather than tools that are just entertaining or fun.

Currently, there are many products out there, but not all of them have been tested by teachers and developers. Mutual feedback is critical for the creation of better digital tools for use in the classroom.

In embracing technology, teachers are not only helping themselves to be better at their jobs, but they are also learning and speaking in a language that their students can understand, as today’s newest generations tend to have a high level of digital literacy.

EdTech for Students

Students are the future of the United States and of the rest of the world. Because getting an education is an invaluable part of one’s life, it becomes an essential part of who we are. By investing in education, citizens and governments not only further their own lives but contribute to the world at large and the success of each person. A well educated individual is able to contribute to society, from being a wise consumer to staying informed about local, regional and worldwide causes and using information to stay healthy and safe.

Today’s students may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that they have to do in order to continue their education, from moving from one grade to another or applying to vocational and technical centers, college, graduate or professional school. Students not only have to earn good grades, but colleges and universities are looking at a wider picture of the student’s entire skill set, including participation in other activities such as clubs, social involvement, sports, arts, volunteering and leadership.

EdTech is a way for students to be able to easily handle all the information that comes their way, while staying organized and still having the time to pursue their passions outside of schooling.

Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is a growing trend for students of all ages. While preschool and elementary school students are using technology throughout the classroom, professional and graduate students may need a little getting used to the idea.

EdTech aims to partner with students in their academic pursuits in order to make their learning more complete. K to 12 schools and institutions of higher education can be paired up with EdTech to achieve great results both in the classroom and out in the world as they begin to volunteer and start their careers.

Today’s newest incoming students may only need a little bit of encouragement and assistance in terms of training in order to use EdTech, as this generation has been born into the digital age. Kids are starting to use tech devices such as iPads to play games and watch videos when they are just toddlers.

Using technology in the classroom can be a natural extension of these activities. In case students are less familiar with technology, such as students who immigrated at a young age or adults who are returning to the classroom later in life to pursue a degree, EdTech can be a great way to increase their digital literacy and prepare them for careers and a lifetime of using technology. In these ways, EdTech becomes a vital asset to new and well seasoned professionals in all facets of society. that make it seem as if the educator and student were in the same classroom learning together at the same time.

Active Collaboration

Rather than just sitting back and listening to an instructor or teacher throughout each class period, active collaboration can be achieved through technology. EdTech also allows students to maintain a collaborative environment with their fellow classmates or even students located across the state, country or world. When using EdTech, opportunities such as peer to peer tutoring have increased, especially across traditionally challenging subjects such as math, chemistry and other sciences. This type of digital participation in the learning environment increases the student’s mental activity even more than person to person collaborative efforts.

The methods of digital scholarship enable students to participate in newly emerging academics, scientific research and professional practices. Rather than just reading about how cardio-thoracic surgery works, students can watch it being done by one of the world’s foremost experts. Instead of seeing an inert photo of the Roman Coliseum, students could go on a real time, interactive tour with historical experts.

With EdTEch, students are active participants in their own education rather than being passive listeners. When students are actively involved in obtaining and processing information, they become more responsible and interested in their education.

The versatility of EdTech means that it can easily be adapted to the different learning styles and practices of students. No matter whether a student is a visual, audio or hands-on learner, EdTech can use these strengths to build their knowledge and skills. When technology is used for the purposes of learning and skill development, the speed and accuracy of the learning are improved. Students can study and learn well in both formal and informal digital learning environments. A more formal arrangement might be listening to a live lecture from a preeminent international professor at a world renowned university, while an informal situation could be a demonstration of conjugating difficult French verbs between students in the same grade at different schools.

No matter what the situation, students are challenged by having to learn and demonstrate what they know in a way that is different from their usual methods. Students who are strong writers might be more challenged in showing their knowledge through a video, while students who are used to proving their learning through test taking might be more challenged in giving an oral demonstration to their professor and having it recorded for future reference. These exciting and challenging ways of proving knowledge and skills give students a taste of how the real world, including their professions, will work on a day to day basis.

Keeping Up with Studies

With today’s increasingly rigorous academic and test taking environment, keeping up with studies while also maintaining extracurricular activities or a job can be a challenge. To stay on top of their assignments, students can use technology to provide a clear overview of their tasks and assignment due dates.

Different online systems and apps provide helpful organizational systems that are especially important for students who are involved in distance and e-learning programs and schools. If you are a student taking your classes from anywhere and on a self-directed timeline, keeping track of all of your assignments can be challenging, which is where EdTech comes in.

E-learning can provide students with essential feedback that is customized to their strengths and weaknesses. This can be done for individual assignments like essays and book reviews as well as for test results that are scored by a computer. With teachers only a click away, getting feedback does not have to mean staying after school or waiting around for your turn during a professor’s limited office hours. To quote Microsoft’s Bill Gates, “Online, all students sit in the front row.” EdTech helps to ensure that truly no students are left behind in the learning process.

Increased Self-esteem

One of the most important effects that EdTech has on today’s students is an increase in their self-esteem and motivation to learn. These benefits come about for a variety of reasons, including immediate feedback that comes from using technology as well as the sense of power and accomplishment that comes from working with technology. Students also develop an increased awareness that they are doing meaningful and important work. Not only are today’s student using fun programs and entertaining apps, but they are also seeking out effective and useful online tools that are helping them do well in their studies.

Increased Access to Technology

Whereas only 5 years ago, high school and college students were just starting to get their hands on tablets and devices like iPads, the typical incoming college freshman of today brings no fewer than 7 internet connected devices to campus. From smartphones and tablets to wearable fitness trackers and traditional laptop computers, today’s students are connected everywhere they go.

Technology brings students an increased level of access to outside resources as well. If the school’s library doesn’t have a particular volume in their reference collection, chances are good that the same information is available through EdTech.

To facilitate the use of EdTech in schools and campuses, school and university administrators have outfitted buildings and entire campuses with free Wi-Fi. This allows people to get an Internet connection without paying for a pricey data plan.

