On your mark, get set, WAIT!

On your mark, get set, wait….
This was the title of the article we read this past week. It focused on assistive technology in the classroom. I found this whole article very interesting. Since I was homeschooled, and it was only me and my siblings, I never had to interact with students who had disabilities. After reading this, I found that there are so many different kinds of disabilities and how teachers need to be able to respond to the needs of each student. Some people may think that it would be easier for students with disabilities to be put in a different room, apart from the “normal” or “average” students, but since new developments in technology and no child left behind have taken place, more and more disabled students spend time with the rest of the classroom. I feel it depends on the situation, depending on the extent of the disability, because it may be better to do some things in a different room where there aren’t as many distractions and the student can get one on one help. Interaction with the other students in also very important though.
Chapter 10 dealt with distance education. I’ve taken a few online classes and let me tell you, it can either be a blessing or a curse. For me, I had to be very self motivated. Also, since I live out in the country, my internet connection did not work all the time (Just like it’s not working now! I’m using the internet at Starbucks :P). Distance education can be great for students who are in correctional facilities, different countries, homeschooled, or in the workforce. Communication is very important for the student to do well in the class. Since there is no face to face contact, everything must be discussed online. It can be very helpful for many people who do not have the time to be in class.