Good Uses for Educational Technology
Educational technology provides many benefits to students and to teachers. The technology is not only fun to use in the classroom but it is also accessible for many students, it can be individualized to a studentís particular level, it teaches students valuable curricular concepts and it teaches students how to use technology effectively.
How to Use Educational Technology
Technology is used in different ways for different students and in different schools. Some schools use an educational technology center where students go to a room other than their regular classroom for their technology work. Often these technology centers focus on the use of computers to reinforce lessons already learned in the general education classroom.
Other schools encourage general classroom teachers to provide instructional technology in the classroom. This educational technology plan encourages students to use computers to learn classroom taught concepts.
Both educational technology models encourage students to become familiar and comfortable with technological devices. The hope is that these devices will become so familiar to students that they are able to apply the use of technology into other areas of their lives.
The Benefits of Educational Technology
Some of the possible benefits of educational technology include:
ï Better educational outcomes for students. Shy students may especially benefit from this sort of instruction. They may be more likely to take a chance answering a difficult question on a computer than in class where they might feel embarrassed if they answer incorrectly. Educational outcomes might also improve because students think of using the computer as something fun. They are more interested in computer graphics than in traditional worksheets. Therefore, computer lessons keep their attention longer than traditional class work.
ï Educational technology can be a great equalizer. Students can access anything that is put on the machine by their teachers or preapproved by their teachers on the internet. Gone are the days of fighting over the books about World War I in the library because the entire class was writing about the same historical event. Now, everyone can have access to the same information.
ï Educational technology can improve a studentís writing. While in the early years, students may need to click on pictures or answers with their mouse. As students get older most of their computer responses will be typed into the machine. Teachers can require certain word amounts for each answer to ensure that students are thorough enough in their answers. It is also much easier to edit oneís writing on the computer than it is on paper. Therefore, many students may learn good writing and editing habits through use of their computers.
ï Students learn computer and academic skills simultaneously. By integrating computers into the classroom, children learn how to effectively, productively and confidently use technology in their everyday lives. Students learn how to do online research and the fundamentals of computer use while learning their academic assignments when they use computers at school. The media often emphasizes the fact that other nations are ahead of the United States in the area of technology. However, if students learn about technology from an early age then, perhaps, that statement can be changed.
Arguments Against Educational Technology
Most of the arguments against educational technology center around the fact that American children spend too much time in front of computer and TV screens. The argument is that children would learn better by doing a project or playing with other human beings then they do by sitting in front of a computer. There are also health concerns about children becoming too sedentary at school and at home.
Special Education
Some students with disabilities use technology in ways other than the rest of the student body. Federal special education law requires special education IEP Teams to consider the use of assistive technology to meet a studentís special education needs. Educational technology evaluations should be conducted to determine what kind of assistive technology would be most beneficial. Teams are encouraged to be creative and to individualize the technology to the student. Some common examples of assistive technology include laptop computers, Alpha Smarts and PDAs.
Technology is becoming more widely used in United States schools. Educational technology is both a tool to learn traditional academic content and a course unto itself that can provide many students with very real benefits.
]]>A well designed health education curriculum is important for children at all grade levels from kindergarten through 12th grade and is required to be taught by public schools in almost all of the states in the U.S. Preschool and Elementary School Health Education Often, studentsí first exposure to this subject matter is in preschool. Health education plays an important role in most preschools. Students are taught the importance of personal hygiene.
Teachers remind them to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. Often, preschools have units on oral health and the importance of brushing oneís teeth. Most preschools teach children about dressing appropriately for weather conditions and help them with the fine motor skills necessary to undo a button, zip a coat and tie a shoe. Often, the preschool health education curriculum is continued into the early elementary school years. The elementary school years might also include safety information. For example, many children are taught to stop, drop and roll in case of fire. Some students are taught the importance of wearing bike helmets and the rules of the road. Other students are taught how to be safe and careful in large urban areas. Secondary School Health Education Health education at the high school level is often combined with the physical education curriculum. The content of the health education course varies from state to state and from school district to school district.
