Students can interact with experts online to learn more about careers in STEM subjects and other areas. High school teachers can use videoconferences and podcasts to bring expert guests into the classroom from miles away. Prominent experts are often more willing to spend 20 minutes talking to students via a videoconference than traveling a couple of hours to a classroom. Numerous websites provide access to experts who are available to talk to classrooms via videoconferencing and other technologies.
Through online learning, high school students can also interact with other students across the nation. They can work on collaborative projects with students throughout the country in a variety of fields, including the environment. There are all kinds of projects on the Web that promote multicultural education, problem solving, and community involvement. In most cases, a teacher will act as a facilitator for an online project.
Teachers that effectively use social media in the classroom inspire their students to learn. Students become more involved and become effective collaborators. In traditional education, a teacher provides lectures and students silently take notes. Social media, when used as a teaching tool, has a natural collaborative aspect. Students interact with each other while working in teams and commenting on classmates’ ideas and assignments. Also, traditional education doesn’t properly prepare high school students to collaborate on projects in the modern business world.
, designed for K-12 teachers, allows teachers to create class websites, correspond with students, and keep track of coursework. The website offers a huge digital library of educational content aligned with a standardized curriculum. The videos at the website help high school teachers improve their lesson plans.
functions a lot like the popular Facebook, however it’s a more controlled environment. Teachers like to use Edmodo because it encourages student participation. Teachers and students can share ideas on a communal wall. Also, teachers can use a mobile version to moderate discussions from anywhere and post assignments at the website.
Online learning technologies enhance the learning process. They make it much easier for teachers to engage students. Online learning technologies let the classroom reflect the world in which high school kids live today.
Author info: Brian Jenkins writes about a variety of topics related to careers and education, including , for the Riley Guide.