Over the last few decades, we’ve been seeing a gradual increase in technology use for educational purposes. Classrooms have become increasingly dependent on tools like computers, tablets, and online curriculum. In fact, school districts in the US used an average of 1,449 digital tools every month during the 2020-2021 school year.

While technology use does offer some clear benefits for educators and students alike, there are also some valid concerns about this approach.

One 2019 survey indicated that technology was distracting for almost half of all students in the classroom.

So, how much technology is needed for student learning, and when does it become disruptive? Let’s take a look.

The Good & Bad of Tech for Students

We hear all the time that too much “screen time” is bad for kids. But does that apply to educational settings? What are the consequences of kids using technology at school all day, and then coming home to watch TV, do homework online, and play video games for hours? According to the Mayo Clinic, too much screen time can lead to irregular sleep, poor academic performance, less time spent on active play, and behavioral problems.

Obviously, there are pros and cons to using tech in the classroom. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology was a literal lifesaver, helping to limit the spread of a deadly disease while allowing schools to continue providing students with an education, limited though it might have been.

But now that students are heading back into the classroom, how much technology should be used? Though there are currently no best practices established, researchers have begun to analyze the effects of technology in the classroom by using 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data.

Some devices were shown to produce worse student outcomes, which indicates that schools would do well to carefully consider what types of technology they invest in. The analysis also shows that it might be best to keep educators in charge of tech in the classrooms, as device use by teachers was associated with higher scores than technology in the hands of students.

Although these results already tell us a lot, there is still much we don’t know about how to optimize tech use in the classroom. However, they do indicate that education leaders need to tread carefully and thoughtfully in introducing more tech.

Technology Gaps & Class Divide

The pandemic revealed many inequalities in the American education system, as schools were forced to take their classes online. Around 15 million students (out of roughly 50 million total) did not have adequate Internet access to fully participate in virtual classroom assignments or the devices they needed to reach their learning goals during the pandemic. Missing school due to lack of access causes students to fall behind, making it difficult for them to catch up.

Income inequality will continue to affect low-income students more as technology’s presence in the classroom increases. The digital divide in education exists not only because individual families do not have the money to buy devices and Internet access, but because low-income schools also cannot afford to fund the necessary equipment.

If the education system intends to continue relying on digital curriculums, it will have to grapple with this reality and help students affected by a lack of resources. The good news is that some nonprofits, such as EducationSuperHighway, are working toward equitable internet access for all U.S. households.

Gamified Learning Is Effective & Enriches Education

One hugely positive trend made possible by technology in education is the gamification of core concepts that all students need to master as they progress through the school system. Children are playful by nature and respond well to learning that is delivered in a “game” format.

Additional engagement isn’t the only benefit of gamification, however. Gamification can help with concentration, processing, and information recall. In short, children learn and retain information better when it’s fun! Several EdTech companies now recognize this and have begun to incorporate gamification into their software for both students and educators. Technology provides the ideal system for this purpose.

Looking Ahead and Considering the Impact of Technology on Students

Clearly, technology offers the education system a range of powerful benefits. However, as we look to the future, it’s important to understand how and when EdTech should be used to help students learn, grow, and prepare for life in a digital world.

In the United States, McKinsey reports that students who use devices for more than 60 minutes a week have better academic outcomes, but it’s important to remember that there are many factors in play when it comes to academic performance. 81% of educators have become more confident in their ability to use EdTech since the pandemic, which could ultimately boost the benefits of using technology in the classroom.

Tech in the classroom is a delicate balance. And for now, we need to learn more about how it affects students and ensure equal access to digital resources before we go full steam ahead.

Featured Image: ThisIsEngineering, Pexels. 

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NASHVILLE, TH – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is collaborating with the Save The Music Foundation on “Junior Music Rights Week” October 11-15, an initiative aimed at helping young music creators between 13 and 18 years old – and their parents or guardians – learn more about the business side of the music industry and specifically, the mechanical licensing process. 

Developed by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, in collaboration with the Save The Music Foundation, “Junior Music Rights Week” is designed to address a surge in recent years of young aspiring artists taking advantage of economical tools to produce new music on their own and utilizing user-generated content (UGC) platforms to release that music out into the world. 

The initiative seeks to educate young music creators at the onset of their careers

The initiative is centered around two webinars hosted by The MLC and a fun, virtual pop-quiz for participants with questions covering the music business and mechanical licensing, as well as the release of both a series of FAQs for teens and their parents or guardians and an animated explainer video on The MLC. At the conclusion of the week, participants will have gained a basic understanding of music copyright, their entitlements as young copyright owners, and the numerous ways teenage music creators just like them utilize social media apps and websites to create revenue streams. 

“Thousands of songs are being uploaded every month to traditional digital music services and other online platforms created by promising teenage artists, and virtually all of the music these songwriters are releasing has the potential to earn royalties when it becomes available on digital music services,” said Bogan, who teaches music business courses at several prominent universities in addition to his role on The MLC’s leadership team. “As a result, it is important to provide these teen music creators with a basic understanding of music copyright law early in their careers so they are prepared to move forward as knowledgeable and empowered professional music creators in the future.”

“Collaborations such as this play a key role in helping The MLC fulfill its mission. We are thrilled to be working with the Save The Music Foundation to educate and empower a new generation of creators,” added Kris Ahrend, the MLC’s CEO.

“Our teachers have been expressing an interest in learning more about copyright law as more and more students are creating their own songs and music,” said Chiho Okuizumi Feindler, Chief Program Officer of Save The Music Foundation. “Junior Music Rights Week will offer our students the tools they need to be successful as they take their first steps as songwriters and we’d like to thank Dae Bogan and his team at The MLC for creating this great opportunity for our community of students, teachers and beyond.”

Junior Music Rights Week will kick off with a “Music, Rights and Money For Teen Artists” webinar on Monday, October 11 at 5 p.m. CT

Bogan will cover the basics of music copyrights, digital music royalties, and the use of music for the internet, social media, film, and TV and answer questions from participants. The following day, participants will take a virtual “So You Think You Know Music Rights” pop quiz comprised of multiple-choice questions pulled from topics addressed during the webinar. 

A second webinar, titled Teens in Music Roundtable, will take place on Thursday, October 14 at 5 p.m. CT. Serona Elton – The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships and a long-time university professor – will host a candid, live conversation with a handful of up-and-coming teenage music creators, each of whom will talk about their musical journey to date, share their experiences with creating and releasing new music, discuss some of the challenges young creators face and much more.

“Junior Music Rights Week” builds on The MLC’s extensive outreach efforts to all rightsholders who may be eligible to receive digital audio mechanical royalties for the use of their songs by digital service providers (DSPs).  The MLC seeks to educate rightsholders about the changes to the mechanical licensing process that took effect following the passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018, the role of The MLC in administering the new blanket license available to DSPs that operate digital audio services in the United States starting on January 1, 2021, and the benefits to rightsholders of becoming a Member of The MLC.

The Music Licensing Collective (MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. 

The Save the Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Founded in 1997, Save The Music partners with school districts and raises funds to restore music programs in public schools. Since its inception, the organization has donated over $63 million worth of new musical instruments, equipment, and technology to 2,290 schools in 286 school districts around the country–impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. 

Featured Image: Drew Patrick Miller, Unsplash. 

The post The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Save The Music Foundation to Present “Junior Music Rights Week” October 11-15 appeared first on eLearningInside News.