As such, EdTech is becoming increasingly affordable. The prices of tablets has dropped considerably since they were first released and the ability to get free Wi-Fi means that technology used for educational purposes no longer has to be limited to wealthier school districts or elite private colleges. Now, everyone can have access to this technology and its wide ranging benefits.

Changing of Roles in the Learning Process

 

When EdTech is used in the educational process, teachers are no longer at the center of the stage. Instead, teachers are able to act as facilitators, bringing students together with information and skills. Students become active in their roles as learners. Teachers become like coaches, offering help on finding resources and providing tips on how to best utilize those resources and the technology that runs them. Rather than waiting for a stream of information to come at them from every direction, students using EdTech are able to actively make choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate and display what they are learning.

Students who are active technology users are constantly making decisions, managing information and organizing what they are learning. When technology takes a supportive role in the learning process, students are better able to perform activities that will help them as professionals, such as goal setting, designing processes and evaluating their progress toward self-directed goals. Students may also become peer coaches, helping one another navigate the technology and use it to the fullest extent possible.

Seeing the Trees and the Forest

EdTech allows students to hone down and pay attention on a pixel by pixel basis, while also getting a fantastic overview of an entire concept.

Students can use EdTech to add graphics and illustrations to their papers and reports while also creating a finished product that is stylish, cohesive and understandable by its audience. Students even have the capacity to produce finished work that looks like it has been done by a professional.

These carefully turned out projects have considerable effects on a student’s motivation to continue learning more advanced technology skills and challenge themselves in even bigger ways throughout their educations.

Development of Technical Skills

Today’s workplace, whether it is a restaurant or an office building, increasingly relies upon various technologies to keep the place productive, operational and efficient. Students who are using EdTech are able to master such technologies at an early age, preparing them for a lifetime of innovation and staying one step ahead of the game. While technology and related tools are constantly changing, a familiarity with their basics will provide a strong foundation upon which today’s students can build when they take their first job, volunteer position or leadership role in an organization.

The ability to master the basics also builds a student’s self-esteem and self-confidence so that they are ready to take on the challenge of increasingly difficult forms of technology as it is made available to society.

Development of High Tier Skills

Employers today are looking for employees who have a high tier of skills, such as critical thinking, logical thought processes and the ability to collaborate with one another. Even at the elementary level of education, students using EdTech are able to demonstrate such skills. Students are able to complete increasingly complex assignments and tasks by watching and listening to it being done through technology. The support provided by EdTech might allow a student to master their first few keys on a piano or improve their problem solving skills in algebra in a more comprehensive way than one teacher alone can accomplish.

These higher tier skills transcend the schools and will stay with the student for the rest of their life. EdTech is a great tool and asset for anyone in the educational field, especially students. The value that EdTech brings is immeasurable for an individual and for society. Students benefit tremendously from the professional and personal skills that are gained through technology.

From the esoteric skills to those that are employed during a job later in life, this learning experience sticks with students for a lifetime. Not only is EdTech an investment in the education of the current generation of students, but it is also an investment in the future and well-being of our world.

EdTech for Educational Facilities

Schools today have a great responsibility to their student bodies as well as their staff and teachers. As the facilitators of the educational process, schools are the glue that holds students and teachers together.

If a school wants to last and be successful, it needs to plan ahead and be progressive in its actions. It is a school’s responsibility, whether it is a kindergarten, an elementary school, high school, college or university, to provide a productive, functional and effective educational environment.

Embracing Technology

Considering the direction that our world is headed in today, it should come as no surprise that many schools are developing divisive opinions and policies around their students’ use of technology.Although some schools are headed in the direction of rejecting and banning their students from using technology like smartphones and iPads in the hallways, cafeterias, libraries and classrooms, this approach is only increasing the desirability of the forbidden fruit. Forbidden technology just turns a school’s teaching staff into the “cellphone police”, which takes time away from what they are really in the field of education to do. Not allowing the use of technology results in teachers not being able to reach their full teaching potential in the classroom.

On the other hand, there is a large community of schools that have embraced technology and thereby raised the educational quality for their students. By welcoming the inclusive nature of technology in their institutions, some schools have been able to grow their student body to number hundreds of thousands of students even though the physical campus is home to only a few thousand. This has been accomplished through the use of e-learning and MOOC, or Massive Open Online Courses. World renowned universities, including MIT, Harvard and Stanford have opened their digital doors, in some cases free of charge, to students of all ages and abilities who just want to learn. While the idea at first seemed counter-intuitive, it has since paid off by bringing increased exposure and recognition.

Coursera and Udemy are educational technology companies partnering with universities all over the nation and world to increase access to college level coursework. These services have allowed adult students to take coursework on their own timeline at no charge, or to pay just a small fee and earn a certificate or even transferable college credits after passing their examinations.

Easy Curriculum Design

One of the biggest responsibilities of educational institutions is that of designing a curriculum. With EdTech, this process becomes easier and more streamlined. The time and effort spent creating and updating courses and modules and the days or even weeks that it takes in order to get them approved can be reduced with the digital tools offered by EdTech.

Educational institutions that use technology to address weaknesses in the communications about their courses and related campus requirements can achieve both educational gains and cost savings.

The technology also gets students the answers they need without needing to wait for a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday office to open. Student learning is also enriched by having timely, accessible and personalized information relevant to their curriculum. Information like timetables, reading lists, assignment deadlines and style requirements makes enhancement of the available information a priority for productive and efficient institutions.

Learning from Anywhere and at Any Time

Not all of today’s college and professional students are able to attend their classes on a traditional timeline. EdTech allows universities to work together with these students to create a coursework schedule that meets their needs. MOOCs have allowed students to learn from anywhere, thanks to digital technology and cloud storage that allows for large video and audio recordings to be maintained and available at any time to anyone. This has also led to reimagined and adaptive classrooms in which students watch a video and audio recording of their professor’s lecture while at home and then come to class to work on collaborative projects, homework and other exercises that increase their understanding of the material.

