IT 344 Fall 2013

When a student can be so engaged and motivated, this type of learning tool becomes an important part of the curriculum. Clegg (1991) pointed out the most important predictor of learning is the instructional context and not necessarily the actual game, but the collaborative and cooperative learning built into the overall experience, offering an engaging environment for information assimilation.

Games create competitive and collaborative situations making learning fun and engaging; meeting the many needs of the students (Weiss & Loebbeck, 2008). During the early grades, teachers spend up to eight hours with their students each day; they could utilize the interactive and social aspects in games in order to realize additional learning in the classroom and use it to support other subjects (Klopfer, Osterweil, & Salen, 2009).

Physical

Walking a dog or running in the yard and throwing a ball are great ways to exercise the dog as well as for children to get away from sedentary indoor activities and move around. Small motor skills can be encouraged by allowing children to scoop food and pour water into dishes, and by helping to groom them

Social

In the past 20 years there has been an expansion of the diversity of service animals being utilized by persons with disabilities, with some confusion as to what truly is a “service animal”.  Effective March 15, 2011, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations define a service animal as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability” (USDJ, 2011). 

What the Research Found

The study results indicated that, in general, using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement. This means that we can expect a student at the 50th percentile in a classroom without the technology to increase to the 66th percentile in a classroom using whiteboards. In addition, three features inherent in interactive whiteboards have a statistically significant relationship with student achievement. The first is the learner-response device—handheld voting devices that students use to enter their responses to questions. The percentage of students providing the correct answer is then immediately displayed on the board in a bar graph or pie chart. Using voting devices was associated with a 26 percentile point gain in student achievement. A second feature is the use of graphics and other visuals to represent information. These include downloaded pictures and video clips from the Internet, sites such as Google Earth, and graphs and charts. Use of these aids was also associated with a 26 percentile point gain in student achievement. A third feature is the interactive whiteboard reinforcer—applications that teachers can use to signal that an answer is correct or to present information in an unusual context. These applications include dragging and dropping correct answers into specific locations, acknowledging correct answers with virtual applause, and uncovering information hidden under objects. These practices were associated with a 31 percentile point gain in student achievement.

Kids and animals are a natural combination. Pets are great companions, and they teach the value of responsibility to children. For children with disabilities, this companionship is particularly invaluable, as they may have trouble making friends with kids their own ages because of low self-esteem. Animals give children an opportunity to connect with another living being, which is extremely important to any child's development.