Blog Post 3

Technology in Special Education
In this video, Mrs. Cook shows us how she is able to use the technology we have today in her classroom. As a special education teacher she shows us that communicating with her students can be a lot easier when adding technology. Most of her students agreed that using technology has helped them do better in the classroom. Mrs. Cook also mentioned that she is able to understand her students more and build a relationship with them. Teaching special education students can be a challenge; technology can help the teacher as well as the student get through the task.
One of the ladies at my church is a special needs teacher. She tells me often how she use technology everyday with her students. Also, she explained to me that using technology such as the computer comes more natural to them. She being an older teacher is not technology illiterate therefore, her students teach her also. I think it is amazing what all technology can do. Before, special education students were separated from the normal children. Using technology will help them feel included and can also teach the other students about helping their classmates.

How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism
When looking for an app that will be good to use in a special needs class I stumbled upon Injini. It contains a collection of learning games to toddlers with cognitive, language, and fine motor delays. It is a game designed for special needs students to have fun and practice fine motor skills at the same time. This app could easily be used in the class room because it contains most of the learning skills used in early childhood education.
Kindergarten through second grade is the base for student's learning abilities. Enhancing the children's fine motor skills, language skills, understanding of cause and effect, spatial awareness, memory and visual processing helps them to be able to retain what they learn. This could be easily turned into a group project to help the students work together and communicate, as well as working on their own.




Gary's Social Media Count

In Gary’s social Media Count is shows how drastically the numbers change every second. People are using technology in so many different ways to be socially connected to anyone around the world. My fisrt thought after seeing this was, “How did the people before us survive?” I am a 21 year old student and I am constantly sending a text, checking facebook and tweeting. I have had a cellular device for ten years and I have seen them change so fast. In six grade all I knew how to do was dial a number, now I can easily do anything I want on my smartphone.
My mother thinks that technology has ruined our generation, but I think the opposite. Yes, we are so use to calculators that we can not add basic math, but technology has save more lives now then ever. Like everything in this world I believe there are pros and cons but we should make the best of what we have. I enjoy using my technology, it helps with my school work and makes learning much easier. Using facebook helped me to connect with my friends, family that live across the world, and meet new people.

A vision of Students Today
As a future teacher looking in, I feel that some people are not doing their job right. One of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher is to actually get our children ready for the world. I believe that some of these teachers are not teaching the best of their abilities. Many of the teachers are being lazy and not doing what they are paid. Yes, I realize some of them are upset that they do not get paid enough to do what they are doing. Yes, I do believe that the teacher’s pay should be more, but does that mean we sell our kids short.
In the end, they are the ones that will be taking care of us and we are not preparing them well enough. I know so many children that can not stand math. I believe basic math is one of the most important subjects in the classroom. They are so use to digital that they can not tell time on a regular clock. Instead of having regular clocks most schools have digital to make it easier. Most of the schools in Mobile County have smart boards. Please explain to me why a math teacher needs a smartboard. When my teacher stood in front of either a chalkboard or dry erase and explained to me what goes next, I was able to retain the information much easier. Now these teachers are so lazy that the put the steps on a powerpoint and waiting for the class to copy them instead of teaching.
When you talk about Universities it is another category of laziness. I have been in classes where the teacher reads their power point notes and expecet your to remember everything for the test. I believe this is the worse method of learning. First, it makes the classroom so boring that no one wants to pay attention. Secondly, students say, “they are on the website so why pay attention in class or even come.” Most of the books I have purchased were never opened because I did not know where to start. I believe that teachers should take the time and find a method that works not for ten students but all.