As technology evolves, so do its uses. Once banned in the classroom, technology is now being braced with open arms. These devices enhance students’ learning abilities exponentially, so teachers are making use of them in every way possible. Here are a few emerging trends in educational technologies.

Behavior Management Technology

One of the best ways that technology is being utilized in the classroom is through behavior management technology. One example of this is ClassDojo. With ClassDojo, you’re able to track each individual student’s behavior. Throughout the day, you can add a point if they’re on task or remove a point if they’re off task. At the end of the day, it delivers a statistic that’s easy to read and shows exactly where the child struggled with the day. You’re able to set your own notifications, so it’s easy to set up ClassDojo for your specific classroom. The teacher can even give the parents their own specific access key so they can monitor their child’s activity throughout the day. Updates are done in real-time, so even if a parent is at work across town, they can watch the site and see how their child is doing throughout the day.

For kids, ClassDojo is great. It offers competition, which kids love. Teachers can reward those kids at the end of the week with the best overall behavior. Through the use of a projector, teachers can project the interface on the wall, and kids can see exactly how they’re doing when compared to their classmates. Kids can choose their own unique monster avatar as well.

This type of unique connection between students, their classmates, and parents wasn’t even possible a few years ago. Now, however, thanks to improved infrastructure, it’s not uncommon for classrooms to be hooked up with Wi-Fi, which allows teachers to utilize unique technology to improve the daily lessons in the classroom.

Collaborative Projects

The Internet’s widespread availability has made it easy to collaborate on projects, whether it’s two people in the same class, two people in the same school, or two people taking online courses on opposite ends of the world. Thanks to tools like Google Drive, multiple people can work on a project individually or simultaneously, regardless of their physical location in the world. As long as they have access to an Internet connection, they’ll be able to work on the project.

Mobile Technology Enhances Learning

Until recently, students using devices in the classroom was prohibited. Now, it’s hard to find a college classroom that isn’t filled with laptop and tablet users. Even in middle and elementary school, teachers are making use of tablets to help kids further interact and enhance their learning experience. There is a ton of sites out there dedicated to providing students with unique challenges. The sites are broken up by education level, so if a student feels like a section is too easy, they can move on. This is particularly helpful because in the classroom, there are certain students that understand better than others, so they won’t have to feel bored while the teacher is going over a lesson on which that they already have a firm grasp.

Social Technology

One of the most amazing things emerging trends in technology is using social networks and programs to communicate and educate. The classroom is no longer a centralized location. It’s common for a person in one country to take classes that are taught by someone else on the other side of the world. If you miss an assignment, you’re able to go in and grab the files that you need whenever you want. You can literally get your education when you want it and take things at your own pace. There’s no excuse to not finish the degree that you’ve put off for years because you’ve always worked two jobs to try to make ends meet.

These are just a few of the emerging trends in educational technologies. Can you think of any others? Leave a comment below and let us know!