Technology in the classroom

Technology in the classroom has changes drastically of the past years. Teachers have so many options when it comes to assistive and supportive technology in the classroom. The main issue that teachers have is integrating all the technology the classroom successfully. It is important for teachers to integrate assistive and supportive technology in the classroom to support student learning. As noted in Connor and Beard, (2015), “Use of educational technology, especially computers, cell phones, tablets, and computer-related peripherals/applications, has grown tremendously and has permeated all areas of our lives” (p. 640). Implementing technology can seem intimidating to some teachers but is necessary because many children learn best using due to the technology driven society. As noted in Connor and Beard (2015), “Not only are teachers and teacher candidates being trained in the use of current technology and in the development of inexpensive alternative switches for classroom use, these methodologies are being utilized in the public school classroom setting. Therefore, students with disabilities will benefit from the increased use of accessible technology linked to college and career and functional standards” (p. 642). 

 

 

 One supportive technology program that I use with my students who have individualized educational plans are read aloud.  We use a reading program called Achieve 3000 in our school system. Achieve 3000 is a reading program that allows students to read on their own Lexile level. The program has a read aloud component for students with disabilities. The read aloud component reads the passages, questions and answers to students. This is a great  program that helps to  increase students’ reading levels and comprehension levels.  This assistive feature can be used with any age group and grade level.

Another supportive technology program that I use in my classroom room are online timers. In the past, teachers have used physical timers or egg timers to keep students on task. I love using online timers. They keep students on task when working and they can use them with their laptops and iPad. They can be used with any age group or grade level to support learning. Online timers are great for students who have time accommodations.

Technology in the classroom is important to classroom instruction. However, it does have some downfalls to implementing technology in the classroom. With the increased use of technology, teachers will need a lot of training to use and them integrate the programs in the classrooms. Also, because technology is so unpredictable it may not always work properly when needed. For example, we have one to one student technology in our classrooms and many issues we face are too many people on the server at once, computers or program glitches, or student laptops breaking.  

Connor, C., & Beard, L. A. (2015). Increasing Meaningful Assistive Technology Use in the Classrooms. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3(9), 640-642.

 

Choosing the Proper Assessment Scenarios

The following scenarios depict typical children found in classrooms across America. Each child displays behaviors that prevent him or her from being successful in the classroom. The teacher faces challenges every day in finding the best practices to ensure that students like these receive the best educational experiences and instruction in order to promote healthy development and growth. As you read, think about what assessments would be most beneficial for each student and his or her achievements in the classroom, while also noting that those assessments should be purposeful. A purposeful assessment is an assessment that aims to test students with an end goal in mind and for a specific purpose. According to Norris (2012), “(1) focus on assessment, not simply tests; (2) clarify the intended use of the test; and (3) evaluate the outcomes of assessment” (p. 41). A purposeful assessment can yield data that allow teachers to provide interventions or enrichments for students at their level of learning. These assessments can allow teachers to also provide instruction that is meaningful.

Scenario One

Caleigh is a healthy five-year-old girl. She is in kindergarten in the public school system. Her class has 18 students with one teacher and a teacher assistant. She enjoys school but is not eager to go each day. Her teacher has recently reported that she is starting to show signs of struggle. Caleigh’s teacher is following the state’s content standards which are aligned with the general curriculum for the classroom. She receives daily instruction in phonics, reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Caleigh has problems with blending sounds and withearly literacy skills and also shows very little interest in books or drawings. She has trouble following tasks when given and needs repeat explanations of directions. Her teacher also reports that she has trouble playing with her peers. There are times when she does not communicate and will not use any hand gestures or facial expressions. She often becomes frustrated when asked to repeat herself and is starting to withdraw from her peers. Her teacher mentioned to her parents that she does respond well to verbal praise and is able to stay focused on a task for a maximum of 10 minutes but often needs redirection. She frequently fidgets in her seat or on the carpet during circle time and is not engaged in lessons.

Scenario Two

Kennedy is a 7-year old girl in second grade. She enjoys coming to school and gets along well with her peers. She lives with her parents and is the oldest of four children. Her parents have reported that at home she is very rambunctious and behaves very immaturely. Kennedy’s teacher reports that she can be very quiet in class and participates very little in class discussion. Kennedy struggles to pay attention and is easily distracted.  She excels in math but is below grade level in the area of reading. She struggles when solving words problems and with writing. She avoids completing work assignment and will misbehave when confronted with not completing her assignments. She often will shut down if she has to complete assignments and will refuse to be compliant.

References

Norris, J. M. (2012). Purposeful language assessment: Selecting the right alternative test. English Teaching Forum, 50(3), 41–45.