There are plenty of ways educators can harness technology in the classroom. They can go beyond using educational games or communicating on social media sites.

Most of the students now "grew up playing video games, and ever since they can remember, they’ve been in constant contact with friends via social media platforms and text messages," said an article on eschoolnews.com. "A growing number of today’s instructors also fall into this group."

This article looks at ways that educators can use technology "in a more meaningful way" and offers three methods. The first method is to "gamify lessons."

"Friendly competition can improve focus and drive better results, which is why 'gamification' is a hot trend in corporate training and educational circles," the article said. "Teachers can 'gamify' lessons by integrating competition into classroom presentations in a number of ways. For example, a gamification feature in presentation software can enable educators to set up teams or allow individual students to respond to embedded questions and display aggregate results on a screen; some software solutions also feature a leaderboard so everyone can monitor progress."

According to the article, "the types of games educators can incorporate in their classrooms varies widely, from quiz show-type games that allocate points based on correct responses and speed in answering questions to wagering-style competitions, in which teams can bet amassed points on their ability to provide a correct answer to questions."

"Students can provide answers using a keypad that comes with the software or an app on their mobile phones> the article said. "A gamification approach is highly effective in getting all students involved in classroom activities and providing educators with data they can use to assess student progress."

Read the full story and comment below.

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor