Dr. Monica Burns, founder of classtechtips.com, discusses the future of EdTech in helping teachers integrate technology in the classroom.
Your blog is a powerful resource for educators to keep up with technological innovations. What inspired you to launch it?
In 2012, I spoke at an Apple education event in New York City, and shared some of the things I was doing with iPads and apps that I had found. After I spoke at that event, people started asking me where they could learn more
about my work.
That was the year I started sharing ideas, apps that I found, strategies, and lessons that educators might find helpful on my blog. We just celebrated 10 years of the blog in 2022.
The introduction of the blog corresponded with social media websites like Twitter and Pinterest, places to share ideas. That was my first place for sharing, then the books, quick reference guides, membership site, and podcast followed after.
What’s an emerging trend right now in tech that you are excited about?
One conversation I’m often having is around artificial intelligence (AI), which isn’t new to education. There have been many tools and adaptive learning software that use AI for everything from graphic design to helping decide what support or resources a student needs.
With things like ChatGPT and other tools that may have an influence in professional settings, the conversation has also branched into what teachers need to do to prepare students to navigate digital spaces after school.
What advice do you have for educators who are struggling to integrate traditional learning technology in the classroom?
It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the different types of digital tools that are out there. My biggest piece of advice is to keep it as simple as possible.
Choose one great open-ended creation tool, something that you can do lots of great projects with your students that has features like voice-to-text, audio recording, video, or whatever is important to you. Focus on ways for kids to share their learning.
Embrace what you’re asked to use by your school administrators, as opposed to trying to find lots of new things. It’s a great way to stay focused, keep things simple, and not get overwhelmed throughout the school year.
Read blog posts, listen to podcast episodes, and more on https://classtechtips.com.