Group items tagged

Children need real-life experiences with real people to truly benefit from available technologies. Technologies should be used to enhance curriculum and experiences for children. Children have to have an integrated and well-balanced set of experiences to help them grow into capable adults that can handle social-emotional interactions as well as develop their intellectual abilities.

Unfortunately, technology is often used to replace social situations and I would rather see it used to enhance human interactions. And I think that can happen.

How much are kids using media? The total amount of media use by youth ages 8 to 18 averages 6-plus hours a day—more than any other activity. The amount of use has increased significantly, up from 4-plus hours in the last five years. Eighty percent of adolescents possess at least one form of media access. There is extensive multi-tasking associated with media use (instant messaging while doing homework and listening to music on an mp3 player, for example). Of particular concern is the amount of TV kids consume. From 2004 to 2009, television and video use averaged three to five hours per day, peaking between the ages of 11 and 14, a crucial period for kids' social development. Fifty-four percent of teens send text messages, and one third of teens send more than 100 text messages per day. One third talk face-to-face with friends, around the same percentage that talk on cell phones (38 percent) and land lines (30 percent). Twenty-four percent communicate with friends via instant messages. Twenty-five percent contact friends via social networking sites. Eleven percent use e-mail.

I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially.

Developing a curriculum around student interests fosters intrinsic motivation and stimulates the passion to learn.

1. Have a Clear Definition of Bullying.

schools need to have a common definition of bullying.

Bullying, on the other hand, is an imbalance of power

Technology has become integrated in the classroom in so many ways, that we often don't even think about how we are using it. The Education World Tech Team offers lessons and activities to help educators make better use of technology tools for instruction, and to help students improve their technology skills within the context of the regular curriculum. Included: Integration activities that utilize the Web, PowerPoint, Excel, digital photography, SMART Boards, and more.

WEB SITES

POWERPOINT AND EXCEL

The ITEST program through research and model-building activities seeks to build understandings of best practice factors, contexts and processes contributing to K-12 students' motivation and participation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) core domains along with other STEM cognate domains (e.g., information and communications technology (ICT), computing, computer sciences, data analytics, among others) that inform education programs and workforce domains. The ITEST program funds foundational and applied research projects addressing the development, implementation, and dissemination of innovative strategies, tools, and models for engaging students to be aware of STEM and cognate careers, and to pursue formal school-based and informal out-of-school educational experiences to prepare for such careers.  ITEST supports projects that: (1) increase students' awareness of STEM and cognate careers; (2) motivate students to pursue the appropriate education pathways for STEM and cognate careers; and/or (3) provide students with technology-rich experiences that develop disciplinary-based knowledge and practices, and non-cognitive skills (e.g., critical thinking and communication skills) needed for entering STEM workforce sectors. ITEST projects may adopt an interdisciplinary focus on one or more STEM domains or focus on sub discipline(s) within a domain. ITEST projects must involve students, and may also include teachers. ITEST is especially interested in broadening participation of student groups from traditionally underrepresented in STEM and cognate intensive education and workforce domains. Strongly encouraged are projects that actively engage business and industry to better ensure K-12 experiences are likely to foster the skill-sets of emerging STEM and cognate careers.  ITEST supports two project types: Strategies and SPrEaD (Successful Project Expansion and Dissemination) projects. Strategies projects address the creation and implementation of innovative technology-related interventions that support ITEST's objectives. SPrEaD projects support the wider and broader dissemination and examination of innovative interventions to generate evidence and understanding regarding contextual factors that operate to enhance, moderate, or constrain the desired results. All ITEST projects include activities designed to inform judgments regarding the feasibility of implementing strategies in typical delivery settings such as classrooms and out-of-school settings.

Three advantages have been found regarding technology in the classroom including:  Educators should use technology in the classroom because its wide range of uses and forms has the potential to reach students of all learning styles, as well as be more efficient.  The interest and motivation that technology induces in students makes its usage in schools important.  Educators better prepare students for the future when using technology aimed at addressing each learning style.

"The creative use of these technologies has the potential to engage young people and instill an excitement about learning in ways that few traditional teaching aids and techniques seem capable of doing." They later mention that technological instruction helps students adapt to learning styles by providing a "self-paced... learning environment" that helps all learners to feel less threatened by new material. The simple fact that students exposed to technology will be more comfortable with it later in life is only one of the many reasons to use it in hopes of preparing the for the future.

