Technology and the Diverse Learner

A Guide to Classroom Practice

Marty Bray, Abbie Brown, Timothy D. Green

• Publisher: Corwin
• Year: 2004
• Print ISBN: 9780761931720, 9780761931713
• eBook ISBN: 9781544340326
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

Tap into technology to tap the potential in exceptional children!

Meeting the needs of increasingly diverse students, in the face of ever-broadening standards and requirements, is an overwhelming challenge for today?s conscientious teachers.

Luckily, help is available--in the form of exciting new software and devices that can help make every classroom inviting and supportive for every student. Technology and the Diverse Learner is an invaluable, user-friendly guide to understanding and applying these technologies.

Highlights include:

• A summary of the latest technologies and the learners who will benefit most from each type
• Chapter-by-chapter guiding questions and "For Further Application" sections that facilitate understanding and implementation
• Straightforward discussion of the standards and guidelines for teaching diverse learners
• Special focus on issues related to disabilities, gender, culture, and language

The strategies and examples in this timely handbook provide flexible approaches to integrating innovative technology in the K-12 inclusive classroom. It provides practical information on matching the right technology with the right type of learner to boost satisfaction and success for students and teachers.

1	Looking at Gender, Culture, and Other Diversities in the Classroom An Overview

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Chapter Guiding Questions

This chapter will help you answer the following questions:

• How do cultural differences among students affect classroom experiences with new technologies?
• How is gender a factor among students using new technologies?
• How are disabilities differentiated and described?
• What are the standards and guidelines for working with technology in the classroom?
• What are the standards and guidelines for working with students with disabilities?

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We are all different. Like snowflakes, no two human beings are exactly alike. How we recognize and relate to those differences depends on the prevailing culture, how individuals choose to make their needs known, and the technologies available to accommodate differences. We educators must recognize that every student is unique. Differences among our students may be small or large. Some differences are considered advantageous (the “gifted” student) and give the student an advantage in the classroom. Other differences can be a challenge to the individual (the “disadvantaged” or “differently abled” student), especially in situations that highlight the challenge because of the emphasis on certain information-processing strategies.

A good example of how a challenge may also be a gift is the student with a learning disability who can master a concept but has difficulty reading the textbook because he or she is looking at the shapes on the page rather than decoding the meaning of the words on the page. In the classroom, where decoding text for meaning is critical, this is a serious problem. However, this “disability” becomes a “gift” when the student attends an art class or enrolls in a graphic design school where the ability to see the relationships among shapes is an asset.

This is a frustrating situation for all concerned. It is frustrating for students, who know that they understand the concept but cannot unlock the information. It is also frustrating for the teacher, who has to find different ways to help students unlock the information. Technology can be a big help to you, the teacher, in finding the right presentation strategy for the student. However, while technology can be a powerful tool, it has to be supported with effective instruction and, most important, by a knowledgeable and caring professional.

Innovations in information technologies and assistive/adaptive technologies can be powerful tools for success in the classroom. “Success” is defined as high achievement in the K–12 and higher-education curricula and/or in the workforce. As we continue to rely on computer technology at home and at work, equal access to this technology becomes critical to economic success (Gilley, 2002). This is another reason why the integration of technology in the classroom is important. By providing all students with access to technology in the regular classroom, you are also providing them with opportunities to gain skills that will serve them well after they leave school. While access to computers is getting better with time, many students are excluded from more advanced technology courses because of their gender, ethnicity, or disability. This digital divide (see Figure 1.1) limits the possibilities for these students, thus wasting their potential talent.

Although every individual is unique, some of the differences among us have been identified and categorized. The goal of making generalizations about differences is not to create stereotypes or support prejudices, but to identify the challenges and the gifts that many people share so that we may keep from overlooking, avoiding, or minimizing them. Our intent is to use these classifications as a way to help you find a technology or method of instruction that can be a good fit. It is important to keep in mind that you may need to modify our suggestions and strategies to fit your unique situation. Throughout this book we will look at differences dictated by culture, gender, and ability because these are currently popular methods of categorizing the differences among individuals.

