What is a Smart School? What are its Benefits?

School days are the best part of a person’s life where they learn new things, meet new friends, and get good guidance from teachers. In fact, this is the place where the character of a student gets shaped. So what is so much different for a smart school?

Unlike conventional school life, the smart school concept makes use of advanced technology and equipment in classrooms to give students better learning experience. Teaching has moved to a really advanced level where the one-sided lecture methods no more exist and students are having a more interactive learning experience.

A basic smart classroom uses gadgets such as laptops, teaching screens, and projectors to add a visual effect to learning.

Smart school software is also becoming relevant nowadays which makes the school operations more easy and productive.

Many surveys and researches have pointed out how advantageous a smart school concept can be if used in the right way.

Let us have a look at the key benefits of a smart school.

(1) Easy Access to Online Information:

As a smart class incorporates various gadgets with internet connection such as mobiles, tabs, and laptops, students can easily access online information.

Data regarding any of their subjects are available at their fingertips.

Both teachers and students can have access to online resources to learn more about the subject rather than just what is in the syllabus to get a better understanding of the lessons

(2) Digital Medium for Note-Taking:

Students can save a lot of their learning time by making use of the digital medium for note-taking.

They don’t need to carry heavy textbooks and notebooks to school but just their tab and digital pen.

Moreover, options such as Google Docs make it feasible for teachers to co-author presentations and documents.

The digital notes are easy to share and so peers can make learning more engaging by sharing their personalized notes on the subjects with ease.

(3) Digital Tools help understand Topics Better:

Smart classes are a better bet for grasping the topics in a better way.

The learning sessions involve more visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations, audio sessions, word documents, and video screenings which convey the lessons in a more understandable way.

A simple picture can replace a thousand words and the use of such instructional tools in smart classes is making learning more effective. Listening to lectures and taking notes at the same time can be troublesome for students who are not comfortable with multitasking which is not a problem with smart classes.

(4) A Smart Solution for Absentees

As smart classes are always being recorded, missing a class is not a big deal. Absentees can get the video record of the session any time and go through it and clarify any doubts through emails.

In conventional classrooms, it is a tough time for students to copy all the notes that were given on a particular day.

However, the digital note-taking concept erases such concerns for students as they can just access the online copy of notes from their student account.

Similarly, online exams are also available for students who were not able to make it on a particular exam day.

(5) Dynamic Perspective to Learning:

Every student in the class may not be of the same grasping power.

The conventional teaching methods give a tough time for the weak students but the dynamic perspective to learning with smart classes is making things a lot easy for all students.

Especially the visual effects learning concept in smart classes make the lessons clearer for almost all types of students as humans can easily interpret visuals.

As students will be active participants in technology-aided learning, they can have control of their own learning and push themselves to excel more.

(6) Interactive Teaching Environment:

The integration of digital tools in the classroom proposes an interactive teaching environment where both teachers and students will have separate role plays.

This type of learning improves the transparency level between teachers and students.

Moreover, students can hold a strong bond with the teachers by maintaining the communications out of the school too with messages and emails. This helps students to share their thoughts and concerns more freely during the learning sessions.

Also Read: 20 Best Education System in the World

(7) Digital Tools Replace Papers:

Have you imagined how many tons of papers are being used by students for note-taking every year?

With the ‘go green’ concept, most of the enterprises are nowadays going paperless.

With digital note-taking, smart classes are actually proposing a way for replacing the use of tons of papers every year.

This concept gives no way for printouts and photocopiers that are the main reason for generating carbon footprint. So the smart classes are indeed a smarter way of proposing a greener environment.

(8) Maintenance is Easy

In the conventional classroom, students will have to spend a sum every year to buy books, pens, and other stuff with the changing levels of their classes.

However, smart classes propose an onetime investment for buying electronic gadgets during the first year. Students can use the same gadget for the rest of the years by storing each year’s content on the cloud.

