For the current generation of students, innovative technology is simply part of life, integrated completely into how they communicate, socialize, play games and understand the wider world. That’s made understanding tech tools—meeting students where they live—so important for education.
Teachers who commit to becoming proficient with tech tools soon discover they reap benefits beyond the ability to better reach students. Digital teaching tools can reduce the time it takes to plan lessons, assess work and create challenging assignments.
Fresno Pacific University offers teachers a variety of online professional development classes that focus on technology training for teachers, giving them the skills they need to leverage the latest tech tools for use in their classrooms.
A Variety of Classes, Skills
Technology training for teachers is the focus of many courses offered by Fresno Pacific University’s continuing education program. The courses allow teachers to expand their knowledge and skills while earning professional development credit.
There are hundreds of courses available, with updated courses added continuously. Some of the more popular tech-related courses include the following:
Teach with Immersive Technology
This class focuses on various immersive technologies that include virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality that some already are integrating into the classroom. The course looks not only at how this technology can enhance teaching but also the practical issues such as the equipment teachers need to use immersive technology as part of their lesson plan.
Coding in the Classroom
Coding is one of the most important skills a student can have in the 21st century. In this course, educators learn to teach fundamental coding skills to students. Developing the skills to code allows students to develop critical and logical thinking skills, as well as strengthen persistence and communication skills.
Paint and Draw for Chromebooks
Chromebooks are one of the most useful pieces of technology to have in a classroom, and Google makes a point of supporting educators. The Paint and Draw tools for Chromebook allows teachers to get free access to CloudPaint, PaintZ, Sketchpad and other web-based programs that they can use to make their classrooms and material more engaging. Teachers in this informative course can complete all the work online and without classroom participation.
The Importance of Technology Training for Teachers
Every teacher must earn PD credits to maintain their teaching license. While they can choose from a wealth of classes, technology is always a popular choice. No matter how proficient they were with digital teaching tools when they became an educator, technology has evolved so quickly that it sometimes requires taking a course to catch up with the possibilities.
The U.S. Department of Education also points out that learning technology has other benefits for the education system. “Online learning opportunities and the use of open educational resources and other technologies can increase educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning; reducing costs associated with instructional materials or program delivery; and better-utilizing teacher time,” the federal agency writes on its site.
Whatever specific technology training for teachers you choose, it can improve both your teaching skills and make it easier to manage a class. Those are great benefits to enjoy while also earning the PD credits you need. Recreational math has become a huge trend in education, being familiar with technology can help educators make learning fun and exciting.