Education and the Digital Transformation: Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Problems

Changes in the world and workplace usually find their way inside the classroom. With greater exposure to worldwide issues, such as global warming and plastic waste. Students have greater social responsibility for their actions. They must be taught the values of sustainable living and global accountability. Additionally, they must also be equipped with the tools and skills necessary to tackle unexpected problems and issues as they arise. Otherwise, we risk losing an entire generation to apathy and nihilism as they will be unable to grasp and cope with the rising challenges that currently face them to the ever challenging world before them.

In this environment, students are encouraged to educate themselves and then find engaging ways to communicate that knowledge with classmates. This methodology encourages students to be more collaborative, resourceful, and creative. It also gives them the confidence to intelligently and articulately impart knowledge to their peers.

Thanks to cloud technology, the teacher is no longer restricted to the front of the classroom but can monitor and communicate with students outside the class. The teacher can check to make sure everyone is on the right track and look out for anyone that might be falling behind or straying too far from the assignment.

In order to achieve this goal and flip the traditional classroom, international schools need to adopt innovative technology that enhances the development of these teaching methods and gives students a digital environment resembling the one they will use when entering the job market.

This environment includes projectors and computers, but one technology that perfectly fits project-based learning is the interactive flat panel (IFP). The IFP is the perfect extension to the technologies that students are already familiar with. Children are adapting to technology at an increasingly younger age and are accustomed: smartphones and tablets. Students will be happy to work on the interactive flat panel’s surface as the lessons will remind them of fun games they have already been playing at home or with friends.

Teachers also find that IFPs integrate perfectly with other classroom technologies and are useful compliments to any lesson. For example, students can be called up to board in groups, pairs, or individually to demonstrate their knowledge. Teachers will no longer need to be bothered with printing, counting, or fixing paper flashcards again.

By attracting student curiosity and attention, they will be more focused in class and therefore less likely to get bored and become disruptive during important lessons. This means their chances for success on daily class work as well as on exams will increase because more engaged students equate to better results for everyone.