Tuesday, July 29, 2014
AIM in Classrooms
I’d previously learned about the need to present information using various methods in order to accommodate different kinds of learners (audio, visual, spatial, etc), but EDUC 422 has emphasized the necessity to provide different technological tools to achieve this as well. I hadn’t considered how I would cater to students that could not read or read well. The article illustrates this very well with their example of a boy named Dylan, who spent two hours just doing math homework because he read slowly. I learned about the numerous tools that exist to help alleviate the problems students like this face when doing homework or other computer-based assignments. I learned about a couple internet browsers that will read the screen, as well as other software programs that can do this too. There is also software (such as Dragon) that allows students to dictate and their writing as opposed to having to type it all out.
In addition to heightening my awareness about the need for AIM in classrooms, I learned from this article that it was a legal obligation to provide these materials. To ensure that I have them accessible for everyone in my classroom, I intend to keep everything digital to start. Having a digital copy allows me as an educator to easily modify the assignment to accommodate different learners with varying abilities. For instance, I can print something in normal size font for most of the class and enlarge the font and reprint it for a student who requires that. I would also like to design lesson plans that utilize computers in the classroom, which would allow students to have the screen read to them using software installed on computers at school. Additionally, by allowing students to use computers during class time, I can more easily monitor students' progress and help them with any basic computer literacy issues they might have. Lastly, I intend to maintain a classroom website for my students. On the website, I will post lesson plans, homework assignments, link to resources such as Dragon and Google Vox (dictation and screen reading programs), most importantly, post transcripts of lesson plans. With the lesson plan transcripts, students can have the material read to them either by the computer or with the help of their parent. I believe it’s essential to provide multiple ways for students to learn. Technology aids teachers in allowing them to digitize lessons and provides programs (often free) that can assist students who have learning issues.
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Justin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning what seems to be another great tool which helps us cater to our students! I think it's great that you plan to fully embrace and incorporate technology in your classroom, and quite honestly I think that the laws which we are required to comply with are reasonable. Once you get in the habit of indicating what part of the page students are reading when typing up an assignment or document, you'll probably find yourself doing i for everything you write up! These are simple steps that have a great impact.
It's amazing how much we have learned from this class, right? I didn't know this was a legal matter either until we went over it. I just knew that it was a "thing". But it makes sense, and all teachers should know this because it bridges a gap that would otherwise separate slow or disabled readers from the rest of the class. It really is, as I called it in my blog, a virtual ramp. Just as with students who can walk, we provide accessibility options for them to be in the classroom. There is no reason that teachers should not recognize and address these kinds of issues because they are so common. And with the digital age upon us, it's now more crucial than ever.
ReplyDeleteJustin,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you have learned about the different resources we have to help us make our technology accessible to all. I also did not know that it was required by law for teachers to provide accessible instructional materials. I think that if we didn't know this, then there are a lot of other new teachers or future teachers that don't know this either. I think it is important for all future teachers to understand the importance of making their digital tools in the classroom accessible for everyone. It is also smart of you to make digital copies of everything so that you can enlarge or change the copies if needed. I will also use a classroom website for my future classroom because it will be helpful to keep the parents informed and the students as well.