They just need to go for the yearly service of the gadgets to keep them updated. The initial investment may seem costly for some of the institutions but it pays you back well with quality education.

(9) Learning with Subject Experts

The conventional classrooms will have a set of teachers to handle different subjects which remains the same throughout the year.

Smart classes often involve video lecture sessions from subject experts which help students to have the next level of understanding of the subject.

By communicating with subject experts, students get a chance to learn the subject from a different perspective which helps them to learn tough lessons with ease.

(10) Expanded Learning Opportunities:

With a wide range of possibilities, the smart teaching concept proposes open-walled learning rather than learning within four walls of a classroom.

This gives them wide opportunities to explore more about the subject on the web and make learning more comfortable for them.

As the world of internet opens them a handful of diverse learning opportunities, students can improve their competency level and go for out of the box learning concepts.

(11) Fun-Filled Learning

Smart classes would be livelier and there is no more boredom of one-sided lectures.

The use of digital tools makes learning sessions more fun-filled with advanced levels of gamification.

The smarter and entertaining way of learning with advanced technologies gives no way for any dull moment in classrooms and students would be craving for more every time.

(12) Can Learn New Technologies

Smart learning actually gives a chance for students to interact with various electronic gadgets and thus learn new technologies.

The engagement with advanced technologies is going to help them well when they move to their career.

Also, the social media platforms help them to easily connect with others with their similar interests and this helps them to build their network.

Both teachers and students can join online communities to explore the out of the box options to perform better.

(13) Collaborative learning options:

The smart school concept is a good platform to make the best out of collaborative learning.

Dynamic grouping, project-based learning, and workshops give them a good chance to get better out of group learning.

The integration of digital tools helps to make collaborative learning more productive. This kind of digital learning can boost student motivation as well as persistence.

(14) Better Grades for Students:

According to many types of research and surveys, the smart school concept is helping students to get better grades.

As this advanced learning approach provides the utmost flexibility to satisfy students of all types, they get a chance to bring the best out of themselves.

Moreover, simulations and content-embedded assessment give them continuous feedback which helps them to track their progress and motivate themselves.

(15) Effective Learning Experience

In a smart class, teachers can share knowledge and resources in an interesting way of using digital technology. Teachers can share videos, audios, presentations and many other forms of visuals relating to the things they have covered up in the class.

Teachers can also make the content relevant and updated as the years pass by. Thus students can grab knowledge apart from their textbooks and creates an efficient learning impression in the minds of the students.

(16) Weeks Never Fall Behind

One of the significant advantages of smart classes is that it provides a customized learning experience.

Slow learners can watch the recorded classes any number of times at their own pace until all doubts are resolved.

Students can also communicate with teachers online for clarification.

Thus teachers can also put their heads apart from school timings to help all struggling students to shine up.

(17) Keep Parents in the Loop

For effective extended learning to happen, parents should also stay updated with their ward’s curriculum.

Using classroom management apps, parents can also interact and keep track of their child’s academic progress.  Parents can directly communicate with teachers using these apps.

(18) Prepares Students for the Future

In the present scenario, there is hardly any field without tech involvement.

So getting used to technology from a small age nurtures students to excel in this field.

Some kids hesitate to use technology as they are unaware to use it, bus smart classrooms can deprive this and of course, smart classes can bring smart students.

(19) Time-saving technology

Students need not spend time taking notes manually; teachers can also prepare notes digitally.

Smart classes allow students to make a presentation online and get feedback from their teachers in less time.

(20) Increased Productivity

The things that are imparted visually grab the attention of students than communicated verbally.

It is likely to engage and involve the students easily in minimal time. Thus motivating students and teachers in a way to accomplish better results leading to increased productivity.

Also Read: What is peer teaching and why is it important?

(21) Smartboards are Fun

Smart classes provide an interactive learning experience for students. Teachers can turn the boring lectures into interesting sessions by imparting visuals, animations etc relating to the topic. As students involve more it will be also interesting for teachers to teach.