The thought of writing a 1,400-word biography, reflecting on my knowledge of computers, is extremely scary and difficult. I can honestly say that I do not have enough knowledge or experience with technology to produce 1,400 words, but I will try.
I have been involved in the field of education since 1984. I received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University Of Georgia, in the field of Mental Retardation, in May of 1984. I began my teaching experience in a very rural area of South Georgia. The job was in an elementary school that had a “center” of students with I.Q’S ranging from 25 to 55. The ages of the students in this “center” were from 5 to 18. (Please note that segregating students in this way, today, is against the law). We worked on simple academics but our main focus was on daily living skills such as: basic money management, housekeeping, shopping and cooking. At this point in my career, we used a computer to do simple budget outlines. We would print out the budget and the students would learn to check off certain items. We also printed out a shopping list and they learned to mark the items and would make “tic” marks for how many items they needed.
In 1986, I was moved to a middle school special needs classroom. This classroom was housed in a trailer in the back of the school. To access a computer, my paraprofessional or I would have to go inside the school. The only things we used the computer for was to write an Individual Educational Plan, but there was no template at that time. In 1992, the school system built a new school and moved the special needs students into the main building. At this point and time, we were given our own Apple Computer and a few floppy disks to go with it. I actu...
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...the appropriate company. This process use to take up to two weeks to complete, now it only take 2 to 3 days. I am able to communicate with all Easter Seals centers through the computer using the Intranet and we have Webcam (Logitech) on each Directors computer so that we can video conference when needed.
I can honestly say that my computer skills have improved just by being in graduate school. I am proficient in Microsoft Word and Power Point, but am very uncomfortable using Excel and have never opened Access. Fortunately, I have two children in college and an Electrical Engineer as a husband so my resources are bountiful. I am learning not to be as intimidated by the computer as I once was. My daughter said something to me during my statistics class that I thought was great, “Mama, just remember, you know more than your computer, it is only a machine”.
As children growing up, we tend to imitate and aspire to be like the people we look up to. Looking back at my childhood, my passion for teaching and working with children comes as no surprise. When I was in 5th grade a young boy my age was as others stated to be "different." Teaching him, reading to him on the bus, and just always wanting to get to know him made me realize how much I would like to do this professionally. Seeing how the grown ups interacted, and was so effective with children really amused me. I had been surrounded by children my whole life, and as I got older, I would try my best to lend a hand and help all the other children that has disablities. After my first experience in a school, I grew fond of working with students in a classroom setting. I began looking up teacher development workshops, and graduate courses to expand my knowledge about what possibly would happen if I went into the special education feild, in order to support and apply while teaching at the time. After becoming familiar with the different realms of education I became aware of a few things. I ...
Bryant, D. P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2008). Teaching Students with Special Needs in
Educational programs should teach performance of chronological age-appropriate and functional skills in different environments. ( This is not the case for numerous programs for students with a severe disability.)
Teacher Interview(s): according to Ms. Special Ed, a ten-year veteran of special education who started her career at age twenty-nine, proportionally, 35.4 percent of S.H.E. students have an Individualized Education Program, in conformity with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, herein IDEA. In Windham County, the average public school has 18.6 percent of its student population considered to be learning disabled; S.H.E. has a noticeably higher percentage of students with learning disabilities, compared not only with Windham County, but Connecticut overall, as the average public school in the state is populated by 26.4% of its elementary students with learning disabilities. Further, more males than females at S.H.E. have learning disabilities with a ratio of 10.1% of females to 25.3% of males in the special education program. For the this specific field experience study relating to Students X & Y, both six-year old males, S.H.E. “offers” seven special education teachers and 13 paraprofessional instructional assistants who “service” the special needs of exceptional students including speech services, behavior interventionists and dedicated special education
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
Assistive technology is often used by individuals with a learning disability. A learning disability “describes a neurobiological disorder in which a person’s brain works or is structured differently” (Lee1). A person’s abilities can be severely affected from a learning disability. They may listen differently, talk differently, write, spell, organize, and work with school subjects in a different way. Learning disabilities also affect people’s individual and personal lives to a great extent. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in seven children has a learning disability. The disability manifests itself when the child shows difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, and conversing with others. The added time they need to process information may make them seem less intelligent then others around them, but this is not the case. Individuals with learning disabilities are just as smart as anyone else; they just need to learn in a different way. The earlier a learning disability is noticed and detected, the earlier a child may be able to learn how to deal with or compensate for it (Lee 1). This is where assistive technology comes into play.
been around computers for many years now and enjoy them. I began to learn the
Computer engineering is a very time consuming, challenging job. To be a good computer engineer you need years of experience and collage education. Computer engineers provide information and data processing for certain computer firms and organizations. They conduct research, design computers, and discover and use new principles and ideas of applying computers. I am going to tell you specific facts about the careers of computer engineers like payment, education needed, skills, responsibilities of the job, job outlook, and benefits of the job.
Born in the eighties, I entered a world of big hair and bad style. In the technological realm there were tape players, VCR’s, and fresh on the market: personal computers. Apple was domination the computer scene with their introduction of the Lisa computer. But not for long, soon computer technology would jump to unimaginable heights. As I grew up the technology around me would continue to grow and advance – quite rapidly I might add.
I have always been interested and intrigued by computers, ever since using a BBC when I was very young. Since then I have become fluent in writing BASIC and more recently I have learnt HTML, the language of the World Wide Web on which I have my own wesite. I use computers for most of my exam coursework such as Solving Equations Using Numerical Methods for Pure Maths 2 and also for recreation.
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.
I now apply technology to many different aspects of my life including academics, personal, and recreational. I am now able to choose wisely between different types of technology and am able to distinguish between the different options that I have. I also have a much better understanding of the wide variety of programs that are accessible to me and I am able to use them with a basic understanding of how they work.
Choosing a career is very important in a person’s life. Over the past two decades, many professions have change significantly with the influx of technological developments. One needs to think about the things that interest them and what kind of lifestyle they want to have. Some things a person should think about are what qualifications are needed, what type of training is necessary, and the future need of the career they choose. Some other things to consider would be how much money they will make, what is the probability of advancement, and does the career satisfy their need for an enjoyable life.
When I applied for a work study position at Thomas Nelson Community College, I found out the job mostly involved using the computer when I did my first interview. I had to know how to use excel along with checking emails, and organizing various files. They talked about how my computer skills along with my ability to do filing work helped get me in the position I managed to obtain. I’ve also noticed that even people like the dean of my division is very computer literate, so it just further proves my point that learning how to use computers will open up more opportunities for others to get great