Education technology can be empowering for teachers and can give them tools to increase engagement and retention while imparting valuable skills to their students.

But teachers can depend too much on technology at the expense of proven traditional teaching methods.

How can educators find a balance and use technology as an empowering tool and not a crutch?

Enabling Teachers with Training and Control

It’s understandably tempting to go a little overboard when it comes to placing technology in the classroom and mandating its use by teachers.

But too much oversight over tech use can cripple a teacher’s ability to craft his or her teaching style around the technology.

Train your teachers well but give them more control over the tablets, computers, and software they’ll use. Let them shape technology to their teaching style, instead of basing their teaching style on the technology.

Allow Flexibility

Educational technology offers a lot of flexibility in the classroom. You can have a variety of hardware and software in schools that deliver a variety of capabilities to students and educators.

Take advantage of this flexibility. Some lessons are appropriate for technology; others aren’t. Some lessons are best experienced on a computer; others need physical instruction.

Understand that technology can’t do everything, and flexibility is the key to success.

Utilize One-to-One Computing

You can incorporate technology into a plan that works best for each student by using it to play to the needs and strengths of the student. This is best accomplished when every student has access to hardware through one-to-one computing.

You’ll find that one-to-one computing helps you balance technology and traditional learning while giving control to your teachers and allowing for more flexibility. Limited resources help prevent flexibility and deprive teachers of control, so having ample hardware for students is a great benefit.

Technology shouldn’t replace traditional methods; it should complement them. Work with your teachers to balance the two for the best outcomes.

Virtucom helps school districts enhance learning with one-to-one computing solutions. Contact us to talk to one of our experts.