Ever wonder if the advances in technology are really making a difference for children?

High-tech devices help kids with disabilities

In reading this article you begin to see how technology is playing an important role in helping better the lives of our special needs students. Through Assistive Technology students with special needs are able to live productive lives in and out of school because it focuses on their individual needs. Our special needs students are able to communicate and participate in school functions without the assistances of people. For example the article talks about a young boy who has cerebral palsy he is able to participate in school by using assistive technology, proximity to switches on his wheelchair to operate a computer with his head. HOW AMAZING is THIS!!!!! HOW POWERFUL!!  It allows the special needs student equal access to a good education “where they can learn” and truly be successful.

How to bring our schools out of the 20th century

I found this article to be extremely enlightening and motivating. “How do we bring our schools to the 21 century?” by creating a “global students”

I found the idea of a “global student” to be a concept of forward thinking, by thinking into the future. Developing a student that can co-exist in an ever changing world. A world that speaks more than one language that is constantly advancing socially, technologically and academically. How can we keep up with this world? If our student can’t see the world past their school door.

 As a new educator you become a little disheartened when you see the direction our educational system is heading towards. You have this ideal of what your purpose is an educator, which for me is to help my students find their purpose in this constantly evolving world we live in. In observing teachers teach for the test you begin to see how big of a hurdle it will be to help your students find their purpose, when the student’s imagination and creativity are completely stunted everyday.  The article touches on these topics of why and how we can bring our schools to the 21 century. It suggests that we need a revamp our educational system and get with the changing world. The article states

“Become smarter about new sources of information. In an age of overflowing information and proliferating media, kids need to rapidly process what's coming at them and distinguish between what's reliable and what isn't. "It's important that students know how to manage it, interpret it, validate it, and how to act on it," says Dell executive Karen Bruett, who serves on the board of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a group of corporate and education leaders focused on upgrading American education.”

So how can we possible teach these skills if we are teaching for a test rather then preparing our students with tools that can help them analyze, think critically and develop ideas. If we think that these test are helping validate what they are learning we are truly mistaken.  This old way of teaching will not help develop the economy of this country if we don’t build curriculums that are diverse, competitive and allow student to use their creativity and imagination. This is the only way the United States can be a true competitor in the world economy. When we start thinking out of the box.