Today’s K-12 learning environment is changing rapidly. Among teachers, administrators and students, there is a growing sense of the multimedia classroom, seen in the large format monitors and Smart Boards in classrooms, cloud based lessons, and carts of digital tablets rolling around from one classroom to another.
A recent article from Education Week noted the transformation that’s taking place in K-12 classrooms. These learning incubators are being turned into showcases for the latest technology, using digital technology, integrated systems and all other forms of audio-visual solutions, according to the report.
But due to budget constraints, lack of technological understanding and other barriers, the K-12 market for digital transformation is moving much slower than similar advancement at colleges and universities. Difficulties with entrenched K-12 school bureaucracy, lack of budgeted funds, slow approval processes and changes in technology processes are among the obstacles.
Without K-12 institutions adjusting quickly to the mobile digital learning revolution, our children’s education may be suffering. Our fast-thinking young students are already regularly working with parents’ smartphones, tablets and Smart TVs at home. So if school doesn’t progress as well, students might find the old ways outdated and start to lose interest in learning.
And what about the teachers? Another view that K-12 education is acting slow to embrace the digital classroom revolution comes from Education Next, in an article titled “While K–12 Schools Resist, Digital Learning Disrupts Higher Education.” The author, Paul Peterson (the Editor-in Chief of Education Next) writes about the possibility that lack of progress on K-12 digital front lies with the teachers. He notes:
“Maybe the problem is with their teachers. Many of today’s secondary-school teachers were trained in the pre-digital era and chose the profession for its dependable salaries and tenure guarantee. Anticipating few rewards, most teachers are reluctant to spend time inquiring into the latest innovations.”
Technology needs to make an impact on the K-12 digital classroom, and that’s why CCS Presentation Systems will be making strides in the area in the coming weeks. Students, teachers and our culture must come together to join the technology revolution in the classroom, as we’ve done in our adult world. Moving public schools toward this mindset is a goal for students to reach a new level in technology learning in the classroom.
To find out how your school district can benefit from the technology-enhanced K-12 classroom, contact CCS Presentation Systems. Our company is among the largest installers of integrated controls systems, along with video conferencing, audio-visual systems, interactive collaboration tools, digital signage and much more.
