I think that having something in the classroom that can help differentiate learning can be very helpful. We as teachers have a lot on our plate and we always should be making sure all of the needs of all of our students are met. No one is the same and everyone learns differently, yet there will only be one of you, the teacher. How can we teach to all of these different learners and be successful? Some would say you can't, that you should teach one lesson one way and teach to the median of the class. Some will be bored and some will struggle but you got your job done, right? NO, NOT RIGHT. We as teachers are not the same as many other professions. We don't just clock in and clock out and call it a day. We touch many, many lives and we can shape them to be better and better. The kid who is bored could be the net genius who can discover a cure to a horrible disease, but they will not get that way by being bored every day in class, they should be challenged and learn to question and research their questions. The kid who is struggling will just get more and more frustrated, and will fall further and further behind, possibly even drop out of school. Who knows what great things they could do with some patience and extra attention? The world would never know unless that mind is cultivated. However, I am a rationalist and I realize that all of this is not always possible. Technology can make our jobs a little easier when it comes to success of all students.
I have personally worked with a student pretty low on the autistic spectrum. He was a high school student and was nonverbal. However, he was able to use technology to communicate. He had something that almost looked like a keyboard that had almost anything that he would need to say. He also loved art but had trouble holding a pencil or any writing utensil. His Para got a drawing app on his iPad so he was able to express himself with his abilities. I think technology does a very important thing that we try to focus on the most. It helps the students focus on their abilities and not their disabilities.
Questions:
1. What is one piece of technology that you think would help your education as a young learner and why?
2. Where did you stand in the level of the classroom (bored, struggling, or somewhere in between)? Do you feel that you were ignored and didn't get all of the benefits from your education?
3. Have you seen technology used to help a student with special needs? How was it used?
To answer you're third question, I have seen technology used to help a student with special needs. I had a student at the daycare I work at who is severely autistic. He would use the Ipad to communicate. The teachers would download apps similar to the activity the class was doing so he was on track with the rest of the class. It truly was something amazing because this little boy is 3 years old and he can navigate an Ipad better than I can!
ReplyDeleteAs for your second question - I was often bored in class, not because I didn't care or because I didn't want to learn, but rather because I wasn't being challenged. The recent stress on differentiation of instruction would have made my elementary school experience more challenging and engaging. I think there are a lot of students who are capable or more than they are ever asked to try and that is as much a disservice as it is to ask students with disabilities and who struggle with the curriculum to perform tasks they are not currently capable of doing. Instruction is meant for the students and therefore the instruction should be tailored to meet the needs of the students. If education is -for- the students, then shouldn't we try to give each student the education that they need and deserve?
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