Part of my blog assignment was to comment on a classmates blog and leave honest feedback. I commented on Eva Stringer's Blog. I really liked her blog post. She gave her honest opinions of the videos. She put thought and time into her blog post. As far as grammar, I did not see anything wrong. I am not exactly sharp when it comes to grammar, but I did look a little closely so that I could give an honest critique. Dr. Strange is right, we don't really want to tell someone when they have done something incorrectly. The thing about is, that I actually like for someone to let me know if I made a mistake. It gives me a chance to fix it, and possibly help me to not make that mistake in the future.
Technology in Special Education
Mrs. Cook definitely should be applauded for her use of different types of technology to assist Special Education students. I am impressed by what Technology in Special Education is doing for students with special needs. Mrs. Cook has basically opened up a whole new world to these students who have physical and cognitive disabilities. These students are now able to connect and communicate with others through the use of technology.
I believe that technology can help these students reach their potential by giving them access to the necessary tools. I love that the non- verbal students can now communicate. The zoom text is wonderful at assisting students in reading. I also liked the use of the iPod touch and the audio books. I do have some questions, though. Does the technology nearly replace human interaction? I think the iPod touch audio books are great and interesting, but I also like the idea of a teacher reading to the students. Students need personal attention alongside the use of technology. The technology has made incredible changes in the lives of special education students. I just hope they also receive that personal interaction.
Apple Education Apps
There are many apps that can be used for Special Education Students.Technology in Special Education is a great instructional video. I had no idea that the iPad could be so useful to children with special needs. After watching this video, I was sold on how beneficial the iPad apps are.
I found several apps at Apple.Education.Apps.com http://www.personalizemedia.com/garys-social-media-count/that I thought could be used for special needs children. One of them is See. Touch. Learn by Brain Parade. It is currently a free app. It can be used to teach new words and concepts. This app uses pictures that are interactive as opposed to flash cards. It allows the teacher to measure a students comprehension. You can create your own sight words.It is good for students who are at different levels because it can be customized to a students particular needs. This app received very good ratings from current users who have children with special needs. I would use the See. Touch. Learn app with children who have cognitive disabilities. Students with autism, asperger's, and other types of special needs can benefit as well. This app is good for children who don't like much interaction or physical contact because they can work independently. With the many apps available, it was hard to choose any one app.
Wow! The numbers of the many different social networks that are being used every second are astounding. It was so cool to just watch the numbers on Social Media Count just rack up and up even more. I have to say that I am not that surprised about these numbers after watching the Did You Know Video by Dr. Strange. We are definitely living in a nationally and globally connected world. I have a teenage daughter and a younger sister, who I know are contributing greatly to the SMS messaging numbers right now. My sister uses her phone so much that my husband has a running joke going on with her. He tells her that she wouldn't remember to breathe if her phone didn't tell her to every so often. He actually sends her text messages telling her to breathe in. A few seconds later, he sends another message telling her to breathe out. I guess you know that it makes her mad.
The ways in which we communicate, live, learn, and educate have changed. In some ways, I previously thought that people who mainly communicated by technology were actually more disconnected than others. These thoughts of mine, were out of ignorance because I had not used very much technology for communication. I know first hand what happens when you do not keep up with technology. For example, I was lagging so far behind, that I did not even have a face book or text messaging. My family scheduled birthday parties and family outings, and I did not know about it until the last minute. I can tell you this, they were so tired of me not communicating more often than I did. Well, I got a face book page and text messaging, and I cannot imagine going back. It would be like living in a cave. We are able to connect with family members and friends from anywhere in the world. Social media is awesome!
One thing is for sure about EDM310, it has made me take the time to consider how technology fits into our lives. I know it is pretty much all around us, but I usually do not take the time to think about how much it contributes to our personal lives, businesses, and education. I don't know about you, but I am appreciating the technology at my disposal much more. I mean, being able to send an email instead of driving somewhere for thirty minutes or an hour is so nice. It is also saving a tree and the extra gas I would have used. All of my family members send out invitations through face book or text, so we don't have to buy invitations anymore. Being able to connect through multiple social networks is great for adults, teens, and educators. Social media is just another tool that educators have to reach and teach children. Social media can help children learn about other cultures. It helps businesses and non profit organizations get noticed. We are more connected now than ever before.
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
Well, this video is interesting. I am not exactly sure what A Vision of Students Today is trying to say. My interpretation of the video, is that there is not enough technology being used to keep the attention of the students. They basically describe a traditional teacher centered class experience, where the teacher spits out facts all day. The students were using different technologies to keep themselves from being bored mindless. This is mostly how students are educated today.
I am ambiguous about this video because I think some points that were made are valid, whereas some are not.The traditional teacher centered class can be boring. I have also bought expensive books that I never needed to open. What are the students with short attention spans learning? Probably not as much as someone who is able to concentrate and focus better. Although I believe that teachers and University presidents have an obligation to consider better ways to facilitate learning, I also believe as students we have a responsibility to put more into our own education. Do you think those students looking at face book during class really care about learning? I am not so sure. This is just my point of view. Maybe they just don't like learning in this way or this type of environment. I think what we get out of our educational experience also depends on what we put into our education. Educators should definitely advocate for more technology in the classrooms, but students can get more out of class by paying attention.There are many teachers who go above and beyond to encourage their students to learn. We are all different and we learn differently, hopefully Educators will realize that there needs to be some changes made.
Hey Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteYou have some really good questions. Many people think that technology will break human communication. Well, technology actually brings communication to a whole new level. I see what you mean about the iPod and the teacher not reading to the students. Well, a teacher could do the same thing with a book. Just because the teacher isn't reading to the class when the students have an iPod, doesn't mean that she still can't read to them. The teacher could do the same thing if the students were reading books instead of using iPods.
What I mean by this is the way you use the technology is up to you as a teacher. Don't let the technology take over you as a teacher!
Ha! That is a funny story about your sister. I do think that some people might take the cell phone use a little over the edge sometimes, but that doesn't mean these technologies are a bad thing.
You are very right about many of the students you speak of in your comments on the "A Vision of Students Today". I think many of those students would be much more successful if they where able to use tools such as social media in the classroom.
Good post Stephanie! Your links and pictures are just how they are supposed to be!
Keep up the good work!
Stephen Akins
Hi Stephen, Thanks for all of your help in the lab. I can actually do all of my links, alt, and title modifiers without looking at the paper now. I am so excited. I dropped this class in the first week last spring because I was terrified. I see it in a whole new light this time. Thanks.
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