In the year 2013, I started to work as a science teacher in a private school in India. I have realized that the school environment and teaching methods had changed a lot from the past years. Many of the schools started to adopt different technology based learning programs inside the classrooms. Among that the use of smart classroom with the support of information and communication technology was quite exciting for me too. Since I was a victim for traditional and direct teaching methods. The classroom was equipped with a computer and an interactive white board. Teachers had got special training classes before commencing the academic year for how to run those systems inside the classroom as well as it was a new and innovative approach in the entire school. During induction training teachers got practical sessions about the content included in the system such as interactive videos, online quick quiz regarding each lesson and topic, virtual experiments and so on.
Teaching the subject chemistry was not an easy process for me especially dealing with year 11 and 12 classes because there were a lot of confusing and hard content such as atomic structures, chemical structures and reactions. Normally, those topics are hard to follow and learn for the students. It was even a difficult task for me to impart the real concepts to the children. But the smart classroom helped me to get over from those hardships. The smart classroom computer was equipped with the support of various applications hence it enriched my class with informative videos. The video clips and some animated visuals created a high positive understanding in students. Some virtual experiments created extended understanding about the theoretical concepts. The online quiz after each topic created competitive as well as inquiry spirit among children. Children was highly motivated and enthusiastic during my class.
Many times the smart classroom alerted my students with real-world issues that are related to the class curriculum. By using the Internet students gets exposure to real issues happening at that moment in the world outside. Still I remember the online interaction with a nuclear reactor functioning center and my students eagerly inquired about the functioning and how to remove the highly radioactive reactor wastes. Similarly, while teaching the topic of polymer students understand the issues and uses of plastic with an interactive video. Those lessons could be taught refers to real problems and real people. It was an amazing experience for students and myself as well.
Another features of technology I have practiced in my class was simulation and modelling. Simulation software helps me to bring the real activities to the classrooms. The specific simulation tools allowed to provide better knowledge about how to conduct various experiments. Likewise, modelling helped the students to see the dynamic characteristic of models. The below mentioned link introducing seven best molecular modelling software for chemistry.
The following websites providing great simulation opportunity for students and teachers to engage with science subjects in the classroom.
https://www.yenka.com/en/Inorganic_physical_chemistry_simulation/
The second innovative technology now I am using for learning process is smart phone. There is various applications and social networking sites which are available to me in a finger touch distance. Among that use of WhatsApp and Facebook groups connecting me in a quite useful way with other teachers. It helped the teachers to know each other and build up collaboration and belongingness. Similarly, the online groups, webpages connecting the teachers as well as students at the right time anywhere around the world. Those who are belong to the groups for example, students can receive feedback from their teachers and clarify doubts about their concerned topic. The online forum post is highly beneficial to the students and teachers. By reading and listening to others feedback students reframe their ideas thinking and building up higher levels of comprehension. Teachers are also motivating and gaining new insight through those open discussion forums.
Nowadays I am using various applications in my mobile phone especially for promoting autism related learning process. I am interested to find out the latest research and programs for children with autism since currently I am doing special education. Through my mobile device I have downloaded various group activities and programs running by different organisation or government for people with autism. Through those social media groups I will get knowledge and recent research in autism studies. For example, ASPECT, Ladybug, I CAN network are updating their activities and recent ideas regularly for promoting learning of children with autism. The uploaded new games and exercises in those sites are helpful to induce children with autism to get more concentration. The below mentioned websites are highly useful for the carers or people with autism spectrum disorders.
https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/
BLOOMING TECHNOLOGY 