Putting Technology to Work

Link to Multimedia Presentation

Opening New Doors With Assistive Technology

For a moment, take some time to ponder. Think about the differences between people such as those who are disabled and those without disabilities. If a person has a disability, does this set them apart from others? Does this necessarily mean they are incapable of functioning like normal individuals? Is there a way in which help can be provided to individuals with disabilities? Today, with the use of technology, assistance for those with disabilities is available through technological advances such as assistive technology.

The National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education defines assistive technology as “technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible” (AccessIT, 2002). Assistive technology includes devices which help individuals with disabilities that have difficulty with speech, communication, household activities, and etc. For example, a blind person may use software with text-to-voice capabilities, or a person with speech impairments may use a computer device which helps them to project their voice.

To many, technology is a major advancement in today’s society – one widely accessible to us in order to connect with others either near or across the miles. With technology, we can complete homework assignments (sometimes without having to put pen to paper), we can communicate through e-mail or through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and etc. Today, we can communicate with others without having to be physically near one another. Therefore, because of these technological advances and assistive technology, everyone is able to function. Although some people may have disabilities, this does not set them apart from those who are non-disabled.

According to Sheryl Burgstahler, Director of the Do-It program at University of Washington stated that assistive technology is progressing at the same rate as other technological advances in the world. Although used in some schools, it is not implemented in others, teachers and administrators are unaware, or it is not included in the planning process. For students like Suzanna Martini, a sophomore at University of Washington with cerebral palsy, “technology is all of those things and much more – it’s a lifeline”. Suzanna says, “Assistive technology is a major foundation of my life. Without it, I could not exist as I am today. Without a computer, I cannot do homework, without a chair, I cannot get around, without a phone, I cannot call for help”. Only a sophomore in college and Suzanna has accomplished so much with the use of assistive technology. For example, she referees soccer matches from her wheelchair and is able to complete classroom assignments with voice-activated software (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2005).

As part of the planning process, I believe that educators must consider the needs of all students because every child is unique and the teacher should have the student’s best interest in mind. To effectively execute a lesson plan which meets the needs of all students, the teacher needs to start by evaluating the strengths and weakness of every student, acquire information pertaining to the students learning abilities, and conduct research to find out what services are available for students with disabilities. If the lesson plan needs revision, the teacher can use the information based on each student to make modifications or they can rely on the various styles of teaching. This would allow those with disabilities to participate in school activities without the disregard of their handicap.

In conclusion, Enabling Dreams sent a very powerful and thought-provoking message. It opened my eyes to new doors– to consider that there is more than one way to teach a child, despite the differences. Assistive technology is a more than a technological advancement; it is a lifeline and a way for students with disabilities to reach their highest potential.

References:

AccessIT (2002-2012). What is assistive technology? Retrieved April 01, 2012, from AccessIT Home website: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109

The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2005, February 02). How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams  [Video File]. Retrieved April 01, 2012 from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video


Images retrieved from the following sources:

http://www.edutopia.org/images/graphics/001300_81.jpg

http://schoolwaxtv.com/files/videos/image-cache/1731_third_375x280.jpeg

        

Enhancing Learning Through Technology

With the many online resources available, will online educational games benefit children? How will they be beneficial to a child's learning process? To date, many technological advances have been made. It is becoming much easier to access learning software and activities online without having to make a purchase. A parent and child can easily access these interactive, online activities with the use of technology.

The purpose of the online educational game was to become familiar with the vast amount of online resources. Along with my group members, we discovered a variety of useful games which would be conducive for a child either in school or preparing to enter the school system. As a first-time parent, for example, preparing your child and knowing what to teach your child beforehand may be a challenge. Although you may begin to teach your child their ABC's, counting from 1-10, body parts, and etc. - is that really enough? Do you think you could have done more? Well, with online educational games, parents are given the opportunity to participate in the learning process with their child.

Before preparing for the presentation, my group and I browsed through the Internet for possible online games which we felt were the most productive and most engaging for the audience.  Finally, we found one which would possibly enthrall the audience and engage the participation of everyone in the classroom.  The title of our chosen game is called, “Action Fraction”.  The primary objective of the game is to add and subtract fractions using different denominators.  Furthermore, before planning the presentation, we created a rubric which would aid us in carefully executing this assignment.  With creativity, there are many ways a rubric can be created.  According to an online source titled Teacher Vision, a rubric is defined as “a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student’s performance based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score.” (2000-2012).

