Week Two Reflection Question

What is my synthesized view of teaching, learning, and technology?

There is no way to effectively teach a person without using some form of technology. Howard Gardner has brought the concept of Multiple Intelligences to education. Anyone who is around children can see the wisdom in his concept. Even my own three daughters are so unique. I have to use visual aids, the Internet, and anything else I can think of to help them with homework. One has to see the picture before she “gets it”. Another reads the book and figures it out that way, but she has to be listening to music when she is doing it. Another has to have the movement. She needs to “do it” to “get it” much of the time. All this in my own home, how could I not believe that teaching and learning must not just include technology, but it must be immersed in teaching and learning.According to The New Horizon's website, students create a “Living Museum” and become the characters they study, such as, Winston Churchill. The students dress up as the character and present information about him/her and all this is videotaped. This gives future students a resource to watch and moves the information from short-term memory to long-term memory for students. This style embraces the concept of Multiple Intelligences while using technology to facilitate learning.Technology can also help students with all kinds of disabilities. Students with learning disabilities can benefit from manipulatives, having pictures to go along with definitions, or a PowerPoint presentation on the screen to aid in grasping a concept. Students with physical disabilities could benefit with various speech input devices, special software, and special screens to help visually impaired students.Using such aids as email and blackboard provides a safer environment for students to post questions for the instructor, according to Chickering and Ehrmann. Students feel free to post questions they might be embarrassed to ask in front of peers. This can greatly increase communication between the teacher and student.I was not a math person. Growing up math was my least favorite subject. I hated to do math. Whenever we would go to my aunt and uncle’s house I loved to get on their computer and play a game. The game I chose over and over again was a dragon game where you had to answer math questions to move through the levels. This took a person who hated to do math to a person who chose to play a game that you had to do math. I have never forgotten playing that game because I loved to play it so much! Just for the benefit of showing a personal result – I made all A’s in high school classes.