3 Ways Technology Can Help Increase Students’ Focus

Devices are changing education in the classroom but can be leveraged to increase student engagement.

Finding ways to hold students’ attention has always been one of the biggest challenges for teachers and administrators. Some days, it can feel like new technologies are designed to add chaos to the classroom. From smart phones in students’ backpacks to district-issued iPads on their desks and personal computers at home, it’s hard to ignore the internet’s impact on education. The current generation of students needs to be able to adapt to the fast-paced nature of an increasingly digitized world, where constant notifications and ever-present social media vie for their attention from moment to moment.

The good news is that teachers are experts at finding creative ways to pique students’ interest, and modern technology comes with a whole host of opportunities to personalize learning. Teachers can leverage all the enticing features of social media to bolster attention and boost engagement through mobility, future-forward lessons, and education platforms–keeping kids focused in (and out of) the classroom.

Extend the Classroom to Boost Student Engagement

In a traditional classroom setting, teachers and students are locked into a strict schedule with little leeway. In the COVID-19 era, that’s no longer the case as students have the opportunity to create their own schedules while learning at home. Technology allows for a lot more flexibility, especially outside of the classroom. Not all students absorb instruction well in a standard classroom environment, and distance learning provides a path to inclusion for students with those needs. More versatility also gives students more agency over the environments where they do schoolwork. With digital options, students can work at their own pace, completing assignments whenever and wherever they’re able to focus best.

Online education frees learning from geographical boundaries, opening potential for people across large distances to share information and learn from one another. When no one is bound only to the classrooms and educators in their area, digital audiences and students can take courses or receive tutoring from instructors anywhere in the world. If a subject is particularly hard for a student, there’s a throng of teachers who can weigh in. It’s not just teachers either—students can now collaborate with a digital classroom of peers, regardless of time zones, area codes, and language barriers. Students have more options, and more access to ideas, than ever before.

Use Your Apps Wisely to Keep Students Focused

The best part about using education tools like PowerSchool is that they are designed to help students stay engaged. PowerSchool uses in-app integrations with Google and Microsoft, so students don’t have to switch between apps while completing tasks. Finding another program, opening it, and logging in can waste time and disrupt flow when students are navigating a challenging lesson. Additionally, PowerSchool works with apps like Chrome Kiosk and Respondus Lockdown Browser to lock students’ screens during tests. This ensures students are focused squarely on the exam at hand and prevents against using technology to cheat.

PowerSchool also integrates with social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, to make it easier to implement lessons that rely on them. By having the apps integrated right into PowerSchool’s interface, some of the distracting elements can be eliminated, keeping students on task while accessing the platforms for educational purposes. Using platforms that students are already familiar with and incorporating them into instruction through PowerSchool elevates their potential to foster collaboration and insight.

Prepare for the Future

As schools remain closed in response to COVID-19, technology is now mandatory in the at-home “classroom,” and the key tool to stay connected in changing times. Introducing technology into classrooms not only benefits students today, but it also prepares them for success tomorrow, helping them reach their potential. Teaching digital citizenship, digital workflow, and internet safety can help set students up for life beyond school. As the rest of the world becomes more interconnected and reliant on technology, so must education. Teaching internet skills is crucial, and the more digital literacy we have in our classrooms and schools, the less complex and daunting that technology will seem. Many students have already mastered social media and web browsing, so expanding their perspectives to bolster learning can cement new concepts and open opportunities for instruction. Additionally, an interest in using technology helps students stay engaged with digital lessons.

By bringing an educational aspect to different social platforms, students will be better prepared to understand what content works best with each site. Skills such as short-form blog writing are best taught on an actual blog platform, whereas discussion threads are better suited to forums or comment-heavy platforms. Social media is shifting from a millennial or recreational pastime to playing an essential role in professional settings. Getting students comfortable with different technologies will give them a leg up for the future and teach them to use digital technologies in a disciplined, self-directed way.

Expectations and capabilities around technology in the classroom are shifting. Students and teachers alike have different levels of familiarity with any given software, and incorporating it into the classroom can be awkward. But it’s imperative that students learn how to approach these powerful tools, because the rewards can be immense. Utilizing edtech solutions can increase focus and engagement, even if students are learning outside of a traditional classroom. Using these tools to solve problems and build projects gives students the confidence to master new platforms and the experience to set their own boundaries. PowerSchool makes it simple for teachers to give their students all that technology has to offer.