Use technology intentionally to support human interaction
Close your eyes and imagine a classroom that uses “personalized learning.” What do you see?
When I first heard this term, I pictured classrooms where teachers work closely with each student, providing instruction tailored to every student’s needs. In other words, instruction that looks like this:
Yet more often than not, when I visit classes that employ “personalized learning” models, I see something like this instead:
As an educator and parent, I find this trend deeply disappointing. However, I find the idea of personalized learning compelling. I want all young people — both those I taught and my own children — to receive instruction that addresses their individual learning needs. Yet I don’t want them staring at screens all day.
So, I’ve tried to figure out how I and other educators can use technology to meet learners’ needs in a way that feels not just personalized but also personal.
The value and drawbacks of classroom technology
Computers can be powerful tools for learning. When instruction is online, students can access it anytime, anywhere, and achieve understanding at their own pace. Students can receive automated feedback on their work, and teachers collect data they can use to track students’ progress. Those are all important benefits.
Yet, if you’ve ever walked into a classroom where students are all learning on screens, you might feel that the classroom lacks life. Students are learning in silos, by themselves, and missing out on the chance to interact productively with their peers. This makes it hard for students to develop relationships and can limit the growth of their social-emotional skills. It may be personalized, but it feels impersonal.
I believe — and have seen — that teachers can experience the best of both worlds: classrooms that leverage technology without impeding human connection. In fact, when used intentionally, technology can enhance that connection! Here are four ways technology can do that.
1. Freeing up teacher time
In a traditional classroom, teachers spend much of their time standing in front of their students, explaining content and managing student behavior. This is inefficient — students may or may not be prepared to understand what the teacher is saying – and it can be frustrating, too.
If the teacher can digitize direct instruction – in other words, take the explanations they’d provide directly to students and put them online – students can watch these explanations at their own pace. The teacher can sit down in class and work closely with individual learners, one-on-one and in small groups. Here’s how that looked in my classroom:
The teacher can use this time to tailor instruction to students’ needs while building relationships with each learner. This feels personal — and it’s fun, too!
2. Creating opportunities for peer collaboration
Research shows that the most effective instructional videos are short and highly focused. Students should spend a few minutes watching and engaging with them — for instance, by answering embedded questions and/or completing guided notes — and then move on to the next activity.
The question, therefore, becomes what students should do next.
If students move straight from videos to online practice, they’ll spend most of the class on their screens. Instead, I recommend giving students post-video practice that they can complete collaboratively. That way, students can work together – off-screen — to apply the concepts your videos have introduced. If your video lasts five minutes, your students will have most of the class to collaborate, and you’ll be free to walk around your room supporting learners as they do.
Classrooms like these feel like college libraries: some students watch videos independently, while others work together. Students develop understanding at their own pace, and all students learn. They are beautiful sights to behold.
3. Facilitating feedback
Computer programs can deliver automated feedback right away. But let me ask you something. Do you like receiving automated feedback?
For most people I’ve met, the answer is no. If you do good work, it’s much nicer to be congratulated by a human than by digital confetti; if your work has room for improvement, it’s much nicer to hear that from a person who cares about helping you improve. And while it’s possible to skip right past the feedback a computer provides, you can’t do that when a teacher is speaking to you.
In a traditional classroom setting, it’s hard for teachers to sit down with their students to deliver high-quality, individualized feedback — there just isn’t enough time. But when your students can access direct instruction through videos and work together to support one another’s learning, you have the time to give real feedback and continue building relationships in the process.
That’s what great teaching is all about.
4. Extending learning outside of class
Digitizing direct instruction makes learning feel more personal during class time. But its benefits go beyond the classroom walls, too!
In traditional classrooms, it can be difficult for families to participate in their children’s learning. What happens at school stays at school, and parents and guardians may feel ill-equipped to support their children at home.
With instructional videos, however, families can access the same instruction that students see in class and then sit down with their children at home to review and/or complete practice work on paper. This enhances the learning experience for both students and their families.
Conclusion: Use technology purposefully
If there’s a theme to what I’ve shared here, it’s that computers in the classroom have potential — but that potential has to be used intentionally. If teachers stick too closely to the traditional, teacher-at-the-board approach, they will fail to engage many of their learners; relying too heavily on online platforms will make learning feel siloed and lifeless.
Therefore, the best and most personal approach lies in the middle: using technology to replace direct instruction while preserving – and, in fact, prioritizing – interpersonal interactions both during and outside of class time. In classrooms like these, students feel known and valued, while teachers feel capable of meeting every learner’s needs.
I hope you’ll give this approach a shot!
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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