Sunday 23 October 2011

Reflection Day 3



This was a great class!  I learned so much about literacy programs used to assist students with reading and writing.  Learning Kurzweil for my class presentation was a great experience because I will be able to use it to help out some of resource students and I am very excited about this!  In particular I work with a student who is dyslexic and struggles with sounding out the parts of words.  Kurzweil offers the student access to pronunciation of words and syllables, along with text to speech reading of any scanned or computerized materials.  It is also helpful for students with writing challenges because it offers graphic organizers and examples of writing pieces for students to work from.  I've also shared some of the features with colleagues who are not familiar with the program because it has so many options to accommodate students, such as study skills or test taking features.

I also enjoyed using the Ipod Touch and discovering apps students and children can use to assist in learning.  I see this technology as the future of education because it has so many uses for all types of diverse learning styles.  As a current teacher I see some challenges with this technology in the classroom, such as students using the device for inappropriate activities.  As well, with some students I would be reluctant to have them handle the device with care.  However, I do feel like the benefits of this technology outweigh the negatives for struggling readers and writers.   

In my next post I am selecting my favorite Ipod apps and you should definitely check these out!  After using the device, it is now on my Christmas wishlist! 

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