Best Practice
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Research has confirmed that the introduction of multimedia into the classroom will inevitably have an effect on the teaching styles of teachers and on the learning styles of students and so it is vital that school management facilitates its integration though budgetary means and the availability of professional development for teaching staff (Slack, 1999).
The World Wide Web is a seemingly infinite resource for ideas on the best ways to use multimedia in the classroom to enhance student engagement and learning. The Khan Academy range of videos offers complete curricula in Mathematics and Science. Feedback from students indicates that they find the presentations are of enormous clarity, interactive and engaging with the advantage of being accessible at all times unlike the teacher and the classroom and available on a range of mobile digital devices such as smart phones, media players and tablets as well as laptop computers. This link is to a TEDtalks presentation where Salman Khan (The Khan Academy) talks about "flipping" the mode of classroom teaching and using technology for homework. Khan describes this process as "using technology to "humanise" the classroom". A video is available here by 'flipped class' pioneer Aaron Sands outlining this example of 'best practice ' for multimedia use in the classroom and the home; the concept frees up the teacher to give more time to meeting students' needs and reinforces the idea that the teacher is the most important classroom resource.
The Council of Ontario Directors of Education have mandated a set of guidelines for the use of multimedia technology in their publication, Advisories. This publication provides information and links to assist educators to provide quality teaching and learning using multimedia technologies. The site contains advice about infrastructure investment and mobile learning.
The iLearn Project lists and discusses examples of best practice for the use of technology in the classroom including the following:
Make sure the technology is appropriate
Avoid using technology as a distraction
Mix old teaching methods with new technology
Develop hands-on lessons using technology tools
Let your students decide on the technology
The site also includes digital learning success stories from innovators, teachers, students and parents, detailing the success of these best practices.
References
Slack, R. (1999). Pedactice - the use of multimedia in schools. Retrieved from http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Brief017.pdf
image sources: http://www.yalescientific.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Science-Essay-1-500x500.jpg
http://www.teamzboard.com/ceratech2009/photos/product/keyboards/hires/kyb500-k82a_3.jpg
http://coedtech.wp.orvsd.org/ipads-and-ipods/using-the-ipad-ipod-in-the-classroom
Best Practice in Student Outcomes