Before taking this course, I had not been as conscious as I am now of the importance of creating an environment and curriculum that represents the diverse cultures of the students in the classroom, and the impact that that has on the academic success and overall well-being of each child. Bill Daggett’s statement “Culture trumps strategy” (2015, p. 241) was an idea from this week’s reading that resonated with me and, again, echoed the importance of cultural mindfulness. In reflecting on Daggett’s words, I have come to the realization that the best strategic idea means nothing in isolation – that is, if a strategy conflicts with the beliefs, behaviors, and decisions of the school’s students, parents, or teachers, it will fail. Superintendent,
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I grew up in a home that had strict regulations on amount of time allowed spent watching tv and on the computer. I was blessed growing up - my mother had time to read to me and take me to museums, and I was able to visit Italy with a group of fellow students from my online Great Books class while in high school. My parents’ feelings about technology have greatly impacted my own, and trickled into my daily teaching practices. I have fears that with increased use of technology today, children are losing the ability to live in the present - and this is threatening the completeness of self, and the understanding of cause and effect. In the classroom, I have seen the educational benefits of using technology as a means to help autistic students connect with other persons around them. Proloquo allows non-verbal students to select pictures, or a sequence of pictures, to create sentences to communicate wants and needs. But, I have also seen it used as a pacifier. The quote by David Warlick, that heads the beginning of this section, has caused me to see technology in a more positive light. He writes, technology “is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Newsome, 2015, p. 256). I intend to practice using technology as a tool “to level the field and serve as the great learning equalizer” (Newsome, 2015, p. 256) for my students who did not have the same opportunities as I did growing
I grew up in a home that had strict regulations on amount of time allowed spent watching tv and on the computer. I was blessed growing up - my mother had time to read to me and take me to museums, and I was able to visit Italy with a group of fellow students from my online Great Books class while in high school. My parents’ feelings about technology have greatly impacted my own, and trickled into my daily teaching practices. I have fears that with increased use of technology today, children are losing the ability to live in the present - and this is threatening the completeness of self, and the understanding of cause and effect. In the classroom, I have seen the educational benefits of using technology as a means to help autistic students connect with other persons around them. Proloquo allows non-verbal students to select pictures, or a sequence of pictures, to create sentences to communicate wants and needs. But, I have also seen it used as a pacifier. The quote by David Warlick, that heads the beginning of this section, has caused me to see technology in a more positive light. He writes, technology “is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Newsome, 2015, p. 256). I intend to practice using technology as a tool “to level the field and serve as the great learning equalizer” (Newsome, 2015, p. 256) for my students who did not have the same opportunities as I did growing