Empowering students to be engaged and confident in their learning is an ambition that spans the curriculum, and it is an area where technology can be particularly powerful.But it can be easy to fall in to the trap of buying a piece of tech without really knowing how to use it effectively. So we have picked five simple ways technology can promote greater independence in learning.Capture learningEmpowering students is about giving them more responsibility and accountability for their learning according to Tom Rees, head teacher at Simon de Senlis Primary in Northampton.“Too many young people sleepwalk through their school life being compliant, playing by the rules and allowing a combination of children and adults to do most of the thinking and learning for them,” he saysBut in reality, unless children are handed more responsibility for their learning, they will continue to rely on teacher-led instruction, becoming participants in rather than owners of their education.One way to boost pupils’ engagement in their learning is to capture it using technology. Much as we take photos of experiences we want to share, Rees suggests allowing students to use devices to create “multimedia notes”, such as videos and podcasts, which they can access on-demand at a later date.This creates a greater sense of ownership; students can choose how to record their digital notes and where and when to revisit them. It also allows pupils to reflect on and reinforce their learning on their own terms.Flip your classroomThe flipped classroom model is where technology is used by students to acquire knowledge and concepts online (often through video) in advance of sessions with their teachers.Work in the classroom can then focus on skills such as evaluation and critical thinking.“Through video, accurate explanations and models can be ensured, and students can pause, rewind or fast-forward to personalize the pace of instruction around their preferences,” Rees says.It’s an empowering approach because pupils are given more control over their learning. Instead of struggling with concepts during lesson time, they can digest materials at their own speed then come to class armed with questions.Teachers are empowered too as they are put in a better position to help students with aspects they don’t understand. Research projects and Web Quests a lesson format in which most or all the information that students work with comes from the web are another good way to use technology to encourage independent learning, while forums such as The Student Room provide an immediate advice and information portal.Break down barriersTechnology can be used to great effect to empower students with specific special educational needs (SEN). This might be accessibility tools for pupils with dyslexia, dictation for children with visual impairments, or real-time translator tools for those with English as an additional language (EAL).As Kevin Sait, IT manager at Wymondham High Academy Trust in Norfolk, explains: “Microsoft OneNote learning tools can take a piece of text, syllabise, pick out nouns and adjectives, cater for dyslexia, and read the passage back to the student. This can be achieved on a small £80 device using the power of the cloud.”Technology can also support pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing by giving teachers real-time information on how they are performing.They can send motivational quotes and advice to students by email or via a social networking service such as Yammer. The speed at which all of this can be done is a major benefit of technology over non-digital strategies.It can also give students with additional support needs a greater sense of independence. Assistive technologies, such as dictation software, allow pupils to experience success while working on their own.Access experts, anytime, anywhereBringing experts into the classroom using tools such as Skype can help boost motivation and provide a greater depth of understanding. It’s even possible to use technology to take your class on a virtual field trip.“Last year, through Skype in the Classroom, we brought computer programmers and video producers into our school to share their expertise with children,” Rees says.One of the most empowering features of technology according to Alan Crawford, assistant principal and strategic director of ICT development at Shireland Collegiate Academy, is that students can learn at any time.“When it comes to technology, an empowered student is one that doesn’t ask “Can I?” They just do it because they have access and it is firmly embedded in their educational journey,” he says.“Microsoft technology allows us to do the heavy lifting for staff, which enables them to concentrate on the learning of students. The students have access to everything that we produce 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”His top tools include Microsoft Surface on an Office 365 learning gateway, with staff preparing resources for students to work in a “flipped” way.Encourage innovation and personalizationTechnology encourages students to experiment and innovate with a range of tools, allowing them to find ones that suit them best.But you don’t need to go technology crazy: choose five key tools which are simple to use, and encourage pupils and teachers to focus on these rather than constantly introducing new apps or programmes.“Empowered learning through technology doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive,” says Rees.“We carry out more than 90% of our online learning using core programmes such as OneNote, Sway, Office 365, Scratch and web-based research or games,” he adds.“All of these are free, and by narrowing the amount of applications, staff and children can become proficient and confident users.”Technology can empower teachers too by making their lives easier. Instead of having an iPad for the classroom and a separate laptop for writing reports, for example, Sait says: “These days a surface device with its full keyboard can fulfil both roles in one.”Using technology to empower young people and give them more control over their learning is, therefore, a very achievable goal and one that is becoming increasingly important.As the recent OECD report, Students, Computers and Learning, says, For the first time, today’s parents and teachers have little, if any, experience with the tools that children are going to use every day in their adult lives, the guardian reports.