Instructional Setting, Audience, And Content Area

The use of technology in the classroom is an important tool to utilize as an educator. Technology allows for educators to have instant access to a plethora of resources that would not be available if technology was not used in the classroom. Teachers have the ability to plan lessons, create presentations, and have interactive games for students to use as a learning tool through the use of different digital devices. Modern day technology is rapidly advancing and providing teacher with many different tools to use in the classroom to enhance the students learning experience.

Technology of the past 20 years has become a focal point of teaching and learning. As a teacher, it is my job to facilitate the learning for an individual by creating an environment that not only conducive for learning, but also places the child in a position to discover and learn them for themselves. Technology has given teachers to opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, and has begun to reshape their role in the learning process.

The author of this article is a professor in the Department of Special Education at San Diego University. In addition to his participation in the Department of Special Education at the University, Rena B. Lewis, PhD is a member of the faculty of the San Diego State University-Claremont Graduate University doctoral program. She focuses much of her research on the application of technology for individuals with learning disabilities. Her qualifications alone would make me feel confident in her writing and findings. The article was published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities in

San Pasqual Union School is located in the San Pasqual Valley region southeast of Escondido, California. This small school is a one-school school district with approximately 550 students, grades pre-school to eighth grade. Students that attend San Pasqual Union are identified within three distinct groups. The majority of students are primarily Caucasian and live in a newer development, across from the school, with families who are from a mid to high socioeconomic status. Another group is Hispanic students who live in a more rural part of the valley. Lastly, within the school boundaries, is a residential high school campus for foster teens. The foster youth who are not in high school attend San Pasqual Union for eighth grade. Both the Hispanic students from the rural valley and the foster youth ride the school bus to and from school.

Society is becoming more reliant upon technology every day. Technology is found in hospitals, banks, grocery stores, homes, and schools across the nation. As technology becomes more prevalent in the classroom, teachers need to learn how to use it effectively. Differentiating instruction, facilitating learning, enhancing communication, and facilitating instruction are all appropriate ways to use technology in the classroom (Standards for Teachers). Once these types of technology are mastered, student performance, creativity, and thirst for knowledge should begin to increase.

Learning disabilities are disorders which affect the function of the mind like the acquisition, reception, understanding, and processing of information. [1;2] Children who have learning disabilities may have problems with reading, writing, doing math, understanding directions, trouble memorizing things, or trouble staying focused. [1] It can be hard to discover learning disabilities

Behaviorally, students have a strong need for routines, develop an obsessive attachment to unusual object, such as rubber bands, have repetitive body motions, such as hand flapping, and are constantly in motion (Hutman 4). Children with ASDs also display many sensory problems, emotional difficulties, and delayed cognitive abilities (Hutman 5). These symptoms and difficulties affect the child’s development and learning (Jurgens 1). Children who are nonverbal do not develop social skills, while others may be delayed cognitively, have physical impairments, or have specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Despite these issues, assistive technology (AT) is available to children to help them learn in the classroom. ATs are “defined as any device, piece of equipment or system that helps bypass, work around or compensate for an individual’s specific learning deficits (Stanberry 2). Ultimately, children diagnosed with ASDs have many technological resources to assist their learning in the classroom despite their listening and attention, mathematical, organization, reading, writing, and verbal communication

Learning disabilities are defined as disorders that affect the ability to comprehend and use spoken or written language, understand mathematical calculations, synchronize movements, or direct attention (NINDS, 2015). These disorders are usually not recognized until a child reaches school age, although they do occur in very young children (NINDS, 2015). Fortunately, there is an abundance of information and research on specific learning disorders, and there are detailed assessment techniques, and occupational therapy focused treatments associated with this disorders.

