Explain how you can use technology in the classroom. What does the research on computer-based instruction say?
QUESTION 1: Explain how you can use technology in the classroom.
POSSIBLE ANSWER: There are a variety of technologies available for the classroom. The simplest but most mundane is drill and practice. Tutorial programs actually are intended to teach material and can even substitute for teachers. Instructional games are highly entertaining and can be used to supplement instruction and even improve attention ability. Other uses of technology include simulation games, word processing packages, and the Internet.
QUESTION 2: What does the research on computer-based instruction say?
POSSIBLE ANSWER: Most research findings indicate that computer-based instruction has a small to moderate positive effect on learning. Most agree that computer-based learning is best if used as an adjunct to traditional instruction (e.g., using the Internet to conduct research).
Describe programs that exist for students placed at risk.
POSSIBLE ANSWER: Several options exist for students at risk of poor educational outcomes.
- Compensatory Education Programs are designed to prevent or remediate learning problems among students from lower socioeconomic status families. Examples of Compensatory Education Programs are Head Start and Follow Through.
- Early Intervention Programs, like the Carolina Abecedarian program, are designed to provide early stimulation to children, from infancy to around the age of five, and parent training in hopes of preventing later learning difficulties.
- Comprehensive School Reform Programs (CSRP) are a recent form of school reform that attempts to bring research findings into every aspect of education, such as curriculum, assessment, instruction, grouping, accommodation for students having difficulties, parent involvement and other elements of education. One example of a CSRP is the Success for All program, designed to prevent learning difficulties in schools serving lower income students. This program addresses every relevant area of education, including one-on-one tutoring and reading programs for pre-school children, kindergartners, and first through eighth graders, among others.
How does No Child Left Behind change what teachers do with their students?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
- Raises teacher expectations for all learners.
- Holds teachers accountable for academic achievement of all students.
- Requires teachers to know students as individual learners.
- Requires teachers to address deficiency needs of individual learners.
- Emphasizes the importance of testing procedures.
- Emphasizes the importance of student attendance.
- Emphasizes the importance to engage all students in learning activities.
- Requires remediation for non-achieving students.