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Figure 1.1The Digital Divide

In some instances the differences among individuals specifically concern their access to new technologies. The term “digital divide” refers to the gap between those in society who have access to computer technology and those who do not. Recognizing this problem and making new technologies a regular part of classroom activity reduce the digital divide and help all students succeed. Knowing what technology is capable of and how it can be used to foster student success is every teacher’s responsibility.

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Whether we prefer to think of it as a “melting pot” or a “tossed salad,” the population of the United States is composed of individuals from a variety of ethnic groups and cultures. Each of these groups and cultures contributes to creating a nation that is, we believe, greater than the sum of its parts. For all of the strengths derived from this variety, a heterogeneous society can present many challenges as well. Different languages, different customs, and the prejudices of one group against another can create impediments to educational success. Even agreeing on what it means to be a “successful” person can be difficult among varying groups.

Cultural differences are very real, but for the most part they have been constructed by society. That is to say, the differences we perceive are largely based on factors such as upbringing, training, and socioeconomic circumstance. Cultural differences can also be problematic because they are “in the eye of the beholder.” Each individual identifies more with some aspects of his or her heritage than with other aspects. A person described by others as Eastern European American might identify himself or herself as American, Jewish, Catholic, New Yorker, or Californian. The possibilities for varying descriptions based on cultural differences are almost infinite and are made at the discretion of the individual. Few measures of cultural difference are truly objective, and intellectual or physical abilities are not inherent in individuals because of their cultural circumstances. One example of this phenomenon can be seen in cultures located in remote areas of the world that value survival skills such as building a fire and finding food. In this cultural (and physical) context, these skills are a mark of high intelligence. Fortunately for many educational researchers, survival skills are not as important in the United States, where mathematical intelligence is highly valued.

One’s skill with the English language can have the greatest impact on the classroom experience for both student and teacher. There are well over two million non-English-speaking students in U.S. classrooms. During the 2000–01 school year, thirty-nine states reported supporting Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2003). California reported 1.5 million LEP students, and Texas reported more than half a million (NCES). LEP students are more motivated to learn English if they are attracted to the technology to begin with. This is in part due to the dominance of the English language on the Internet (see Figure 1.2).

Two aspects of culture that can be measured to some extent are English language proficiency and socioeconomic status (SES). English language skill and SES have a particularly strong effect on how students are treated in the classroom and how they approach technology.

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Figure 1.2Language Populations Online

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SOURCE: European Travel Commission, New Media Review. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.etcnewmedia.com/review/.

Students’ socioeconomic status (SES) can affect their experiences as learners as well. Obviously, low SES groups have less access to computing tools since these are currently expensive. Children from high SES families often have far more access to networked computers at home than do their low SES peers. It is interesting that students have access to the same video games and other forms of electronic entertainment regardless of their SES.

The way computing tools are used differently by high and low SES groups says a great deal about the availability of technology to high SES students and impacts their relationship with technology. High SES students are often placed in situations where they control the computer, using it for creative communication and data manipulation. On the other hand, low SES students are often subjected to computer programs that in essence control the individual; what is frequently referred to as “drill and practice” software limits the amount of personal power these students have over the computer so that they become passive, rather than active, participants in the instructional process (Butler-Pascoe & Wiburg, 2003).

Encouraging students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds can be challenging for the teacher. Many teachers who are successful in dealing with these issues provide not only access to technology but also role models (community members and/or celebrities) who demonstrate how people from similar backgrounds have successfully mastered technology in their lives and careers. These teachers show students how mastering technology can lead to higher-paying careers.

GENDER

Certainly one difference that can be measured among any human population is gender. Gender becomes a factor in classroom instruction when the teacher creates a learning environment that favors the success of either boys or girls. Most of the time the teacher’s favoritism is subtle and unintentional. Historically, certain subject areas have tended to be problematic in terms of gender favoritism. Two curricular areas where gender is problematic are science and technology.

