As a candidate in the in the Instructional Technology program, I have engaged in a variety of field experiences that demonstrate my ability to synthesize and apply the content and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in the standards. For this reflection, I will reflect on my ability to facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support the individual student learning needs of a 5th-grade student diagnosed with ADHD. In this field experience, I utilized digital tools to aid the student in fostering critical thinking and organizational skills by introducing the student to the digital apps Super Notes and myHomework and the interactive website, ReadWriteThink. V. is a 5th grader who attends a small …show more content…
I also discovered visual aids that help students organizing their thoughts. According to McEwan and Myers (2002), graphic organizers provides students a visual frame that aids them in sorting out notes and expanding their critical thinking skills. Therefore, to assist V. in note taking and mental organization I introduced him to Super Notes and myHomework, as well as the website ReadWriteThink. According to Download.com (n.d), SuperNotes is an app that allows students to create notes using their voices. Students can color code their notes to aid them in retrieving them quickly. They can also set alarm reminders to assist them in remembering when to complete assignments. MyHomework is another application that helps students track homework and various assignments (Microsoft, …show more content…
These unique learning styles are often misunderstood and may contribute to undesirable behavior. However, as an educator, I must accommodate these students by differentiated instruction. This differentiation must include technology integration. Digital tools such as Super Notes and myHomework allow students to remember to take notes and remember important due dates while interactive websites such as ReadWriteThink allow students with ADD/ADHD to use interactive visuals to organize notes into ideas. If I could change this artifact, I would include additional hours in which I collaborated with V.’s teacher. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time and the distance, I was unable to collaborate with her. I am interested in knowing how these digital tools played a role in the
The article discusses a study done in 2013. The study consisted of five different schools in Chile where teachers were using Khan Academy. Four of the five schools were chosen from a non-profit network of schools that provide education to students from low-income families. These families pay approximately $25 a month to send their children to this school. The fifth school was a public school in Chile. The researchers wanted to know how Khan Academy was blending with classroom practices of teachers. So, the researchers interviewed teachers on their use of Khan Academy and their reflections on the website. The study was based on a theory by Vygotsky who believed that tools play an important role in the process of learning and interacting with others. In the study, Khan Academy was the tool being integrated with the established classroom environment. Researchers interviewed eight mathematics teachers to see how they were integrating Khan Academy into the mathematics classroom. According to the teachers, they carefully thought about whether or not Khan Academy was appropriate to use in the classroom. They decided it would be a perfect fit for the middle school curriculum to help these students develop procedural
Working as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the past seven years has provided many opportunities to observe teachers and students in a classroom setting. During this time teachers have been in the process of phasing in a new standards-based curriculum with an emphasis on student mastery of these standards. New technology tools have also been incorporated in many classrooms including studen...
With the rapid growth of technology in America’s society today, the use of computers in school classrooms has increased tremendously—an action that certainly has become beneficial to students, educators, and parents. The use of computers has positively skyrocketed over the past ten years. Not only are computers utilized daily in large companies across the world, but the everyday use in classrooms has also become prevalent. Using modern technology to assist school instructors with his or her daily lessons should definitely be regarded as a positive, acceptable method of instruction and not definitely does not prohibit students from understanding or critical thinking.
In order to discuss how technology motivates reluctant learners, we must first agree upon what exactly a reluctant learner is. According to Joyce M. Herzog, a reluctant learner is one who "is not interested in life at all, is not interested in what you are teaching, and is not able to learn in the time-frame or manner of presentation" (2002). There are several reasons as to why the student may feel the way he/she does. As a teacher, one must be very careful to make sure to take into consideration all of the reasons as to why a student may feel reluctant to put forth the necessary energy in the classroom. One reason may be that the student suffers from a learning disability, which is defined by the educational dictionary Wordsmyth as "any of various conditions thought to be associated with the nervous system, that cause difficulty in mastering a basic skill such as reading" (2002). "Various disabilities include ADD, communication disorders, and behavioral disorders" (Woolfolk, 2004, p.124-131). Students with these disabilities are often seen as disadvantaged when it comes to learning in a typical school setting. Problems at home could also be a cause for reluctancy of students.
