Blog Assignment 3

Technology in Special Education

One way that technology has changed the way special education is taught is by facilitating communication. In the video I was thrilled to see how some students were able to use computers to communicate their thoughts. Not only could students communicate effectively but they also could complete their assignments in a fraction of the time.

Another way students benefit from technology is through the ability to magnify letters from text. This is a very important advancement in education. Even though there are books with large print they still may not meet the needs of the student. With magnification print can be made larger with the click of a mouse.

A third benefit to technology is in writing. In order to write before the use of computers students would have to physically move something over a piece of paper. This would not only be difficult but it would also be time consuming. Writing quicker gives the student the opportunity to complete more work at one time. This would make it easier to learn more.

I would use technology to teach in many of the same ways as shown in the video. I would definitely use it for communication. I may have the students watch a video or read then ask them questions. I would use technology to magnify text for the students. I would probably have interactive games. Having the ability to communicate would be useful in group projects. Although playing music in a classroom is not new I would like to see student listening to iPods to help make reading fun

After visiting Apple Education Apps.com I found that a valuable teaching tool could be Simplex Spelling Phonics 1. The reviews for this application were very positive. I would use this tool to help students with their spelling. The app allows students to learn to spell by first hearing a word then attempting to click or drag letters into boxes. Words can be repeated by clicking a box on the right. With this app I believe that learning vocabulary can be made interesting. By making spelling more fun students will be encouraged to learn. In this video Simplex Spelling Phonics 1, it describes and shows the easy to use interface.

Gary Hayes Social Media Count

At Gary Hayes Social Media Count you see how many people are interacting through social networks. This number continues to grow each day. As an educator I could use social networks to gain ideas and be aware of new innovations in teaching. It also shows how many hours are uploaded onto YouTube. To think of YouTube videos for entertainment only would be a waste. I could upload videos to YouTube to help students on projects and also to allow them to see class lectures while they are away. This could be valuable for students because they can repeat a lecture.

I noticed the astounding number of apps being downloaded every second. Apps should be used in classrooms to make learning fun. Learning through taking notes and listening is not fun. I think it would be interesting to see how apps could be used for a loose competition. One app I have seen showed different levels of achievement for spelling words correctly depending on the number of attempts. It would be interesting to hold a virtual spelling bee.

A Vision of Students Today

It is astounding what students today consider normal. Spending all class sitting and taking notes while focusing on a black board. We have been working with this system so long that it has simply become “the way”. Technology is used often by so many of us that it is incredible to find such a place where it does not exist. I believe we are at the beginning of a change.

The video showed facts about students today. Students spend a considerable amount of time reading and writing on their computers. Students bring their computers to class but do not use them for school. It also showed that some students pay for class and do not show up. A final thing I noticed is how much money students spend on books they do not use. As a teacher I would look at this video and think about how I can make the class more interactive. I would use pictures and videos during class but I do not think it is enough. It should be a goal to get educators the resources to teach in the 21st century. I believe administrators will eventually find a way to accomplish that goal.