Being able to earn digital credits for all of this experience may allow more students to afford a degree or certificate, as institutions can lower their costs by serving a larger number of students digitally rather than expanding their physical facilities, which costs much more.

Creation of Multidisciplinary Educational Teams

Today’s classrooms are no longer just a single teacher or professor standing in front of a crowd of students seated at desks. Instead, educational institutions are creating dynamic learning environments with multidisciplinary educational teams throughout the school, college or university.

Librarians are taking on the lead as the institution’s digital technology and resource managers and are able to assist teachers with locating and maximizing the use of online information.

Teaching assistants and tutors are able to collaborate with students online, helping with challenging problems and answering questions in a real time, face-to-face manner through EdTech managed by the educational institution. Recent studies have shown that peer to peer learning and coaching is highly effective and EdTech helps to facilitate this process.

Real Time Feedback

Feedback is an important part of the educational process. It used to be that students had to wait until the end of a quarter, semester or school year to provide constructive criticism and comments for the instructor and other students to read. With EdTech, feedback can be done in real time, with no need to wait until the next batch of students to come through make updates to their styles of communication or instruction. Students can also get feedback about their work and test scores.

If educational institutions can be flexible enough to embrace the vast potential of the newest digital technologies, they will be giving their staff and students a cutting edge experience. This type of a welcoming attitude also increases the possibilities for academic and professional development of students and staff.

EdTech is an investment that can improve a school’s standing as well as the quality and scope of its teaching, learning and scientific and social research. With all of these benefits, EdTech is an investment worth making.

EdTech for Adult Learners

In today’s fast paced world, there is a big focus on life-long learning. Life-long learning is an ongoing, voluntary and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons.

A person might pursue this style of learning to advance in their field of expertise, prepare for a new career or just expand their own horizons about the world. Employers want their staff members to be at the top of the knowledge pyramid and up to date with the latest developments in their fields.

Adults who do not feel successful in their careers are also looking to improve themselves. Life-long learning allows them to attain a more marketable set of skills. And for some learners, they may just want to acquire a general equivalency diploma (GED) or higher education program that they did not have the time for or could not afford during their younger years.

In all of these situations, adult learners are finding that the best solution for furthering their educations can be found with EdTech.

Practical Reasons in Support of Life-long Learning

Over the past 50 years, innovation has been constant and technology has been changing at a rapid pace. These changes have affected every facet of life, from how we brew coffee to how we take pictures and even how we read books and find information. There is no longer a singular, defined space and time, which has historically been the classroom during school hours, where learning takes place. Because of these changes, the educational system has had to change along with it. In addition to these updates to society, jobs are no longer the only place where knowledge is applied.

Adult learners are applying their education to their hobbies, volunteer work and even second and third careers that suit their passions. EdTech allows life-long learning to take place in greater numbers, as both the learners and the institutions have adapted and changed with the times.

Contributions of Life-long Learning to the Economy and Society

Adult learners who engage in life-long learning are making significant and important contributions to both the economy and society. Colleges and universities have recognized these contributions and are using EdTech to increase the variety and scope of their courses available to life-long learners.

Even if the adult learner is not seeking to earn a degree from their experience, the information and practical application of it allows them to do more in their jobs, enter a new field, go back into the workforce after raising a family or become more specialized in their volunteer positions.

As these adult learners become more successful, they make additional economic contributions by purchasing goods and services within their communities or by offering their newfound expertise to others.

Emerging Technologies and Life-long Learning

A strong, positive feedback loop has developed between EdTech and the needs of life-long learners. As so many adults have had positive experiences as life-long learners and the demand for flexible educational experiences has increased, so have the different technologies available to the learners.

Just-in-time learning is a form of EdTech that allows learners to watch lessons on demand, right as they need the information. This is much like the process that large supermarkets use to do their ordering, so that their goods arrive just in the nick of time.

Another useful EdTech feature is assistive technology, which allows adults with disabilities to pursue life-long learning without any impediments. Assistive technologies are perfectly suited to EdTech, such as watching video recordings of courses with captioning done on the bottom for deaf learners.

EdTech is also helpful to adults with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. While adults with these special learning needs may have experienced difficulty in traditional classrooms in the past, today’s life-long learning environment can be customized to meet their unique needs.

Adult Learners’ Needs

Adult learners have learning styles that differ from those of traditional or younger students. These differences include a greater degree of autonomy and self-reliance, more maturity in their way of thinking and more real world experience about how concepts apply in society. In many cases, adult learners tend to have struggles with the technology gap. This is especially true for adults who are in their 50s, 60s and older as compared to those who are in their 20s or 30s. Most adult learners have jobs and families, and therefore lack enough time to engage in a full time educational program. These learners need a flexible and adjustable solution that works with their current lifestyles.

EdTech offers this flexibility so that adults with full plates can still find the time and means to help their educational dreams come true. From accelerated courses and digital credits to credit transfers from past educational programs, EdTech can help adult learners get back on track to completing their educational goals.

Online content and courses that can be viewed anywhere and at any time are of high importance to adult learners who need educational opportunities centered around them and not the other way around. Adult learners want efficient lessons, meaningful activities and purposeful assignments because their time is precious to them.

Like all other students, adult learners also want regular and structured feedback as well as lessons that are attuned to their learning style. Adult learners comprise a big share of EdTech students. This is because without the technology available today, it would be difficult for so many people to go back to school later in their lives. From educational institutions to the workplace, all of society is embracing these newfound opportunities for individuals to become more educated, knowledgeable and experienced in whatever field suits or excites them.

EdTech is accommodating to students of all ages and can meet learners’ various needs, such as alternative schedules or taking one class at a time. It is also a big facilitator of higher education for many different types of students.

Using technology for the purpose of education has been expanding exponentially year by year, and we see this trend continuing well into the future. EdTech is a worthy investment for adult learners because it is uniquely poised to suit their schedules, experience and skills. It should come as no surprise to see learners taking advantage of it.