Some states and some school districts within those states have different curriculum on things such as drug and alcohol abuse and sex education. However, other important aspects of health are also included in the health and physical education curriculum. Students are taught the importance of exercising and of maintaining a healthy weight. Nutrition may also be emphasized in a health class. Students may be taught about the food pyramid and portion control as a way to staying healthy and fit.
Students are also taught how to protect themselves from illnesses and disease. For example, they may be taught to recognize the symptoms of depression. They may be taught how to protect themselves from the spread of disease. Is Health Education Mandatory if My Child Attends Public School? Some starts do provide parents with the right to opt out of health education classes that have to do with sexual education. Many of those states require the school district to notify parents prior to beginning any instruction related to sex education. Parents can then notify the school of their refusal to let their child participate in the sex education portion of the health curriculum. The student would still need to participate in all other areas of the health curriculum. Continuing Health Education Health education is one of those subjects that remains important throughout oneís life. It does not end with high school graduation. Recently, more and more employers and health insurance companies are recognizing the importance of continuing health education. They are offering employees and plan participants the opportunity to participate in continuing health education courses and providing written material on different health topics that can be studied at home.
Continuing health education often focuses both on preventive care and on the warning signs of health problems. The focus is more on medical issues than on safety and sex education issues as it was in grade school. Why is Health Education Important? Health education is about more than sex and drugs. It is about protecting oneís body and learning the skills necessary to stay healthy.
Ultimately, a healthy life is what most parents want for their children. As a society, it is what we collectively want so that the costs of health insurance and missed work days are minimized. For these reasons, health education is an important part of the K-12 curriculum.
]]>Dear Parent,
Listen. First off, this isn't an attack on you.
The whole purpose of me writing this letter is to spark a conversation that needs to be had.
And I don't want to rant to you about how screens are good, or that you should not be limiting screen time.
Of course we should be limiting screen time.
But, saying "just put them away" does two bad things.
1) It presumes they are bad.
2) And it actually has the opposite effect that you desire.
See --- screens are becoming part and parcel of our daily lives.
So, instead of "putting them away" or "taking them away" completely --- we need to better understand their effects, and HOW to use them properly.
I really hate this analogy, but just like the war on drugs, or practicing abstinence, shunning the use of something instead of learning how to use it effectively only creates a worse outcome.
WE, as parents, need to understand the ill-effects.
WE, as parents need to understand how to teach our children how to be effective with screens.
And it comes in a number of ways...limiting time, setting boundaries, and protecting your eye health and social health.
I hope this short and sweet letter has you thinking at least a little.
I hope to open a dialogue with each and every one of you about this topic.
If you'd like to learn more, click any of the menu options above, or drop me an email at support@bluelightkids.com.
You can also give me a call at 1-312-620-9063.
Thank you,
Jason
Founder | Blue Light Kids
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In fact, it's the school's fault quite honestly. We've moved our youngest generations away from paper and pencil, and moved them to keyboards. touch screens, and other ways to learn.
Now, that's not all that bad. But it's become more of the standard than the exception when it comes to screens.
Specifically, we know that blue light later in the day causes melatonin secretion issues. This can lead to a rough night's sleep, and a rough next day.
Following this for days, months, and years, can lead to issues down the road.
Fortunately, limiting screen exposure (not necessarily time) can benefit your child more than you know.
Besides --- when your child is young, you CANNOT get their sleep wrong.
Sleep is used to grow and develop their brains, and if you screw that up, you may screw up other things down the road.
Yes, the studies are not conclusive yet. And as such, eye care professionals are weaponizing this to suggest that you don't need to protect yourself
This is a mistake. And there's a huge debate in the eye community right now about whether or not you should worry about excessive blue light or not.
So, what should you do?
Well, first off parents should stay informed.
Then, parents should take the right precautions, whether that's limiting blue light exposure generally, or whether that's wearing blue light glasses and using blue light filtering applications.
(Be careful with the applications though as blue light filtering apps are not the one-stop-shop solution.)
The technical details on the blue light research can be found at https://www.bluelightkids.com/pages/the-research
Thanks for reading!
If you're interested in protecting your child from excess blue light, check out our collections page here: https://www.bluelightkids.com/collections/premium-collection
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