Blog Post #3

1. Technology in Special Education video showed me a lot that i did not know.Technology can accommodate for students and teachers in the classroom. The teacher Lace Cook shows us the difference in a classroom with no technology compared to one with some. The classroom is boring without technology. She introduces us to a student using the Ipod-Touch to help him read along with the book he had. The small electronic items teachers say are distractions can be the same things that help the students every day in the classroom.
The video also shows that some technology is almost necessary in the classroom. Mrs. Cook shows us that some students have physical disabilities and are non verbal. They use computers to talk for them. She attempted to do a crossword problem with one student and had him pointing at the letters he wanted to use. She showed that it took a lot of time and that it was way quicker to let him type his response. Students with disabilities might even benefit from technology even better than the kids with out them. The thought i left with is that all students benefit from technology regardless of a major disability or not.
2. In the video "How the iPad Works with Academics for Autism, Bradley, an 8 year old boy with autism, Uses the iPad for different learning activities. The first application he uses helps him with his counting. The application is called Toddler Counting. Every time he taps the item on the screen a number pops up and it says the number aloud for him to hear it and repeat it. He repeats it instantly and seems like he is having fun at the same time.
Another application that is similar to that one is called My First Words. In that application he simply is repeating the word that appears on the screen while the iPad reads it aloud. Kids Writing Pad works very well with Bradley as well. His dad writes a word then Bradley writes the same word under it, to improve and work on his handwriting. The thing that sticks out to me is the enthusiasm and motivation that he has while doing these activities using this application. He is doing your basic mathematics, reading, and writing all at home on his iPad and is having fun. This can be used in schools as well to help other students with autism.
3. Gary's Social Media Count shows how social networks and other media activity takes over the world. In this current period of time it is rare if a person does not have an account on a social network. There is no age limit. From children from the ages of 8 all the way to adults to the age of 60, social media is common.

Social networks by the seconds are growing even larger. It is crazy that the influence it has on modern day society. Soon I think that is going to be required by birth that you have your information put up. Technology has advanced so much since the 90s. From my personal stand point i feel that social media is required in college. So when you see how numbers are changing you can also consider how many students are getting ready to make the transition from high school to college.
4. This video explains exactly how a lot of students feel about learning and going to class. Education first start with the setting. Universities have focused on having bigger classrooms versus better classrooms for students to learn. Why have a classroom that you can hold over 100 students in, if everyone cannot see the board? Questions like this should be asked to universities.

It seems like college classes do not prepare you for your future job. Most students have text books the pay over 200 dollars for and some they never use to only sell back for 30 dollars. The information they even teach you is irrelevant to the job of your future. College is a very big scheme for money it seems and not focused on teaching the information in a way that all students can learn.