Bolden

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After viewing the videos and websites related to assistive technology, I found that is used to provide support and aid to people with disabilities in order for them perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Assistive technology has a very wide range of aids and devices designed to support those with disabilities, both physical and learning. Included in these devices are wheelchairs, TTY, software, and modified computers. While browsing the websites provided to us I found that Kathy Schrock’s Special Education page was very helpful to me. It was full of a lot of other resources that helped me to understand what assistive technology is, as well as discover some ways assistive technology can be used in the classroom.
 * Assistive Technology Reflection**

Technology is advancing everyday and a great benefit to this evolution is the numerous supports it can provide individuals with disabilities. Technology promises that students with diverse learning needs can receive the help and aid they need to be successful. I have had personal assistance with students who have used some form of assistive technology. One classmate in particular needed an electric wheelchair to get around because he had cerebral palsy. Without the wheelchair it probably would have been impossible to get around in his everyday life, but he always seemed to be having fun with it, and he loved that he was one of the only students who was allowed to ride the elevator. I often think about how I would handle having special education students in my classroom and how I would be able to give them all the support that they need. From this assignment, I have learned that there is plenty of aid that can be provided by assistive technology devices. The use of these devices does not always provide all the support the students’ need, but having them in the classroom would help me to give them the help that they need.

**Learning Styles Reflection** By taking the learning styles survey I found that I had a balance of learning styles. As part of the auditory/verbal learning style I benefit from listening to lectures and class discussions. I somewhat agree with this because there are times when I can “hear” part of a lecture inside my head when trying to remember information. But this doesn’t really happen if the lecture I listen to is very dry and direct because it isn’t memorable to me. As part of the visual/verbal learning style I benefit from professors who use a blackboard or PowerPoint to list the essentials of a lecture. I should also benefit from studying quietly by myself. I completely agree with this result because I often visualize the text from a PowerPoint or notes when remembering information. Also, I can only study in a quiet place by myself because it is the only way I can stay focused and actually remember the information that I’m reviewing. The suggestions offered consisted of strategies I already follow, as well as strategies I’ve tried and haven’t worked for me.

**Responses to CAST Website Resources** My overall impression of the CAST website is that it provides a lot of information regarding the Universal Design for Learning or UDL to be used by those who plan on using it in the future. It also provided classroom examples to relate to different strategies. One thing that I found interesting in //Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age// was the breakdown of how different parts of the brain works and how they each effect learning. I might incorporate this information in my teaching by creating activities that show how they work and test the students’ memory.

I feel that the overall this approach to developing differentiated instruction is a great method for help students learn and use their full potential. I enjoyed the classroom examples that Cast provided because it made the whole concept relatable. I feel like most of the site had an over abundance of information that wasn’t completely easy to understand. I would like to learn more about the actual classroom techniques that can be implemented in order to make UDL work. I am a fan of differentiating instruction but I have not enjoyed the way it has

**Virtual Fieldtrip** By taking a virtual fieldtrips, I was able to explore different aspects of history I would have never otherwise known, and I didn’t have to leave my room. I didn’t know anything about virtual fieldtrips before this assignment so I was interested in exploring different resources to find out how they work. I took a virtual fieldtrip of the Smithsonian, American History, and the whaling industry. I learned the most form the whaling industry because I had no idea that they were ever in danger of being extinct. I also learned about whether or not whaling was an ethical practice considering their intelligence.

Virtual fieldtrips are definitely classroom friendly and I can see myself integrating them into my classroom curriculum. They allow students to explore virtual exhibits at their own pace and discover information that interests them. It also gives students the time to find answers to lingering questions and gives them a reason to be excited about this learning process. One way I could incorporate this into a lesson would be to hand out a list of websites that correspond to the unit or subject I am teaching. They will then be given time to choose a couple exhibits to explore individually or in small groups depending on computers available. In these small groups they should make posters illustrating the information they’ve learned, and present to the class. Of course, this is not the only way to use virtual fieldtrips, but I hope that as I am more exposed to them, I will develop different ways to use them in the classroom. media type="custom" key="11157350"

My digital story can be viewed [|here].

I ask about the technology used in this school because I believe the use of technology in the classroom is extremely important. I have had internships where I have gotten to see how successfully classrooms run with and without technology, so I hoped to be able to incorporate as much technology in my classroom as possible. Having different types of technology tools available will be a great teaching aid. There are so many ways to incorporate technology into a lesson that I would feel like I was doing a disservice to my students if I didn’t take advantage of these opportunities. Such ways include interactive learning games, interactive white boards, typing lessons, digital music players and books, etc. Most importantly I believe that each student should have ample time to utilize technology on their own. So many of them are already exposed to different forms of technology outside of school that it doesn’t make sense to take that away from them while they are in school. Making students watching a PowerPoint or an ELMO projection is simply not effective technology instruction.
 * Final Reflection **

I also believe that many students enjoy using technology and are more engaged in activities that it involves. With young children I have seen how entrapped they can become in a computer learning game as well as the excitement they feel when they get to use interactive white boards. Being a teacher involves preparing students for their future and in this day and age, technology is definitely the wave of the future. It is important for educators to take this seriously and provide opportunities for their students to learn using technology.


 * The biggest change that I have seen in my beliefs in the importance of technology in education is that I now understand different ways it can be used. I have also learned the true importance of using technology in the classroom. At first I didn’t realize how important technology is to students, but now I know that it not only enhances, but supports learning. **