M - Relevance and authenticity in instruction really stood out as memorable to me this week. It is mentioned that “connection to real meaning can make or break learning” (Reiser and Dempsey, p. 58). I completely agree that teaching skills in isolation or without any real connection can result in temporary memorization, but no long-term retention or the ability to transfer that knowledge to new situations. I appreciate the authors pointing out that to maximize the likelihood of meaningful learning occurring, students need to “... work on problems that a) mean something to them personally and b) are rich and complex enough to invoke real expertise” (Reiser and Dempsey, p. 58). If students are shown that the knowledge is relevant and needed in real-world situations, they are more likely to internalize the information for long-term use. This is an area that I need to make sure is addressed in my instruction going forward.
A - I agreed with Reiser and Dempsey (p 352) when they discussed that everyone in a group learns information in different ways. While this statement in the text was referring to assistive technologies, I believe it is true of any learner. There are many different styles of learning and preferences for acquiring and demonstrating knowledge. To provide students with the most effective learning environment, it is best to provide choices in how to interact with information. Some students may benefit from having access to PowerPoint presentations while
Most students also have access to the Internet at home and the media center is open before or after school for those who need extra time or assistance. Academically, there is quite a range of diversity among learners. There are three students in the classroom that are identified as exceptional leaners in need of extra reading support. Two are identified regarding written expression. Five are identified as having attention deficit disorder. To make the lesson comparable for all I made sure to use a variety of tools from print sources, to digital tools and I allowed for small group and whole group instruction. Students were encouraged to communicate via print methods on day one, but not required to sign their names. This took away a level of intimidation that may have prevented students from sharing. This makes the content of the lesson equitable for each
After watching such a presentation writing notes and revisiting the key points of the presentation are study tools used to help this author acquire new information. Furthermore, participating in group discussions which provided question and answer times provided this other with another learning style that facilitated successful retention of information.
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
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 3: Understand how to use different types of office equipment.
In the past, I have been somewhat successful with differentiating instruction. I can’t say I have been 100% successful.
Nonetheless, the professor would be more likely use PowerPoints and clickers to keep their students actively involved in the lesson. Concerning these forms of technology, John Freie and Susan Behuniak, two professors at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, wrote an essay on the effectiveness of technology being used for education. During their essay, “Paulo Freire and ICTs: Laboratory Education Theory in a Digital Age,” they suggested that a teacher’s usage of PowerPoints and clickers in the classroom followed Paulo Freire’s idea of banking education, where teachers control their students learning by depositing information onto students without encouraging students to apply that information onto their reality. Freie and Behuniak expressed that PowerPoints “subtly imposes a gossamer image over what is, at base, oppressive control (343).” In other words, the professors of Le Moyne College are proposing that PowerPoints are used to only to grasp students’ attention because of visual aspects, yet it still keeps the instructor in control at all times because they are the presenter of the information being given from the PowerPoint and only use lecture to pass on information, thus the professors believe this is the banking concept. In this case, this proposal does have strong evidence of
6. Some challenges with assistive technologies are : “Faculty training still does not acknowledge the fact that digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession, the emergence of new scholarly forms of authoring, publishing, and researching outpace sufficient and scalable modes of assessment, too often it is education’s own processes and practices that limit broader uptake of new technologies, the demand for personalized learning is not adequately supported by current technology or practices, new models of education are bringing unprecedented competition to the traditional models of higher education, and most academics are not using new technologies for learning and teaching, nor for organizing their own research,” (Lepi, 2013).
He focuses on how technology is supposed to significantly impact a student’s performance and completely forgets to mention how important technology may be for someone who cannot learn well without responsive instruction; for example, technology in the classroom can be beneficial to students that are physically or mentally impaired. On the contrary, the article ‘Technology and Literacy for Adolescents with disabilities’ describes how technology “can be universally beneficial for all students as a vehicle for learner engagement or conveyance of instructional content, and it can also promote participation, learning, and performance by students with disabilities”(King-Sears, Swanson, Mainzer, 569). The article then illustrates an example of how technology can specifically facilitate classroom learning by stating “For example, an electronic picture board with voice output might be considered assistive technology for a student whose disability included significant oral language deficits” (King-Sears, Swanson, Mainzer, 569). In this sense, technology does have a significant role in students’ life, not only making it important, but necessary. Also as mentioned above, the performance of these students have been affected in a significant way. Throughout the article, they describe how these new assistive technologies have changed the two specific students, Brian and Michelle. Brian has dysgraphia which prevents him from being able to transfer his thoughts onto paper and Michelle has Asperger’s Syndrome, which gives Michelle “genius-level intelligence” (King-Sears et al.). The technologically advanced tools that they have both been given are not only specialized to assist them, but also help them do tasks that
The primary goal of the lesson sequence was to actively engage students through fostering problem solving skills and develop conceptual understanding about mathematics. Consequently a range of authentic learning experiences that aimed to actively engage learners through the use of real life contexts, concrete materials and peer collaboration was incorporated in the lessons. The purpose of designing authentic learning experiences was to enthral students in true mathematical problem solving. Fisher, (2005) supports this theory by stating ‘The true use of maths is seen in its application to real-life problems. The activities throughout the lesson plan were intended to support students in actively constructing knowledge by completely immersing students in relevant and authentic learning experiences to become an expert on the content.
Neely, L., Rispoli, M., Camargo, S., Davis, H., & Boles, M. (2013). The effect of instructional
The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades, and has since has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn” (Winzer, 2002, p. 98). Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, have helped people to find useful and easier ways to become educated.
Society expects for students to be able to learn and comprehend any information that is being thrown out. Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need-or expect-their instructors to inspire, challenge, and
Birmingham City University. (2007, Feb 20). Learner Development Unit. Study Guides, Writing a Literature Review. Retrieved from http://www.ssdd.bcu.ac.uk
The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades. Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, it has become much easier for people to find useful and easier ways to become educated. Because of this, “technology has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn.” (Winzer,98)
“Most: Reigeluth, Merrill, Wilson, Spiller (1980) stated synthesizing is extremely important for most kinds of instruction because it makes the parts of the subject matter more meaningful to the students by showing their context.”