I think that technology be a great tool to help diverse populations. There are programs available that can help students learn different languages, academic skill practice and even assistive technology devices. After doing a search on technology and diversity on the Internet I found that technology does have potential for all students but it isn't always utilized.
I found that there are some issues that should be thought about when considering what types of technology to use and what groups to use it with. One of the key issues is to make sure that these students have equal access. Often students that are unfamiliar with technology may shy away. Without encouragement and help these students may not feel comfortable which could impede their comfort and skill level. Another issue is that technology is often geared towards test-taking practice skills due to the high stakes of standardized testing such as the CRCT and ITBS in Georgia. Using technology to practice test-taking skills limits there use and provides a narrow focus. You also need to be aware of cultural issues. Some cultures focus on family and interdependence. Technology make create independence which is not as acceptable. Other cultures may not favor girls becoming as technology literate as their male counterparts.
Relating technology to the special needs population. Many students can use technology that is available to their peers. It is important to create expectations for these students and to not just assume that they can't do something. I also found and have used assistive technology devices. Many of these types of devices enable students to communicate or responds in ways that weren't available years ago. It is important to utilize these devices and make sure that they stay in working order. It may also be a good idea to show all of the general education students what the device is, what it does and why it is used. That will create more acceptance.
On a final note. When I first started teaching in 1992 they were just beginning to talk about cochlear implants. (If you don't know what that it I'll give a quick explanation. A student that receives a cochlear implant has to have invasive surgery. Wires with up to 24 electrodes are would through the cochlea. There is an internal part and an external processor that takes speech sounds and turns them into electrical signals and sends them to the brain.) Students either were oral or deaf. If you could hear you learned speech and if you couldn't hear you learned sign language. Now almost 20 years later that is no longer true. I have had numerous deaf students in my program that are learning oral language due to having a cochlear implant. Being able to communicate orally completely changes their future. This technological invention has made a major impact if the Deaf world.
I agree with you that I hope my experience working with special needs students helps me take students with diverse needs into account in the media center. I think one recent technological development that can assist with this in interactive white boards. They are helpful for students that require a more hands-on approach vs. working with a pencil and a piece of paper. There are also various software programs that can be used in a media center for special needs students. For example, a student can talk into a microphone while the computer converts their words to text. There are also large print options for text on computers. It's important for us to remember that the media center is there to serve all students, regardless of ability.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, there are so many different groups within our larger school group. All these individuals and unique groups need our attention when it comes to helping them grow and learn. They all have different needs that should be considered when planning our media center program, purchasing new resources, and teaching lessons.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you brought up ensuring equal access to all students. It is often true that students with special needs shy away from technology. We need to consider this and plan to make necessary accommodations. Keeping all assistive technologies in good working order should also be a concern. I have found that this is primarily the teacher’s responsibility in my school, but I have assisted with these issues as a media specialist as well. One thing you mentioned that I have never considered is including regular education students in the discussion about assistive devices. I feel, as you do, that when students understand each other, the potential for learning is increased.
You make an excellent point that bridging the digital divide is an important factor in fostering diversity in the media center or classroom. I had never considered it before, but there are likely many cultures, religions and socioeconomic levels that are not proficient at technology whether due to lack of access or lack of knowledge as a result of technology not being an important part of a culture. As you stated, educators need to make sure they provide equal access to technology for students of every technical aptitude. Perhaps one way we can do this is by offering an array of tools available for every project. For instance, if we assign a project involves using MovieMaker, maybe we also provide access to a word processing program that allows students who do not have technical skills to use MovieMaker to instead create a storyboard, or act out their movies. Or, even if we encourage students to use online databases with almanacs, thesauruses, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc., we can supplement these resources with printed copies as well. The media center should not discriminate or make students feel as though they are not welcome, so it should be a priority of the media specialist to provide access to a wide range of resources and create a friendly environment that accommodates a diverse group of students.
ReplyDeleteYou’re definitely right about there being so much potential for technology to be used to help students, and it’s not being utilized. We have so much technology at our school that was purchased through title I funds and many teachers barely utilize it. I also think the special ed teachers were some of the last to get smartboards in their rooms, when their students are the ones who could potentially benefit the most from it. I like how you mentioned the cochlear implants. It is a great example of how awesome new technology can be, and how it its always worth exploring.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow "Special Eddie", I wanted to point out how one of our visually impaired students uses technology. She has the standard Brailler that she learned to use at the Georgia Academy for the Blind. When I taught her 2 years ago, I learned enough Braille to be able to provide her immediate commentary on her work, just as her peers did, without having to use a transcriber. She also had a laptop she carried to each class. She was able to use this for almost all of her assignments. We, the teachers, were able to load all of our assignments as Word documents, and she could work through the same assignments as her peers. We did have to learn to adjust on things like PowerPoint presentations by including descriptions of graphics or the use of video in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I have a student with Cerebral Palsy. He also uses a laptop for most of his work due to motor control issues. We also now have site-wide access to ReadWriteGold, an accessibility application for reading and composing text. The tools available in this package have helped my students with learning disabilities as well.
Great job Elisabeth noting the different needs of the diverse populations. One of the populations I think about is the economically disadvantaged. If they aren’t exposed and trained on different technological advancements, how are they supposed to succeed? They don’t have the devices, computers, or Itouches at home to gain expertise much less the programs to produce work necessary for high school and college. I see students who drink up technology like water when they are given the opportunity. It’s great that we are able to provide them with these opportunities.
ReplyDeleteThe special needs students at my school were previously anywhere from autistic to speech and hearing impaired to learning disabled. We often found students who were much more successful typing than writing or were using laptops for communication purposes.
There's been a great point made about bridging gaps between traditional ways and new technology. We are living in a world where everything is being done electronically. These kids are much more informed about the newer technologies than we think. If this is what they understand, I think it would be much more beneficial to let them use this to learn. Smart boards are making things much easier to understand more fun for students, but we as the adults have to be willing to adjust and educate them as well ourselves. Great post Elisabeth.
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