Professional Tools and Applications

Why do we need professional digital tools for teachers?

Education is becoming more dynamic every year. At the same time many feel that teachers’ work is becoming more and more complicated. There are constantly new needs and demands teachers are expected to fulfill. Furthermore, the advancement of technology is changing education rapidly and digitalization is entering into classrooms around the world.

This is changing the education landscape globally, leading educators to continuously improve their teaching skills by adopting new platforms, tools, and solutions. Pre-service teacher training is hardly enough for teachers anymore to keep them updated with latest developments in education. Teachers need ongoing support and upgrading of their skills and knowledge throughout their teaching careers. The key question is how we can provide all teachers with all this needed support and continuous professional development.

Nearly everyone – teachers and students alike – uses technology of some form in our everyday lives. Mastering different digital tools and applications has become a life-skill. Education is no exception in this. The expectations of students are changing in terms of the manner they wish to learn and what and how they want to be taught. The traditional, textbook-based teaching approach is not enough anymore. Educational apps allow students to have access to invaluable resources and learning materials on laptops and mobile devices. One benefit of these types of apps is that they can keep students connected to the classroom, even while they are participating in distance learning.

However, technology is there to support and empower teachers – not to replace them. Technology can be a tool for better learning, not a learning outcome. The ultimate goal for teachers is still learning and wellbeing of students – not the devices as such. Digital tools for teachers are useful only, if they can strengthen teachers´ pedagogical skills and understanding, offer new possibilities to conduct teaching and promote the learning of students.

When it comes to different professional applications for teachers, there is no shortage of options. Whether you want to improve the well-being of your students, design better lessons for better learning, add more gamified learning to your lessons etc., there is an app for it. If you are a teacher who wants to make use of these type of solutions, check out our selection of the best Finnish professional digital tools for teachers!