Blog Post #3

Technology in Special Education
Technology in Special Education

After watching the video Technology in Special Education, I learned how simple technology that we use everyday can help children with special needs communicate everyday. Technology can help children who have nonverbal and who have physical/cognitive limitations For example, to get Corbin to participate in class readings he would need an assistant to go in the hallway with him and read to him. With technology, he can use a ipod to download the book on audio for him to read in the classroom while the others are reading the book as well. Also, for those students who can not speak or can not speak very well, they can often use computers to spell out things they want to say. It is easier for them to type on the computer than to try to speak.

In my classroom, I could use one major piece of technology to help students with special needs called the SmartBoard. I think that is a piece of technology that every student can learn from. It allows students to touch and interact on the board rather than just use the normal pencil and paper. I believe that using the SmartBoard, it gets the children more interacted with the materials that they are learning. With that being said, the children are more willing to sit down and do a lesson without interruptions.

How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism
How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism

Intro to Letters, by Montessorium
I could use this app in my classroom by letting the children who have problems writing some letters, practice more. I believe that if they interacted with the game on the iPad, it would help them want to learn more and get a in-depth lesson of what they are learning. I do know that when I was a child I did not particularly like learning my letters and always practicing them. With having the iPad with this app, children could learn how to write their letters and have fun while doing it.

Gary's Social Media Counts
Social Media Counts
After seeing the numbers of the technology things that are happening every second, it is remarkable how numbers change. With seeing this, it put some things into perspective for me. I realized that it is important to incorporate technology into the classroom. One reason being is because many of the jobs in today world has to do with some sort of technology. I feel that students should have some computer knowledge just for the simple fact that we are turning to technology to help us in everyday life.




Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
A Vision of Students Today

While I was watching this movie I feel that I could relate to these students very well. Some facts that I saw that I have often experienced was the small population of teachers knowing my name, spending hundreds of dollars on textbooks that I never opened during the semester, having to be a mulit-tasker in school, and filling out exams that will not help me later on in life. Often times, you may ask yourself, "Will I ever use this stuff in real life?" Nine out of then times, the answer will be no. The reason being is because the teachers today seem to have as Dr. Strange would call it the "burp-back method" of teaching. Drilling facts into students heads until they are tested on it then after that a person will never see those facts again. I believe that students need to have more interaction in the classroom.

If I was a teacher and I just watched this video, I would rethink some of the things that I assign to my students. I believe that you have to get to know students on a person to person basis, not just a name on the roll sheet. I have had several teachers that never once knew me by my name during school. I was just a name on the roll sheet that she never called out, just sent around the room and let the class sign it. I truly believe that if the teacher is more interactive with his or her students, they will participate more in the class and have more opinions about things around them.