In addition to ever-changing technology and teaching methods in our classroom, our students are changing too. They are independent, adaptable, and tech-savvy. Their future career needs seem to carry higher stakes than they did 10 years ago. Besides their academic needs, behaviorally, students are evolving too. More and more, medical diagnoses such as ADHD, Tic Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Disorders, Autism Spectrum and Behavioral Disorders are becoming the norm in our classrooms. Teachers are burdened with test scores and keeping up with trends, as well as pressured to be equipped to handle and educate all types of personalities.
Jeff Branzburg - Director of Technology, NUA; education technology consultant, Teaching Matters, Inc; former teacher and instructional technology director - created a digital comic using bitstrips.com entitled Fit the Tool to the Job (Not the Job to the Tool).
Think about how many times you’ve encountered students who don’t fit into a certain perfect student mold? Have you noticed that the tools and methods you are using are not reaching that particular student? How do we make our current tools meet each student’s individual educational needs, instead of trying to get every student to learn the same way? It’s a daily challenge. One we should discuss with our peers, colleagues, and parents. One we should continue to improve. Our students need us. We can’t let those who learn differently slip through the cracks.
