Chapter Four: Question Two
Students with special needs include both of those who have disabilities and those who are gifted. Technology can provide solutions to help meet the unique needs of both groups. However, schools typically have limited budgets for technology. Considering that the needs of all students should be met, what do you think the best allocation of limited technology dollars should be to meet these students' needs?
When you work in the field of education, you come across so many different types of students. Some students are gifted and some students are considered to be disabled. As an educator, it is your job to assist in providing the best possible solutions to meet the needs of both students with disabilities and students who are considered gifted. Technology can help provide these solutions. The issue that educators may have when providing technology to these students is the limited budgets for technology. When an educator is deciding which money goes to which program, they have to be fair, yet decisive. In my opinion, the best allocation of the budget would be to have the technology budgets cut equally. Hypothetically, if the school has three groups (students that teach at what is considered to be a normal level, students that are considered gifted and therefore learn at a higher level, and students who are considered disabled and may learn at a lower level), the school would distribute approximately thirty-three percent of the budget to each group without fail. This is the only way to include all students, while being fair and considerate of all different levels of learners. If the budget is divided fairly, all students will receive a technological advantage. The students in the normal range of learning will be provided with the technology that will assist them, the students that are disabled will receive helpful technology that will assist them in their learning, and the students that are gifted will receive the technology that will make them continue to be successful.
Chapter Five: Question Three
What is the most significant opportunity presented by technology integration? What role does training play in effectively integrating computers in the classroom?
Technology integration in the classroom has revolutionized the way that students learn. Increasingly, studies are showing that technology actually improves the way that students learn. Improving the way that students learn can ultimately improve student success or graduation rates. Technology has become a “norm” in most children’s lives. It can help students in developing many twenty-first century skills, such social responsibility, critical thinking, communication skills, cross cultural understanding, etc. Technology can bring tools of achievement into the hands of people who use it. Technology can also bring change in a way an instructor teaches. The approach becomes less behavioral and more constructive. Because of this, students may get a more hands-on learning approach and can cause them to be more engaged in the learning process. Instead of just being the consumer of learning, the student may actually become a creator or critic of learning. In order to effectively integrate technology in the classroom, there has to be a certain amount of training. Instructors have to be trained in basic computer skills, as well as troubleshooting skills. They may also have to be trained in the specific student software that they will be using. Training is necessary in order to have a successful integration of technology. Not only do the teachers have to be trained accordingly, the students have to be trained as well. Should the technology be interactive, students have to know the proper procedures for handling the technologies. They must know the dos and don’ts of the interactive technology.
Chapter Six: Question Two
Some teachers believe that too much emphasis is placed on computers and other technologies in the classroom. Considering the technologies you have learned about in this chapter, do you agree or disagree? Defend your view.
While some instructors may feel that too much emphasis is placed on technology in the classroom, others wholeheartedly disagree. I am one of those instructors that disagree. Technology is becoming more widespread in student homes. Students are growing up with technology. Most of them have access to technology the entire time that they are growing up. Because this is their “norm,” I, as an instructor, feels that it is the instructor’s responsibility to make this a “norm” in the classroom setting. Student success rate is increasing due to technology in the classrooms. Why fight it? Why not embrace it? As an instructor, my greatest goal is to have my kids succeed. If technology is going to help them succeed in their education, I am going to do whatever it takes to integrate technology into my classroom. Some teachers may be disapproving with technology, but this is the world that these students are growing up in. I grew up where the greatest technological advantage that I had was a VCR. These students are growing up where they have access to unlimited resources at the touch of a button. It’s a different time. It really is. With the changes that society has been through from my generation to theirs, there comes a responsibility of educators to take advantage of the changes. If teachers would just embrace technology instead of being scared or threatened by it, I think that a lot more students would be successful. After all, what teacher doesn’t want to see their students succeed?
Students with special needs include both of those who have disabilities and those who are gifted. Technology can provide solutions to help meet the unique needs of both groups. However, schools typically have limited budgets for technology. Considering that the needs of all students should be met, what do you think the best allocation of limited technology dollars should be to meet these students' needs?
When you work in the field of education, you come across so many different types of students. Some students are gifted and some students are considered to be disabled. As an educator, it is your job to assist in providing the best possible solutions to meet the needs of both students with disabilities and students who are considered gifted. Technology can help provide these solutions. The issue that educators may have when providing technology to these students is the limited budgets for technology. When an educator is deciding which money goes to which program, they have to be fair, yet decisive. In my opinion, the best allocation of the budget would be to have the technology budgets cut equally. Hypothetically, if the school has three groups (students that teach at what is considered to be a normal level, students that are considered gifted and therefore learn at a higher level, and students who are considered disabled and may learn at a lower level), the school would distribute approximately thirty-three percent of the budget to each group without fail. This is the only way to include all students, while being fair and considerate of all different levels of learners. If the budget is divided fairly, all students will receive a technological advantage. The students in the normal range of learning will be provided with the technology that will assist them, the students that are disabled will receive helpful technology that will assist them in their learning, and the students that are gifted will receive the technology that will make them continue to be successful.
Chapter Five: Question Three
What is the most significant opportunity presented by technology integration? What role does training play in effectively integrating computers in the classroom?
Technology integration in the classroom has revolutionized the way that students learn. Increasingly, studies are showing that technology actually improves the way that students learn. Improving the way that students learn can ultimately improve student success or graduation rates. Technology has become a “norm” in most children’s lives. It can help students in developing many twenty-first century skills, such social responsibility, critical thinking, communication skills, cross cultural understanding, etc. Technology can bring tools of achievement into the hands of people who use it. Technology can also bring change in a way an instructor teaches. The approach becomes less behavioral and more constructive. Because of this, students may get a more hands-on learning approach and can cause them to be more engaged in the learning process. Instead of just being the consumer of learning, the student may actually become a creator or critic of learning. In order to effectively integrate technology in the classroom, there has to be a certain amount of training. Instructors have to be trained in basic computer skills, as well as troubleshooting skills. They may also have to be trained in the specific student software that they will be using. Training is necessary in order to have a successful integration of technology. Not only do the teachers have to be trained accordingly, the students have to be trained as well. Should the technology be interactive, students have to know the proper procedures for handling the technologies. They must know the dos and don’ts of the interactive technology.
Chapter Six: Question Two
Some teachers believe that too much emphasis is placed on computers and other technologies in the classroom. Considering the technologies you have learned about in this chapter, do you agree or disagree? Defend your view.
While some instructors may feel that too much emphasis is placed on technology in the classroom, others wholeheartedly disagree. I am one of those instructors that disagree. Technology is becoming more widespread in student homes. Students are growing up with technology. Most of them have access to technology the entire time that they are growing up. Because this is their “norm,” I, as an instructor, feels that it is the instructor’s responsibility to make this a “norm” in the classroom setting. Student success rate is increasing due to technology in the classrooms. Why fight it? Why not embrace it? As an instructor, my greatest goal is to have my kids succeed. If technology is going to help them succeed in their education, I am going to do whatever it takes to integrate technology into my classroom. Some teachers may be disapproving with technology, but this is the world that these students are growing up in. I grew up where the greatest technological advantage that I had was a VCR. These students are growing up where they have access to unlimited resources at the touch of a button. It’s a different time. It really is. With the changes that society has been through from my generation to theirs, there comes a responsibility of educators to take advantage of the changes. If teachers would just embrace technology instead of being scared or threatened by it, I think that a lot more students would be successful. After all, what teacher doesn’t want to see their students succeed?