Samantha+Hoffman

This is Samantha's page.

This is the html page that I made for my ISTC 301 course Spring 2012media type="custom" key="12702326"

UDL and Assistive Technology The CAST website that we visited said that I am a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners learn best when they have hands-on experiences. Something that helps me learn is the physical act of writing things down.The CAST website suggested that something I can do to better my study skills is to sit in the front of the class and take quick notes. Walking around while studying can help, as well.

The written part of the CAST website was interesting. What I would incorporate into my teaching is allowing students to have many choices for their assignments and for their assessments. From the two activities that I did, I realized that by asking questions that making kids think in different ways, we are able to make the brain do things that it usually doesn't do, or think in a way it usually doesn't think.

The CAST website was interesting and I liked the learning inventory, but I found the activities a bit tedious and not useful. I didn't see how the first activity linked to the brain paths. For differentiated instruction, the website had good suggestions. The chapter I read was very helpful in giving me ideas for differentiation. I would like to know more about who made the website and how many teachers actually use the activities.

Assistive Technology Assistive Technology (AT) is a constantly changing and highly interactive way for disabled individuals to access and manipulate their worlds. Even though I took a special education class at Towson and learned about AT, there are some things that I just learned from the websites and videos. I was very impressed with the young man who played his horn using a joystick. Ellen, who has cerebral palsy, can move her chair by using her headrest. I didn’t know that kind of technology was available. The individualization needed for AT to work must take a long time and many trial and errors before it is really useful for the person who needs it.

One site I particularly liked was the WiggleWorks Scholastic site. It impressed me that kids could make their own stories. I made a book once in 2nd grade and I remember being frustrated that my illustrations were not as good as other kids’ illustrations. By using computer software to make their own stories, kids would not be upset that their artistic talents are not as good as another kid’s talent because they would all be using the same software. The last YouTube video was also helpful in my understanding of how AT must be very individual for each person and how it is important to introduce kids to AT as early as possible so that when they get to middle and high school, they already know the technology and only have to focus on content area. As teachers work to make their classrooms more inviting and personalized for each student, AT will become more important to achieve the goal of every student succeeding within their creative limits. The potentials are really infinite. As the technology develops, it may be possible to create individual assessments for every student in the class, so that each child is allowed to demonstrate their knowledge of the content area in the best way possible for them.

I went to middle school, and had several classes with, a boy who had spina bifida. He was very friendly and excited to be at school. I had art and gym with him. In art, we sat next to each other and became friends very quickly. We liked talking and working on the projects together. He was in a wheelchair, which did not make art a difficult class, but in gym he did have some problems. When we did the basketball unit, he could not maneuver his chair well enough to join everyone on the court. So, students took turns just passing the basketball to him on the sidelines. He also worked on dribbling next to his chair. The square dancing unit was fun because his partner would just push him around the circle and do the hand gestures with him. I enjoyed my two classes with him. His AT, as far as I know, was only a wheelchair, but it gave him the mobility of the other students and meant that he could go to regular classes with everyone else.

From this assignment, I have a better understanding of how AT works and how patience is very important from parents, teachers, students, administrators, and a whole team of other people. The patience is important because often the AT needs to be tweaked and adjusted, or changed completely, before it is finally an effective plan. I have also learned that flexibility in assignments and assessments is important for every student, not just those who have IEPs. Allowing the flexibility means that more students can succeed in my class. Finally, teachers must foster an accepting and inviting learning environment for all students, but especially those who are disabled. They should not allow teasing of any kind, whether it is giggling at a student who reads a word wrong, or excluding a student with a physical disability. Everyone should be included.

Glog Project I worked with Paula Spear on our glog. It is about Left Brain vs. Right Brain theory. Check it out here.

Virtual Field Trip The virtual field trip of the whaling expeditions was a great experience. It was very interactive and engaging. One of the things that I liked most about it was that it didn't feel exactly like a museum. Many students may feel like going to a museum is boring, but doing something interactive on the computer is fun. This website is definitely fun and interative. Another advantage to this website is that if the teacher wants to use only a portion of the exhibit, then they can. They don't have to take their class to a whole exhibit when they only want to show the kids a few points.

I observed and helped teach a Spanish class with a virtual tour of the Prado museum in Madrid. The whaling website was more interactive, therefore a better virtual tour. The Prado museum was really just pictures of the art with descriptions and some biographies of the artists. While the students seemed to like it, I think they would have liked it more if it had been more interactive. A virtual tour is something I would investigate for my own class, but I would be sure that it was very engaging and that it didn't just fill time for the class.

Digital Story This is my movie about Miguel and his trip from Nicaragua to America.

Final Reflection Technology in the classroom is a very important issue for students, faculty, administration, and even parents. What many people do not realize about technology is how enriching it can be, as long as it is employed properly. Children growing up today, with new technology, actually think differently than their parents, and often, their teachers as well. Once a teacher understands that difference in how their students think, he or she realizes that using technology in the classroom is about reaching their students where they are, not about simply having the most up-to-date school. Given this information, being able to use technology effectively is a primary goal of teachers today.

One use for technology in the classroom is helping students with disabilities. Whether the students have mental or physical disabilities, technology can enrich their learning and act as a way to include students who could not have been in a regular classroom before. For example, a student with a visual impairment would have to wait months for a textbook in braille or large print. They also may not have been able to access extra materials that were necessary for the class, simply because they couldn’t see the text. Now, with computers, students can enlarge text on a screen until it is large enough to read. They can also listen to computer software read the materials, which means that they can fully participate in the class. This is one reason that parents would advocate having multiple computers in one classroom. All students have the potential to benefit from more technology in the classroom. Taking a virtual field trip is another way to enrich students who would otherwise be unable to visit a museum, for example. Technology is something that most students can relate to. They are “good” at it. In other words, they know how to access technology and use it; and they can do it much faster than many of their parents. Because it is something that students understand and enjoy, technology should be accessible in every classroom.

**My attitude toward technology has evolved over this course. I knew about assistive technology for students because of the special education class I had to take, but I had not really considered how to use that same technology and give it to everyone to use. I now realize that students can have a better learning experience through technology and that they can understand their school work better through technology. I would not be afraid of incorporating technology in my classroom after this course, because I feel better prepared to use it.**