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Instructional technology seeks to disprove the idea that "great teachers are born, not made."

"Students today can't prepare bark to calculate their problems. They depend on slates, which are more expensive. What will they do when the slate is dropped and it breaks? They will be unable to write." From a Teachers Conference, 1703. "Students today depend on paper too much. They don't know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They can't clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?" From a principal's publication, 1815. "Students today depend too much on ink. They don't know how to use a pen knife to sharpen a pencil. Pen and ink will never replace the pencil." From the National Association of Teachers Journal, 1907. "Students today depend on store-bought ink. They don't know how to make their own. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write words or cipher until their next trip to the settlement. This is a sad commentary on modern education." From The Rural American Teacher, 1928. "Students depend on these expensive fountain pens. They can no longer write with a straight pen and nib. We parents must not allow them to wallow in such luxury to the detriment of how to cope in the business world, which is not so extravagant." From the Parent Teachers Association Gazette, 1941. "Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of education in our country. Students use these devices and then throw them away. The American values of thrift and frugality are being discarded. Business and banks will never allow such expensive luxuries." From Federal Teachers, 1950.

What this suggests is that all technologies, be they things that plug in or advances in thought, have various affordances that make them at times useful and at times not useful. The trick is to figure out what makes them useful in what situations in order to leverage their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

Collaborate with special education teachers, related service providers, and paraprofessionals on a regular basis

at least once a week

Teachers alternate roles of presenting, reviewing, and monitoring instruction.

One of the most common accommodations for students with special needs is preferential seating. This doesn’t always mean in the front row of the classroom right next to the teacher’s desk

Many general education mainstream students cannot perform the following simple tasks: telling time from an analog clock writing a simple letter signing their name in cursive note taking and study skills

Collaborative teaching looks differently depending on what school, level, and setting you are working. I am fortunate enough to work in a school where collaborative teaching is encouraged and celebrated. Teachers have common planning times, and professional development time is often set aside for teachers to plan together.

concerns that, without the proper guidance, education leaders and individual educators can adopt simplistic views of what it means to teach in culturally responsive ways

key scholars and teacher educators Gloria Ladson-Billings, Geneva Gay, and Django Paris

Although Seesaw had much greater efficacy at the early elementary than middle school level, this may have been related to institutional factors.

Characteristics of lessons Clear lessons; Lessons relevant to students’ lives; and Collaborative lessons. Particular activities Class discussions; Hands-on; Multimodal; Creativity and the creative arts; and Out-of-class experiences.

Among the eight components that we identified as contributing to effective and engaging lessons, the components reflected in the above narrative are relevance to this girl’s life and group collaboration.

One central finding of Reichert and Hawley (2010b) is that boys elicit the kinds of teaching they need.

Accommodations do not reduce grade level standards but rather help provide access to the course content. They do not alter the amount or complexity of the information taught to the student. Accommodations are changes in the program from a way things are typically done so that a student with a disability can have equal opportunity to participate and allow the student to be successful. These changes do not substantially or fundamentally lower or alter the standards.

Be based on current individualized needs;Reduce the effect of the disability to access the current curriculum;Be specific about where, when, who and how the accommodations will be provided;Include current input from parents, teachers, student, and therapists;Be based on current specific needs in each content area.

Changes in the medium used:braillelarge printaudiotapeelectronic textoral testing/scribing Changes made in the way materials are presentedCopies of overhead projector/smartboard activities to be viewed at his/her desk as needed.The teacher or presenter should verbalize all information as it is written on the board or overhead. Information presented on the board should be in a high contrast color. Use a slant-board to position papers appropriately for reduced visual strain and to avoid glare.The computer screen should be eye level and tilted to avoid glare.Use recorded text as needed.Classroom recording of lectures/instruction by the student.Large Print textbooks/materials.Braille textbooks/materials.Clear, dark copies of worksheets.Use of a reading guide to assist in keeping place while reading and completing worksheets.Present materials against a plain backgroundUse a good contrast background and present on a contrasting tray or mat. Time requirements:Time and a half or double timeConsideration for the student's reading/writing speedConsideration for the time needed to use adaptive equipmentConsideration for eye fatigue and scanning ability Changes in the way students demonstrate learningModified assignments (when appropriate and needed) to accommodate visual fatigue (extended time and/or shortened amount of assignments).Avoid activities requiring extensive visual scanning.Avoid visually cluttered materials.Allow students to use (bold marker, 20/20 pen, mechanical pencil, or another unique writing tool) to complete assignments.Use of bold line paper.Use of raised line paper.Abbreviated homework assignment (includes all concepts, just fewer items).Shorter written assignment.Oral testing. Changes in Setting: preferential seating in the classroom for all films, assemblies and demonstration lessons.seated facing away from windows.permission to move about the room as needed to see information presented away from his/her desk. Changes in the Setting: EnvironmentAvoid glare in general from overhead lights. Consider placing light filters on fluorescent lights.Open and close doors fully (a half-open door can be a dangerous obstacle).Eliminate unnecessary background noise. Consider isolation headphones.Eliminate clutter from the room, particularly in aisles and movement paths.Place materials in consistent places so that students know where particular items are always located.Preferential locker position and locks with keys vs. combination locks.Use of task lighting as needed.