1. Describe issues related to training special education teachers to use technology.
The book mentions a number of issues related to training special education teachers to use technology in the classroom. One of the main issues is actually providing the training in order for these special education or specialists to properly use the technology that they have at their disposal. The book mentions that much effort has been put in to identifying the knowledge and skills needed by teachers and specialists to use technology in special education classes. The problem is that most teachers begin their journey into teaching with minimal experience using technology in the classroom. Another issue that deals with the adequacy of training special education teachers on technology centers on the use of interdisciplinary teams for evaluating the need for assistive technology and decision making in the selection of appropriate devices and services.
2. Give examples of no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech solutions for special students.
Some examples of no-tech solutions for special education students are non-electronic tools or games for example that provide the special ed student with mental stimulation such as checkers that are no-tech but provide a stimulating activity for special ed students. A low-tech example would be joysticks or switches that are relatively low-tech but provide certain special Ed students with the ability to function and open up the lines of communication between them and the teacher. A high-tech approach would be using several computer based software programs that allow the special ed student to open up their imagination and mind like never before.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Week 7: Discussion
1. What are the "history wars," and what are their implications for technology use in history?
Basically what the “history wars” refers to is a disagreement within the education system about several issues concerning the content and focus of social studies in the classrooms across the country. Much of the debate concerns the appropriate role of what and how history is being taught within the educational curriculum. Some individuals have claimed that many schools across the country have struggled to give proper emphasis to all of the social studies topics that are available at their disposal.
Some other individuals claim that schools should mainly focus on teaching the student’s history and civics rather than adopting the broader approach and covering a number of social studies topics. So you have one group that feels strongly that students should be aware of the broad array of influences that have impacted America’s history, while the other group contemplates that teaching social studies that way makes the content diluted because it focuses too much on topics they consider to be outside the mainstream and not on traditional historical themes and the pertinent events in America’s history.
2. With students' ready access to information on the Internet, what might be the concerns of social studies teachers?
There are plenty of concernes that social studies teachers could and do have about the way students use information off the internet. Many students cannot differentiate between what is a rumor and what is a fact when it comes to the information that they read and acquire on the internet for their research. Many students just take down information without questioning the accuracy and validity of the information.
I would venture to say that for the most part, there are many more websites with inaccurate or false information than websites that contain accurate or factual information. As the book mentions, students need to obtain adequate instruction on how to become more analytical about the information that they obtain from the internet and also double checking using other resources to make sure the information they acquire of the internet is as accurate and factual as possible.
Basically what the “history wars” refers to is a disagreement within the education system about several issues concerning the content and focus of social studies in the classrooms across the country. Much of the debate concerns the appropriate role of what and how history is being taught within the educational curriculum. Some individuals have claimed that many schools across the country have struggled to give proper emphasis to all of the social studies topics that are available at their disposal.
Some other individuals claim that schools should mainly focus on teaching the student’s history and civics rather than adopting the broader approach and covering a number of social studies topics. So you have one group that feels strongly that students should be aware of the broad array of influences that have impacted America’s history, while the other group contemplates that teaching social studies that way makes the content diluted because it focuses too much on topics they consider to be outside the mainstream and not on traditional historical themes and the pertinent events in America’s history.
2. With students' ready access to information on the Internet, what might be the concerns of social studies teachers?
There are plenty of concernes that social studies teachers could and do have about the way students use information off the internet. Many students cannot differentiate between what is a rumor and what is a fact when it comes to the information that they read and acquire on the internet for their research. Many students just take down information without questioning the accuracy and validity of the information.
I would venture to say that for the most part, there are many more websites with inaccurate or false information than websites that contain accurate or factual information. As the book mentions, students need to obtain adequate instruction on how to become more analytical about the information that they obtain from the internet and also double checking using other resources to make sure the information they acquire of the internet is as accurate and factual as possible.
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