Monday, February 18, 2008

Value Added for Uses of Technology

The many uses of technology we have discussed so far this semester could be very valuable in certain classroom contexts. In keeping with UDL's principle of reaching every student no matter what their learning style, different approaches could be taken with the same topic using programs such as Inspiration to appeal to visual learners or for students who like to map out their thinking to see how things connect and relate. So far, the technology we have covered caters mainly to visual learners, but ast the UDL article points out, there are other technological resources available for other kinds of learners.

A big advantage of using technology in the classroom is its convenience and efficiency. Instead of wasting time going from book to book, students can often find what they are looking for all in one place. Using the internet to access websites such as the VCDH website would be a great way to make a potentially dry subject to some students - history- really come alive. Maps, journal entries, newspaper articles, all easily accessible in one place- can help students piece together their own version of historical events. Webquests would be another good option for curious students to take an active role in their own education instead of sitting passively and being lectured to. Tailoring a lesson to suit each student's needs and interests can be accomplished effectively through the use of technology if the teacher can incorporate it effectively so that it becomes part of her lesson instead of an afterthought.

1 comment:

Elizabeth Langran said...

Yes, we have been working mostly with visual learning - we will also work with auditory when we do podcasting in a few weeks.

Good websites like VCDH or using WebQuests can help keep a student on-task instead of floundering all over the internet.