EdTech for Special Needs/Challenged Students

Special needs students are those who cannot learn in traditional ways or with traditional methods due to physical, mental or psychological conditions. Even though they require alternative teaching styles and environments, these students, like any other individual, benefit greatly from their education. Getting an education is especially important for those who cannot fully care for themselves or participate in their classrooms in the usual ways.

Special needs students do not have to fall behind the rest of their grade, but can instead keep up with their peers with the use of innovative EdTech.

EdTech Features for Special Needs Students

Tablets, smartphones and laptops already come preloaded with assistive technology and accessibility settings, making them easier to use for people with different disabilities.

Newer features like speech recognition software, screen reading tools, Braille displays and text to speech are helpful solutions for the visually impaired. Sound amplifiers, closed captioning applications and video conferencing technologies facilitate the use of sign language and lip reading for students who are hearing impaired.

Because of technology, the genius of incredible minds such as that of Stephen Hawking has not been hindered, but instead is able to be exercised and used for the good of all.

EdTech for Flexible Classroom Environments

There are different types of assistive technology that special needs students can use, whether in the classroom or from a distance. Technology can be used to supplement different disabilities, such as text to speech apps that help people with reading and cognitive disabilities.

Interactive whiteboards engage students who have language disabilities as well as students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Students who have poor fine motor control skills can use large font keyboards that are plugged into the USB port of regular desktop computers to facilitate their typing techniques.

Students with limited mobility can use digital tools to create art and participate in other classes that require the use of fine motor skills. For students who are unable to attend physical classrooms, instructions can be delivered through video, audio and instant messaging technologies by way of distance learning programs and electronic or online schools.

Creating Inclusive Learning Environments for
Special Needs Students

For as long as special needs students have been a part of the educational process, they have often been segregated to separate classrooms and only rarely interacting with their peers. EdTech can help with the creation of inclusive learning environments for these students by making it possible for them to participate in more regular classroom activities. A deaf and mute student may be able to stand up in front of his or her peers and give a speech or report by using software that translates typed words into spoken words.

In this kind of a learning environment, the time a student with disabilities spends outside of typical classrooms can be minimized so that they are only getting specialized and individualized instruction in the special education environment. Resource rooms such as these are often the home base for students with disabilities and the location where they can get started with learning the technologies that can help them to succeed.

Facilitation of the Student and Teacher Relationship

EdTech helps teachers to track a student’s level of understanding on any subject matter. Because EdTech is also able to help teachers work with multiple students at once, it is able to equalize the education of special needs students. As a result, their peers are able to see them as more capable, independent and participatory members of the school.

Facilitation of Strong Peer to Peer Bonds

Students with disabilities often have a hard time communicating with their teachers or peers. While a deaf student may know sign language, the majority of the other kids in a school usually do not. EdTech is a tool that can be used to facilitate and strengthen peer to peer bonds and help with the creation of great school spirit and a sense of community.

Some of the latest innovations in EdTech include wireless systems that allow a student with disabilities to take their assistive learning devices anywhere. These systems let a student go to the cafeteria and converse with their peers or have a discussion about a project in their science class.

This kind of technology can even help students with disabilities rise to leadership positions, such as running for a seat on the student government or participating in a club or other extracurricular activities. From the sharing of ideas to building of camaraderie, EdTech can help students with disabilities maintain strong and long lasting friendships with their peers at school.

Positive Reinforcement through Success

Each time a student with disabilities uses an EdTech tool successfully, this victory reinforces both the educational process and the learning of the technology. Educators working with special needs students who regularly use technology report that their students have improved their levels of self-esteem and self-confidence and are better able to self-advocate when the need arises. Each success in the educational environment inspires special needs students to challenge themselves further and may ven inspire their peers to do the same.

Students using assistive technologies are also more willing to reach out to their teachers and their peers to form collaborative partnerships that enhance the educational process even more. It is a very positive and productive cycle of educational success, all achieved by using EdTech.

For a lot of special needs students, their educational experience would be a lot more difficult without the presence of technology. Technology in education helps special needs students to gain confidence in their abilities and attain a level of independence and control over their lives. EdTech also enables them to develop skills, seek out new opportunities, challenge themselves and learn basic communication skills that they will need throughout their entire lives.

As technology continues to develop, having this basic understanding and experience with computers, keyboards and touch screens will allow special needs students to pick up new features and devices as they become available. Even though there are definite challenges in implementing EdTech in a special education classroom, the benefits of doing so far outweigh any negative concerns or issues.

EdTech and Business

Today’s economy has an exceptional level of competitiveness and high standards for both companies and employees. The members of the corporate world know that if they want to emerge at the top of the pack, they have to invest in their employees. At the same time, employees understand that they need to keep their edge in the playing field in regards to their marketable skills and knowledge. This is also needed in order for employees to keep and excel in their jobs.

With all of this competition coming from all sides, expectations for everyone are high. EdTech is something that benefits both employers and employees, leveling the playing field so that everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

How EdTech Helps to Advance a Company’s Work Force

Employers can utilize the tools provided by EdTech within their companies in order to train their new and incoming employees. These tools can also be used to advance the current members of their staff and for training employees who are up for a promotion or who have been newly promoted into a more advanced position within the organization.

Professional Development for Skills Building

Professional development actions that are taken through EdTech can cover a wide range of expertise and industries. This can be done online or in person by an on-site EdTech teacher. In some cases, these training courses may include credits that are transferable to local community colleges, 4 year colleges and universities.

How Employees Can Use EdTech to Their Advantage

In addition to all the ways that managers, human resources staff and organizational leaders benefit from EdTech, employees can use these educational and training opportunities to their advantage as well. Employees can take actions such as participating in a class that is relevant to their industry or by starting to learn a new language that is important to their company’s operations.

These actions could help employees earn a raise, have a better standing when negotiating a new contract or have a better chance at getting a promotion or transfer to a more lucrative position or location.

The Convenience of EdTech for Employees

Today’s employees spend more time in the office than ever before. EdTech offers the convenience and flexibility that these employees need in order to gain more education and skills for their jobs and the real world. This flexibility allows them to work around their job’s schedule. EdTech is independent of location and time. Therefore, more employees can participate in these learning opportunities.

