Technology+Issues+(RP)

Technology Promoting a Higher-Order of Thinking
Technology in the classroom can be used to create a higher-order thinking in several ways. First, using technology can give students a hands on learning experience that can increase their understanding of a topic being covered in class. They will get to interact with different situations and get much needed practice in order to retain the information being taught. Technology gives students countless ways to create projects, such as movies, slideshows with audio, podcasts, etc., using the information they have gathered in the classroom. The sky is the limit when it comes to using technology to creating independent projects as a student. Technology promotes collaboration between students when using something like a wiki page in a group or when working on a group project. Students creativity level will be stretched tremendously with the use of technology in the classroom.

I looked at a website with a down-loadable application called [|Google Earth.] This is a great way for students to learn about the earth because it is so interactive. A student can look at all of the places around the world and have the option to look at the locations back in different years in history. This promotes a higher-order of learning because not only is the program fun and interactive, but the students are learning about history and geography all at the same time.

Technology Can Be Used to Affirm Diversity
Technology in the classroom not only promotes a higher-order of learning, but can also affirm diversity. There are many technologies out there that not only educate students about diversity but also let them experience and interact with the different cultures around the world. Rather than just reading information about certain cultures, there are technologies that have audio, video, and real information straight from the people of these cultures. These are accessible to students and will help them get a more efficient learning experience.

An example of a website that will affirm diversity in the classroom is the website Living Voices. This is a website off of the Smithsonian main website and it features the culture of American Indians. It features many volumes of audio tracks of the different languages, interviews and some additional information. This website definatly affirms diversity because not only does it have more than just paragraphs of information, but the facts come straight from people of the different tribes and American Indian cultures. This is the best way for a student to learn about this type of diversity because it is knowledge coming from the people who live in these cultures everyday, not just a lengthy interview in paragraph form.

Using Technology to Support All Learners
Not only can technology be used in the classroom for both reasons stated above, but can also help support all types of learners. Not every student can comprehend a lessons material after one lecture. They may need additional information provide by using specific technologies online or need other equipment for special need. For example, a hearing impaired student may need to use a special microphone that is transmitted directly into the students hearing aid or a teacher could use zoomed in projects and visualizers to insure visually impaired students are getting the same experiences as every student.

A wonderful example of an online technology designed to support all learners is [|Froguts]. This is an online dissection website where any student can perform a dissection without touching the specimen. This helps not only the squeamish students, but the students unable focus and to make small, precise incisions. There are also serval other technologies out there to support every type of learner in the classroom.