Teleportation? Floating whiteboards? Homework robots? Sorry kids, these technologies aren’t quite here yet, but there are three new emerging technologies that will change the classroom forever. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are not only excellent 2-letter words to use against your grandma when playing her in Scrabble, but they are also incredible technologies that are advancing rapidly in other industries. Continue reading below to take a deeper look at how these technologies will be used in the future to shape the way students learn.
Virtual reality offers endless possibilities in the classroom setting through the use of VR headsets. Some ideas include: traveling the world through virtual field trips, gaining experience with different professions with hands-on training, and exploring problem solving without real world implications. Megan Birdwell, K-8 STEAM teacher says, “Having virtual reality in the classroom allows students to experience opportunities that might not otherwise be possible. Using VR my past classes have been able to participate in virtual field trips, explore 3D science models, and use STEAM trade tools such as simulated welding. One essential goal for elementary and middle school STEAM is exposure to related real-world opportunities, which VR makes this viable from right inside the classroom.”.
Augmented reality might be harder to imagine, but in short it will enhance the world around a student through the use of smart glasses or through the camera on a phone, tablet, or chromebook. For a more specific example, imagine you are a student studying for a foreign language exam and your study guide is a series of sentences and words you must be able to translate to English. You might know the first sentence, but in order to check your answer you must copy or type it into a translation website, but with smart glasses or your phone camera the sentence can be translated in real time to English with the push of a button. Learn more about this technology here.
Artificial intelligence will be used in education, it’s just a matter of when. Some uses include adaptable educational software, automated grading, AI tutors, and more. This barely scratches the surface, but AI will drastically enhance the productivity of students and teachers.
Alex Haltom, Director of Innovation, Technology, and Media Services, says, “Hemlock Public School District is excited for the evolution of technology and will be first in line to adopt these new and emerging learning methods.”
For more information about this or other positive happenings at Hemlock Public School District please call (989) 642-5282.