Trends for EdTech and Businesses

In 2015 and beyond, businesses will be able to use EdTech to expand their own offerings and perhaps even make a profit doing so. Businesses may be able to offer school as a service, or SaaS.

This is a concept in which a business creates its own MOOCs and charges a participation fee or a fee for proctored exams. At the same time, MOOCs are becoming more mainstream and will thus require more authentication to ensure that the course content is valid.

Businesses may even partner with universities to create academic to real world MOOCs that show students as well as employees how these two seemingly different universes have so much in common.

Another trend to look out for is a growing educational aspect for business based MOOCs that will be used for staff recruitment and vendor and consumer education.

For-profit Uses of EdTech

When a business is getting ready to launch a new product or service, the typical approach is to launch a media and advertising campaign, which might circulate through social media, print, radio, TV and other venues. MOOCs are the up and coming way for businesses to get their products and services out there faster and to shorten the amount of time from ideation to launch.

This delay is often costly to businesses, but EdTech offers a way to shorten the timeline. Instead of waiting for every last component of a piece of software to be ready, for example, EdTech via MOOCs allows businesses to release pieces of it in a just-in-time format.

A Closer Look at How EdTech Is Utilized in One Rapidly
Growing Industry

Medicine is one of the fields of expertise that utilizes EdTech the most and can gain the most benefits. EdTech is used in medicine in many ways. In addition to all sorts of medical professionals being able to take online classes, EdTech makes it easier for learners to practice all sorts of different scenarios on realistic mannequins. Medical students can practice caring for a person who went underwater or try out triage scenarios for a large scale disaster.

Learners can also try out their skills at infectious disease identification and training without having to run the risk of an actual exposure. A considerable shortage of nursing instructors has lead to a backup of nursing students waiting to enroll in a bachelor’s of science in nursing programs all across the country. EdTech could allow different nursing colleges and universities to partner up with hospitals to increase their educational offerings.

Students could also get a better experience by partnering with hospitals through EdTech for activities such as reading electrocardiogram printouts, viewing digital x-rays and even performing diagnostic assessments on patients. This technology is growing at a rapid pace, as even drugstore clinics are now offering checkups and diagnosis of common maladies such as ear infections and influenza by having patients enter a pod and engaging with a nurse practitioner or doctor through an online interactive portal.

The use of EdTech in medicine is just another example of its versatility and multitude of uses in the real world. EdTech can make a real difference where it matters the most, such as advancing technology that can be used to save lives and reduce harm to good Samaritans and first responders.

The use of EdTech also makes it more affordable for businesses and different industries to train a sizable workforce so that they can be prepared for any type and scale of event.

EdTech and Parents

In today’s exciting educational environment, parents want to be included more and more in all the various parts of their child’s education. Just like some schools, parents are often skeptical towards their child’s use of technology but are overall generally receptive toward its use when it is in an educational context.

When parents are not receptive or are thoroughly skeptical about the use of technology in schools, then it is up to the school to introduce parents to the institution’s policies and strategies around the implementation of EdTech in their child’s education.

How Technology Enhances Communications with Parents

With EdTech, parents can receive up to date information on how their child is doing in school, by way of emails, class websites or digital newsletters. Parents are also able to receive important information about a school’s activities and events, through venues such as a central school website or by following the school’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. Parents can also be informed about whether they need to engage in a BYOD, or “bring your own device” setup or if the school will be responsible for the distribution, care and maintenance of the technology.

Parents also want to know what specific kinds of technology will be used in the schools, such as laptop computers for doing writing assignments, mobile devices for researching information in a history class or digital lab equipment for chemistry, physics and biology classes.

Having this detailed information enables parents to offer more tech support at home and feel safer about their child’s use of technology.

Maintaining Safety and Privacy with Children around Technology

Before students begin using technology in their education, schools must first inform the parents about their digital citizenship policies. This allows parents, teachers and administrators to all be on the same page about students’ safety and privacy. It also ensures ethical use of the technology. In a best case scenario, these communications take place before the onset of a new school year so that there are no delays to starting off a new grade with the help of EdTech from the get go.

Information communicated to parents should include the school’s stance about cyberbullying and what will be done if a student is a victim of, accused of or found to be engaging in such behavior. Parents should also be informed of the school’s technology privacy measures, as this has direct impacts on a student’s safety.

Details like the physical location of the device and the information stored on its hard drive are of particular importance when it comes to privacy. Parents will also want to know about whether or not the school has tools to protect children against seeing inappropriate material, including video recordings, photos and text. A child’s access to an internet enabled device is not a trivial matter, especially if parents are not always available to supervise the child’s use of it. Security is often the leading concern of parents, and schools need to ensure both the students’ safety and the parents’ confidence in the school.

Tracking Educational Goals Related to and With Technology

The use of EdTech in schools brings with it two different types of goals. The first is using EdTech to track a student’s progress with increasingly difficult work. Parents can track their child’s progress with writing, reading, critical thinking and problem solving by seeing the entirety of their work through EdTech’s digital tools.

Another way of goal setting is done around how the technology in question is used. Parents and teachers could work together to set proficiency standards on how much understanding a child has related to their use of technology. For example, kindergarten students might have a goal of learning how to locate all the letters on a keyboard and draw them with their fingers on a touchscreen, while third graders could be using smart boards to create 3-D shapes for math class or to make drawings of national monuments they are studying in history and geography classes.

Learning How Technology Enhances the Classroom Experience

Throughout the school year, parents can engage with teachers and school administrators about how technology is being used to augment experiences within the classroom. Teachers should be able to explain to parents how EdTech is facilitating the transfer of knowledge as well as peer to peer learning. Each teacher should also be able to explain to parents why they have chosen specific devices or apps to use in the classroom.

When parents have given an app a try on their own, they should be able to provide feedback to the teacher about how they feel it could be used to enhance classroom experiences. If a child has a particular passion or interest in learning about tech related subjects like programming or robotics, teachers should be able to integrate that interest within the classroom activities.

