In this era, we can all agree that technology is a key player in the success of every industry, and the education sector is no exception. From software tools to hardware tools, technology is playing a critical role in how teachers and students collaborate, access educational resources, communicate, and improve the overall academic processes.
Technology devices like the Microsoft Surface have been specifically designed to provide teachers and students with the resources needed to bring learning to life in the classroom. The use of Microsoft Surface in the classroom ensures that students have access not just to classroom learning materials, but also to other supportive tools like Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365.
Here are ways in which using Microsoft Surface in the classroom can improve the learning experiences for teachers and students.
Improves Blended Learning
Blended learning is fast gaining traction in many learning institutions across the country and the world at large. It combines technology with traditional teacher-to-student learning.
This could be done in a face-to-face mode such that as the teacher is teaching, more instructions could be given on the Microsoft Surface devices in the classroom for students to follow. It could also be done at the end of the lesson where students get to either work on an assignment or access the further course material for that lesson from the devices either stationed in the classroom or in a computer lab.
This is not just beneficial to the students alone, but to the teachers as well. With the use of tools like Microsoft Teams that come pre-installed on the Microsoft Surface devices, teachers are able to get insights into how the students are interacting with the course material and performing to see if learning goals are being met.
Incorporating them either before, during, or after class time makes learning more engaging as the students switch into the different learning modes hence doing away with the monotonous learning environment.
Microsoft Surface Digital Pen for taking of notes
The traditional use of pen and paper to take notes and whiteboards or chalkboards can be enhanced with the digital pen tool that comes with Microsoft Surface.
Digital pens are an amazing technological invention that cuts back on the tedious process of having to write down your notes on paper, then typing them up on your device.
Microsoft's Surface digital Pen replicates the responsiveness of an ordinary pen so you can write seamlessly without worrying about lagging.
With the digital pen, a teacher is able to write text or draw shapes and diagrams while playing around with the different colors and thicknesses for the students to see. Students on the other hand can take notes directly into the surface device when the teacher is teaching or after.
And the beauty about using a digital pen is that it can transmit and save notes in the cloud and be accessed anywhere even on your phone because of its wireless capability.
With the Microsoft surface digital pen, you can say bye to borrowing markers and running out of ink.
Instructional Visuals and assistive technologies for students with disabilities
Students, just like any other human beings respond more to visuals than words. That is why a Facebook post or a tweet accompanied by an image or video is likely to gain more engagement than mere text.
Teachers can use the Microsoft surface in the classroom to showcase instructional visuals like videos, photographs, infographics, and visualizations like graphs and charts.
For example, for a music lesson, teachers can teach music with surface by providing visual and practical representations of the music theory concepts.
Apart from the general tools that provide instructional visuals for learners, students with physical and learning disabilities can hugely benefit from the assistive technologies on the Microsoft surface.
Screen readers and software applications like braille writers and switches can be installed on the devices to help students and teachers with physical disabilities to communicate and work on tasks so that they don’t fall behind on their deliverables.
Better Classroom Collaboration and Management
The Microsoft Surface education range comes with pre-installed apps like Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams that offer a collaborative space for knowledge sharing and communication between teachers, administrators, and students.
Virtual lessons can take place seamlessly via Microsoft teams. This could be done remotely or a teacher might invite another instructor from another institution to virtually deliver a lesson. In fact, teachers and students will find the free Microsoft Teams for education ideal for things like video chat, document sharing, and collaborative editing of documents.
As a teacher, you can segment your classes or lessons into different groups and be able to share notes, assignments, and chat with each other within the groups.
With built-in features like Miracast, a teacher is able to share whatever material they are teaching in real-time and from anywhere in the classroom, without the usual constraints of being in one particular place.
It is also easier to access past classroom resources as they are saved on the cloud completely removing the hustle of going through file cabinets looking for teaching notes you kept a year ago.
Conclusion
Using technology in education is just as effective as what educators do with it and how it is used to best support their students’ needs.
There are many ways students and teachers can use Microsoft surface in the classroom to enhance learning in a fun and interactive way. From collaborating with students and colleagues, capturing students’ progress and taking advantage of inbuilt Microsoft tools, Microsoft surface is the magical device that promises to meet educational needs in this digital era.
Having tools like Microsoft surface makes it easier for students and teachers access learning resources and present information in a better and visually appealing manner.
Whether you are an educator, teacher, student, or school’s IT administrator and you are thinking of deploying the Microsoft surface to your school or classroom, you can reach out to an expert from Microsoft to help you understand the different range of devices available for schools and help you select the best device for you and your students.