One of my best classes was A.P, Spanish my senior year in high school. The instructor prepared us very well for the exam, and we all did very well. However, there were much more important aspects of the class. Every day, we would work on situational exercises involving speaking, listening, reading and writing. Everyone in the class complained about the workload (myself included), but I learned more Spanish in the class than in any other.
This class was great because it integrated standards and prepared us for our exam, while also presenting the content in as many ways as possible. For example, the teacher used headsets to create dialogue between partners and listen to spoken scenarios. Afterwards, we would critically assess the information we were given. We would go so in depth that we would forget that we were even speaking Spanish! This is how technology should be used in the classroom; it should facilitate learning in a subtle way, so that it furthers the students' understanding without overwhelming them.
After I graduate, I plan on working at a neurodevelopmental center that I volunteered at in high school. They focus on students with more severe and profound disabilities, and the students receive intense, individualized instruction. This is very different from a public school because they do not focus on the general education curriculum based on the student's age. Instead, they assess the student and meet him where he is.
Almost every student does what they call "mat work" where they practice basic physical movements like crawling or rolling to stimulate their brain in different ways. Technology is very important to these students because they require specific types of stimulus that will strengthen their brain without overwhelming them. Their technology can be as simple as a light-up toy, or as complex as a hyperbaric chamber, not to mention some of the medical technology some of the students need to function.
When I volunteered at this center, I learned that every student has different needs that can be met in a variety of ways. For example, some students needed more physical help, and others struggled more with academics. Overall, I found that you have to meet students where they are before you can help them make progress. This can only be done through constant assessment and observation of the student's learning style.
This class was great because it integrated standards and prepared us for our exam, while also presenting the content in as many ways as possible. For example, the teacher used headsets to create dialogue between partners and listen to spoken scenarios. Afterwards, we would critically assess the information we were given. We would go so in depth that we would forget that we were even speaking Spanish! This is how technology should be used in the classroom; it should facilitate learning in a subtle way, so that it furthers the students' understanding without overwhelming them.
After I graduate, I plan on working at a neurodevelopmental center that I volunteered at in high school. They focus on students with more severe and profound disabilities, and the students receive intense, individualized instruction. This is very different from a public school because they do not focus on the general education curriculum based on the student's age. Instead, they assess the student and meet him where he is.
Almost every student does what they call "mat work" where they practice basic physical movements like crawling or rolling to stimulate their brain in different ways. Technology is very important to these students because they require specific types of stimulus that will strengthen their brain without overwhelming them. Their technology can be as simple as a light-up toy, or as complex as a hyperbaric chamber, not to mention some of the medical technology some of the students need to function.
When I volunteered at this center, I learned that every student has different needs that can be met in a variety of ways. For example, some students needed more physical help, and others struggled more with academics. Overall, I found that you have to meet students where they are before you can help them make progress. This can only be done through constant assessment and observation of the student's learning style.