Tools that Foster Self-Directedness and Independent Student Learning
Khan Academy is a website that provides content academic aligned with state standards, personalized practice, videos, and articles that foster self-directed learning for students. Remediation and enrichment are embedded within the program’s activities. If a student is struggling with an assignment, they can click on a video or article for tips to help them. The website is designed so that teacher can intervene less frequently.
Seesaw is an application that offers a digital portfolio for showcasing student work and communicating with parents. Among its features are activities for independent practice. Embedded within the activities are videos of lessons, links to resources, and visual aids to help students when they are struggling with an activity. Additionally, Seesaw includes reflection pieces that ask students to explain their thinking. Students can demonstrate their knowledge in multiple ways: text, audio, pictures, or videos. This flexibility allows students to learn in a manner that works best for them.
Assistive Technology for Individual Student Needs
Personal listening devices allow students with hearing impairments to hear class lessons in a non-invasive manner. The teacher wears a clip-on mic that transmits to a student’s earpiece. The teacher’s voice is carried over FM frequencies, WiFi, or Bluetooth. This technology allows students with hearing impairments to participate in the same lessons as their non-hearing-impaired classmates.
Text-to-speech tools can be built into applications for smartphones and tablets or exist as stand-alone software. This technology takes written words and converts them into audio. Many text-to-speech tools highlight the word as they are read aloud. The computer-generated voice on these tools can adjust its reading speed. These tools help students with reading challenges or English-learner students. Because students see and hear the text, they learn in a multisensory environment, reinforcing the learning. Text-to-speech tools allow teachers to use the same printed materials for the whole class.