Journal 4: One size never fits all

NETS 5

One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.

Courduff, J. (2011). One size never fits all: tech integration for special needs. Learning and leading with technology, 38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx

We use to see the size tag one size fits all on various articles of clothing. People come in all sizes theirs is always someone too big or too small, clothing manufacturers no longer use one size fits all, but have been using one size fits most size tag. In education, specifically special education, one size never fits all. What can work for one student may not work for other students. But it is important to try, implementing various strategies to help aid and guide student learning. The article describes an innovated way of training teachers on technology and its uses. Instead of number of years for training, it is tiers. Instead of time based trainings, it is knowledge based trainings. What the teacher knows and how it is integrated into the classroom denotes the teacher’s technology tier level. The article also writes about success stories for students with mild to moderate disabilities using technology appropriately. Students with reading and writing deficiencies use technology to become more motivated to write, to present, to read.

Q1: Do you think the tier structure of trainings to be a good switch from the traditional time based structure?

Yes, I believe learning and moving on to the next level based on what you know is important. With time based trainings you never know how much you really know. Using tiered based you move on based on how much you know and have done, not how long you’ve sat through a lecture.

Q2: What are some ways technology can help in the special education classroom?

I believe technology can be used to help students communicate, organize and stay motivated. Students can work for computer time, or use the compute as a way to assist in their every day lives.