I thought Chapters 10 and 11 were wonderfully instructive, and a good summation of what we have learned throughout the entire book. Essentially, it is our job as teachers to model our instruction so that it is understood by all the different learners we have in our classroom. It is important to observe the students in our classroom and figure out each individual student's preferred learning style. Not all students learn the same of course, so in any kind of instruction, with or without technology, it is essential that the teacher makes the lesson comprehensible to all. This way, top-notch results can be expected from every student.
When it comes to technology, I enjoyed reading assistive technology, which essentially support student efforts and minimize obstacles to their learning. Assistive technologies are great in that they level the playing field for achievement and simultaneously allow students with disabilities to reach their full potential. One great assistive technology is JAWS (Job Access With Speech) which is basically a screen reader program that allows blind and visually impaired students to use interactive technologies. I have a friend who uses JAWS and he is always able keep up and even be ahead of coursework in an online class! Assistive technologies really open doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Chapter 11 was also informative in that it discussed reflective learning, which I found to be extremely important. Reflective learning encourages and promotes deeper thinking rather than just learning something to be memorized. A good strategy to encourage reflective learning is to keep a journal, perhaps even an online blog post such as this one where students can discuss assignments, exams, etc, and what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about them. Providing focus questions is a great way to provide a guideline for the students to answer what the teacher wants to know.
I like that you refer to the assessments from chapter 11 as reflective learning. I've never thought to phrase it that way. Because really, a portfolio is a reflection of what they have done and what they have learned throughout the year. I also like how you talk about the different forms it can be presented in, like a blog, or a written journal. Definitely ideas to have for when I have my own classroom.
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