Teaching the Right Way: The Benefits of Smart Schools

In this digital age, teachers can’t approach education or students with the same methods they did 30 years ago—particularly in our post-COVID world. 

As various lockdowns forced schools to take education into the virtual space, a lot has been required from teachers and students to make online learning work.

Aside from online learning, smart technology has become a bigger part of our lives, and students now expect a more interactive and immersive learning experience.

In fact, a recent report found that student engagement improved by 55% after introducing smart technology into classrooms.

In this article, we explore:

💡 The characteristics of a smart school.

💡 How smart technology is bringing traditional classrooms into the 21st century.

💡 The benefits of using smart technology in smart schools.

What Is A Smart School?

As technology becomes more advanced and the educational environment evolves, we’re 

seeing many traditional schools moving towards becoming smart schools.

The definition of a smart school

A smart school is one where smart technology—like Teach ‘n Go—and digital tools are used to maximize and improve learning.

The technology and equipment used in a smart school may also include:

🖥 Laptops and tablets.

🖥 Interactive whiteboards.

🖥 Projectors.

The differentiating factor between traditional and smart schools is how technology is used to improve students' learning experience.

However, smart schools do more than just incorporate technology in the classroom. They also boost student engagement and empower teachers to deliver more engaging lessons.

Lessons from David Perkins

In his book “Smart Schools: From Training Memories to Educating Minds,” author David Perkins suggests that these schools are those that are “wide awake to the opportunities for better teaching and learning.”

According to Perkins, smart schools have the following characteristics. They are:

➡️ Informed: Teachers and students understand human thinking and how school structures work.

➡️ Energetic: Smart schools take measures to cultivate positive energy towards the school structure, administration style, and teacher and student treatment.

➡️ Thoughtful: Smart schools are friendly, caring, and mindful places where people are sensitive to each other’s needs.

A smart understanding

From an operational perspective, it takes many hours and plenty of effort to run a school effectively. 

With smart technology, the difference that teachers, students, and parents experience is faster and more streamlined operations. 

For example, everyday tasks that may take school administrators and teachers hours to complete can be done far more efficiently.

Improved operations lead to higher levels of productivity, communication, and student engagement.

And finally, smart technology often involves using platforms and apps to achieve better communication between teachers, students, and parents through tools like email, SMS, and video sharing.

So far, we’ve touched on some of the powerful benefits of running a smart school. Let’s explore these in more detail.

The Benefits of Smart Schools

Increased student engagement

Perhaps one of the biggest issues teachers face with online learning is keeping their students engaged and motivated.

After all, better engagement leads to a better understanding of new knowledge and in turn, academic performance.

Technology ensures there’s never a dull moment in smart classrooms as students are consistently engaged with the subject matter.

This is because smart technology creates an interactive and fun learning environment as it  encourages memory development and knowledge retention through these mediums:

• Video.

• Audio.

• Gamification.

• Smart boards.

• PowerPoint presentations.

To give you a better idea of how smart technology improves the teaching process and learning experience, let’s take a look at the use of smart whiteboards. 

Rather than a teacher turning their back on their class to erase a chalkboard, smart whiteboards allow them to continue to face their students, maintaining their attention.

Environmentally friendly

Traditional schools and colleges have a significant carbon footprint. 

This is due to the excessive amount of paper and photocopier ink used to print physical lesson notes, important documents, and other class materials. 

Cloud-based technology, like student management software, completely removes paperwork from the equation and makes running a school more streamlined.

Lessons notes and resources can all be stored online and accessed anytime. 

You can also say goodbye to never-ending pages of physical registers to take attendance as this can all be done via a tablet or laptop.

Smart technology is your best option if you’re looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and support green environment efforts.

Easy access to online resources

Having your school set up on a cloud-based management system means everything from documentation to classroom resources are stored digitally.

Perhaps the most important benefit of this is that information can be accessed by anyone, anytime, and from anywhere in the world.

When it comes to virtual classes, this is a massive plus as students and teachers have easy access to everything they need for effective learning.

Staying up-to-date with lessons

With smart technology, students have information at their fingertips which means they can learn at a pace that suits them.

As we mentioned earlier, cloud-based technology means students can access resources anytime and anywhere.

This is far more effective than trying to keep multiple students with varying learning styles on the same page.

As classes can be recorded and stored on cloud software for anyone to access, students who have missed a class or need to review lessons can access these videos anytime.