To create a rubric, we decided to divide it into four distinct categories: graphics, layout, sound, and directions.  These four categories helped provide a focus and awareness.  For instance, it allowed our group to achieve an outstanding presentation using the set of expectations we hoped to achieve with the rubric.  Personally, creating a rubric was not a challenging task.  After viewing a few sample rubrics from previous students, as provided by Professor Cyrus, my group members and I felt comfortable enough to create one, ourselves.  The challenge was finding a suitable game that would meet the overall expectation of our rubric.  Believe me, after settling on one game, we would search over and over again for another.  Some people may describe us as “perfectionists” or “over-achievers”, but we just preferred that our chosen game meet the criteria of our rubric.

Being that I am an aspiring elementary teacher, I would be able to apply this educational game into my lesson plan, more specifically during math time.  Aside from instructional teaching time where I would define what a fraction is, provide examples, and distribute hand-outs; my students could greatly benefit from online exercises such as “Action Fraction”.  David Macaluso, wrote an article for Pacific News Center in regards to the Standardized Achievement Tests (SAT) for Guam.  Although he states that the scores have improved, we are still lower than the national average.  In addition, Robert Underwood was interviewed and he stated that math has historically been a challenge for students (Macaluso,2010).  What is happening?  Are the children not receiving the adequate education?  Are the parents not participating in their child’s learning process?  I am sure these are three of the many of other questions which rattle through the minds of educators.  How can we better prepare our students? 

Along with the daily instructional teaching, online educational games could also provide direction and understanding for students.  If you thoroughly think about it, almost every child enjoys playing video games – why not engage in a computer game perhaps?  For students who lack confidence when it comes to Math, our chosen game would provide the child with extra assistance.  In addition, the game provides incentives for the child.  For example, because our chosen game takes place on a race track, there are two race cars.  When a problem is answered correctly, your car (the red one) speeds ahead of the opponent in the blue car.  In addition, if a perfect score is reached at the end of the game, it would read “Good Job or Great Work”. 

With my teaching pedagogy in mind, there is a way in which both the rubric and presentation could be revised.  Although our rubric was categorized into four sections, we failed to consider the learning aspects of the educational game.  For example, how beneficial is this game for the students?  What benefits would they be receiving and would this game have met the criteria?  On the other hand, although we carried out a successful presentation, I realized that technology has a way of acting out sometimes.  I realized that it would not be a bad idea to have a “plan B”, just in case “plan A” fails.

Overall, this assignment was a wonderful experience.  With the many resources provided by Professor Cyrus, it was a success being able to include a few of the introduced tools, as well as being able to venture out and discover new one’s as a group.  Online educational games are both beneficial and conducive to a child’s learning process.  It provides a foundation for children struggling not only in Mathematics but in other content areas, too.  It also molds the students into critical thinkers.    

References:

Macaluso, D. (2010, October 17). SAT 10 Scores Show Improvement Over Last Year; Math Still a Challenge. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Pacific News Centers website:
http://pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8691:sat-10-scores&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156

Teacher Vision. (2000-2012). The Advantages of Rubrics.  Retrieved March 10, 2012 from
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/rubrics/4522.html

On your mark, get set...GO!!!

Group Members:

                                                          Kaulani Santos

    Jason Malinao

 Julie Garcia

   Nicole Nadal

Title of Game: Action Fraction

URL: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/back-to-school/games/game_action_fraction.html

Subject: Mathematics

Topic: Fractions

Purpose: Children learn about fractions, and how to add and subtract using different
                       denominators

Grade level: 3^rd grade

  

CATEGORY	TARGET (3 PTS.)	ACCEPTABLE (2 PTS.)	UNACCEPTABLE (1 PT.)
Graphics	Graphics are      appropriate for the content area, keeps the audience enthralled, relates to the subject, demonstrates understanding	Graphics are appropriate for the content area, keeps the audience enthralled, and demonstrates understanding	No use of color, graphics, or sound effects, and does not relate to subject matter
Layout	Layout is useful and appealing, user friendly, well-organized, and easily accessible in term of navigating game site	Layout is somewhat useful and appealing, user friendly, and some assistance may be necessary to navigate	Layout is not useful or appealing, not organized, and does not offer an accessible navigation
Sound	Sound effects relate to the game, interactive, motivational, clear, and of excellent quality	Sound effects relate to the object of the game, interactive, and average quality	Virtually no sound effects, does not relate to the game, poor quality, and enhancement needed
Directions	Directions are brief, comprehensive, and beneficial to child learning	Directions are brief and easily understandable	Directions are equivocal and does not appear beneficial to child learning

Images retrieved from the following sources:

http://www.theclipartdirectory.com/clipart/Transportation/Cars/carrace_tnb.png

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIZRtqMqNpJpF8qbvzqqj1fmkF7Mww4TqJvpdNNR95xtFsJ8rIk2LTbZruPdcuVm7HXDke808XytDA5W6AF5soZ1Cl-C4OGgkgl8JkcT0YVE4L0TDiJdOXKAAt0TxF0ljur7lwC5Ml3Q/s1600/crossed-flags.gif

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/grafistart/grafistart1006/grafistart100600008/7166387-two-funny-race-cars-on-race-track-with-finish-line-and-checkered-flag.jpg

Not sure? Be reassured with ASSURE!