Gender differences are both similar to and different from cultural differences. Certainly there are physiological differences between the sexes, but these do not extend to inherent differences in the ability to succeed at school or work. The effect of gender on learning and achievement is constructed by culture. In Western societies, girls are expected to behave more passively than boys. Boys are expected to be active and curious, often to the point of getting into trouble, which is considered normal and acceptable (Schrum & Geisler, 2003). Typically, our culture describes “male” behavior as aggressive, assertive, and competitive. “Female” behavior is described as collaborative and supportive. Boys are encouraged to develop skills in fields like engineering and computer science; girls are often discouraged from participation in these fields. Fields that focus on personal aesthetics (e.g., fashion and interior design) and child development (e.g., elementary education) are considered a female realm.

From these differences come disparate approaches to technology. Research conducted by Honey et al. (1991) suggests that males envision technology as a means to gain power and control over the physical universe, while females envision technology as a means to improve communication and collaboration.

Currently, males use computing technologies more often than girls. Boys use computers as toys, while girls use computers to accomplish tasks (Gilley, 2002). Research shows that girls are just as capable as boys at handling computer technology. However, research also shows that boys tend to receive greater encouragement from parents and teachers to pursue computer interests than girls (Margolis & Fisher, 2001). Boys tend to become “obsessed” with computers whereas girls tend to be occasional users. This difference in approach seems to create situations in which boys are encouraged to develop expertise with computing technologies (Margolis & Fisher, 2001). Moreover, women tend to have a lower self-perception of their real computer skills than do men (Mathis, 2002).

Historically, not many women have entered the field of information technology (IT) (Mathis, 2002). Yet many jobs require technical expertise but not the traditional programming skills that most people associate with IT careers. Graphic arts is a career path that does not involve programming and yet is technology intensive. Graphic artists use computers to create original artwork for print, video, and the Web. Computers play a key role in television and filmmaking. Today, many movies we see feature backgrounds, action, and even characters that are created in the computer. The same is true for many animated movies, such as Toy Story. Theatrical production can also involve a great deal of computer technology. The control of lighting and sound is often managed with some type of computer interface. Teaching is yet another area in which technology can be an important tool. Increasingly, community colleges and universities have departments of distance education that help instructors develop and deliver their teaching online. Professionals in this area have a unique blend of people and technology skills. Although they have not been popularly adopted, several initiatives are currently under way to explore the possibilities of teaching online in K–12 settings.

With all of these career possibilities open to girls and boys, it is important that teachers become aware of gender issues and work to make opportunities available for both boys and girls to learn more about technology. A key to this, of course, is an awareness of the “gender factor” in your classroom. There are several possible approaches, but one simple way of doing this is to occasionally videotape your classroom, focusing the camera on the technology. After videotaping the activities in your classroom over a period of days, review the videotapes to see how often students are using the technology, who is using it, and how they are using it. Once you have done this, you can identify problems and correct them. You may notice that when working in groups, the boys tend to “hog” the keyboard and the girls are frequently forced to sit off to the side and engage in other activities. If this occurs, you can establish group rules that require the girls to be on the keyboard for the same amount of time as the boys. You can also rotate roles in the group to ensure that the girls have a certain number of tasks to do on the computer.

DIFFERING ABILITIES: EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Cultural and gender differences are things we all share. Each of us claims a heritage and each of us can be defined as either male or female. At some point many of us can also claim the further distinction of being “exceptional.” For most of us, this will happen later in life when we face a medical condition such as arthritis that can leave us impaired or disabled. For a significant number of us, being exceptional is a characteristic that spans an entire lifetime. Individuals who are considered exceptional are defined as having impairments and/or talents that place them at an unusual point on the spectrum of human ability.

While every individual is slightly different in his or her cognitive and physical abilities, e...

Table of contents

• Cover page
• dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• About the Authors
• 1. Looking at Gender, Culture, and Other Diversities in the Classroom: An Overview
• 2. A Closer Look at Diverse Learners
• 3. Diverse Learners and Innovative Technologies
• 4. Curriculum, Technology, and Diverse Learners
• Appendix A: Diverse Learners and Technologies
• Appendix B: Diverse Learners and Instructional Strategies
• References and Suggested Readings
• Index