Smart Board

I wont lie, my blog is a little late, but last week was a little extreme. Anyway, I really enjoyed using the SMARTboard in class. I learned a lot more than I would have by just using tutorials. There are so many different ways to use the SMART board for lessons and it is extremely useful in my classroom. By being able to be interactive, teaching french is a lot easier. I am able to use clips, and have students arrange things by interacting with the board at a much quicker level than they could with paper. I really learned a lot from last class.

Adaptive Technologies Reflection

I have not been exposed to that many adaptive technologies in my lifetime. I was exposed to a portable tablet PC that students with difficulties writing were given to assist them in the classroom. Students with poor handwriting were given these to help them take notes, send things to teachers and were used on a regular daily basis. I was also introduced to a projected microphone. Students that were hard of hearing would use this so that teachers would talk at a normal tone and students could have a portable ear piece that they could hear the teacher with.

I would use the microphone in my classroom to project discussion and allow students that are hard of hearing to hear me pronounce different words. Being a second language teacher many students are going to have a hard time with pronunciation and with hearing impairment students with difficulties may loose the importance of a word or phrase. With being able to hear me, students with hearing disabilities would have an easier time understanding me, and could advance their language. I would also use this adaptive technology to allow that student to hear me pronounce things more clearly. I could slow down speech, or speed it up so they could mimic back the language they hear, much like every other child does around them. Having a microphone for students with a hearing impairment would help that student be mainstreamed more easily. It would allow class to flow without having to stop or having that child not hear what I am talking about, because of where I am located in the classroom or having my back turned to that certain child. There are so many advantages to having a microphone for students with a hearing disability, because without this adaptive technology, they may go on for many years not knowing that they could actually have an easier time in classrooms. It is defiantly something I would use in my classroom.

I have not seen many technologies in my classroom, but it is important because mainstreaming children has become so important. It is going to be difficult for me because as a second language teacher I want students with disabilities to feel welcome in my classroom. So any assistive technology they may be able to use is going to be worth my time. I want to be able to go to meetings and be able to suggest a certain technology that may help certain children. I really need to look more into them and become better aware of what is offered.

Technology

Last week I really enjoyed using the cognitive maps. I could see how you could use it in almost every class that you could teach. As a french major, students are going to have trouble writing even basic concepts. Using this web could be useful in helping students organize their ideas. I look forward to using it in my classroom. As far as the bar graphs, I thought it would very helpful with younger students. I am excited to go to student support services. I keep hearing about all these new assistive technologies, but I have never seen them. Assistive technologies are so important when knowing how to follow students IEPs and knowing what you can recommend for your individual students.