{"id":7259,"date":"2019-08-17T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-08-17T09:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/?p=7259"},"modified":"2023-05-31T07:17:27","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T06:17:27","slug":"innovation-can-improve-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/innovation-can-improve-teaching","title":{"rendered":"How Innovation Can Improve Your Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week we are lucky to have guest writer, Dakota Murphey, sharing her wisdom on innovation in education. She takes us beyond the buzzword and into practical ways to innovate in the classroom. Enjoy this informative read, we sure did!<\/h2>\n\"nicole-honeywill-E3I2zjwGudM-unsplash\"\n

It may sound like a clich\u00e9, but kids really are our future, so it\u2019s imperative that they are properly educated.<\/p>\n

Cast your mind back to when you were at school \u2013 what made you decide to tune in or out of a lesson? I know for me personally, I learnt best when I was challenged \u2013 either with a quiz or an interactive game.<\/p>\n

Why innovation is important<\/strong><\/p>\n

Due to the rise of technology and the internet, my schooldays of paper-based learning are fast becoming replaced by, or utilised alongside, a wide range of more innovative methods \u2013 and that\u2019s a great thing! The world is changing, and we are all moving forward as a society, whether we like it or not. It is therefore vital for education to follow suit.<\/p>\n

The rise of technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order to educate, you need to innovate. But, in order to innovate, you need to be educated; only with an innovative mindset will you be able to enact the changes that enhance learning in your classroom.<\/p>\n

Those changes all need to stem from the technological advances of recent times. While many teachers may think that smartphones and tablets are devil devices<\/a>, negatively affecting their students\u2019 health, interactivity and wellbeing, used in the right way they can actually be incredibly beneficial<\/a>. In fact, a medical school in California recently found that using tablets in their teaching improved grade scores by 23 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the world has become more and more embedded with technology, using its developments as innovative techniques in the classroom can help build technology-based skills and enable students to learn how to use devices and software correctly. This was proved back in 2014 when Ofcom\u2019s annual report<\/a>\u00a0found that the average six-year-old child actually understands more about digital technology than a 45-year-old adult does!<\/p>\n

Ideas for becoming more innovative<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"read-4208554_640\"Every student has their own way of learning but, with most UK schools known for being underfunded<\/a> and limited in terms of equipment and supplies, old-fashioned techniques make it difficult to have anything but an all-or-nothing teaching approach. Now, thanks to technology, each student\u2019s learning can be more individualized, implementing teaching techniques specific to their way of learning.<\/p>\n

Other forms of technology software, such as audience response systems (ARS)<\/a>, can also be incredibly useful. These systems not only keep classes engaged and eager to learn, but can also be helpful in monitoring a classes\u2019 current knowledge level. This, in turn, allows teachers to shape lesson plans around any identified knowledge gaps and set relevant homework.<\/p>\n

Here are some other innovative ways that technological advances are being implemented in schools:<\/p>\n