The first component is working memory and recall, holding facts in mind while manipulating information; accessig facts stored in long-term memory. The second component is activation, arousal and effort. This means they have trouble getting started on things, paying attention is difficult as well a s finishing work. The third is emotional control, the ability to tolerate frustration and thinking before acting or speaking. The fourth is internalizing language, using “self-talk” to control one's behavior and direct future actions. The fifth is complex problem solving, taking an issue apart, analyzing the pieces, reconstituting and organizing it into new ideas. Most Children with a learning disability have a poor working memory and recall. They have a limited working memory capacity, a very weak short-term memory and forgetfulness. As a result, students struggle to follow instructions and have difficulty performing mental computation such as math in one’s head. It affects some students in their sense of events from the past, they have difficulty recalling the past. They do not learn easily from past behavior and often repeat misbehavior. This also affects their sense of time causing them to have difficulty holding events in mind and also make it difficult to prepare for upcoming events. As a result, students have difficulty judging the passage of time accurately and so not accurately estimate how much time it will take to finish a task. These students do not allow enough time to complete work. It affects their sense of self-awareness, as a result students do not easily examine or change their own behavior. It affects their sense of the future, students live in the present and focus on here and now. They don’t talk about time or plan for the future, as a result they have difficulty projecting lessons learned in the past and struggle preparing for the future. Many students with

In the article, “Technology Instruction: Fixing the Disconnect,” the authors state that schools that do not adapt to teaching with these new technologies that surround students outside of the classroom reflect “a decline in school’s relevancy to students’ futures” (Larson, Kuhn, Collins, Balthazor, Ribble & Miller, 2009, p. 55). In order to prepare teachers to meet the needs of today’s students, schools need to provide teachers with support from a technology specialist who also understands “the art of teaching” and how to transform curriculum with technology (p. 56). Teachers need to not only learn how to use the technology but also be willing to rethink how they teach and manage the classroom (p. 57). Allan Collins

It is crucial that students are not just being educated in only one way. Each child is different; as a result, learning styles should be versatile and open to new strategies. By learning to use technology correctly, teachers are preparing themselves, and the students for the future by developing certain skills that will be essential in the 21st century. Besides developing the students’ technology skills, students will

It seems that technology is growing, improving, and changing at an exponential rate. Technology now affects every part of our lives from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, and even as we sleep. One of the major areas that has been affected by technology is education. At one time, the only option for students to complete their education was in a traditional classroom setting. There has become a major need for non-traditional education because there has been a growth in the amount of non-traditional students that exist in our society. The advancement of technology has

As we navigate through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming further predominant. iPads are replacing our textbooks, and we can research any desired topic on our smartphones. The impact that technology has had on today’s schools has been utterly momentous. Educators have now seen firsthand the numerous benefits of technology in the classroom. According to a study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, around 75 percent of educators have come to the conclusion that technology has a positive impact on the education process. Educators have also recognized the significance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce after they graduate (Cox). By incorporating technology in the classroom, teachers are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. The increase of technology has even changed how teachers teach along with how

Technology has made a huge impact on society today. The modern day student is different from those of previous years because using technology in non-school settings is altering their “learning styles, strengths, and preferences” (Dede, 2007, p. 11, as cited in Shapley, Sheehan, Maloney & Caranikas-Walker, 2011). Students are “growing up with technology all around them and from an early age have an understanding of how to use computers" (Shields and Behrman 2000, as cited in Weathersbee, 2006, p.6). The goal of educators is to improved student achievement and readiness skills needed for college and careers. Technology is an essential component of 21st-century skills. It is recognized that “students’ long-term success is tied to their preparation as lifelong learners, world-class communicators, competitive and creative knowledge workers, and contributing members of a global society” (Shapley, et al., 2011). According to McFall (2009), the classroom environment needs to create a more engaging atmosphere that provides students with the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills needed for the 21st century. Integrating technology into the curriculum is a priority. Technology should be integrated seamlessly into the curriculum to promote student learning. In the present view of learning, “the use of technology is not an add-on, but an integral part of the students’ quest for knowledge and a tool through which students

The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future.