Don't Just Open a School, Start a School that is 'Smart'

Vinod Kakumanu
Feb. 28, 2019, 3:13 p.m.

Typical classrooms inspire a scene with rooms equipped with blackboards, pencils strewn around and stockpiled notebooks. With the advent of education technology, the picture is changing. Now, it is not a “far-fetched” or “futuristic” to picture a school where monitors, computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones abound.

Don't_Just_Open_a_School_Start_a_School_that_is_'Smart'

Recent advances in technology have also entered our schools turning them into smart schools constituted by smart classrooms, and the trends reflect that the improvements are met with performance and appreciation, thanks to numerous benefits and wide opportunities that school technology provides to both the students and their teachers. By successfully and seamlessly integrating technology with traditional classroom learning we are witnessing increased student performance in schools. Credit is due for a truly smart classroom. So if you are thinking to start a school it is an excellent choice to make a smart school which will herald change, success and advance development of its students.

Prior to deciding to establish a school, it is pertinent to learn about the ways how smart classrooms are helping students and teachers in raising the bar:

An Evolved Pedagogy:

Blended learning comprising of both traditional learning and the cutting edge technology keeps online learning and interpersonal communication tied up together to create a smart classroom. When one chooses to start a school with technologically aided curricular implementation, one benefits from the effectively blended transmissive pedagogy with pedagogy-technology interface by guaranteeing the student engagement and efficient learning.

Technological advancement in schools also makes administrative tasks easier and thus makes teaching-learning more convenient. Teachers, with the help of digital learning, can now upload lectures, videos, and assignments to specifically created mobile applications. Students have access to these apps anywhere and at any time. Class-specific online platforms help teachers to store grades and attendance records of every student in their class, making it easier for students and parents to check them.

Smart Wearables, Dynamic Adoption of Technology for Schools

Smart classrooms are not limited to computers and tablets, in fact, wearable technology like smartwatches and smart wristbands are making their space in schools even faster. Using smart wristwatches and wristbands, teachers would be able to take attendance almost instantly and in case of younger students who go on field trips, use of wearable technology would help teachers to make sure that no child wanders away. In boarding schools, wardens can also use wearable technology like watches and bands to ensure that children are getting enough sleep.

Widening the Dimensions of Communication

People all across the school campus are connected with smart networks. Monitors placed in individual classrooms helps to be in direct connection with the main school office. The monitors provide ease in streaming school messages regarding daily announcements, circular and updates and emergency notifications. Thus the students and teachers will remain in the know of all the developments and administrative decisions pertaining to them.

Deriving Personalised Learning through Data Analysis

Access to analytics is one of the best things about smart classrooms, so when you start a school, the information which is gathered from other schools can be used to personalize learning and then plan accordingly to suit and actualize every student’s individual needs and abilities. To make such a scenario possible one has to establish a school where the school principal, teachers and parents are versed in analytics to create a better learning environment. It will help teachers to use live analytics to monitor each and every student’s progress and students can receive a timely feedback from the online tests they take. When one starts an analytics-enabled school it will help teachers to also pass important data to parents which will help them support their child whenever needed.

The Best Learning Environment

It’s undeniable that a blend of interactive and transmissive classroom learning will continue to play a pivotal role in school education, yet fast growing technologies deserve attention simply because they facilitate higher-level learning with greater retention to boot. Bringing monitors, laptops, tablets, and wearables into schools and the very popular BYOD i.e. ‘bring your own device’ trend will provide teachers and administrators an opportunity to enhance and better the teaching and learning experience and the experience with educational technology recorded as collected data will aid in progressive pedagogical aims like personalized learning.

Although one should be mindful when one establishes a school with smart classrooms that technology do not compensate for the competence and qualification of the teachers, neither does it singlehandedly boost repute of the school brand overnight, what they can do is bring proximity between knowledge and intellect and increase the rate of learning.