This is also a great alternative for students who struggle to keep up with the pace of mainstream classes or have learning difficulties. 

Keeping parents informed

Effective learning shouldn’t only involve teachers and students. Learning needs to be supported by parent involvement too.

Having parents immersed in learning gives students the support they need to learn and grow both in the smart classroom and at home. 

Smart technology provides a convenient and efficient way for parents to remain informed and to connect with teachers.

The dedicated parent portal on Teach ‘n Go’s school management platform allows schools to keep parents updated rather than sending letters home with students or making phone calls.

For example, if there is a big exam coming up, schools can use the platform to inform students and parents what material needs to be prepared. 

Keeping parents informed through our platform helps them to: 

✅ Stay on track with upcoming events, student projects, and homework that learners may need assistance with.

✅ Keep up-to-date with parent-teacher meetings, announcements, school policies, fees, and exam schedules.

✅ Access and review information about their children, such as their performance and attendance records.

✅ Communicate directly with teachers and even set up meetings.

When schools are able to communicate clearly with parents, students reap the rewards. 

Better communication with parents improves the way students learn because they are fully supported at home and at school. 

This often boosts their confidence and learning abilities.

Preparing students for the digital world

There’s no denying that we are in the midst of a digital revolution, and it’s important that students understand how to use digital tools.

A smart school equips students with the tools they’ll need to succeed when they get older by exposing them to technologies that they can incorporate into their careers.

By learning how to use smart technology like laptops and tablets, children are able to stay updated with technological advances needed for modern careers.

Boosting productivity 

School management systems also help teachers be more productive. 

For example, smart technology allows them to get through manual tasks—such as taking attendance—far faster than before. 

Teachers can quickly move down a digital list of student names and, as a result, record their attendance.

This is faster and more efficient than working with complex physical attendance registers.

Cloud technology means that teachers can access resources with ease, reducing wasted time finding paperwork and improving productivity levels.

Any digital tool that streamlines processes and creates more engaging lessons is beneficial for productivity, both for teachers and students.

This is because teachers can spend less time on tedious admin and more time planning engaging learning sessions and communicating with students and parents.

Storytelling and visual learning

Students need to be able to collaborate with both their peers and their teachers to form a better understanding of the subject matter and to absorb content faster.

Usually, smart technology allows teachers to present new information to students in a visual format. This is far more engaging for students than simple text on a chalkboard.

Visual learning may help students understand complex concepts in less time than they would in a traditional classroom. 

Digital tools make storytelling possible through the use of video, audio, music, and narrative voice—which is an effective way for students to process and learn new information.

Collaboration for skills development

Smart technology allows teachers to enhance their lessons through storytelling and collaboration. 

Technology allows students to work together on the same slide, project, or whiteboard, for example.

Storytelling, through the use of media like audio and video, facilitates communication and collaboration in ways that just aren’t possible in traditional classrooms. 

Collaboration is essential for students to develop core skills such as communication, presentation delivery, and conflict resolution.

A solution for every learning style

Each student has a different way of learning that teachers need to cater for. 

Some students may pick things up faster when they are presented in a visual format, and others may need more time to grasp new concepts. 

Additionally, some students may need to watch recordings more than once to fully understand the lesson.

A smart school caters to all student learning styles. Lessons can be made more engaging for various learning preferences and capabilities using various digital tools.

By making information readily accessible via smart tools, students can review and revise new knowledge as much as they need to until they fully understand the concept.

Teachers can create a dynamic learning environment that accommodates different learning preferences through smart technology.

A Smarter Way to Learn

Using smart technologies benefits the entire school community, from teachers to students and parents. 

The benefits of adopting smart technology are endless. Not only does it boost productivity, but it can also lead to smoother day-to-day operations.

If schools and colleges want to provide the best quality education for their students, an investment in smart technology is the way forward.

A great place to start is by investing in a simple yet powerful school management system like Teach ‘n Go. 

Our platform uses cloud technology and robust automation to make processes and operations run faster and smoother. 

Some of our features include:

• An interface that is user-friendly for students, teachers, and parents.

• A calendar that allows you to view classes and scheduling in real time.

• Stats and reporting that help you understand and analyze student and teacher performance.

• Cloud-based video integration.

• Grading software.

• Group messaging to communicate with parents.

• Giving students access to all the information they need in one place.

To learn more about how Teach ‘n Go can help you transform your school into a smart one, book a demo or start your 7-day free trial today.