How Technologies became a foundation

How technologies become a foundation in the life of students with disabilities

            How do you know if a student understood the lesson you are teaching if he or she cannot speak? How do you deliver a lesson to a student with hearing impairment? How can you accommodate a student with disability in a regular classroom? In 2001, the No Child Left behind Act was implemented. The purpose for it was to “improves performance of elementary and secondary schools by increasing school district, and state accountability for all students, including those from minority populations and those with special needs (Allen and Bacon, 2001). Based on this law, I believed that every teacher should use any resources such as technologies to help improve and meet the specific requirements of a student with disability in a regular classroom. As a result, a teacher’s lesson plan should accommodate and motivate to make sure that there is no child left behind.

            First, a teacher should use any resources to help meet and improve the disable student’s performance. Technology is very helpful to both students and teachers as well. One way how technology can be very helpful for student and teacher is a way of communicating with each other. For instance, in the video on “How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams”, it shows how technology is very helpful to them. In one of the school called Redwood Heights Elementary, the students were using devices that would talk for them. One student even used a tool that would help her do her assignment with a twitch of her eyebrow. I believe that without the help of this kind of technologies, teaching would turn out to be a very hard task for teachers in the classroom. To some students in the video, they believe that technology is the main foundation in their life because it helps them accomplish something most especially in their studies (How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams).

            Second, a teacher should include in his or her lesson plan how to accommodate and motivate students with disability in their regular classroom. Like it mentions in the IDEA Public Law 105-17, that “Individuals with disabilities education act requires schools to assume greater responsibility for ensuring that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum” (Allyn and Bacon, 2008). In a classroom, a teacher should have all the necessary supplies or materials to help accommodate the student with disability. For example, special device to help the student with hearing impairment can be very helpful. This can help the student to hear the teacher’s lectures. And as a result, the teacher will know if the student understood the lesson based on any given assignment or response from the student.

            Last, a teacher should know how to motivate his or her students. Some students may find some lessons not very challenging for them. This can lead them to get bored in the class and not participate in any class discussion or activities. However, this is when teachers used different kinds of teaching strategies to help the students in the classroom. Based on Murzano’s instructional strategies, there are nine strategies that can help you motivate your students in the classroom. To help motivate your students especially the students with disabilities, provide them with special materials in order for them to participate in class.

            In conclusion, it is very important for educators or teachers to meet all the necessary requirements for students with disabilities in their regular classroom. First, they should use any resources to help deliver their lesson easier and help improve the student’s performance. They should have the resources ready and available before school starts. Second, educators should accommodate students with disabilities in their classroom. Like the law mention, there should be no child left behind. Last, they should know how to motivate their students in order to feel excited and interested in learning and participating in all class discussions and activities. I believe that if a teacher fulfill a these things, their students will have high performance and achievement in their classes.

Exceptional Children 10^th Edition. Federal Laws for the Education of Learners who are Exceptional. (Heward, 2009)

http://www.cec.sped.org and in Council for Exceptional Children. (2009).

How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams. Edutopia. (2014).

http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

Educational Online Game

Esther Asor

ED 271

Mrs. Taylor

October 10, 2014

Educational Online Games

Educational online games is one of the most important assessment or activities that teacher should include in their daily lesson plan. There are three main reasons why I said educational online game is very essential. First, there are various different important ways to use online games. Second, it is fun but on the other hand very challenging. And last, based on some researchers, it improves student’s performance and achievement too.
          Let me begin with, the different ways on how educational online games are very important. Educational online games are mostly very useful to the students who have trouble paying attention in class. For instance, those children with attention disability or those kids who have hard time during lecture. In addition to, educational games teaches students how to use the computer. For example, it helps them to know the parts of the computer, which are the screen, mouse, keypads, etc. It can also help them to improve with their typing skills. However, educational online games can teach more than just the subject. It helps the students to learn the importance of taking turns during a game. It also helps them to learn the need to wait and watch while others are playing. These are some various different ways on how educational online games are very important to students, and how it provides a different way to learn. Student will remember a lesson if they learn it in a different way (Rose, 2010).
          Let me continue with, how educational online games are very fun and challenging. One way that educational online games are very fun is when the game includes several players to participate. For example, when two students play an online game and they keep track on who have the highest score. Another way of how kids find educational games very interesting is when it involves problem solving and they ended up with all the correct answers. However, educational online games can be very challenging on the other hand too. Some kids or students find it very challenging especially when they go through the higher stages of the game. Some online games even make the students used their higher order thinking skills to win the game. One of the most challenging things about the online games for our group was when we have to come up with our own rubric for the game which I think our group fails because we didn’t really come up with a nice one. But I believe that there are certain components that we fail to include in our rubric. There are a various good component which can be included in a rubric base on how the online game is, and here were some good example from the educational electronic games rubric (cuss, 2004).
            Let me end with how educational online games improved student’s achievement and performance in school. I do believe that educational online game does a lot of contribution to student’s achievement and performance. And base on some research, students who used educational online games have a better higher achievement and performance than those who used the old traditional face to face teaching (Eric 1999). As we know these days, technology is part of student’s learning. As a result, students should know how to use a computer. One way how educational game help improved student’s achievement and performance was, games online can also be a way to practice the lesson that have been taught in class. For example, if a student doesn’t really understand the lecture in class, he or she can understand by playing the game related to the lesson being taught.              All in all, I believe educational online games should be applied in any subject which student’s find it more confusing. As a result it is a lesson to be learn, it is both fun and challenging. However, it will improve the student’s performance in school and sometimes in their everyday life if necessary.


References
Rose, Suzanne. (2010) Why Educational game is important in the classroom.
California State University (2004) Educational Electronic Games Rubric). Sacramento.
Eric (1999) The Important of Education Technology on student achievement: What the most current Research to say.