What is Digital Learning?

 

From our reading, I’ve discovered that digital learning is learning that uses technology to assist in the educational process.  Digital learning is very important in the learning process for many

reasons.  Digital learning allows teachers to use a medium that enables them to be more creative in their lesson plans, which in essence captures the attention of their students. Some applications actually motivate students to learn because they resemble video games from home or for the younger students,  as they earn badges and points during play.  Some applications allow teachers to capture a wealth of information and data about how their students are progressing in real-time so they can make adjustments to lesson plans to meet the needs of all of their students.

With digital learning, students can learn anyplace and anytime.  Learning becomes a 24/7 opportunity.   And, students seem to like the fact that they can even access their teachers in the evening if they have questions, rather than stay after school (which can be a problem with some students who lack transportation or who have after school jobs). 

Digital learning enhances teacher’s working conditions.  Instead of recreating the wheel, teachers can work collaboratively on lesson plans.  They can share, download, and manipulate or modify each other’s plans.  Plus, as I mentioned above, teachers now have access to student performance in real-time, so they no longer have to wait on results from standardized tests for student performance.

The one take-away from the readings was that laptops do not deter student-teacher relationships, it’s actually the opposite.  Laptops and digital learning help build the student-teacher relationship, in part because students have access to their teachers 24/7 when they are in need of help.

What I really like about digital learning is the adaptive tests. Adaptive classwork/tests empowers students to work at their own pace.  With schools now virtual, students in our county are using Exact Path once a week so teachers can track student’s progress.  At the beginning of the school year, students were given a test.  This test gave students a different set of questions based on their answers to the previous question.  This test determined what level students would start on in the Exact Path online program.  These types of adaptive applications allow a student who is progressing faster than others to move ahead with them, which will, hopefully, keep a student from getting bored with the material. The same holds true for someone who is learning at a slower pace. Students no longer have to feel as if they are holding the class back and therefore feel the need to give up. 

I do agree that the one thing that is needed is continuing professional development in the area of technology.  While working at a local elementary school as a tutor, one of the teachers had retired because she felt lost with the digital technology and didn’t feel she could keep up.  She obviously loved working in the school, because after she retired, she immediately became a part-time tutor.  For the younger teachers coming in, they are extremely comfortable using technology, however, for the older teachers, professional development should be a priority in order to hold on to teachers.