The article I read is entitled "First Graders with iPods" and was
written by two teachers, Sara Getting and Karin Swainey who worked
together to incorporate the use of iPods into teaching their first grade
students. The iPods were used to aid the children in the reading
capabilities and were funding through a special grant. Through the
incorporation of the use of iPods, the teachers discovered favorite apps
for the teaching of sight words, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and
literacy. The article gives this information about their favorite apps
to the reader for their use if following this new path in education
technology.
The initial reaction to giving iPods was
met with some consternation; however, after the first year of using this
technological resource it was proven that the most at-risk learners
improved 15 percent in their reading comprehension. The article
discussed how the children learned better when confronted with sight
words, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and literacy. The students,
even the most at-risk students, showed marked improvement in all these
subjects. The improvements caused by the use of iPods by these first
graders actually contributed to their school's being selected to "join a
cadre of 14 leading-edge school districts." (Getting. Swainey 2012).
The
article also discussed areas where collaboration proved to be so
important to the facilitation of the trial run, if you will, of giving
iPods to first graders. As this was a new innovation in the district's
schools, the teachers were on their own to arrange the research
parameters. The only advice they were given concerned how to get the
funding needed to buy the iPods for this project.
As a
hopeful future special education teacher, I found I was highly informed
as to the manner in which to allow young children to use technological
devices I myself have yet to use. I feel that finding a way to allow
special education students to watch the videos and other lessons taught
through the iPad will certainly enhance not only their interest, but
their accomplishments. I know that I will push for this type of
research to be used with special needs students in the future.
Getting,S. and Swainey,K. (2012) First Graders with iPods. Learning and Leading with Technology.
Retrieved from www.iste.org
I agree that in the future we need to push for this type of research. It would be a great resource for students with special needs. It would be interesting to see if iPods and iPads would help children who have trouble focusing to see if it works to help them concentrate. Interesting post!
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