Week 7 PLE

1. I think technology plays a huge role in creating dynamic experiences for my students. It is through technology that, as a class, we can broaden our horizons. We can talk to people from different continents, and view images and real videos of life on other places in the world. Also, technology makes learning more interesting. Especially with Special Ed kids, we can use technology to meet their needs (i.e. visually, talking with other teachers and gaining ideas, pictures, etc).
2. Technology might detract the students form learning if the activities are more fun than educational. Also, the students may get distracted with the other elements of the technology, and want to explore a different topic more. Although exploring is good, if it's not what we are focusing on in class, it is a distraction, and a student can get behind.
3. One technology that I've used in the past is Wikispaces- this was a great classroom website where we could discuss different things that we read, and communicate easily with the teacher. Teacher feedback is very important, and getting fast responses through the discussion boards, etc. were very beneficial to my learning. Another effective technology is Google Earth. This is great for learning about the geography of our planet. There are so many features on this program that aid learning (i.e. weather, terrain, etc). Lastly, I think that PowerPoint presentations are beneficial, especially when a student can refer back to them. Students, myself included, do not remember everything that a teacher says, thus PowerPoints are a very good source for short hand notes. With Special Ed kids, I think the most effective technology is the type that is hands-on. Using all 5 senses to teach a concept is the most beneficial, and students can learn more in this fashion.