         

The NETS*T standard which applies to this assignment would be 1A, Technology Operations and Concepts. According to this standard, “students demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology” (NETS*T 2011). Therefore, through incorporating the use of a digital spreadsheet into my lesson plan, I believe I have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and understanding of this particular concept. With a little editing and revising, I think my lesson plan could be more challenging if I had chosen another disability aside from autism. For this lesson plan, I decided to concentrate on autism as a disability. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, autism is “characterized by social impairment, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior” (NINDS 2012). In order to accommodate this student, I needed to ensure that a one-to-one aide was present during instruction time to assist the child with the activity, for instance, if the student was not capable to staying focused during the lesson.

The best part about this assignment was being able think outside-the-box. It allowed me to open my mind to a whole new world – a world I have no experience in. I enjoyed the fact that creating a lesson plan allows you (as the student) to have structure and organization, instead of chaos and unpreparedness. Being that this is my first time creating a lesson, I did not like the moments when I felt like I could not accomplish this assignment. Usually, I am capable of carrying out assignments; however, creating a lesson plan actually threw me away. Thankfully, Dr. Cyrus introduced the ASSURE model. This model, along with the guidance of a few friends, has helped me with this assignment. Overall, I strongly believe that creating lesson plans, while incorporating the ASSURE model will greatly benefit me in the future as I embark on a journey toward becoming an educator. With the understanding of how to create a lesson plan, I now understand the benefits of doing so. Lesson plans are ideal for keeping things in an orderly fashion.

References:

International Society for Technology in Education.  Retrieved February 18, 2012 from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-S_Standards.sflb.ashx

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.  Retrieved February 18, 2012 from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/autism.htm

Note: Image retrieved online from http://lemons1.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/school.jpg

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Cereals

	Fat	Salt	Sugar	Total
Special K Fruit & Yogurt	1 gram	135 milligrams	10 grams	146
Cinnamon Toast Crunch	3 grams	220 milligrams	10 grams	223
Whole Grain Cheerios	2 grams	160 milligrams	1 gram	163
Total	6	515	21	542

ASSURE LESSON PLAN

1. ANALYZE LEARNERS

The students are 4th grade, ages 10 and 11 years old.  The class consists of twenty (20) students, 10 girls and 10 boys.  The students are enthusiastic and eager individuals.  In addition, most of the students come from middle-income households and a mixture of races including Filipinos, Caucasians, Chamorros, and Mircronesians.  More importantly, one of the students has been diagnosed with autism.

2.  STATE OBJECTIVES

For the duration of this lesson, the students will:

• Gather data from three (3) different cereal boxes in order to determine the amount of fat, sugar, and salt intake by reading the nutritional label
• Input the data into a spreadsheet, by creating a chart depicting the information provided
• Explain the chart to the class

3.  SELECT METHODS, MEDIA, AND MATERIALS

Method:

• Teacher will lead a class discussion.  The purpose would be to find out what the students know about healthy and unhealthy food.  The main question throughout the discussion is: "What does it mean to be healthy?"
• Students will be asked to choose three (3) different cereal boxes .
• Each student will be required to read the nutritional label to find out the fat. sugar, and salt content.
• Students will use the information provided to create a spreadsheet, create a chart, and briefly explain their findings to the class.

*Note: To accomodate the student with austism, a one-to-one aid will be present to help assist the child

Media: Microsoft Excel (to create spreadsheet) and Moodle to submit assignment

Materials: Cereal boxes, computer

4. UTILIZE MEDIA AND MATERIALS

• Teacher should be prepared to answer any questions pertaining to the assignment
• Prior to the lesson, the teacher should check if the materials are available
• Teacher should provide an example of the assignment

5. REQUIRE LEARNER PARTICIPATION

This lesson is designed so that students actively participate throughout the duration of the class activity.  The students are required to work individually; however, if help is needed, they are encouraged to collaborate amongst their peers for assistance.  In addition, participation is required as it is an integral part of the student's grade.

6. EVALUATE AND REVISE

Students were required to choose three different cereal boxes in order to determine the fat, sugar, and salt content.  Afterwards, the students were required to input the information onto a spreadsheet, create chart, and be prepared to explain the chart.  Moreover, although the one-to-one aide was present to assist with the student with autism, it was a challenging task to have the child focus on the task at hand.