Schools have many different
challenges and can vary based on the district, city, and region. The community’s in which the schools are
located also has an effect on the challenges they may face. However, technology can be used in the
classroom, as well as in the community.
New technology tools can be used in the community in order to address
these challenges and figure out ways to fix the issue.
English Language Learners and
English as a Second Language
Within the
past few years, the amount of English as a Second Language (ESL) students have
steadily increased and is projected to continue increasing in the future
years. In order to help these students
understand and correctly learn and use the language, technology has become a
big factor.
“Certain strategies, such as activating
prior knowledge, making connections, visualizing, and asking questions, affect
the general education … a second language is best acquired through meaningful
engagements with the language as opposed to a set of grammatical rules to be
mastered.” (pg. 160 – 161)
Hands-on learning have proven to work best for any learner,
but it is significantly effective for ESL learners and it helps them become
more engaging and have a better understanding of the language. Some technology tools that have been shown to
help students to understand content better are through:
- Blogging: Allows students to interact with others and improve on their knowledge, understanding, and comprehension on the language and subject matter.
-
Podcasting: Students are able to listen, respond, and practice their vocabulary and other skills effectively.
Students with Special Needs
All the
different tools that are accessible on the internet are very important for
students with special needs. They are
able to access certain tools which can help each individual based on the needs
that they have. Students with special
needs also benefit a great deal from clear instruction of their learning
strategies and generally have a good result.
The teachers’ impact and involvement with the students also affect the
way students learn and retain the information.
Equity and the Digital Divide
“An ongoing
challenge for all schools is to provide an equal opportunity to learn and
achieve to all students” (pg. 165).
There are many factors which are included in this challenge such as
access to technology, families who have cultural or linguistic diversity,
students who face physical challenges, as well as many more. The issue of equity is not only limited to
the classroom, but is also found throughout communities. Some suggestions in order to help this issue
include the production of laptops for $100 which will work off of satellites
instead of wired broadband access, and using free open-source software instead
of having to purchase software. Many
current web 2.0 tools can usually be used in today’s world in order to help
those students how may not have the same accessibility as others.
Assessment
In schools
today, teachers are in an odd circumstance because the schools are given the requirements
that need to be completed in order to improve on standardized test scores. Sometimes the importance of focusing on the
test distracts the teacher from teaching other basic concepts. Studies have shown that teachers can incorporate
new technology web 2.0 tools in order to better prepare and collaborate with
other students and build upon their knowledge.
Educators are able to plan their instruction with the web 2.0 tools and
be able to evaluate their students throughout the unit instead of just at the
end.
NETS • T
Standard
4.
Assessment and Evaluation
– Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and
evaluation strategies. I think this
standard applies to the chapter because it describes how teachers can apply
technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of
assessment techniques. It also relates
to the chapter because the standard notes that teachers can use technology
resources to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate
findings to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning. Finally, the standard also applies multiple methods
of evaluation to determine students’ appropriate use of technology resources
for learning, communication, and productivity.
Citations:
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007).
Web 2.0, new tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in
educ.
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