It’s safe to say that student needs and the ways we educate around the globe are continually shifting. A classroom in 2024 looks nothing like one from 2004, or even 2014. Today, technology is becoming an even bigger part of the education equation, and so learning how to use all these new digital offerings effectively is a must for both teachers and students alike.

To be an effective educator today, teachers are required to keep themselves current and learn all the latest digital skills. Tools that did not exist in times gone by, like video chatting platforms and artificial intelligence, are now necessities in our dynamic physical and online classrooms. And as this shift has only occurred over the past decade or so in particular, now is the perfect time for students and educators to jump in from the ground floor and master these digital skills.

In this article, we’ll go over four crucial digital skills that all modern teachers should hone – especially those who can expect to engage in online learning initiatives over the course of their career.

Converting Between File Formats

As a teacher, you’ll be working with various file formats. It’s absolutely crucial that you’re equipped with fundamental skills like combining PDF files and converting between different kinds of documents.

One use case is creating study guides for your students. Often, you’ll be typing the content onto a Word document or a Google Doc, as these are the most easily editable file types.

However, it’s often best to send the actual work as a PDF, as this is an extremely universal file type, and you can be sure that the format won’t get messed up as sometimes happens with Word documents when opened on different devices. We recommend that teachers build proficiency using PDF tools like Adobe Acrobat.

It’s also important to familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of various document formats since you’ll be using them in different situations. You might choose to give your lectures using PowerPoints, for instance. Having this freedom of choice to use the files and formats that suit you best naturally begins with building proficiency with all the options available to you.

Online Video Platforms

Online video platforms have been around for a long time, but they really came into their own during the pandemic. Tools like Zoom and Google Meets were used to hold virtual classes when it was impossible to meet physically. While COVID restrictions have since gone away, the habit of holding classes virtually hasn’t. In fact, video conferencing hardware is now being installed in classrooms all over the world. So the utilisation of online video platforms has proven itself to be an evolution in education, and so much more than just a passing technological trend.

You want to familiarise yourself with all the basic functions of your chosen platform, like how to mute and unmute yourself, create breakout rooms and utilise the chat function. Having to deal with technical difficulties on the fly can be frustrating and waste time that could have been spent teaching.

Learning how to use platforms like Zoom effectively involves more than getting a handle on the technical ins and outs. It’s also important to master delivering a class where your students are all sitting in front of a computer screen miles apart from you and each other.

Keeping students engaged and helping them retain information effectively in this setting is as much an art as it is a science.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. From how we search to how we shop to how we create content, AI is seeping into every area of our lives. In 2024, teachers everywhere must learn what it is and how to use it to their advantage.

While certain sci-fi movies might have given AI a bad rap, it should be embraced rather than feared. It’s a powerful tool when used properly, and this is as true as anywhere else in the world of education. Teachers can use AI to help them develop lesson plans, analyse large amounts of data and detect instances of cheating in student writing.

AI might seem like a big word, but it’s more accessible than it’s ever been, and anyone can learn it. If you haven’t already, hop on to ChatGPT and play around with it. You’ll soon learn

why everyone’s so excited (and fearful). There are also countless courses on how to use AI in various contexts.

Creating Visual Content

People learn in different ways, and the ability to create attractive visual teaching material is a great way to engage students who are visual learners. A properly designed infographic allows students to retain information that lectures or lengthy readings simply won’t.

Photoshop is the gold standard for graphic design, as it’s relatively easy to get the hang of and offers incredible creative freedom. If learning Photoshop isn’t for you, there are lots of online tools that make it easier for you to design basic graphics, at the expense of some flexibility. Canva and Visme are two great examples of this. There are even AI apps out there that create art based on the prompts you give them.

Simply put, with all the new digital design tools available for teachers and students to use, designing fun and engaging graphics has never been easier. So educators, start adopting these tools today and who knows – you may encourage your students to develop these digital skills themselves!

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No matter what sector of education you work in, it’s impossible to escape the necessity of being tech-savvy. Students respond to different methods of teaching than they did twenty or even ten years ago, which means that teachers need to be adaptable if they want to remain relevant.

In this blog post, we’ve gone through four key skills a modern teacher needs to know. If you can master how to use online video platforms, various AI tools, different document types and one or two graphic design softwares, you’ll be on your way to being the most effective educator you can be in 2024.