Chapter ten was a very informative and important chapter. I think all teachers will have diverse learners. Some might need assistive technology to assist them with connecting with the student and others will need technology to help keep students engaged. Technology doesn't have to be the main focal point of a classroom but it can help to break up textbook time. Three main concepts that I liked in this chapter was Text Reading software, accommodations and electronic spellers and dictionaries.
Text reading software or text to speech software is such a great tool to have in a classroom.
Especially when English is a second language to some students. A software like this could really be beneficial. I remember when I was younger they actually had an early morning class that started at like 6:30am for students that wanted to learn English and they had a version of this software. It would show the image of a duck. It would pronounce the word duck a few times and ask that you pronounced it out loud as well. I remember kids actually following along and learning English this way. They had different test at the end to see how much you learned and different levels. You weren't giving a grade for this work it was really just a resource for students that really wanted to learn English.
Electronic spellers and dictionaries is another fun tool for students. Growing up I loved the dictionary. I would read a few pages of the dictionary just to expand my vocabulary. If I didn't know a word I would write it down and look it up in the dictionary. I think tools like this are great for active reading. If a student doesn't know a word in the book they could look it up and have the definition and the way to pronounce it and continue on with reading their book. Electronic spellers are also helpful for students that find spelling to be hard. I know my sister always gets letters backwards so a tool like this could be really helpful for her. There are so many of these devices now a days and they range in price, but can be really resourceful for students of all ages.
Accommodations I thought was a really important concept in chapter 10. Accommodations to learning shouldn't be modifications for a less substantial educational experience. We should make accommodations for students struggling in certain subject areas. Some accommodations that will keep students still doing the same amount of work as other students might be individual tutoring, educational apps and self-paced exams or even extra time on exams. Another key point of accommodations is the technology we use. Technology offers two key routes in the classroom for diverse learners to easily access key ideas and concepts. First supporting changes in the classroom environment and secondly the delivery of the material in the classroom. Low tech accommodations are inexpensive and are easier to make. Mid- tech involves some digital materials to deliver curriculum, and high tech accommodations introduces changes with bringing in computers and other technologies into the classroom.
I think these three concepts are wonderful tools to bring into the classroom. Text reading software can benefit English as a second language students, or even young kids just learning how to read and write. Electronic spellers and dictionaries is another tool that is very helpful for children of all ages. I think being a teacher you learn to make some accommodations for students that are struggling. I think as a teacher you have to be flexible and see what works and what doesn't work.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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