Module 3 Reflection

How could the digital technologies described in Chapter 6 be used or adapted to address student diversity? Be specific in your examples.

 

There are many ways that the digital technologies in chapter 6 can be adapted to address student diversity. Touch screen monitors are very useful within the classroom. They can be used for students who may struggle using a mouse and keyboard due to a physical impairment. Electronic whiteboards can make any lesson interactive for the students. These can be useful with students who have difficulty with fine motor skills. Speakers and headphones can be very helpful during reading. Students can listen to books on cd or listen to lessons that have been previously recorded. Clickers can be used to get anonymous feedback from students and since they are anonymous it will eliminate students being scared of answering aloud. There are many resources out there for teachers, and I feel like you can find some way to adapt almost any technology within the classroom.  

Module 2 Reflection

Take the learning styles inventory to find out what kind of learner you are and reflect on your results. (http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html)

Identify a favorite teacher in elementary or secondary school. Describe three practices or techniques that this teacher used to meet your own learning needs that were significant in helping you learn. Do these practices/techniques correspond with your results to the learning inventory? How can you be sure you are meeting the many different learning styles you will have in your classroom one day?

 

            

My top three intelligences from the inventory were body movement/kinesthetic, logic/math, and self/intrapersonal. I definitely agree with the first two. I have always been the type of person that needs to move around constantly. Doing any kind of hands-on activity in school was always helpful to my learning. Since elementary school, math has always been my best and favorite subject! I was blessed to have great math teachers that helped me discover a love for math early on. I was not expecting self to be in my top three intelligences because I think I grew out of always needing to keep and be with myself. All of these relate to how I learn. I was a kinesthetic and visual learner throughout elementary school and I still am now.

My favorite teacher in secondary school (7^th, 8^th, and 10^thgrade) was Mrs. Daniel. She taught me pre-algebra, algebra I, and algebra II. One technique she used was she played classical music while we took our test. She believed that listening to the music calmed us while taking test. Also while we took test, she would always give us a peppermint or jolly rancher because she believed the candy could help us remember. I don’t know if I necessarily believe the same things and I don’t think these go along with my learning styles, but I loved that she did this because it is really hard for me to sit in silence.

A second technique she used was letting us have brain breaks. She would give us like a minute to get up and stretch and even talk once or twice during her class period. This was beneficial to my learning style because I was the one that was wiggling all through class just because I needed to be moving at all times. Even though we were older she knew that my particular class needed it. Another technique she used was letting us chose to work in groups of work by ourselves for certain tasks. This does relate to my learning styles, because I did like to work by myself when I was in high school. Now, I do not mind working in groups, but I think it was nice to have the choice.

When I have my own classroom, I think it would beneficial to let the students tell what they believe their learning style is or let them take a small inventory, if it is an upper grade. If they are not able to do this, as a teacher, you have to make sure you are using differentiated instruction throughout all subjects. It is very important for a teacher to reach out to every learning style in the classroom.