Supplementation of the School Experience

Once a child has a tech device in hand, then parents can get matching apps to use on their own personal devices. This allows families to offer EdTech learning opportunities at home. Parents can also try out the apps themselves and get an overview of what their child is doing with them at school. Parents may want to see why the school is using a specific app or device and how its use helps students reach important educational goals. Though parents can see the benefits of having their children use technology in the classroom, they also do not want to see classroom teachers, librarians and other school staffers turned obsolete by the growing use of tech.

The human element in teaching should still take precedence over any technology. It is important that parents are able to see for themselves the amazing educational opportunities that EdTech can provide to their children. Even though this way of educating students may be very different from what parents experienced during their formative years, it is keeping with the times and preparing children for a future that is filled with technology. Being able to evolve with the times and embrace technology can help parents and their kids work together to achieve a greater level of educational success.

Useful EdTech Resources

So far, most of this guide’s information has been on the theoretical side. This guide has also offered many explanations about the use of EdTech for various populations of people and types of institutions. In this chapter, we will look at some of the best and most frequently used apps, digital devices and technologies that are a part of the modern day EdTech classrooms.

Due to the high level of competitiveness in EdTech tools and the rapid pace at which investors are putting their funds into EdTech development, this technology’s capability and functionality will continue to improve and extend its reach at an exponential, rather than mathematical rate of increase. For example, according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in 2013 there were 8 times as many EdTech deals and ideas funded compared to the number funded in 2010.

These digital resources are built for everyone involved in the educational process, including educators, administrators and learners. These tools are also put into use by companies and the private sector. Every niche and group or organization that we have examined in detail uses EdTech in their day to day processes as well as high level planning.

Google for Education

Google for Education is one of the most popular tools used by both teachers and students across the United States and around the world. Google for Education, or GfE, is an open technology that supports learning for everyone, everywhere and at any time. All of the different tools within GfE, from devices to software, enhance the educational and learning process from preschool to the workplace. Chromebooks and tablets allow anyone to browse the internet easily and without having to pay for systems, memory and software that they do not really need.

Chromebooks are devices that connect to the internet so that users can check email, send photos, look up information and browse the Internet. These devices are affordable, have a straightforward interface, are easy to manage and offer multiple login identities so that everyone in a family, household or classroom can use the same device.

Google’s Education Suite

Within GfE’s suite of products, there is a whole set of apps that are free for anyone to use: Google Docs works like Microsoft Office. You can create an outline for a report, write it, add footnotes, images and graphs. Google Drive functions as a spreadsheet system so that you can track progress, expenses, budgets and more.
Instead of spending money on a software package that allows you to create slides for presentations, Google’s Slides allows users to do this for free.

Gmail offers free email that can be accessed from any device. The powerful spam filters help to reduce your risk of getting junk or phishing email that could put your identity and privacy at risk. Gmail is a convenient and easy way to stay in touch with others in the learning community. One of Gmail’s newest features is a call back, which allows senders to retrieve a message before anyone is able to read it.

Google’s Classroom App

The Google Classroom app is mostly for teachers, teaching assistants and tutors. With this tool, teachers can easily and quickly create and organize assignments, homework sheets and lesson plans. According to Google itself, “Google Classroom is your mission control for class.” Teachers can instantly create daily lesson plans, distribute assignments, send feedback and see all of their documents all in one place.

The app is serviced by the cloud, which offers automatic backups so that none of a teacher’s hard work and efforts will be lost to a server or network problem. GfE is an excellent tool because it provides hands-on training for educators and an entire ecosystem of support for everybody involved in education.

Best LMSs

Learning management systems, or LMSs, are online systems created for delivering subject content to students. This multi-billion dollar industry is growing at a rapid pace because it is allowing a greater number of students to engage in life-long learning and higher education. LMSs also allow teachers and professors to augment their lessons with videos and audio recordings of field experts, demonstrations and real-life situations. Although colleges and universities are the main users of LMSs, local school districts are getting in on the action as well.

Blackboard

Blackboard is a large LMS provider that is well known for its group functions that allow students or coworkers to collaborate with one another. Blackboard’s primary markets include higher education and further education, with additional areas of focus around the public sector and local school systems. Some of the benefits of Blackboard’s technology include smaller carbon footprints as schools are able to deliver information electronically. Another benefit is increased student engagement with their teachers, professors and peers.

Moodle

Moodle is the most widely spread LMS because it is free to use. As an open source system, it also attracts users due to its multilingual user interface. It supports both the learning side and the teaching aspects of higher education. This robust system’s greatest advantage is its integration, as it allows for strong, up to date learning communities that are flexible and scaled to the size of the institution. Educators and students alike appreciate the easy navigational systems as well as its extensive resource section and drag and drop functionality. Moodle has the top number of users, with a large learning community all around the world.

Desire2Learn

Desire2Learn is a distance learning program geared towards students who want to take college classes from home. This is a great program for adult learners who are employedonafull-timebasis. Also, community colleges use the system to offer more courses to more students than they would be able to accommodate in physical classrooms.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is an online corporate training and learning system geared toward universities and school systems. It offers cloud based content that is always available. Their newest feature, Bridge, provides educators and administrators the opportunity to engage with one another and enjoy interactive training sessions so that everyone is on the same page about policies and procedures.

Edmodo

Edmodo is an LMS whose market niche covers K-12 institutions. They aim to provide teachers with opportunities for greater collaboration and communication within a school and around the world. Edmodo also offers coaching from one professional to another as a sort of mentoring program. This program has an interface that allows teachers to distribute information to parents and students, provide skills assessment and feedback and distribute quizzes and assignments. Its new Snapshot app allows teachers to track a student’s progress against Common Core standards.

