Building an Ed-tech Eco-system in your Classroom

It has, for quite some time, been observed that education technology is a key tool in enhancing students' academic performance and overall learning. In the current age, technology is a significant component of our educational scene, yet this asset has remained almost untouched in the classroom.

Finally, since last few years, it appears that the Indian educational system is taking advantage of the capability of edtech by implementing 1:1 ratios for students and technology. Be that as it may, is this enough to make a flourishing environment for students to grow?

Students approaching technology is, obviously, the first phase in making a flourishing edtech environment. However, once innovation turns out to be readily available, teachers must make their own landscape in which students are allowed to explore, create and develop.

Ecosystems are unique but very responsive to change. A teacher hoping to build an edtech ecosystem in their classroom has the distinct part of making a landscape that will nurture every individual student with utmost attention. These days, the raw materials accessible to edtech centered teachers are extensive and can be carefully selected to suit the requirements of their classrooms.

Begin From The Ground Up
A classroom is basically a place where the sharing of data can occur. Commonly, the teacher gives the data which is then distributed to the students. This exchange is still the establishment on which an edtech ecosystem is built. A teacher planning to build an edtech environment starting from the ground needs a solid source of sharing data. Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox are all sharing services available for teachers to use as the preparation for their edtech ecosystem.

By picking and sticking to one sharing service that the entire class is associated with, both teachers and students can without much of a stretch offer and exchange data and resources. They give organizational tools that enable the class to categorize, file and share their work as individuals or as a group. This permits all students simple access to their work consistently.

Sow The Seeds of Creation
Since students have an establishment whereupon to build, they require devices and tools that will enable them to create inside their edtech environment.

Content creation tools fall into two classifications: single-use tools and open-ended tools. While single-use creation tools expect students to learn just one ability which is time efficient, they are additionally restrictive as the creative outcome is as of now controlled by the specificity of the tool. This can be something to be thankful for. When you plant seed potatoes, you hope to yield potatoes. And having a field full of potatoes ensures that nobody goes hungry. However variety is the spice of life and to make variety and development in your edtech environment, you require a considerable amount of various seeds that your students can pick and suit their own preferences.

Open-ended creation tools are the way to delivering a variety of work inside your edtech classroom. Enabling students the opportunity to curate, create and present thoughts and ideas in their own manner brings about a more lively classroom. There are many content creation applications that support a range of multimedia. From writing, editing, making visual content, for example, infographics or data presentation, video and sound, the correct tools can open up a students imagination. Evernote, Canva, Explain Everything and ThingLink are all great tools that will give students a chance to run wild with their content creation.

Association Creates Community
Interconnectivity is the backbone to many flourishing environments. Communication in an edtech ecosystem is also of extreme importance. Using edtech tools is an awesome route for students to connect with each other as well as their other groups, both in and out of the classroom. Through services such as Google Apps for Education, both teacher and student can remain connected through Classroom. This makes a space where all members of the environment can remain fully informed about the news and notifications, important data or interesting content. Students can make a virtual working space for team projects with Hangout, and the result of that work would then be able to be distributed.

Keeping your edtech ecosystem connected will imply that all members of the environment are supported and empowered, regardless of where they are. Connecting your edtech eco system with others is also an incredible way to encourage development. Your students can make and distribute content to a personal or group blog that is then available to a wider audience, they can work in conjunction with other classes or for other classes: Students can make content, for example, podcasts or infographics that can help students in lower grades. This makes a larger sense of community and purpose for your students while effectively engaging in their studies.

Keeping up your Ecosystem

It's true that making an edtech environment in your classroom moves the power from teacher to students. Students would now be able to take control of their own learning, their own development, and their own particular goals. Be that as it may, the teacher's new role is that of the gardener. Careful observation of the edtech tools used in the classroom is required to ensure that they work for you and your students.
As your students develop their thoughts and ideas, their needs may change. Light weeding might be expected to remove edtech tools that have lost their value and present new tools that will help the students to take their learning to the next level. While the students are the bustling labourers in this society, the teacher maintains harmony within the edtech ecosystem.