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Dragon Speech
With my learning disabilities growing up, one 'technology' that became very useful was the program Dragon. This software is able to transcribe what you speak into it, making writing papers more accessible for me since I also have fine and gross motor problems. Due to the text being written on the screen in front of me, I was also able to see how words were spelled and examine if my essay is well organized. Although this software was released in 1997, I used it a tad bit later in my childhood. -
Pencil Grip
As someone with motor (both fine and gross) problems, the pencil grip was an important tool for me. This made holding a pencil easier and more comfortable, in turn making writing a bit easier and more accessible for me. Although I still had troubles writing, the pencil grip made me feel more confident in my skills as a writer and assisted in my handwriting legibility. -
100s Chart
As a student and now a teacher I have seen 100s charts being used as a valuable tool in the classroom. As a student this gave me a visual tool for math, clearly seeing where the numbers lie relative to one another. This visual also helps with counting, multiplication, and even learning numbers in other languages. The teacher can point to the number, orally stating the number in the desired L2. Second grade was the first year I remember using one, but I still use them to this day for lessons. -
Quizlet
When I was entering middle school, the website Quizlet was founded. Throughout my student career this tool has been extremely helpful with studying. You can create flashcards, practice tests, and more on the website. -
Youtube
Youtube is now commonly used in classrooms, but back when I was an elementary student, it had not been founded yet. When I was a fifth grader, it was released, but I did not use it regularly until middle school. This website is extremely beneficial for learning because it provides relatively easy to access videos on infinite topics. As both a student and teacher I have used Youtube in the classroom to give an engaging visual and auditory aide to lessons. -
Classroom Jeopardy
One of my middle school teachers introduced us to using Jeopardy in the classroom. This was a fun and exciting way to practice what we had learned. Topics would be based on our lessons or unit, and could be vocabulary or details we needed to know for an upcoming exam. However, not everyone knew about the game show, so the teacher made sure to explain all the rules before we began. -
Fidget Chair
A tool that has grown in popularity as of late are the fidget chairs. Growing up, this piece of 'technology' was mainly used for special needs students (like myself) who needed an outlet for their energy to focus. Throughout my student career I have seen these become more prominent in the classroom for other students as well. Sitting in these chairs releases that overabundance of energy that some younger students, and some special needs students, share. -
Google Docs
As a high school student, a valuable tool for writing was Google Documents. Using this online technology, not only did group work become significantly easier due to being able to work on a project all at once, but saving my work also became easier. If my computer broke down I could find another access to the internet and continue writing my paper (or creating another project in the Google 'lab'). -
Kahoot
During my undergrad years of college, I discovered the wonders of Kahoot. As both a student and a teacher in the classroom this App became a wonderful tool in applying what we have learned. The game itself is extremely engaging and students love to learn while playing games.