ConnectEDU

ConnectEDU is a large LMS that markets its learning products to colleges and companies. They offer their students help with on-time graduation, finding a college that fits with their needs and lifestyle, and motivation and success tips to help them achieve their desired degree. ConnectEDU is also well known for its huge online community, which includes current and prospective students, alumni, admissions officers, corporate recruiters and career counselors. The community helps guide students into career paths where they have high chances at success and advancement. ConnectEDU boasts the top number of customers out of all LMS providers

MOOCs

MOOCs, or Massive Online Open Courses, are often mistaken to be one and the same as LMSs. An LMS is the platform through which a course is offered, while the MOOC is the actual course. LMSs can host other content that is not a MOOC, but all MOOCs are a part of an LMS. Many LMS providers also offer MOOCs. Some of these companies include Coursera and Udemy, along with large universities such as Stanford, Harvard and MIT. MOOCs can be discrete packets of material, or they can be a part of an ongoing program.

Coursera

Coursera is one of the largest MOOCs on the market today. It partners with large universities to market their best and most popular courses and lectures and deliver them for free. Courses are offered at an on-demand timeline so that students can complete them on their own schedules.

Udemy

Udemy is a learning platform for improving job related skills. On Udemy, anyone can create content and market it to others. The content may be free or paid. Although users do not get any college credits for their participation, they can engage with others for mentoring and tutoring.

Khan Academy

In addition to the previously examined services, some others are highly prized by educators as well. One of these is Khan Academy, which features personalized courses and practice exercises in subjects such as discrete algebra, computer programming and art history. Khan Academy has partnered with world renowned institutions such as NASA and The Museum of Modern Art to offer highly specialized content.

Edtechteacher.com

Edtechteacher.com is a resource for educators in K-12 schools. They offer tips for how teachers can integrate technology into classroom lessons and offer ideas for innovative and interactive classroom projects. Edtechteacher.com also provides app recommendations by subject and skill level.

ITunesU Free Courses

With ITunesU Free Courses, Apple users can watch and listen to free videos and recordings about a wide variety of subject material. Their niche is people who are tech savvy and interested in a variety of subjects. Users can find general overviews as well as specialized content.

Stanford Free Courses

As one of the first major universities to start offering MOOCs, Stanford’s free online courses have become highly popular around the world. Their offering entitled Stanford’s – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence has been one of the most popular online course offerings to date. Other subjects include computer programming, law and politics.

UCLA Free Courses

Through UCLA’s free courses, learners can explore their technical and creative sides through more than 220 free online writing courses. From English as a second language to sales pitches and fictional short stories, current and hopeful writers can learn how to hone their craft and get peer to peer feedback and constructive criticism.

Chromebook Extensions

Teachers looking for some online resources and tools to help with their classroom products can use some of these offerings through Chromebook to create innovative and exciting lessons for their students.

Pixlr Editor

Pixlr Editor is a tool that allows for highly detailed online photo editing. Teachers can use Pixlr Editor’s filters and editing tools in a web browser without having to buy some expensive software and having to manage its updates and other issues.

Desmos Graphing Calculator

The days of every high school calculus and trigonometry student needing to have their own graphing calculator may be over, thanks to Desmos Graphing Calculator. This Chromebook extension does all the work in a web browser window. Students and teachers can graph complex functions and zoom in to get detailed information.

Grammarly

Anyone with grammatical challenges can benefit from a visit to Grammarly. This website helps students with their language usage problems and more. Students can use this site to learn about grammar rules and exceptions, and to correct their grammar mistakes.

Future Of Education and Education Technology

EdTech has the potential to revolutionize how learners receive and respond to information. This guide has examined how EdTech works for students, parents, teachers, educational institutions and different types of businesses and organizations. This technology is important for everyone because it becomes like a personalized educational assistant that is always on hand.

Today’s technology can be an ideal sidekick or assistant to busy teachers. EdTech tools allow teachers to enjoy better time management, allowing them to allocate their time better. The analytic tools in EdTech let teachers perform more frequent and thorough student overviews, which can help them give students feedback more regularly. If a student begins to fall behind, the teacher can catch the problem right away rather than at the end of the term. EdTech also creates networking opportunities so that educators can connect with each other, learn and share what works and what does not.

For students, EdTech helps to increase digital literacy. This early use of technology prepares them for careers and a lifetime of integration with gadgets, software and computer systems. Students can also enjoy benefits like peer to peer tutoring through EdTech. By becoming active participants in their own education, students are more likely to prioritize their time on learning. Having access to information and help at all times makes it easier for non-traditional students to complete their studies and meet their own educational goals.

Adult learners benefit from newfound opportunities in life-long learning, just-in-time learning and assistive technology for students with disabilities. E-learning, MOOCs and collaboration help facilities grow their student populations. Businesses benefit from better training and advancement of staff. EdTech gives parents better communication and tracking of their child’s progress.

Vocal EdTech Supporters

Some of the most vocal EdTech supporters have also been responsible for some of its greatest and most recent technological innovations. 

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has launched the Teachers Know Best site, which offers for-profit businesses an insight about what educators are looking for in digital resources and devices for their classrooms. Teachers Know Best is an extensive listing of more than 500 EdTech resources. In that listing, each resource is broken down by a description of what it does, its ranking in the study, the greatest benefit for students according to teachers and the best benefit for students as described by students themselves. Visitors to the site can set filters to sort by type of device, skill level and the amount of experience needed.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also well known for its scientific research, which has produced crucial information about the importance of personalized learning programs. A nearly $13 million grant from the foundation has expanded the offerings and outreach offered by different community colleges across the country. This is in line with President Obama’s goal to increase the number of Americans holding a post high school educational certificate or degree. These grants aim to make community college more affordable to students with a low income.

The grants should also help students to achieve their goals such as graduating within 3 years of their starting date, with the potential to transfer their credits to a 4 year college or university. The foundation has also taken the lead role in advancing the role of technology in teaching. In the words of Bill Gates, “Online, all students sit in the front row.” One of the most important outcomes from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s investment in EdTech has been the wealth of data gathered by surveying more than 3,000 kindergarten through 12th grade about what they need out of technology in the classroom.

