Computer technology is changing education every single day and teachers benefit from learning how to keep up with those changes. Often, new technology is made available by districts looking to impress parents and business leaders, but they fail to properly train staff on how to use new tools like electronic tablets and interactive whiteboards. The students of today who grew up in a digital age love these gadgets and teachers need to embrace them as well.
One tool that has become extremely popular is online grade books. Students can go to a website and see their grades for that quarter and their current average in every subject. Many districts also require teachers to keep information on the site about assignments and upcoming tests. The next logical step is an Internet based site where they can get virtual access to their work. There are a number of companies hard at work developing a virtual computer lab, so that students can remotely access what they have been working on in the computer lab at home.
The implications of a virtual computer lab are huge. In a college setting, students can do from their dorm what they used to have to walk across campus to the lab to do. In high school, if a student is out sick or school has to be cancelled for a few days for bad weather, students can continue to work on their projects.
When schools have made the switch to virtual labs, they have learned that not as much supervision is needed in the computer lab and the district doesn’t have to spend as much on computer hardware for the lab.
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