All for One, One for All - Technology Assessment #1

Everyone needs a push in the right direction. Without such prodding, an individual may linger in the same inert limbo for years on end. Thus, the responsibility of guiding students rests upon educators. To address such a substantial issue we must begin with a foundational component —class participation. Educators should encourage all students to fully participate in class by understanding students' needs, determining appropriate materials, and allotting equal attention.

First, allowing students to feel understood and appreciated can spark their interest in curricular content. Diversity is inevitable in the classroom. Despite the weight of the task, being familiarized with their class(es) will greatly benefit teachers and their students. Patterns of students who possess similar behaviors, personalities, academic strengths and weaknesses, talents, and interests will become more pronounced after much observation. After awhile, adjusting to address certain issues in a lesson becomes simple. Such flexibility in lesson planning is necessary and important, especially when considering students with disabilities. These adjustments can be applied in learner analysis and participation methods.

With learner analysis, educators should research the different aspects of the particular disability and the personalized devices that are utilized to prevent from being caught off-guard in any given situation. Also, if the student does not already have a suitable assistive device, brainstorming with fellow colleagues and local businesses who have the resources could aid in creating equipment that would best assist the student. As often as I could personally provide assistance, I will offer my service or refer the student's caregivers to those with proper experience/resources.

Addtionally, with participation methods, educators need to be creative in engaging the entire class. We must incorporate innovative ideas to allow everyone the chance to share their input, even those with disabilities. For example, a class may include a student with either a speech impediment or learning disability. Even if the student takes longer to respond to a question, providing additional prompts and asking the rest of the class to pay attention will give the student the courage to speak out.

Second, along with understanding class needs, choosing appropriate and easily operable media materials can enhance the classroom experience. Media/material selection is another significant area in lesson planning that must be adjustable for students with special needs. I believe that everyone should be provided the same lesson with specific modifications rather than "watering down" the content to place every student on the same level. Instead of lowering standards or prolonging the lesson, maintenance of high standards and appropriate pacing with personalized modifications for those who are either ahead or behind the average would benefit everyone. For example, for a student with stiff joints or underdeveloped muscles, instead of assigning him/her the same worksheet as the rest of the class or changing the lesson completely, the educator could reformat the same content electronically, giving everyone the same opportunity to succeed.

Last, in conjunction with considering student needs and choosing appropriate media materials, offering each student equal treatment and attention can bolster their desire to learn. Participation is requisite in all classes. However, involvement manifests in various forms, including the provision of visible output or intellectual input. Students who produce the effort and energy to learn should be encouraged to continue in their perseverance. For others who are falling behind, I would exhort them to test their capabilities while clarifying the problem areas. For example, I may have a student who has a slight hearing impairment and minor visual impairment, causing the student to find difficulty discerning between different sounds and distinguishing between objects. I may assign a project to my class requiring the choreography of a dance routine to an instrumental song with a beat representative of the mood and meter in their choice of any Shakespearean sonnet. For the student with the hearing and visual impairment, my suggestion to that student's group would be to practice on wood flooring with the stereo on the ground. In addition, I would suggest that they dance barefoot with the student with disability (so that he/she can "feel" the beat through his/her feet) and mold the steps when their group member does not understand the moves. Thus, by providing prompt and proper suggestions and feedback to all students, everyone is given the same chance to succeed.

In conclusion, educators should wholly promote student participation by understanding student needs, determining appropriate materials, and allotting equal attention. In recognizing the unique characteristics of the students, modifying the methods in lesson plans allows flexibility. Through familiarization, determination of appropriate supplies and devices that enhance learning experiences can be done efficiently. Then by combining these techniques with affording attention to the entire class, students will feel more encouraged to offer their best efforts in class. If students understand the lesson, the desire to explore other subjects heighten. Our actions as educators at present affects our students' futures. Who knows? The next Margarett Fuller, Jean-Martin Charcot, Florence Goodenough, George Balanchine, or Tiler Peck may be sitting in our classroom waiting for that appropriate push in the right direction.