Instead of making wild guesses and hoping for the best, or creating some seemingly life changing system only to find that teachers have no interest in it whatsoever, programmers and developers can use the data to drive their activities. From the survey, teachers have unequivocally stated that they want to be able to choose the technology that is used in their classrooms themselves, instead of having school district administrators make the choices for them. The survey also elicited information from teachers that they want tools that enhance and update the educational process, but they still want to use traditional methods and materials like printed books, papers and pencils. Teachers have also reported that significant gaps in classroom technology exist as a student’s level of mastery increases. This is particularly true in advanced mathematics and areas of science.

Google

Google’s Google for Education setup includes a website, apps for education and its own Google Classroom. Google Classroom is supported by the cloud and allows students and teachers alike to create, share and store slides, spreadsheets and documents. Google’s classroom productivity apps allow students to connect with one another and check in on the progress group projects and classroom projects.

Facebook

Facebook is another vocal supporter of EdTech, which should not be a surprise, as its founder created the website while he was a student himself. Facebook’s MasteryConnect started with a $5 million investment from Zuckerberg and his wife. This startup program designs and develops software that teachers and professors can use to improve their students’ learning outcomes and track educational goals. With the software, educators can track and measure how their one or more of their students are doing based on individual ratings or through classroom or standardized test scores.

The MasteryConnect software helps teachers to focus on formative in class assessments that are based on qualitative feedback rather than just the numbers or test scores. The ultimate goal of MasteryConnect is for children to be able to learn and understand information at their own pace, rather than at a predetermined level that a government official decided.

Future Trends

Technology today is reshaping how students learn, how teachers educate and how administrators direct the educational process. Technology is also changing the way that we work and the skills that employees need in order to thrive in an ever evolving workplace. As a result, EdTech is shaking up the fundamental teaching model and traditions of the education industry.

Virtual Education

One of the biggest changes is that education can now take place from anywhere. Virtual education can be used from any place and at any time. Learning management systems (LMSs), massive open online courses (MOOCs) and life-long learning courses are allowing universities, four year colleges and community colleges to expand their offerings and the size of their student population. Cloud storage has facilitated the use of LMSs across the world, opening up opportunities for MOOCs that are free of charge and available indefinitely.

Cloud based systems are lowering the costs of operation for educational institutions, allowing them to invest those savings back into the latest technology. This change has the potential to make lasting changes to the institutions of higher educations for many years.

Modern Classrooms

Another big change has been the modernization of traditional classrooms. Instead of everyone being on the same page at the same time, ‘flipped’ classrooms allow students to learn at their own pace. This inverts traditional teaching methods by allowing instructors to deliver information outside of the classroom and then using the time within the class’s scheduled hours to discuss problems, identify solutions and provide guidance on homework and misunderstood concepts.

Peer-to-Peer Learning

Peer-to-peer learning and tutoring also marks a profound change into how today’s classrooms function. EdTech allows students in different neighborhoods or nations to link up online and help one another with material as diverse as art history and calculus. Social media and collaboration tools also play a large role in student to student interactions. Online study rooms and forums allow students to pose questions and discuss answers with each other.

Digital Credits and Certifications

Digital credits are also growing in importance as students want to show to employers and graduate schools that they have participated in e-learning and other educational experiences. To show proof of their participation in a class, students can get digital credits, virtual badges and certificates that can be shown to their employers. Michigan State University and the University of Illinois public college system are experimenting with the virtual badges, while online-only programs like Coursera are beginning to issue verified certificates of participation to online learners.

Adaptive Learning Tools

The use of more digital tools such as interactive textbooks and calculators are helping students with special needs and learning disabilities participate more fully in the educational process. By adapting to a student’s individual needs, EdTech facilitates the learning process for everyone who wants to be a part of it. The traditional education system was built under the premise that students all learn in the same ways and at the same pace. In reality, the use of adaptive learning tools aimed at an individual’s performance yields better individual and overall results.

Increased Mobility

Today’s students are more mobile than ever. Recent advancements in mobile technologies, widespread availability of wireless internet and the lower prices of devices with wireless connectivity allow learners to participate in the educational process from anywhere. A new study on the mobile device habits of college students shows that they are decreasing their use of traditional desktop computers and instead opting for mobile devices for their online activities.

The average college student brings along seven devices that can be connected to the internet. These gadgets include smartphones, notebooks, watches and other wearables and tablets and other handheld devices. This is according to a recent study conducted by the re:fuel Agency’s 2014 College Explorer report.

In order to meet this increased demand for an internet connection, colleges and universities have had to expand their bandwidth capacities. Campus networks have also needed to support secure connections on a wide array of devices and different operating systems. They have also had to create a network architecture that operates with ease between different devices and competing data plan providers.

According to a 2013 to 2014 study conducted by Citrix, data gathered from mobile devices shows that 94 percent of leaders of higher education institutions believe that students should be able to remotely access “the information, data and software they need, on any device, at any time.” This access should be universal, widespread, free of charge and simple to attain.

In 2015, an estimated 20 percent of college students already take at least one of their classes online, even if they attend a traditional 4 year college or university. These students are creating an increased demand for reliable and secure internet access.

Students also want the freedom to study the subjects of their choice while using the latest in software and apps. They want to be able to do this on any device and from anywhere, without any restrictions in hours of usage or times of connection. Students are also using their mobile devices to turn in their papers, tutor one another, get feedback from professors and get additional assistance on confusing subject matter instead of waiting around for limited weekly office hours to meet with professors.

Ultimately, all of society needs to be able to embrace these newfound technology and educational opportunities, as they allow individuals to become more educated, knowledgeable and experienced in fields of expertise that inspire, excite and suit their talents and abilities. EdTech is accommodating to students of all ages and abilities. It can meet the various needs of large populations of learners all at once. There is no limit to the number of learners who can participate in education through EdTech.

Not only is EdTech an investment in the education of the current generation of students, but it is also an investment in the future of the world. The well-being of our future children depends upon their access to educational opportunities.

Even though there are distinct challenges in the implementation of EdTech in a classroom, school district or institution of higher education, the benefits of taking on this challenge far outweigh any drawbacks of doing so.