Boy have things changed since I was in middle and high school! Granted, when I was in middle school, gas was still under $1.00 and Arnold Schwarzenegger was still acting in movies. The most high tech things we had in our classes was a television, a VCR and an overhead projector. Caitlin comes home practically every day telling me about all the cool stuff they are using in schools to aid in teaching. She is even allowed to bring her iPod or phone into the classroom to listen to music and download apps on school related topics. Wow! More and more schools are using an iPad, Skype, Twitter, and digital whiteboards. I am all for using all of this in the classroom as long as it is effective. Studies find technology can tap into the learning style of each child, which in turn raises their learning capacity. If your child is a hands on learner, using an iPad or computer keyboard are tools that will help them learn better. For Caitlin, she is an auditory learner and hands on learner, so she has several options that helps her learn and retain information. One company that has been winning awards for the use of their products in the classroom is Kidz Gear, a mompreteneur run company.
Using Technology In The Classroom
This past week, Caitlin was practicing for auditions for the upcoming school play of Annie. Instead of using sheet music and a CD to bring home, the kids were told to download the music from iTunes, which they were able to do in class. For those kids who had a smartphone, MP 3 player or tablet with them were allowed to use them in the classroom to listen to and begin to learn the songs. The one thing that Caitlin said was missing were good headphones as most of the kids didn’t have any nor did the school. Ironically, we had just received the KidzControl Volume Limited Headphones for Kids to review and what better place than in school! The headphones from Kidz Gear are more than a brightly colored toy for your kids to use at home. These award winning headphones deliver crystal clear sound while protecting your kids ears at the same time. These headphones are volume minimizing, so your child cannot turn them up full blast and hurt their eardrums. The Kidz Gear headphones recently won the 2013 Learning Magazine Teachers Choice Award and was recommended as one of the most outstanding classroom products in 2013. I love that Caitlin can take these headphones into the classroom and use them for school appropriate uses while her ears are safe. I love this because she loves to crank up her tunes and sometimes I think she will burst an eardrum! You can purchase your child a pair of the KidzControl headphones online at Kidz Gear for $19.99 and you can choose from 5 colors. In addition, you can also order a carrying bag for the headphones for $5.99 as well as an earphone splitter for $5.99.