Using Technology to Raise Achievement for Struggling Students
Greetings from the VDOE Technology Leadership Conference in Roanoke, VA. An important presentation is underway by Arjan Kalsha, President/ CEO of Intellitools. Arjan is representing the Board of Directors of the Consortium for School Networking, http://www.CoSN.org.
This presentation is a filled auditorium, with a discussion unfolding about how technology can help ALL students, using technology that extends the reach of educators by:
multimedia concept modeling
illumination of text
infinite patience for student practice
instant and neutral feedback
progress monitoring
......also see universal design for learning (UDL), http://www.cast.org/udl
The research at CAST highlights the research around brain-based learning and the 3 networks of the brain:
recognition networks - gather facts
strategic networks - planning and performing tasks
affective networks - engagement and motivation
3 guiding principles help to match technology to these 3 networks:
provide multiple means of representation
provide multiple means for expression
provide multiple means of engagement
How to help reading? Phonemic awareness and phonics.....technology provides supported text, comprehension, and electronic study tools (i e, Kurzweil 3000, Balanced Literacy from Intellitools)
The future of supported text? See NIMAS, http://nimas.cast.org, http://www.nimac.us
How to help writing? Mindmapping, brainstorming, writing organization. Using technology tools with graphic stimulus and word prediction (Inpiration)
How to make math meaningful? Use virtual manipulatives. See http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
Sign up for the Consortium for School Networking newsletter, http://www.accessibletech4all.org
Exciting, awesome!!