Technology+Issues+AM

__Using Technology To Affirm Diversity__ Technology is a useful tool for more than just scholarly learning, as it can also be a cultural-learning tool. Affirming diversity, the internet provides countless opportunities for children to learn about and explore other cultures. Living voices is a website that provides personal, first-hand stories of American Indian experiences relative to their heritage. Describing the trials and blessings of the experiences involved in their history and current issues, this website brings to life the American Indian reality for the world to behold. Diversity is affirmed in each of this website's accounts that recognizes and embraces what culture and lifestyle is real for so many American people. The acknowledgment and exploration of the American Indian way of life is powerful for all members of our Nation, and Living Voices makes these possible.

[|Living Voices]

__Technology Related to Higher-Order Thinking__ Education-appropriate technology can be integrated into lesson plans and curriculum, with the potential to make these more effective. If these forms of technology enforce opportunities to apply personal thought and problem-solving (and material is not simply spoon-fed), it supports higher-order thinking. This type of thinking encourages students to go beyond date recitation, and explore ideas and possibilities with their mind. A particular website that combines technology and higher-level thinking opportunities is arounder.com. This website provides panoramic images of the moon. Several of these images include astronauts and spacecraft materials. Using these images, a teacher could create an assignment which requires students to describe a scenario which would require an astronaut to be on the moon. Students would go into detail explaining why the astronaut is on the moon, what he is trying to accomplish, his fears, and his preparation for the experience etc. This assignment would practice the students' internet-usage skills, while simultaneously working their higher-order thinking abilities.

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__Using Technology to Support All Learners__ Technology is a powerful tool for all students, but can be an especially helpful resource in classrooms with students who have special needs. Technological learning aids level the learning field and make it possible for more challenged students to learn the same material as students without such challenges. These tools do so by meeting students' struggles with solutions. Be the impairment physical or cognitive-related, technology supports these students in the classroom. A specific piece of technology that assists speech-challenged students in classrooms (and daily life) is the augmented alternative communication device. This tool allows students to communicate with those around them. Touching the device's many buttons, phrases and words are essentially spoken by the tool depending on what the student wishes to express. This tool could someday assist my own students when we share dialogue. Whether we are discussing English grammar, or what my student wants to be when he or she grows up, this tool provides the ability to communicate which might not otherwise be possible.