Using Multimedia in the Classroom

Written by: Austin • Edited by: Amanda Grove
Published Mar 6, 2011 • Related Guides: YouTube | Movie | Music

The usage of multimedia in education is becoming vastly important in this day and age, so much so that nearly every classroom has at least one computer and projector screen. This article helps outline the ways you can use it in your classroom to make learning easier and simpler for your students.

Multimedia in the Classroom

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It's almost dizzying how fast technology is advancing in the modern world. Between all the new music players, phones, TVs, computers, cameras, and headphones, it's a shock that anyone can even begin to keep up with all of it, let alone own even a fraction of everything that's coming out. At this point, it's almost unavoidable to be using technology if you want to keep up, no matter what the situation is, and this applies both to work, home life, your social life, and to teaching.

In recent years, things like SMART Boards and laptops have become a staple of modern education, both in institutions of higher and lower learning. If you plan on teaching as effectively as possible, yet don't quite know how to navigate your way around all of this, then I suggest you read on. It's not as complicated as you may think.

Using Laptops in the Classroom

Most modern day classrooms have a projector screen that can be hooked up to computers, allowing for the display of websites that an entire group of children can see. To make this happen, simply ask your school's computer department for assistance. Most, if not all, laptops have the required hook ups for such a thing, and once you get it ready to go, you're prepared for hours of fun in the classroom. Hooking up a laptop to one of these screens is the first step in the usage of multimedia in education.

After you've hooked up your laptop, you'll need help finding software to use in the classroom to help you foster learning with this technology, as opposed to hinder it. Of course, you should rely on technology for your lessons, but never overuse it. Exercise moderation when using it!

Movies, Music, PowerPoints, and Images

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One of the most used tools in classroom teaching are movies, and it's pretty obvious how these are generally used: Find a movie on your subject, and play it for the students to help foster learning. Some teachers fail to do this correctly though, because they missed one simple thing: Don't just play it and forget about it. Make worksheets, and talk about the movie after it's done. If you seem interested in it, so will the students.

Using music is a little bit more difficult, but some teachers suggest that playing music in the classroom as background noise can help foster creativity and learning, much like how chewing bubble gum can increase concentration. Classical music may work best, but anything that isn't too upbeat or lyric heavy will suffice.

Of course, there are other things that can help with education as well, and one of the best is called "Slideshare." Slideshare is essentially the 'YouTube' for PowerPoint presentations, and you can search for PowerPoint presentations on essentially any topic you can imagine. If you don't like using video for one reason or another, SlideShare is the direction you want to take in order to help get your points across to students.

Closing Tips

Of course, these things aren't the only things out there that can help you with the usage of multimedia in education. I'm sure with a little research you can find plenty more to help you out, but if you're completely stuck then the tips found in this article should keep you and your students busy for quite a while into the future.

References

1. Source: Author knowledge

2. SMART Boards: http://www.smartboards.com/

3. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/

4. PowerPoint: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/

5. Image Credit: All screenshots taken by the author

6. Image Credit: iStockPhoto, http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3744987/2/istockphoto_3744987-multimedia-icons-orange.jpg