How to teach students with dyslexia

Offering alternate ways to show mastery of material other than written form can be helpful for dyslexic students. Alternatives could include oral or video presentations, dioramas, collages, or debates. Dyslexic students learn better visually so including tools such as podcasts, websites, presentations, and online learning games can be extremely effective. Teachers need to figure out the best way for each student to learn in order to help them learn effectively.

http://www.dys-add.com/teach.html

Technology Tools for Dyslexia

There are many technology tools out there to help assist students with dyslexia. Online resources like having assignments and instructions posted on a website or blog can help a dyslexic student with organization. Audio tools like talk to type programs that can read books aloud or podcasts can help dyslexic students who have problems with reading and spelling. Even online games to help with reading comprehension can be helpful as well as spell check functions in word processing programs.

http://www.arp.sprnet.org/curric/atrisk/dyslexia_tech.htm#Tech_Tools

How technology can help dyslexic students

Students with dyslexia often have problems with spelling, keeping appointments and managing their time which can be very stressful particularly around exam times. PDAs can help students keep up with assignments and schedules. They can help with organization as dyslexic students usually have problems remembering things. They are also constantly being updated as technology progresses so they are always adapting.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Educational_Technology_Innovation_and_Impact/Assistive_Technology/PDAs_to_support_Dyslexic_Students

What I've learned

I have learned just how behind schools in America are compared to other countries around the world when it comes to incorporating technology in the classroom. It was surprising to hear that America ranked way down on the list. After watching the independent film, "Waiting for Superman", I really realized just how behind school systems are in this country. I've learned so much in this course about how to incorporate technology to enhance students learning in ways that I never knew existed. I really hope schools can take a step forward and incorporate these things to help students get the education they need to enter the workforce that exists today.

Digital Storytelling

I found the digital storytelling assignment to be a lot of fun! It was a great way to incorporate something interesting into my lesson plan for The Life Cycle of a Butterfly. Using Picasa to put my pictures together with audio and text was super easy! It reminded me of using Windows Movie Maker which I have used to make videos with family pictures for special occasions. I never thought of using something like this for educational purposes. Hopefully this technique can make learning interesting and fun for students!

Classroom Website

I've been working on making my classroom website using Google Sites. It was definitely more complicated than I thought trying to figure out the Google Sites but once I got the hang of it, I was really getting it done. It has definitely been a learning experience! I learned how to insert a Picasa slideshow and Google documents. I even made a form for parents to fill out about their kids. I am still working on the Google Presentation though. While making this website, I have realized how much information a teacher needs to have for their students, parents, and colleagues!

Portaportals

Today I learned what a portaportal is. I had never heard of it before. It is a web based bookmarking utility that lets you store links to your favorite websites online. That means your bookmarks are no longer limited to any one machine. How convenient! I could see this as a very handy tool for those who are teachers to keep track of resources and helpful websites.