Week 9 Chapter 8 reflection

Chapter 8, Web 2.0, New Tools, New Schools

This chapter really spoke to me, personally, in several different ways.  This year, I taught two special needs, remedial English classes; one  for tenth graders and one for seniors.  I think that I have learned more from working with these kids than any other classes.  They aren’t particularly motivated and many struggle with things I consider to be rote-simple.    I have had to learn to adapt many of my lessons and ideas for success (in fact, my entire understanding of what it means to write/be a writer) as a result of working with these kids.  They are the ones that do and would benefit the most from technology. 

Most of the boys (and yes, both classes have been all boys… an interesting fact that brings up other avenues for discussion, right?) who, at their recent testing session, showed they were at the 2^nd and 3^rd grade level of reading and writing.  They are broad spectrum learning disabled, dyslexic, or ADD/ADHD.  The thing that drives me crazy is that they are all very bright and capable students… they have just learned that there is one way in school… a way that usually excludes the way they think and their abilities.  These kids are great thinkers but poor writers in the traditional sense.  Technology offers many possible ways for these kids to express their intelligence, understanding and need to communicate, from voice to text software to podcasts in place of essays, I find the web to be a huge asset to their learning. 

In the book, chapter 8 has a section on LD kids, specifically:

Hasselbring (2001) argues that in many cases, “students with disabilities have a greater need for accessing technology than do their non-disabled peers. This may be especially true for those students who need technology just to function within the school environment, such as students with sensory and physical impairments” (p. 16). Students with learning challenges are now able to have access to podcasts, learning materials, and videos, and at times that suit their individual schedules. Additionally, the multimodality of these tools allows students to learn in ways that best meet their learning styles.

(Schrum, Lynne (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools (Kindle Locations 3088-3092). International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Kindle Edition.)

I think this is an important concept that technology is finally allowing us to really consider… that we must reach them through their strengths and not simply always expect that they will meet us on our turf when it is not a level playing field for them.