Edtech Trends Still Making Waves in 2019!
Top Edtech Trends Still Making Waves in 2019!
In 2019 many new Edtech trends rose to the surface; Many of which stayed strong, some of which didn’t, and a few of which are still making waves in the education community!
Of this last group, the trends we’re seeing become a deeper focus in the classroom are all ideas that make a big impact in the academic sphere and help provide equity in education: Accessibility, Immersive Technology, and STEAM! Below, we give a few reasons why these trends are stand-out ideas that will hopefully continue to make an impact into 2020 and beyond!
Accessibility, Accessibility, Accessibility!
All students deserve access to quality education – In 2019, this message has never been clearer. With many innovative and multi-faceted advancements in the classroom and educational technology, such as live captioning on Google Slides, thinking critically about the physical layout of classroom space and technology, and even using Facebook Live Feed as a way to give virtual field trips, more and more students are able to get the best quality education and are given educational equity.
Gaining Positive Traction towards a Better Educational Future– Making big waves in 2019, this awesome Edtech trend will likely persevere for years to come, as future technology is continued to be used in innovative ways to add equity and accessibility to academic settings. As stated by Kelsie Anderson of DigitalPromise.org, “When used effectively, technology can greatly contribute to creating equity in schools. It removes barriers to learning materials, supports students where they are across varied learning contexts and needs, and gives educators more insight into the learning environments they’re creating.”
Immersive Technology Classroom Integration!
Expanding the borders of the classroom to global proportions – Immersive technology is now readily available in many forms, including a variety of apps that support Google Cardboard. Google Expeditions, Google Arts and Culture, and Google Street view, to name a few, allow students to travel across the globe and explore environments digitally! Other smartphone apps feature experiences that use tablet cameras to create a virtual overlay on the real world (think Pokemon sightings in PokemonGo!), and even giving students a virtual laboratory experience that allows participants to perform realistic lab work in a digital environment!
But what is Immersive Technology? – The two main components of the Immersive Technology experience in the classroom are currently Virtual Reality (VR), which uses headsets and a digital-360 degree program that puts you in a virtual world, and Augmented Reality (AR), which joins the real world with digital landscapes to create an interactive overlay. Using technology like this provides wonderful benefits for both students and teachers, allowing educators to broaden their lesson plans and give their students the keys to experience entirely new worlds, while simultaneously allowing students to stretch their creativity with a hands-on approach to augmented education. Suffice to say, immersive technology for the classroom has been a strong trend and will continue to be well beyond 2019!
STEAM Focus – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics!
Balancing out the educational divide in STEM curriculum– The STEM to STEAM interdisciplinary movement has been gaining traction in recent years, and 2019 was no exception. STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has been a long-standing focus in education. However, in recent years, educators realized that some STEM curriculum was missing something; Opportunities for student creativity! Digital tools like TinkerCAD, Scratch, and Workbench encourage students to be creative, learn processes that drive innovation, and remove idea inhibition – There are no wrong answers in the process of discovery! Hence, the push for the Arts to be included… moving from STEM to STEAM!
Thinking Creatively about Real World Problems– Integrating concepts, topics, and standards of all aspects of STEAM education is a powerful way to encourage students and educators alike to think more broadly about real-world problems. As noted by Concordia University-Portland’s Jennifer Gunn, “Today’s innovators are creative beasts, working collaboratively in open workspaces, sharing ideas globally with other thinkers, and combining their STEM powers with some killer STEAM talents.”
Educational technology has made huge leaps and bounds in the last year, and many trends are still making an impressive impact on the academic landscape! These three trends of accessibility, immersive technology, and STEAM focus in the classroom show no signs of stopping!
Forward Edge is a full-service K-12 technology service provider in Cincinnati, OH. We offer valuable assistance in Managed Technology Services, such as on-site technicians to assist in all your time-crucial and need-right-now technology needs, along with in-depth network oversight, wireless infrastructure, server management, and much more!
In addition, Forward Edge also offers help developing technology integration skills via our Curriculum and Integration department. By utilizing the ISTE Standards for Coaches, Educators and Students, certifications in Google For Education, and experience with the latest technology, we provide a wide range of services like Professional Development, 1-on-1 Coaching, On-Site Coaching, Bootcamps, Webinars and more, all which deliver big benefits to your team.
Contact Forward Edge today about the variety of services we offer! Learn more about our services via our Website, by reaching us via calling (513)761-3343, or sending an email to info@forward-edge.net