Tech for Teaching: Modern Tools to Boost Up Homeschooling
Have you ever wondered how kids perceived learning? We want this to be a pleasant experience for them. We want them to be inspired by all the things they learn. We want them to keep wondering and exploring. With all those expectations, we tend to make learning a stressful experience for our kids. They are curious, but we’re usually not satisfied with that. We always expect them to impress us.
When parents are homeschooling their kids, the expectations can be truly burdening. That’s why we need structure, which will set our own expectations to acceptable limits but will also make learning a bit easier for the homeschoolers.
Is there something that brings a parent’s approach closer to the needs of a homeschooled child? Of course, there is! It’s called technology. Traditional homeschooling techniques, which position the parent as a teacher and the kid as a usual student, no longer works. These are modern generations, with needs we have to respect.
What types of tools can you use when teaching your own kids? We’ll list 4 up-to-date options that will definitely make the experience more pleasant for you and the learners.
1. Project Management Tools
Even homeschooled kids have to deal with assignments. It’s an inevitable part of the learning process. Assignment show how the learner made progress and what weak points they have to wear on.
According to Antonio Tooley, an English tutor at EduGeeksClub, parents can really benefit from project management tools when homeschooling their children. “This technology lets you treat assignments and the whole homeschooling process like a project,” – he says. “They let you track deadlines, give instructions, and communicate with the learner through the platform.”
Trello, as an example of such project management tools, is mostly intended for managers and team members. However, it’s a very useful tool to use during the homeschooling process. You set goals and create daily tasks that lead to such accomplishments. You give the learner the structure they need, but you should still keep it flexible enough so it doesn’t get stressful.
2. 3D Printing
Are you teaching your kid about the planets? Are you teaching history? Geometry? Chemistry, maybe? Whatever the subject is, the learner will really benefit from 3D objects that make the concept realistic and easy to understand.
3D technology translates 3D models into physical objects, usually by fusing plastic filament layers together. It can print anything from molecules at scale to bridges to science projects.
Thanks to 3D printing technology, you can give life to your lessons. The best part is that 3D printers are affordable. You can even get curriculum-based models, so you’ll skip the task of developing your own designs.
3. Tools that Enhance Typing Skills
You’ll boost the effectiveness of homeschooling only when you bring it closer to the need of your kid. That’s when typing skills get into the picture. It’s an essential skill for all modern-day jobs, so your kid must start developing it as soon as possible.
Let’s get realistic: handwriting is beautiful, but we no longer rely on that skill. Typing, on the other hand, is the foundation of the way we communicate with the world and we do our job. If you want your kid to write an essay, you won’t ask for it in written form. You’ll want them to type it. When your kid applies to college, they will type the application. When they grow up and start working, they will do a lot of typing (unless speech-recognition technology gets advanced enough to replace typing by then).
You should definitely teach your kid how to write by hand. However, the typing lessons should be the main focus as soon as possible.
You can use technology to teach your kid how to type quickly and effectively. Typing Master, TypingClub, and Typing.com are great options.
4. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality is great for homeschoolers! It’s a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that the learner can explore just as they would explore the physical environment. Through VR, they can walk through museums. They can explore any country.
Augmented reality, on the other hand, that combines virtual reality with the real world. The user points the device to a physical object, and the device puts a digital layer over it. If for example, they point the tablet to the TV set, they will get a history lesson on the beginnings of television.
For most parents, virtual and augmented reality are too complex. The good news is that you can rely on e-learning programs, which incorporate these technologies and blend them with gamification. No one is asking you to create a virtual reality for your kid. Just use online learning resources that include it.
Technology is too important for us to ignore. It’s highly useful, but also necessary for the homeschooling process. It’s time for us to start exploring different tools more, so we can provide the education our kids deserve.
Warren is an acoustic music lover who’s passionate about teaching English and blogging. Being a successful ESL teacher, he imposes modern studying techniques on his students, while staying charismatic and attentive. Apart from that, he hikes so often that one can think there’s no landscape Warren has missed! You can meet him on Twitter and Facebook.
The views and opinions expressed in any guest post featured on this site are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Wired Homeschool.