In a previous comment Aiden made, he discussed whether I.C.T
was effective within an educational setting and mentioned a quote which stated “technology has to fit the student and the
student has to be motivated to learn to use it.” (Ashbrook, 2011). While doing
work experience in a special needs school I noticed a high usage of technology.
For example, one child who was unable to speak used an iPad in order to tell
the teacher when he wanted his food or a drink. They also projected images onto
the floor so that the children who struggled with fine motor skills could play
games on a larger scale. This demonstrates how I.C.T fitted the pupil. However,
many schools and students can not afford this type of technology.
Children are getting I.C.T products sooner in their lives and in greater quantity. For example, households do not just own one phone now, they will have multiple computers, mobiles, tablets and laptops (Bale, 2003). From volunteering in a children’s club and talking to parents there I understand it can be hard for them to keep up with new upcoming products. It can often be even harder for the children who are not kept up-to-date. When talking to one of the children there I found out her parents were not able to afford a mobile or computer for her. She spoke to me about how she found it difficult to engage with others in her class as well as complete online homework tasks. This meant that if she needed a computer she had to go to the library. Furthermore, as she had not grown up with I.C.T, she lacked motivation to use it within the school environment. In this situation it is important for the teacher to realise the potential and benefits of technology themselves so they can motivate the student to engage with it. (Brown et al, 2014).
Ashbrook, P. (2011) The Early Years: Harness Your Tech Side. Science and Children [online]. 49 (4), pp. 26-27. [Accessed 19 October 2016].
Bale, Linda. (2003) An Investigation into the Effective Use of the Interactive Whiteboard at Key Stage One. M.A. Education. Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Brown, E. Et al. (2014) 'Students׳ willingness to use response and engagement technology in the classroom,' Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 15(1), pp. 80-85.
Children are getting I.C.T products sooner in their lives and in greater quantity. For example, households do not just own one phone now, they will have multiple computers, mobiles, tablets and laptops (Bale, 2003). From volunteering in a children’s club and talking to parents there I understand it can be hard for them to keep up with new upcoming products. It can often be even harder for the children who are not kept up-to-date. When talking to one of the children there I found out her parents were not able to afford a mobile or computer for her. She spoke to me about how she found it difficult to engage with others in her class as well as complete online homework tasks. This meant that if she needed a computer she had to go to the library. Furthermore, as she had not grown up with I.C.T, she lacked motivation to use it within the school environment. In this situation it is important for the teacher to realise the potential and benefits of technology themselves so they can motivate the student to engage with it. (Brown et al, 2014).
Ashbrook, P. (2011) The Early Years: Harness Your Tech Side. Science and Children [online]. 49 (4), pp. 26-27. [Accessed 19 October 2016].
Bale, Linda. (2003) An Investigation into the Effective Use of the Interactive Whiteboard at Key Stage One. M.A. Education. Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Brown, E. Et al. (2014) 'Students׳ willingness to use response and engagement technology in the classroom,' Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 15(1), pp. 80-85.
I think your reflection on your experiences with technology emphasises how technology can be used in the right context. Similarly to when you used technology to overcome the SEN child’s difficulties, I have also chose to use technology in order to teach the curriculum to a non-English speaking child. In this scenario, Google translate enabled us to break down the language barrier and proved a positive 'affordance' of the online app (Van Praag & Sanchez, 2015).
ReplyDeleteVan Praag, B. and Sanchez, H.S. (2015) Mobile technology in second language classrooms: Insights into its uses, pedagogical implications, and teacher beliefs. The Journal of Eurocall [online]. 27 (3), pp. 288-303. [Accessed 03 November 2016].