Image a school with laptops available to each student to complete their class notes, teachers who are able to help their students through the screens of their computer, children who are excited to learn about numbers with the help of cute, animated characters. With the endless advancement of today’s technology, schools across the world have begun integrating various technology into their curriculum. These devices have the potential to greatly impact students in their learning. When a school opts to use technology in a school setting, the most important factors they should take into consideration are the benefits of using technological devices, the effectiveness of technology used
Technology is becoming more and more dominant in our society.Everyday upgrades are being made and new innovations are being discovered. Technology is all around us whether we want it to be or not: it is the vehicles we drive, it can be found in our homes, and can even be found in the grocery store.Every place we look there is some type of technology.I believe technology has had a major impact on our school systems and is still impacting it today.There are those who do not agree, though, that technology has impacted our schools.Eric Gormly writes, “In fact, many theorists point out the overall impact of technology on education has been quite small, manifesting little discernible change in the classroom.” [1]Yes, there are some schools that are not as advanced as others, but many of them do have a significant amount of technology in them.I find it fascinating that so much technology has been incorporated into our classrooms, but I believe that, even with all of the positive aspects that are associated with technology, there are some negative and even dangerous aspects that should be taken into account.I will be sharing some of the equipment that has been used in the schools, how both the students and the teachers use the equipment, and also the positive and negative effects that technology has had on our schools.
In the article by Chris Preston and Lee Mowbray (2008) a kindergarten classroom was the choice of installation of the interactive hardware. The justification for using this technology with Kindergarten children was their short attention span and the ability of the interactive whiteboard to keep them actively involved promoting learning (Preston and Mowbray 2...
“Are we going to prepare kids for their future, or our past? If we aren’t using technology, we aren’t preparing them for the future” says Sister Patricia Clune, Superintendent in Kansas City (Galitzine). Many kids develop back problems at an early age from carrying heavy textbooks(Tablets). Electronic devices weigh much lighter than textbooks making it a more suitable option for kids (Tablets). Textbooks need to be constantly updated but by using electronic devices schools can easily update books electronically at a much cheaper cost (Tablets).There are numerous tools found online that educators can use to encourage students to be more innovative and creative with their learning (Hilgedick). The support for electronic devices is constantly growing because of health, economical, and educational reasons.
Some say that technology is a distraction and hinders the students from fully learning and developing important skills that they claim only the interactions with the teacher can provide. Teachers have said that technology is a powerful tool that allows them to introduce and demonstrate learning activities in a completely new way. It has been studied and proven that most kids are more motivated and interested in the concepts they are supposed to learn when the teaching tool of technology is used. A fifth grade teacher stated, “Technology is the ultimate carrot for students. It's somet...
By the time a student is in middle school he or she should be able to use software tools such as word processing , data bases, spreadsheets, and telecommunications. But the computer can be used for so much more. The computer can be used as a tutor or for research on any topic. As a tutor, the comput...
Modern technology has made it so much easier to obtain educational information for classroom or homework assignments. It offers educational games that stimulate the brain and help children who have difficulties focusing on traditional teaching and learning procedures. College students are even taking advantage of online courses that many colleges are offering as an alternative to physically attending classes. Advances in technology and computers will continue to play an important role in education for many generations to come.
Technology in education is a touchy subject in the United States. Many parents believe that technology will only hurt their child in future, while some believe that technology will help their child. Parents have to be open and must allow themselves, to see what is happening before they make their decision.
students prefer technology because they believe that it makes learning more interesting and fun. They especially like laptops and tablets. Subjects that students deem challenging or boring can become more interesting with virtual lessons, through a video, or when using a tablet. Technology occupies an important place within students’ lives. When they are not in school, just about everything that they do is connected in some way to technology. By integrating technology into the classroom, teachers are changing the way they used to teach (lectures six hours a day) and providing students with the tools that will take them into the 21st century. One of the characteristics of the modern classroom is collaboration and technology helps to empower it. With classroom technology students can collaborate with other students and their teachers in and outside of the classroom quickly and easily.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA and Denver, CO: ASCD and Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.
Computer technology is one the most innovative advancements in modern-day education. Technology has made its way into the world of teaching practice and principle by expanding the way we approach instruction in the classroom. We are no longer confined to pencil and paper, but have the ability to project and present knowledge in an enhanced way to capture the minds of a generation of students whose society is built around ever expanding world of computer technology.