PURPOSE AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Can technology help children with learning disabilities? Can our advancements in technology be used to help with “special ed” classes? How can programs help those with ADD, autism, and other disabilities grasp information easier? What is Assistive Technology and how can it help those children? Are unprepared teachers hindering these advancements?
BACKROUND
I have found myself very intrigued in how our world is changing in front of our eyes whether we realize it or not. From a technology standpoint, I have seen things like a simple CD player and having a “fat back” home computer, go to an Apple IPad where you can access music and the internet at the same time. That’s quite fascinating if you think about the evolution of how things were when you were young and how things are now. As for my topic, I want to explore the notion of today’s technology being helpful or detrimental to American’s from kids from 1st grade to 12th grade. I know those from the 9th grade to 12th grade will be more “technically savvy”, but to be completely honest I can’t make any assumptions. I much rather my research to dwindle the grade levels than to make an estimation of grade level. I have become interested in “regular” children and children with learning disabilities and I think that in order to conduct this research I have to know about both circumstances. Since I am talking about the youth as a whole not just the children who are “normal” in society’s eyes, it would only be fair if I do both. Another thing that is running through my head is the fact that a lot of children use the internet as a way to cheat or get ahead instead of using it for a gateway. I am not saying every child is looking to cheat but it doesn’t help them learn at the end of the day. Nonetheless, in a sense, this shows a form of initiative by the child even though it is unorthodox. Cheating is an obstacle that can sometimes hinder the perfect learning system but I am sure some of the most successful people in our country have cheated, lied, and/or stole at least once and they came out perfectly fine. An epidemic that I know that is rising also is the amount of overweight/obese children in the US. I personally think I could find data that proves that part of this is because children would rather go play a computer game than go outside and play with their friends. Why go outside when you can video chat or get on Facebook to make all these things easier. Instant messaging is good because of the rate that it gets to the person. But it’s bad also because you can do all this from the comfort of your seat. Let’s be honest, it is a proven fact that 1/3 of children are obese due to lack of exercise and diet. Does it make sense to think part of this problem is because of the advancements people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have made? It may seem like an easy question to answer but hard facts should prove my notion correct. But this research is not just for me, this is for our teachers that continuously try to figure out how to get the youth more engaged and excited to learn. Maybe with a few Google searches and a few clicks of the mouse, your child could find a cartoon telling him/her that two times two is four in some song that the child won’t forget. Even for those in high school, it is proven that they are more attracted to social networks and communicating through messaging. If calculus was taught through a program that allows the teacher to connect with the students in the classroom then it may stick in the student’s brain. I guess what I am trying to say is that, interaction through the students interests may breed more success because it is more hands on than sitting in a class listening to a teacher write on a chalk board. This may also speak to the parents with children with learning disabilities. Those children with Dyslexia, ADD, Dysphasia, and other disorders could benefit from the many tools online. You may not