▩Chapter Four - Question Three
When technology is used to support culturally and linguistically diverse students, it is often remedial. Some students find themselves using technology that has been designed for younger learners simply because the vocabulary level matches their current language acquisition. This types of remediation via technology can be frustrating to use. Imagine yourself living in another country, trying to learn its language, and being asked to learn via remedial software. What concerns would you have about this instructional approach? What other options might be found to avoid remediation when it is instructionally unnecessary?
I really learned a lot after reading this chapter because it addresses the topic I’ve never got in touch with before. The chapter made me have to rethink about the whole education thing because I came from a country in which diversity in students was not the focus. The number of students is too large for teachers to consider special needs of some students. Besides, I have never been a classmate with anyone who had disabilities or other mental or physical obstacles since there are all learning in the schools built for them where they would be able to receive more professional treat and education.
Talking about the question, to summarize a little, the problem is that for CLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) students, the academic contents provided don’t match their real cognitive needs because of the limitation from their language level. The textbook did talk about this and also adds that the instructions may be changed according to their increasingly developing language skills. It sounds really complicated for teachers to correctly handle these type of students. Both of the linguistic and academic needs are supposed to be taken into consideration. Besides, I didn’t see a practical solution from the textbook. Well, to me, at this moment I don’t have clear idea of how to solve the problem under K-12 context but for CLD students in higher education stage, a pre-test before they actually taking the academic courses would be preferable. All of the international students must take TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam and reach a required point mark before they are enrolled in US universities, which makes sure that their linguistic level is qualified to start the academic life. If not, they may be enrolled in preparatory course to learn the language and the culture first without any academic contents. To me, this is the best solution. Why do we have to handle the linguistic challenges and the academic challenges at the same time, which is highly demanding both for the teachers and the students? To me, it would be so challenging and teachers may need to attend some training courses for perfectly handle this under K-12 context.
▩Chapter Five - Question One
Discuss why teachers need foundational computer literacy, such as input/output devices, storages, mobile devices, and software updating?
In my mind, the term computer literacy has two levels of meaning including the understanding of the basic concept of computer formation and the other is operation of programs. It’s very clear that the chapter focuses on the first aspect. I agree that computer literacy is necessary for modern teachers.
As mentioned in the chapter, standards, such as NET for Students and P21, all state that 21st students should be able to operate technology systems, which means they should master computer literacy. Expectations on the students raise requirements for teachers to manage the knowledge themselves. I like how the textbook depicts that “you do not need to be a computer expert” but you should be able to “manage your classroom computers”. Computer literacy is needed because it helps teachers understand how the computer works thus when problems appear, they would be able to figure out which circle is broken in the chain. For example, if they do not know knowledge about software updating, they would not know before they update their programs, they should check what new functions are embedded with the new version and whether they are needed for the course, or whether the updating requires installation of other attached useless plug-ins.
Also, the last paragraph in this chapter also mentioned that increasing digital awareness of teachers would be the next step after mastering computer literacy. I would agree that learning computer literacy helps to scaffold teachers’ confidence in learning technology products because computer is the most basic one. With confidence gained from learning computer literacy, it would be easier for teachers to research on the new ones on their own.
▩Chapter Six - Question Two
Some teachers believe that too much emphasis is placed on computers and other technologies in the classroom. Considering the technologies you have learned about in this chapter, do you agree or disagree? Defend your view.
The chapter offered us a bunch of technology products such as scanners, clickers, webcams, electronic whiteboards, touch screens, etc. But does this mean that too much emphasis is put on the technologies instead of education and instructions itself? I don’t think so. In my opinion, the birth of these technologies is because our focus is still on education itself. Why are people keep inventing products for education? That’s because we have the ability to invent some better things and replace the old inefficient ones. For example, the textbook mentioned clickers. In the old times, I mean when I was a student in China, teachers may show a question and ask students who choose A as the answer to raise their hands up and then the B, the C and the D. Then the teacher would know how many students are wrong with the knowledge thus decide whether to go on to the other topic or give further explanations. Now we have clickers to help teachers immediately make the decision with only several button presses by the students.
The existence of technology is only to replace the old way of information transition but not steal the major role of education itself. I think some people possess the feeling that too much emphasis is placed on technologies instead of education is because we’re still under the stage of “new stuff mania”. Think about projectors, they were new fancy technology for us before but what about now, it’s only a tool for teachers to show course contents. No one will focus on the machine but only care about the course contents. Thus I don’t agree that the prevalence of technology topics in our field represents the shift of emphasis.