Technology in the Classroom

High Tech for High Class Students

The digital age has outgrown its homey roots. No longer are tablets and media devices simply for the casual user. Business and educational facilities everywhere continue to find inventive and effective ways to incorporate technology into their infrastructure. ESI has jumped on this bandwagon, or should we say, is steering the wagon itself. For a school of roughly 150 students, they are taking big leaps in the classroom. The newest class of students will be the first to enter school with a tablet as the primary learning device. Tests, training modules, instructional videos, can now be easily viewed on each student’s tablet, as the cost is covered in their tuition.

The tablet provides a myriad of possibilities for the students, well beyond their time at ESI. The educators at ESI encourage and instruct students how to start their own blog, film and upload their own instructional videos, and create an online presence before they even enter their professional careers. Asha Sterling, creative director at ESI says that the tablets, “Pushes students to engage with the online beauty community”. With courses on technology and assistance with downloading apps the tablets, “students no longer have an excuse for not connecting online, they have to do it everyday”. It also creates a more helpful student environment as the tablets provide a medium for students to “connect and help one another” with possible problems that may occur.

Here is what our founder, Elaine Sterling, has to say about her tech philosophy: "We are living in the digital age. I would never have thought when I open my school that in just a few short everyone would be connected to the internet, social media and the world via tablets, phones and soon to come devices like drones and google glass. Technology changed the way we do business how we connect with prospective student and how incorporate a dynamic way of educating our students in the traditional classroom setting. The Elaine Sterling Institute is a traditional clock hour post-secondary school therefore for our undergraduate programs we do not offer online classes however we can offer their books, library and a media center in a virtual space. They can use the online e-learning space in the classroom and as reference -study guide when they are at home.

The students are bringing their digital devices to school anyway and for the new generation not allowing these phones and tablets in the classroom is like removing one of their arms. They do not know life without them so why not embrace technology and use it for the greater good. I also wanted to be more socially and environmentally responsible as far as the amount of paper we are using on a daily basis. Going “paperless” makes me feel like we are playing a small part in helping the world we live in. Our many online educational formats include Course mate, ITEC e- learning, Elaine Sterling e-portal. All our books, practice tests, games, flash cards, videos, and reference materials are housed online on various portals. The students take their tests online while they are sitting in the classroom. The instructors log them in and select the examination for them. This allows the student to receive their grade immediately thus “ NO LOST TESTS” is a problem for any school. We are connecting and learning on a whole new level and I am excited about being part of this new digital age. The Elaine Sterling Institute believes in dynamic learning and we are committed to be on the cutting edge of the spa industry. The digital age is moving fast and we plan to be right there with it."