 Improved attitude  Improved confidence   Improved writing skills when using technology in the classroom (2)

Numerous studies have been done to assess the impact of class size reduction. Although most studies do show a relationship between small class size and increased student achievement, researchers disagree on how to interpret the results. Because there are so many variables in the average classroom — the quality of the teacher, the home environment of the students, the quality of the curriculum, the leadership of the school — it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about student achievement based on class size alone. In other words, strategies effective in one setting may not be equally effective in another. Nevertheless, studies over a period of years have pointed to a number of trends as a result of lowering class size: Gains associated with small classes generally appear when the class size is reduced to less than 20 students. Gains associated with small classes are stronger for the early grades. Gains are stronger for students who come from groups that are traditionally disadvantaged in education — minorities and immigrants. Gains from class size reduction in the early grades continue for students in the upper grades. Students are less likely to be retained, more likely to stay in school and more likely to earn better grades. Academic gains are not the only benefit of lowering class size. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that reducing class sizes in elementary schools may be more cost-effective than most public health and medical interventions. This is because students in smaller classes are more likely to graduate from high school, and high school graduates earn more and also enjoy significantly better health than high school dropouts.

googletag.display("adSponsor_610x30"); GS = GS || {}; GS.FB = GS.FB || {}; GS.FB.subscribes = function() { FB.Event.subscribe('edge.create', function(response) { omnitureEventNotifier.clear(); omnitureEventNotifier.successEvents = "event36;"; omnitureEventNotifier.send(); }); FB.Event.subscribe('message.send', function(response) { omnitureEventNotifier.clear(); omnitureEventNotifier.successEvents = "event38;"; omnitureEventNotifier.send(); }); }; window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({appId: "112862918759431", status: true, cookie: true, xfbml: true}); GS.FB.subscribes(); }; (function() { var e = document.createElement('script'); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e); }()); jQuery(window).load(function() { jQuery.getScript("//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"); }); GS = GS || {}; GS.twttr = GS.twttr || {}; twttr.events.bind('tweet', function(event) { omnitureEventNotifier.clear(); omnitureEventNotifier.successEvents = "event39;"; omnitureEventNotifier.send(); }); var GS_googlePlusOneClicked = function() { //requires /res/js/omnitureEventNotifier.js omnitureEventNotifier.clear(); omnitureEventNotifier.successEvents = "event50;"; omnitureEventNotifier.send(); } (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); 13 commentsEmailPrintEn españolRelated articlesE-ssential tips: A parent's guide to assistive technologyAccommodations, Modifications, and Alternate Assessments: How They Affect Instruction and AssessmentConsumer Tips for Evaluating Assistive Technology ProductsBy Marshall Raskind, Ph.D. , Kristin Stanberry

AT for kids with LD is defined as any device, piece of equipment or system that helps bypass, work around or compensate for an individual's specific learning deficits. Over the past decade, a number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy of AT for individuals with LD. 1 AT doesn't cure or eliminate learning difficulties, but it can help your child reach her potential because it allows her to capitalize on her strengths and bypass areas of difficulty. For example, a student who struggles with reading but who has good listening skills might benefit from listening to audio books. In general, AT compensates for a student's skills deficits or area(s) of disability. However, utilizing AT does not mean that a child can't also receive remedial instruction aimed at alleviating deficits (such as software designed to improve poor phonic skills). A student could use remedial reading software as well as listen to audio books. In fact, research has shown that AT can improve certain skill deficits (e.g., reading and spelling).2,3 AT can increase a child's self-reliance and sense of independence. Kids who struggle in school are often overly dependent on parents, siblings, friends and teachers for help with assignments. By using AT, kids can experience success with working independently

Technology has opened many educational doors to children, particularly to children with disabilities

Technology is providing more powerful and efficient tools to teachers who work with children with disabilities. These tools enable teachers to offer new and more effective means of learning while individualizing instruction to the broad range of student learning needs.

Text can be read electronically by a digitized voice synthesizer for a person who is blind. For persons with hearing impairments, amplification devices can filter extraneous noise from the background or pick up an FM signal from a microphone on a teacher's lapel.

Use of computers in the classroom

Creating class websites and blogs

Use of digital microphones in the classroom

1. Visualize Texts

Wordle is a fun tool for playing with language and making meaning from texts. (And it’s quite safe for classroom use.) This self-described “toy” allows students to analyze word frequency in any text, from a poem to a science book chapter, by simply copying and pasting “a bunch of text” into the box on the top of this page. Click on “go” and you’ll get a snapshot of the most common words in that text as shown by size. (The most frequently appearing words appear larger.)

2. Make Content Comic

17 Benefits of using iPads in the Classroom

There are numerous benefits associated with the use of mobile computing devices such as the iPad and iPod. Many see the iPad as a versatile, powerful tool that is changing the face of education – both students and teachers have access to an unquantifiable amount of educational apps that can be purchased through the App Store. Content and material for all areas of learning from kindergarten through to university is readily available, offering a diverse method to deliver instructions and engage students.

Saving money by combining books, diaries, writing implements, calculators, word processors, etc. all in one media tablet.