When stepping into a classroom, everyone gets a different feeling of its environment. One might feel nostalgic for their childhood days, while simultaneously, another may feel stressed as they taste the impending doom of the expectation of learning. Meanwhile, some people may even be energized and enthused to dive deep and explore a new topic. Despite the differences in these experiences, one thing is for certain: the classroom is designed for learning. Much like students, teaching methods are changing and are advancing every day with new implementations of advanced technology.

 

As a senior in high school, I have noticed that technology has changed significantly through the years as it evolved from the physical form of using a pen and pencil to digital methods involving tablets and T.V.s. Through personal experience, the improvement of technology allowed me to excel in all of my classes.

 

Taking notes and listening to presentations was dreadful for every single high schooler's experience, and it is not all due to the boring lectures (although it does play a part). Instead, it was the minimal usage of technology, which, at that time, was considered adequate. For example, notes were written with the physical form of pens and pencils and displayed on this soon-to-be ancient classroom device, the projector. The projector, although it served its purpose, had many downsides and not only hindered the effectiveness of teaching but also lowered the effectiveness of the lesson presented. The projector displayed low quality, making it difficult to read, accompanied by the teacher's hand covering almost all of the screen with the notes. This struggle to see the notes made it difficult to stay in class. 

 

However, now that times have changed and technology has improved, every single classroom now has a high-quality television centered for students to see the notes through. This addition of the T.V. in each classroom resolved the conflict of the bad quality that the projector as the T.V.s were all 4k H.D. Since the T.V.s ran smoothly, there was no need to adjust camera quality, the many technical difficulties with operating a projector were no more, and there were no more shadows when things passed by in front of the classroom (or even being blinded while presenting). 

 

Accordingly, along with the T.V., there are also other technologies that are provided to boost learning. For example, the MacBook/Chromebook or the IPad. The IPad resolved the issue with the teacher's hand covering half of the screen while taking notes, making it a struggle to see or write notes for the students. Teachers wrote on the IPad, and it will be directly reflected on the T.V. screen for students to copy or comprehend. The MacBook/Chromebook provided many learning opportunities as well; it allowed easy access to educational videos, the internet, and GoGuardian, a place where students can directly interact with their teachers for personal help. Those three things individually each provide an additional learning opportunity for the students, increasing their learning advancing them closer to success.

 

Now don't get me wrong, although this does seem like learning heaven, there are some downsides. Including that, there are way more technical issues as many teachers and students do not know how to operate new devices. For example, this includes difficulties connecting to AirPlay or when the internet dies; it stalls the lesson because access to the internet is now a crucial part of lessons. However, this can be easily resolved with the I.T. people around campus and sometimes getting more accustomed to technology.

 

All in all, from the chalkboard to whiteboard, to the projector, and now to television, technology is advancing in the classroom to not only make teaching easier but to allow students to learn faster and comprehend difficult materials. So, as technology advances, so do students!