I'll admit. I was skeptical. Nervous as to how "up to date" the content of this course would be. I have been to various conferences and professional development sessions over the years promoting technologies that have, essentially, become outdated on the educational playing field. Desperately hoping for something I could use in my combined 6/7 ELA course for next year, along with my Resource docket of grade primary to twelve. I breathed a sigh of relief when Barbara referred to the Kurzweil as "outdated and expensive software". Finally I thought, something other than learning how to make the traditional powerpoints and how how to use a laminator for making visual schedules!
The activity whereby we were asked to write a "Letter to Santa" using our non-dominate hand, and then to finish the letter using no hands was eye-opening. As our class pointed out via a word art graphic organizer (PollEv), the activity was frustrating and overwhelming. We were able to see firsthand a small glimpse into the myriad of emotions they must feel when faced such tasks, day in and day out. I noticed that my wording became short because the process was 'too painful'. Writing a letter to Santa was taking me an extraordinary amount of time, so I felt I had to shorten my thoughts. I was impatient yet sympathetic.
Assistive technology should be used to foster independence. We must however find a balance between giving (struggling) students the tools they need to go forward and simply doing the work for them. Assistive technology is great, but we have to show to kids how and why to use it appropriately. It is not enough for us to simply digitize documents. Instead, we have to teach students how to think critically about particular documents and how to properly demonstrate their analysis.
I am already brainstorming the dozens of ways I will be able to implement some of the apps shown today. Being from a small school, I am fortunate, in that I already know who my students for next year and as I have taught them all already, I have a very good sense of their strengths and weaknesses. I believe accessibility could pose a problem at our school. We currently only have a small handful of iPads (approx 6) and it may be difficult to implement some of my ideas. In Resource however, many of the apps we learned about today will be paramount to student success in literacy.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteI mirror your concerns about ensuring that technology is used wisely. I hesitate to ensure that necessary skills are not lost in using technology too freely and too early.
There is literature to support technology and ridicule it for use in classroom education.
I often have to remind myself that whist technology can be an advantage for all students, it most benefits those who struggle immensely with task that you and me take for granted. I wonder whether the presentation on Friday by Mike and Martin on privileges applies here. We who have the privilege in being able to read and write with relative ease are often blind to that privilege. it doesn't usually show itself until we take part in an activity such as the letter to Santa.
Thanks for your post,
simon