Tuesday, December 8, 2009

edutopia - Google Search

edutopia - Google Search: "www.edutopia.org"

This is a very good website for information about assistive technology and education in general. I found out about this website on Monday in my computer class.

edutopia - Google Search

edutopia - Google Search: "www.edutopia.org"

I saw this in my computer class on Monday and just had to include it to my blog for future reference. It is a very good website wehn dealing with assistive technology and edcuation in general.

Kurzweil 3000

No, it was not possible for a student to so what is asked of them in question 4 9that is to circle the 40 crayons in the picture given) because is you notice the tool bar, all the icons as something to do with reading whether go forward one reading unit or backward one reading unit. All the other features are related to reading; hence, to ask the software to read circle the 40 boxes of crayons would not be applicable for it to do. Hence, the child would be able to complete this task because the software would not have anything to read back to the student. However, the student could do what I did if he/she is aware of the software. I used the text box to indicate that 2 boxes of crayons would equal to 40. Since, the software is reading word for word on a page it cannot read that the child circle the 40 crayons because although the circling option is there the tool is for highlighting information that can be read over. It is not to perform action such as what was asked in the assignment.


Kurzweil is a software that can be used in classrooms to support learning in terms of reading regardless of the subject area. The effective thing about this software is that it can support students who are struggling to read. The teacher can use tools such as highlighting to show important point, bubbling to have students listen to what the teacher wants him/her to hear for additional information. The teacher can use this tool to keep additional information that is not on the page but she/he wantes the struggling reader to know. You can use the software with worksheet from the web that can be printed, fill out or online.

I had never heard of this resource before getting this assignment, and I think it is a very good tool for students with reading problems. It will open up the possibility for a engaging and motivating students to read without feeling frustrated with the word regardless of the subject. However, I would have rather that the voice used in the program to be more humanisitc instead of sound on the robot end.



On the Kurzweil I was able to highlight key words that would have helped the student with their problem. I was able to incluse a text box with clues for each problem. This was exciting to do becuase when I think that instead of invidually showing students what I am expecting I can do it as a class. Also I would be able to individualize students worksheet in showing reinforcement, in that one student problem may not be another student problem. I the use of sticky note, it just like using a sitcky pad but only on the computer. This will assess me in differentiating students work, which is very important in Special Education.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Reflection

This course was one of the most challenging course of my program up to this point. However, I feel that it was more my fear of technology than the course itself. I am the first to say that technology is an effective tool that does enhace daily living but personally it is not somehthing that I am desiring to use very often.

However, this course has exposed to skills, tools, software, equipment and information that I would have NEVER thought of seeking out for myself. I am appreciative of this course now than when I started. To be perfectly honest I did not like this course very much but had to do it becuase of my program. This feeling has changed, in that I am thankful that I am leaving this class with knowledge that will be with my for a life time. I know that I will be using many of the techonology that I have learned throughout the semester, such as boardmaker, kidspiration, photostory (even though I willbe in a deaf setting), my RSS feed and book markers. The last two has made my organization of information from the web much, much more easier to access and read.

I am not saying that I did not have challenges because I did. My computer crash because of downloading a bookmarker and there were times when I got so frustrated that I disliked the class very much amd was sorry I took it. However, those challenges forced me to be determine to overcome my short comings in technology. This has made my attitude change towards using technology. I am now more convince that using tehcnology in a classroom is not a hassle (as I use to think), but an enhancement to ensure for children vis-a-vis their learning process whether they have a disability or not.

I am aware that there will always be challenges in technology but my attitude is no longer to avoid the use but to embrace it with alternative plans (just in case there is a problem). This class has allowed me to appreciate that technology is a good thing not a bad thing and it is my attitude towards it that will make the huge difference in how effective I will be with using it. I am thanking that the professor's attitude at times was a 'you try and figure it out yourself'. I did not like it at first but I now feel that if she helped me with every problem I had, I would be able to have this change of thought towards technology. I was annoyed at first but after seeing the numerous problems I faced and was able to figure them out myself. Hence, thank you very much Christine, I have surfaced as a much stronger and positive person about using technology and fixing problems as they arise. For example, I had a problem with submitting that mini-test that I got in class using Internet Explorer, so on the midterms I did not use Interent Explorer but Firefox (which solved the problem). I did the photostory ELO, the first one came out grainy and I was annoyed but sought help on my own, got it and did a second one (which came out beautifully). These are lessons that I will take with me, as well as, in technology (as in every other thing in life) there is a solution, you just have to find it. However, your attitude plays a big role on how you approach or not approach the problem.

This course taught me lessons that will help me as go through Columbia, as well as, has taught me to embrace (not reject) technology and more importantly USE it in the classroom effectively to enhance the learnig process for the children who I will have the opportunity to meet throughout my teaching experience.