May 5th, 2021
Nikolas Zetouni
It can be difficult to decide which technology you should purchase for your school, or classroom. As technology evolves, items that seemed indispensable in the past will start to feel dated, and you want to make sure that you’re using a piece of technology that will provide a strong return on investment. This article will provide you with a list of questions that will help you narrow down your options and help you make your decision (or write your proposal for a parent council or school board).
What’s my current tech situation?
It’s important that you consider the situation at the school. Do you have laptops and tablets already? If so, are they needing a refresh? If so, you might consider refreshing those first. Do you have a lot of technology that’s not being used, if so perhaps you need to bring in some training to get it refreshed. Having a good understanding of your current situation will help you in making a good decision.
What are my needs?
Look at your school, what are students interested in? What are teachers hoping to integrate into the classroom? Curriculums around the world are changing to require coding in classrooms. Do you have technology that works for your staff and you just need more of it? If you know your needs you can provide justification for your decision.
Is the tech flexible?
Once you know your situation and have assessed your need, this is a question that you need to consider. Flexible technology means that it can be used for more than one application. For example, Minecraft and Roblox can be used to teach math, storytelling, game creation, and much more. By comparison, a more limited technology can only do one thing at a time. You should avoid purchasing this type of technology since it will reduce the opportunities for future use.
Is the tech reliable?
As important as flexibility is the reliability of the technology. For example, you could have the most amazing robotics platform but once it’s connected to a classroom full of students it stops working and keeps cutting out. In addition, if your technology is wonderful but can’t stand up to the harsh realities of a classroom where things get thrown, dropped, and potentially stepped on, then you should consider something else. You may also consider things like battery life and ease of part replacements.
Final Thoughts
These questions should help you choose the best type of technology to bring into your classroom, but they should be seen as a starting point, and not taken to be all encompassing. You might find other questions helpful such as “What are the resources that come along with this technology?” or “What kind of tech support comes along with this gear.”
Did you know Coded Minds is a pioneer in iSTEAM and one of the first companies to integrate it into their learning objectives and educational programs? To enrol your child in iSTEAM learning or learn how to integrate iSTEAM into your educational program or curriculum, CLICK HERE.