Diversity
Technology enables all learners to apply tacit knowledge to complex concepts and gain skills in application and make analytical inferences. My hope is that students with diverse learning styles and challenges will benefit from approaches designed to make all students digital learners. Technology integration can greatly enhance differentiated instruction. This may be where gifted, ESOL, and Special Education academia reflect similar technology integration needs.
Learning approaches using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provides many opportunities for constructivist teaching (Oliver, 2002). The ICT settings can enable learning to be related to context and practices unlike the conventional lesson planning approaches (Oliver, 2002). Bodies of researches indicated that constructivism theory is a suitable philosophy for online learning environments, ensuring the “learning among learners” (Koohang, 2009). Education based on cognitive theory and implemented using online tools allows for prior learning experiences to be cascaded into higher learning experiences (Koohang, 2009).
Student centered learning and technology integration support higher learning gains. Students encouraged to direct their own learning, to work with peers, and produce creative projects are better abled to share their tacit knowledge, culture, and talents. By targeting diversity, we set an aim to be part of a world that is relevant to everyone.
The following is a list of professional experiences I completed in support of language acquisition, technology integration, and science instruction:
- Identifying and addressing the unique needs of students who have had limited prior computer experience
- Advocating for the use of technology for challenging tasks and higher order thinking in science
- Collecting/utilizing demographic data for targeted student performance in science
- Ensuring English Learners participate in student centered learning in the online learning environment
- Modeling and advocating for the use of technology for science content instruction and knowledge gains in language acquisition goals
References
Oliver, R. (2002). The Role of ICT in higher education for the 21st century: ICT as a change agent for education, Edith Cowan University, Australia.
Koohang, A. (2009). A learner-centered model for blended learning design. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 6(1), 76-91.