With more than 9.6 billion people connected to the Internet, technology is advancing the way people communicate, engage, and learn. Technology is heavily utilized by both teachers and students and quickly becoming a staple in today’s classrooms and lecture halls. A report from TalentLMS.com reveals that by 2019, 50% of all college students will be engaged in eLearning. As an educator, it’s essential to stay up-to-date on how technology is impacting the learning environment. One way to gain that insight is to implement more technology in your course and evaluate how it affects your students’ engagement and performance. Below are a few technology tools you can begin using now to start this implementation.1. Poll students in real timeEducators can use a wide range of apps to poll students and access or showcase their responses live on the web or in a PowerPoint presentation. For example, educators pose a question that students respond to through text message. This functionality is helpful for engaging students and assessing their comprehension of key concepts. Check out FreeTech4Teachers.com to learn about seven “student response systems.”2. Challenge students to create an appMany apps allow students to create their own educational app or program. Encourage your students to create apps that quiz users, help users study for a test, or walk users through course content. This functionality engages students in discovery, allows them to create, and motivates them to take ownership of their learning.3. Host guest speakers via SkypeGuest speakers can help students learn a concept from another perspective. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for speakers to visit your class in person. Using Skype, you can digitally connect your students to guest speakers located throughout the world.4. Prompt students to submit questions to you via chatRather than making students raise their hands and wait to be called on, ask your students to submit questions through live chat tools during your lecture. This will allow you to pause at a reasonable stopping point and address questions when you’re ready, instead of halting your instruction abruptly to acknowledge students’ raised hands.5. Create a class hashtagEncourage students to tweet about what they’re learning, share their insight, and create study groups on Twitter. According to graphite.org, ninety-six percent of instructors agree that using technology as an education tool increased student engagement. Take steps now to begin experimenting with technology in your course, and make efforts to learn about how your colleagues are using it as well.